Tuesday, March 22, 2011

TESI'S BAPTISM!!!!!!

Kia Ora!

We had a fantastic week! Tesi got baptized!!!! And it was a GREAT baptism!! She asked if I could baptize her and I was privileged!! And I got to wear my ificonga (if-i-conga)!! It's like a guy's skirt lol! But it was fun to baptize her! So our first baptism in the area!!! She is a true miracle! She overcame heaps of different challenges, especially smoking, but she relied on the Lord and He provided for her! And yesterday, she got confirmed a member of the Church! She is just so good, really stanch... she's going to do great!!!!

Our zone is doing really good! We are finally on pace to do something great!!! So right now we are projected to break a Zone Best!! It's 17, but we are projected to hit 20!! And another thing, we've got all 9 companionships baptizing!! So that is great!!!! Another thing that hasn't been done before here in Roskill!!! So we are being very blessed, every single companionship! And this last week we lead the mission in Preach By the Way! Each companionship hit over 100 and a zone average of 145 people talked to for each companionship! So we are really stretching ourselves!! And we are doing our best to take things to the next level... In fact, I don't know if any zone has ever averaged that high of number before! So we are doing all we can to accomplish big things here in Roskill!

We also reset Nia this last week to get baptized in April! So we are really praying for that miracle! But really overall, we need to have some big miracles because we need more investigators!! And we need to find more people that want to progress and be baptized!

LOVE YA!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!

Elder Belnap

MIRACLE WITH TESI!!!! - Sunday, March 13, 2011

Kia Ora!

Transfer week!!!! So I'm staying in Mt. Roskill!! But Elder Christiansen got transferred to Tauranga!! Lucky guy!! I was jealous of him, but he's now the Senior Zone Leader down there with my other boy, Elder Keyes! They are going to do great down there! My new companion is from Tooele and his name is Elder Bresee. He's the most loving, humble, guy. And he's just pure and righteous. I'm really excited to be with him. He's just great! We are really trying to get our zone to the next level! We've got all the potential to have a BIG MONTH! We are on pace to break the zone best! We are looking at roughly 20 baptisms for the month, with all 9 companionships baptizing! So I'm really excited about that, if that happens we are in great shape and President Porter will be happy! lol!

We had a pretty good week! Had many miracles with Tesi! She's all good to get baptized this weekend. She has a strong testimony. She has had many trials but has been able to overcome all of them. She had a problem with smoking, but she hasn't smoked in two days!!!! And she said that it has been a lot easier for her to quit smoking! And that was a big testimony for her! Next problem, we asked if anything else would keep her from being baptized? She said, "Well if my mom found out..." I was like, "WHAT!!!" She said if her mom found out that she would freak and probably not allow her to be baptized (even though Tesi is 26). It's like Niuen tradition or something. So I've been freaking out and praying my guts out the past couple of days! And yesterday as we were walking to church with her, she said, "Elders, good news. I talked to my mom and when she was dropping me off, I said, 'Mom, that's the church I'm going to,' and she said, 'Oh, I used to go to that church." And she was absolutely fine with her going to church and getting baptized!!!! Prayers are answered! So this Saturday at 6:30 she'll be baptized!!!!!! CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

Also, we had Nia at church yesterday hoping to re-set her for next month!! So we've been having some good miracles! Still need more investigators! But we are still being blessed! Heard about the earthqauke in Japan, but we are all good here in NZ!

LOVE YA!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PRAY FOR US!!!!!

Elder Belnap

Friday, March 11, 2011

ZONE CONFERENCE!!!

Kia Ora!

We had a good week! Had Zone Conference this week! And then we had Zone Council right after that with Elder Callistar of the Seventy, then we were invited to go to the stake presidents' and bishops' meeting with two of the Seventy. It was really good! I learned heaps!! For example, Elder Callistar talked to the Zone Leaders about using the doctrine of principles with your missionaries. So I learned that that's exactly what my parents did with me growing up... Example:
"Can I be out after 12?"
"Well son, does anything good happen after 12?"
"No."
"So then you know the answer."
Anyway, I've been applying the principle thing with the missionaries and it works!!! So I know why my parents did some of the things they did, lol!

Tesi came to church yesterday! She LOVED IT!!!! She said that she was waking up throughout the night because she was so excited. She was just loving it! So she is looking good to be baptized on the 19th!! Stoked about that.... Alvina didn't come, super disappointing. And Nia, well she can't be baptized this month, hoping for next month! This area you just really have to work hard so we need some serious prayers that we can still find people that can be baptized!!!!

It's starting to get cold! New Zealand is weird. One day it is hot and over night the season can change. We've only had two maybe three good months of summer which is so short! So I'm hoping that it won't be too cold of winter...

Transfers is this week!!! I'm hoping that Elder Christiansen stays!!! We get along so good! So here's to hoping!

It was somewhat of a slow week! But hoping that God will bless us more this week!!!!

LOVE YA


Elder Belnap