Elder Thorpe got transferred

Hello family and friends! Well looks like our mission president couldn't keep me away from Auckland....see you later North, hello Auckland again! I am no longer in the great North were all the Maori people are but I am back in Auckland were all the great Samoans, Tongan, and Maori people, multi culture mix. My new companions name is Elder Fitzsimons and yes he is from Utah. He is way too funny of an Elder. Funny story is that Elder Fitzsimons and I met each other when my last companion Elder Hall and I had to stay at one of the flats during that long night before the temple trip. W ended up at Elder Fitzsimons flat with him and his companion. It was a very happy moment for my companion and it was a very shocking moment for me. It is going to be a fun transfer and one to always remember. My new ward is Glenn Innes. The ward is great, fun, and really excited to welcome me and this other elder into the ward. We are double covered in the ward. Our bishop is Bishop Roos. He knows a couple of my old companions as well.

On our first day in the area my new companion and I were walking down the road because i didn't have a bike, but that problem is fixed. We saw a lady sitting on her porch with her little boy. We decided to go up and talk to her without any clue what might happen, we thought it would be a quick hi and bye but to our surprise it was more than that. We got to know her and her partner as well. Halfway into our conversation she told us that her last name with Smith. In my mind I thought it would be a long shot to ask if she knew this man named Leo that I was seeing up in the North. She said "yes that is my uncle!!!" My companion and I just were blown away, we told her how I was teaching him about the church and how he knew all the Mormons but he just wasn't a member. That opened them up and they were comfortable with us. They forgot what name we were wearing on our name bag and just saw us for who we were. It is amazing to see what miracles come when you listen to the feeling in our hearts. Even though we didn't teach the family, even though we didn't invite them, I know that visit was something that family needed to be introduced to the gospel. We have a return appointment with them in a couple of weeks, which is long but worth the wait.

After that we were able to continue our night to go over and teach this 17 year old boy named Peter who is interested in the gospel. Peter's story is that his older brother is a member of the church and seeing the change in his brother got him interested in wanting to know what he did to be who he is today. Peter has a smoking and drinking problem, but with his own will and us just inviting him, he has been sober for seven days. He is changing little by little each day. We told him that the spirit works when we are changing ourselves. We may not know it because we expect a big boom but the spirit works when we just take a minute and find ourselves and see what changes we have made to come this far. What an example this kid is to me, he is quiet, really humble and willing to change. We are hanging out with him later on today!! 

On Sunday this other Elder and I had to get up in the middle of sacrament and introduce ourselves. I went first, wish I had gone second but this is what I said to the ward,"Hello, my name is Elder Thorpe, I was born on the Marshall Islands, adopted when I was six, grew up in Seattle Washington and now living in Utah....cool story aye?" The members were really laughing so that I had to wait a few minutes before it was quiet again. That is pretty much how I have been introducing myself to everyone in New Zealand, it is a mouth full and long. Some think I'm Samoan, Tongan or even Mexican but they would have never guessed that I was from the Marshall Islands unless they looked at my height. The ward is great, the members love us and are always enjoying our weirdness which is always good. I'm going to love this area a lot, and love being around my Islander brothers. They are just too funny to be around.

This e-mail is going to be short because of my limit on time. Until we meet again next week!!! Thank you all for the help and support, best of luck this following week! 

Elder Thorpe... Mormon Crew in New Zealand!


Saying goodbye to the Elders in his last area