It has been a great week. We have a baptism coming up on Tuesday for an older lady named Nani. She is basically, I think the term is, a dry Mormon. She believed it basically from day one. She has been living with her either daughter or niece, I'm not sure. She is originally from the Cook Islands, which, as it turns out, has a different language from the Maori's. It's similar, but different. Kia Oratu as apposed to Kia Ora. Or something like that. Anyways, she has been a super golden investigator from day one, supposedly. Well, It will be really good that she gets baptized.
Another thing. She asked me if I would sing at her baptism. I, of course, accepted. I might sing Consider the Lilies. I quite like that song. Maybe if I can think of a better song related to baptism, I'll sing that song.
I love the Polynesian culture out here. I'm still learning a lot about the people of New Zealand. Anywho, there was a chieftain about 150 years ago or so, that, upon praying to God to find out what would be the best spiritual direction would be best for his fellow Maoris. He received an answer which he related to his people: You will know when what we seek comes, because the teachers will come in twos from the east, and they will pray and baptize by raising their right arm above their head. Well, not too long after, the first Mormon missionaries arrived, in about the 1850's or thereabouts. Anyways, that is something the Visitor Center has a movie about, or something. :-)
So, for all my American friends, which should be, I think, everyone who is receiving these emails, they don't, obviously, have the 4th of July as a holiday here. That makes sense since they aren't America. Anywho, to get to the point, They have this holiday today-ish called Guyfox. Anywho, it is in celebration of this man who tried to blow up the British Parliament. Well, he got all the charges and bombs laid, but he was caught before he could set them off. Well, the British didn't take too kindly to him, so they burnt him at the stake. Well, for some reason, this past weekend and today is a time for grown men to blow stuff up in the name of celebration. So, it's equivalent to America's 4th of July. What a great excuse for guys to blow stuff up! ;-) :-D
I learned a bit about something that people here call green stones. They are similar to Jades, but a little different. Anyways, they have great religious and spiritual significance to the Maoris, and they greatly respect them. Another thing. The Maori's really respect the head. They make sure that that which makes contact with the head is clean. So, for example, it is taboo to sit on pillows that you would rest your head on to sleep on. Also, to sit on tables, because food on the table goes to your mouth, which is a part of your head. So, they really respect the head. I thought it was really interesting.
As of the time of this email, I have not received a single letter or package from anyone. So, I'm going to chock it up to the huge distance that letters and such have to travel. However, if you write a letter, I would make a photocopy of it so that if I don't receive it, you can resend it or something. Just as a cautionary warning. Because the mail has to change a lot of hands before I will ever see it. Also, another thing, just for your information, if you want to send me something and you wish it to come before Christmas, you need to send it before Dec 2 to be safe. Probably even earlier than that, since it doesn't actually get mailed to me, it is given to the Assistants the the President and then to the Zone leaders and then to the District leaders. So, It takes a while. So, chances are, if I get a letter, it will be a month before I reply to it. But I will reply if you took the time to write to me! :-)
Have you ever heard of Hagoth? Well, if you are unfamiliar, he was a person in the Book of Mormon that built ships and took people across the sea. These people were never heard from again. Well, President Lee, I think it was, made a statement that the people of New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, and basically all the other Polynesian Islands were in some way descended from Hagoth. That is something that I think is pretty cool that I learned in Seminary. And at BYU in religion class. But it's cool to think that I am teaching some real Lamanite/Nephite descendants. Pretty awesome, I think. :-) Anyways, I thought that was worth saying.
I showed some American money to some of our investigators, and they though it was just about the coolest thing that they had ever seen in their lives! Lol... That's what I thought when I saw their money. American money is so boring! Anyways, I gave them each a dollar, a quarter, a dime, a nickel, and a penny. They thought it was just about the coolest thing ever. :-)
So, I have baptized just about every week that I've been here. I didn't have a baptism this week, but I do have a baptism on Tuesday. So, close enough.
I have a story! So, I don't recall if I mentioned anything about a man and a woman named Byson and Sheree. Anyways, Byson got baptized last week. He and Sheree were living together, and had to become married to be baptized. The other alternative was that they needed to not live with each other. Well, the plans were all laid out to get them married, but they had a fight, and decided they weren't ready to get married. The Zone leaders went to see them, and E. Ngalu went on a trade off with one of them while I was with the other one. They promised Byson and Sheree that if they prayed, they would receive an answer immediately. Well, I'm not sure why Sheree did not, but she didn't. Byson did, and he started to cry, and he said that he knew he needed to be baptized. So he moved out, and he took one of his sons with him. Then he was baptized. Well,
Sheree did not want to follow suit. Byson's baptism was on Saturday. Friday was when the missionaries last spoke to Sheree. After the baptism, she said that the church was tearing the family apart. However, some how, on Tuesday, when the missionaries in that area went to see her, she knew that she needed to be baptized. The Lord had softened her heart like only He can. So, on Saturday, Byson and Sheree were married, and then Sheree was baptized right after.
The Lord can help anyone's heart to soften, but it ends up boiling down to that person's agency. They can either choose to accept the gospel or to reject it. We can't force them to accept. We just have to help them feel the spirit so that they wish to be baptized and to learn more of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father and our gospel.
No photos today, sorry. I keep forgetting to take photos of people... I really need to get on that.
Also, please, Mom and Dad, send me family photos.
Let me say that again. Send photos of the family Mom and Dad. :-) Thanks! Love you guys!
Trade-offs can be fun, and they can be really not so fun. I have had some of each. But I am still alive!!
Well, That's all I can think of that is really of any significance.
The Church is true. The book is blue. Missionaries rule. etc etc. :-)
--
Elder Cache Staheli
P.S. I don't know the address of my flat, so that is why I have not sent anyone an address of where I am living. We share the house with someone, like I said before, so that is why I can't exactly find out. :-) And yes, I have actually tried to find it out.
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