New Zealand Hamilton Mission

Yes, we are still here!   The past few weeks have been somewhat crazy here.  It started the week before transfer when we got called on to go to Auckland twice to  take missionaries to the airport in a 12 hour period.  That's 6 hours traveling in 12 hours.   The following Tuesday, 4 missionaries completed their missions and went home.  Wednesday, we had 13 missionaries arrive to start their missions along with a senior missionary couple.  Usually, the assistants to the president drive up to the airport to collect the new missionaries but because of the size of the group,  we needed to drive up to Auckland again.  In order to arrive in time to meet the missionaries as they arrived, we had to get up at 4:15am.  We still arrived an hour late due to bad traffic.  The rest of Wednesday was spent getting the new missionaries checked in.  We have a 2 hour orientation meeting in the morning and in the afternoon,...

This week has brought us some good experiences.  We have been preparing for a busy week beginning Tuesday, the 20th of August.  This will be our second transfer of missionaries since being here in New Zealand.  Transfer week consists of some missionaries finishing their missions and returning home, new missionaries arriving, and missionaries being given new assignments and new companions.  The missionaries going home leave on the 20th of August, the new missionaries arrive the day after, and the transfers take place on the 22nd.  There are four missionaries returning home, fifteen arriving, and the transfer involves close to fifty changes this time around.  Elder Folland and I went to the office on Saturday to get some of the work done that was needed, and Elder Folland returned Sunday morning to finish up some things. On Wednesday this past week, we drove to Tauranga to switch out a vehicle with a senior couple.  Then we drove their vehicle to Whaka...

This past week was highlighted by back to back trips to Auckland.  On Friday it was our turn to take a missionary to the Auckland airport.  Elder Burk returned home after a successful mission.  He served as a zone leader for the last several months of his mission and he was a great example of working hard up to the very end.  As a result he had the ultimate finish- a baptism on the morning he left to go home.  On our way home from the airport we received a text from the mission nurse asking if we would be available to take another missionary to the airport.  It had just been decided that she should best return home for health reasons.  She had been dealing with constant hip pain for several months and it just wasn't getting better.  Luckily, she was only a few months from her regular release date.  She seemed to have a pretty good attitude about the whole thing.  Anyway, we were the last couple available, so 12 hours later we turned arou...

The missionary for whom I submitted a visa application (my first) received his visa in two weeks!!  That was pretty miraculous!!  I am relieved!  This week was filled with learning opportunities, enlightenment, and recommittment.  We had our first senior conference since we've been in New Zealand.  It went so well!  To begin the day, we had a nice breakfast provided by Sister Erekson---warm ham and cheese croissants, fresh fruit, and orange juice.  We then gathered for a presentation by Elder and Sister Noel, whose release date is coming up in a month.  They are serving in a coastal area named Gisborne.  When they arrived there about a year ago, the stake president asked them to coordinate the addiction recovery program offered by the Church.  They have seen amazing results among the people there.  They taught us about the program and gave several examples of success they've seen and experienced.  I truly believe in this prog...