Letter Home June 8th

Hello family and friends! Well it looks like I'm in the adult world now....darn...thank you all for the 21st birthday wishes! 

Yesterday was Sunday and my birthday! The ward I am in which is called Henderson Valley Ward is great. The parents and families found out that it was my birthday yesterday and it was all thanks to my good companion Elder Lewis. He thought he would be sneaky enough to take our food calendar and write my birthday on it but he wasn't sneaky enough because I soon found out after a ward member told me. On Saturday we went to a members house to eat dinner, their names are the Wellaby family. Sister and Brother Wellaby made us some American burritos! My companion and I had the biggest smiles on our faces and almost cried because it has been way too long since we both had a burrito and Mexican food. It was DELICIOUS! They don't make Mexican food down here, it is all about meat, meat, meat and meat (which isn't too bad unless you are a veterinarian). The Wellaby's wrapped some presents for me and baked me a cake for my birthday with a 21st candle on top. Later during the week our bishop gave us a call after planning and I thought it was going to be him asking us how we are doing. I was wrong because he asked Elder Lewis and I to give a talk on Sunday. The next day we gave our talks, bishop asked me to talk on commandments and for Elder Lewis to talk on the Restoration.

Our ward is full of nice people, mixed with islanders and white kiwi members. After sacrament was over one of the moms asked us to go into Relief Society to give a brief talk on Priesthood power and authority. You probably are thinking right now that birthdays are supposed to be relaxing right? Well not on a mission. We later had a lot of appointments set up with our investigators so we took our ward mission leader out with us and another member, Brother Kipo and Brother Joesph who both served a full time mission in Australia and Kitabish near the Marshall Islands.

This Sunday was filled with tons of excitement, tears, and building up new friendships! I love this area and this ward, they welcomed me really fast even though I have been here for not that long. It is amazing to see that the members have so much respect and gratitude for us missionaries. At dinner time, Jade and Daniel, our two recent converts who were baptized by the last missionaries in this area and I barely know them, but they were kind enough to bake me a cake and wish me a happy birthday! Best 21st birthday I could ever wish for! 

This week Elder Lewis and I were concentrating on being more "out looking" meaning looking for more opportunity to share the gospel, do service work on the spot, and look for anybody who is needing some cheering up. We ride our bikes everyday up and down hills, everyday still with a smile on our faces and laughing along. At times we try to make the work more fun on bikes so it won't seem like we are doing the same routine everyday. I am glad to find a companion that pushes me until I can barely walk, keep my eyes open, and until I cry. We were one day coming out from a members house from teaching them and Elder Lewis and I were biking past a playground and noticed and dad and his kid playing there. We felt prompted to stop and started our way up the hill to the playground. As we were getting close to the playground we could see the dad grabbing his son and starting to walk away. In my mind I kept thinking... "Oh well he is leaving, lets just stop", but on the other hand Elder Lewis kept on pursuing him on his bike until we finally came to a stop at the guys car. He asked us what we wanted and we told him "We are going around sharing a unique message which is centered on Jesus Christ". He looked at us and started talking to us in a friendly matter. We answered his questions and I could see on his face that he was getting into the conversation. He later said to both Elder Lewis and I, "Can you two come over to my house later on today?" I was amazed at the question he asked. I couldn't say anything so my companion had to answer for both of us. We later went over to him and his partners. Their names are Junior and Jade. They have a one year old son named Orlando. Junior told us that the reason he wanted us over was because he would always see missionaries around but wouldn't talk to them and would just blow them off, but this time he wanted to know what they actually do and he wanted us to also teach his partner (not legally married). Elder Lewis and I taught them about the Restoration. They both had questions and were interested in learning more. Junior comes from a Pacific Islander church background and Jade isn't fully Catholic. She has some family members that are Catholic but she isn't really into the religion as much as her family. We found out that Jade was best friends with one of our ward members who is in the YSA. Both Junior and Jade knew the members that were in our ward. There was no accident in meeting Junior at the park. We told the member families that Junior and Jade knew about them both and they have accepted to fellowship Junior and Jade. I am thankful for Elder Lewis for going up there with full courage and determination and to go and talk to Junior. I felt bad that I couldn't be the same but am really thankful for Elder Lewis being a good example to me. We live and we learn and that day was a learning day for me! After our lesson, Jade and Junior were really happy and wanted us to come back again. 

On Saturday, Elder Lewis and I were headed up to go see a member who I heard go beaten up and has had a rough life. He lived alone and didn't have much company at his house with him so we were going to make our way to his house. Going down a hill we passed a house and out of the corner of my eye I could see a man and women sitting on the front porch of their house. During the whole day I was quite and was trying to keep on working even though I was exhausted and something that I was trying to do was fight to go to that next level of extra work. Passing that house I yelled to Elder Lewis who was in front of me and we both stopped. He was near the pathway to go into another neighborhood and I was near the fence by the house where the man and lady were sitting on their porch. Elder Lewis looked at me and I looked at him back, I took and deep breath and told him we needed to go back to the house. We both turned around and went back to talk to the guy on the porch. We got to the house and the man was still there but the lady wasn't. We went up and introduced ourselves to the man. He was friendly and really nice. His name is Hefi, half Samoan and half Cook Islander. He told us that he saw us and was hopping that we wouldn't be able to see him (in a joking way). My companion and I both laughed and said "you looked too comfortable on your porch so we thought it would be a good idea to stop by and say hi". We found out that Hefi had some friends in the church and they all went on their missions and are all back with families of their own. He lives in a house with his partner and his parents. He grew up around Mormons but never really took any lessons. He told us one of his friends name that returned from a mission not too long ago and as soon as he said the name, my mind clicked because I knew his friend he was talking about. His friend was in my last ward, in the last area I served in which was Manakau. Hefi showed me a picture of him and I was shocked because his friend was a good friend of mine as well! It was amazing to be able to relate something with him because he was opened to us and told us he wanted to learn. He was pretty busy at the time but we gave him a Restoration book to read and we set up another time to meet up with him again this week. Hefi also took a picture of us and posted it on his friends Facebook wall and wrote him about how we met. As we were leaving he told Elder Lewis and I that he was excited to listen and learn more, really nice guy and a miracle to find. 

What a miracle it was for Elder Lewis and I to find these two families. We were being used as the Lords instruments in working in his vineyard. Lessons were learned for both Elder Lewis and I and they were that we cannot do this work without the spirit. He is the one that leads us and puts us in the spots that we need to be in. We also need to act upon those promptings that are given to us. They are there for a reason to give us a clue or a hint that we need to stop, look around for a second and find that person. Don't second guess because I have learned my lesson not to second guess something. You will never know what that prompting might end up being, either you making a new friend, finding the elect souls, or simply someone needing someone to listen to them. That is something I am still learning even on my mission. Off my mission I was never good at following those promptings but the mission field has definitely helped and showed me what happens when I do follow those promptings and act on them. Some promptings are going to be ones that take us out of our comfort zone but we need not forget about who will be right next to us in helping us be bold and protected. Having that faith that He is going to be there to help us out on our journey is something I have been able to see and grow to notice and adapt to.

Unity is also key in missionary work. If two people cannot working something out the Spirit is not going to be there to help in the work. Having contention hinders the work of salvation, it drives the spirit away and our Heavenly Father can't help us. I am thankful to have a companion that not only listens to me but also has that trust for me on the promptings that I feel. Elder Lewis and I have something in common that I haven't had with my other companions and that is to talk things over if there is something in our minds, and to trust in each other. Unity is key, everything we do is not because of Elder Lewis and I, it is because we are both worthy enough to have to spirit to be with us in our work. 

My week was full of highlights, tears, and heart warming moments that I will forever treasure for turning 21! Thank you all for the Birthday wishes! I sure do really appreciate all the prayers that are said for my companion and I. I wish I could have been there to celebrate with you all but I know we will have more of those moments to come when my time on my mission is up. I now know what missionaries mean by when they say "time flies" it surely does! Time flies when you are working hard and having fun. I want to close with one of my favorite hyms "Have I done any good today?" This is the song I sing in my head everyday during the field when working. Have I done any good just says it all, always asks yourself what is there to be done? Is there anyone in need of help? What can I do next? Who is needing some of my help? Am I happy with myself and my performance today? Have I done any good today? If you ask yourself these questions everyday, i promise to you that you will have that moment where you will say "yes I have done good today, what is there more? " There is always more to do, there is always someone looking for help, there is always a lost soul looking for that true message of the Gospel. Don't think of the next day, or the day after that, FOCUS on right now! What can I do to help right now. I know this to be true and this is something I am working on. I have seen miracles come out of it when I centered my mind on one day at a time. Keep on working hard and keep those smiles up! Remember you are not alone! Hope you all have a miracle week! Until we meet again!  Love you all!!!! 

From Elder Thorpe