We had a killer week!!! We taught 30 lessons! Haven't done that since Gisborne... So it was nice to just get out there and teach!! We were booked solid the whole week, which makes missionary works just heaps of fun! We had Elder Evans of the Seventy come and speak to us on Thursday and we learned some interesting things. Especially how important it is to get our investigators to read the Book of Mormon from the beginning. Because that's how the Prophets organized the book to be read... as well as heaps of other things!
We had the media campaign and we found these 2 kids named Roimata and Tua. They are 11 and 10. There family are members, but are less active because the dad has to work on Sundays to pay off debt. And he was praying for a way for his children to be baptized. When he got an answer.... We showed up and they wanted us to come back. We went and taught them and set them for the 28!!! Right now we have heaps of people set, all up we have 11! Six of them are really solid and will get baptized on the 28th! That's also Stucki's last weekend. So it'll be really good!
The whole week was just packed with great miracles! The Fosio family, they are the Samoan family where Brother Fosio is a member but his wife and sister in-laws aren't. Anyway, his in-laws came to our come and see fireside last night! They are both 16 and if the parents will give the okay, they will be baptized! So we are praying for a miracle! Actually right now Satan is really working on all of our sets using there families. We have faced some serious family opposition with many of our sets! One thing that I've been learning, is the better you get at missionary work, God then blesses you with more responsibility. I loved the days when we just had to worry about the Word of Wisdom and helping them overcome smoking. Dealing with family issues is a whole other ball game! But with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
I think I told you about that 71 year old lady named Pat.. She's the one that just showed up to church? I'm not sure I told you about her. Anyway, she came to church last week with her daughter in law. And she wants to be baptized! MIRACLE!!! She's in a wheel chair, and is very old. But she knows the church is true and wants to be baptized!!! So the 28th will be her day!!!!
We had Aki and Malia (the Tongan family I found on tradeoff) at church, Roimata, and Tua. Pat, and some others! It was great to have so many! As well as this lady that we set for June 4 named Nooroa (Node-roa).
I love South Auckland!!! The people are great! Our area is pumping! Pretty much all of our investigators that we are teaching are preparing to be baptized! I don't know if I've had such a good teaching pool before, but our area is pumping!! And the zone is doing GREAT!!! We are projected at 49! If everyone gets baptized!! So we are just focusing on Christ hardout! Putting all faith in Him hoping that He will provide a way! And our mission is projected to hit over 200 this month! First time that will happen! So President Porter wants to go out with a bang. He finishes in July! It's crazy!!!!
The Church is TRUE!!! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!!
LOVE YOUS!!!!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!
Elder Belnap
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
GREAT WEEK!!!! - May 1, 2011
Malosefua (Hello in Samoan)
We had just a crazy week! So many out of it things... But it was GREAT! I'm LOVING MANUKAU!!! It's amazing... It's like I'm serving in the Islands lol! It's all Tongans and Samoans lol! They are very religious people. And the Thomas Rd. Ward is da bomb! Great young single adults, members are great at missionary work! Love it!
Yesterday was nuts.... So to start out. We have this girl named Tuia (cook islander) she is set to be baptized on the 28th! She came to church and loved it! 2nd week in a row!... But we got a text just as we were leaving, and it said "Come save me please".... So Elder Stucki and I rushed over with a member to her house. We got there and she was just crying. She couldn't say a word. Her idiot husband had just beat her and strangled her. She didn't know what to do. All she could do was pray. (And of course he was drunk out of his mind.) Anyway, we got there and took her away along with her 2 year old son and took her to the Relief Society president's house, Sister Leakehe. And they are taking good care of her. I just couldn't believe it. You always hear about those horror stories, but it's totally different to be involved in it... The miralce of this all is this... her phone had died, and she was screaming but no one came. She was praying that she could send just one text. "Somehow" her phone worked just long enough to send that one text! Coincidence? I think not. The Lord hears and answers, and protects His children. We saw it and bare witness that God is there for all of us, and he will do anything to help us....
Ha and yesterday after that, there was a high speed chase just in front of our house, and the guy smashed into a bus... Idiot. Anyway he's locked up now.. it was just a bit crazy....
And yesterday we got a call to go give a blessing at the Middlemore Hospital. Once again those horror stories. This little baby girl, 2-3 yrs old, had a hot jug of water fall right onto her face. The skin completely melted away. It was a scary and sad sight. I had a hard time looking at her. But we did the Lord's work, and gave her a blessing... Hope all will be well..
Had a great miracle, went out trackting with a member. And we felt like going back to this one house that we'd talked to before. She let us right in. I asked her, "If God could do anything for you, what would that be?" She said, "Forgiveness." Good thing that's what we teach... It turns out this lady used to be married to a member, is looking to go back to church, and we were blessed to set her to be baptized at the end of this month. Her name is Patrisha... Right now we have 6 people set! And we have so many others that are so close...
Yesterday was a blessing. The member brought 5 non-members to church. People other than our investigators. I taught one, and Stucki taught another one, and both are choice. The girl I taught is keen, her name is Adrienne. She said that a few weeks ago, she was praying to know if the church that she was going to was the right one. Then her friend started talking to her about our church, and she said that she just felt good. So she came yesterday and we are going to teach her tomorrow!!! And Elder Stucki had a similar experience. And we feel both could be baptized this month!!! WOW BLESSINGS!!!!
Last night we also taught that Samoan family that we found, where the father is a member but his wife isn't. The Fosio Family! They are great, we taught his wife's sisters... And all three are just choice! They also are great potentials for this month too!!! I just love them, I love them like I loved the Apineru's in Gisborne.
I LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!!!
THE CHURCH IS TRUE, I HAVE WITNESSED IT SO MANY TIMES, ESPECIALLY AFTER YESTERDAY!!!! STAY STRONG! ALWAYS!!!!!
Elder Belnap
We had just a crazy week! So many out of it things... But it was GREAT! I'm LOVING MANUKAU!!! It's amazing... It's like I'm serving in the Islands lol! It's all Tongans and Samoans lol! They are very religious people. And the Thomas Rd. Ward is da bomb! Great young single adults, members are great at missionary work! Love it!
Yesterday was nuts.... So to start out. We have this girl named Tuia (cook islander) she is set to be baptized on the 28th! She came to church and loved it! 2nd week in a row!... But we got a text just as we were leaving, and it said "Come save me please".... So Elder Stucki and I rushed over with a member to her house. We got there and she was just crying. She couldn't say a word. Her idiot husband had just beat her and strangled her. She didn't know what to do. All she could do was pray. (And of course he was drunk out of his mind.) Anyway, we got there and took her away along with her 2 year old son and took her to the Relief Society president's house, Sister Leakehe. And they are taking good care of her. I just couldn't believe it. You always hear about those horror stories, but it's totally different to be involved in it... The miralce of this all is this... her phone had died, and she was screaming but no one came. She was praying that she could send just one text. "Somehow" her phone worked just long enough to send that one text! Coincidence? I think not. The Lord hears and answers, and protects His children. We saw it and bare witness that God is there for all of us, and he will do anything to help us....
Ha and yesterday after that, there was a high speed chase just in front of our house, and the guy smashed into a bus... Idiot. Anyway he's locked up now.. it was just a bit crazy....
And yesterday we got a call to go give a blessing at the Middlemore Hospital. Once again those horror stories. This little baby girl, 2-3 yrs old, had a hot jug of water fall right onto her face. The skin completely melted away. It was a scary and sad sight. I had a hard time looking at her. But we did the Lord's work, and gave her a blessing... Hope all will be well..
Had a great miracle, went out trackting with a member. And we felt like going back to this one house that we'd talked to before. She let us right in. I asked her, "If God could do anything for you, what would that be?" She said, "Forgiveness." Good thing that's what we teach... It turns out this lady used to be married to a member, is looking to go back to church, and we were blessed to set her to be baptized at the end of this month. Her name is Patrisha... Right now we have 6 people set! And we have so many others that are so close...
Yesterday was a blessing. The member brought 5 non-members to church. People other than our investigators. I taught one, and Stucki taught another one, and both are choice. The girl I taught is keen, her name is Adrienne. She said that a few weeks ago, she was praying to know if the church that she was going to was the right one. Then her friend started talking to her about our church, and she said that she just felt good. So she came yesterday and we are going to teach her tomorrow!!! And Elder Stucki had a similar experience. And we feel both could be baptized this month!!! WOW BLESSINGS!!!!
Last night we also taught that Samoan family that we found, where the father is a member but his wife isn't. The Fosio Family! They are great, we taught his wife's sisters... And all three are just choice! They also are great potentials for this month too!!! I just love them, I love them like I loved the Apineru's in Gisborne.
I LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!!!
THE CHURCH IS TRUE, I HAVE WITNESSED IT SO MANY TIMES, ESPECIALLY AFTER YESTERDAY!!!! STAY STRONG! ALWAYS!!!!!
Elder Belnap
PETER'S BAPTISM - April 24, 2011
Good Morning!!!!!
Big things happened!! Whooooaaa!!! But before we get to that.....We had Peter's baptism on Wednesday! It was great! I got to baptize him! He is doing great, after I brought him up out of the water we gave each other a big hug! He said thanks... I've been with him through all the good and rough times and to finally get to see him get baptized was great! The Spirit was strong... He bore his testimony, said how he knew this is where he needed or where God needed him to be. Then he talked about his family and how his goal is to get to the temple, and especially get his family to the temple and be sealed there. Now it will take some time, because he has been doing it by himself, but he has great faith and he has a lovely wife that I strongly feel would make a great member of the church one day. So I'm very excited for him and his future as it looks bright!!!
Now for some big news! I went to President Porter's house on Tuesday and he pulled me aside and said those words that make your stomach drop because you know that something big is going down, "Elder Belnap, are you ready for your new assignment?" I said "Yep, what do you want me to do?" He said, "I'm moving you to go to Manukau, to be with Elder Stucki." So I'll give you the background and why all of this is so important.. There are 3 zones that are called the big 3. The mission pretty much rests on these 3 zones to come through each and every month. Then there are 2 zones that are the flagstaff of the mission. Manukau is one of them. So Manukau had some stellar months, baptizing roughly 30+ a month, doing great. Then, the past couple months took a hit baptizing only 12&19 (very low). So President Porter put Elder Stucki in to clean it up and take it to the next level. Which is exactly what he does. He was my zone leader in Henderson when we hit the zone best, then took Tamaki (another one of the big 3) from an under performing zone to performing at a level people never thought (what we did in Gisborne he did in Tamaki). Well he came in and right away cleaned it up and this month. They broke the zone best, and tied the all-time zone best in the mission of 33 baptisms.... And it was just ridiculous what happened and next month is going to be a month that people thought could never happen. So President Porter sat me down and said you will be junior to Elder Stucki, who he said is the best he's ever seen. And he told me that he just wants me to LEARN LIKE CRAZY from him. And then to carry the zone to the next level. So that's my assignment this transfer. Work my butt off and learn like crazy. To be honest, it's going to be hard. But it will be worth it. There is a MAJOR PRESSURE SITUATION. Thus far in my mission. I've never been put in a situation where things are going great and President Porter is just expecting them to get better. I've only been asked to turn zones around and get them pumping, which I have: Gisborne, Hamilton, and Mount Roskill is finally getting on board. Now I'm coming into a pressure situation where even more is going to be required. So I know that President wants me to become great because he wouldn't have stuck me with the best if he didn't. And I'm killing of Stucki this transfer. He is going home. I love him. He's intense. He's very similar to Chase Hart. But even more intense lol! He's good at what he does and everyone knows it. People think he's cocky, but it's just who he is and once you get to know him you realize that's not true, just his personality. It'll be good. He runs things like a business. Like a fortune 500 company, but I've come to learn that it just takes organization and trust from your missionaries and along with that, serious revelation. I've never had a zone planning where we spent literally hours praying, pondering on what God needed us to do to get our zone to the next level. In all, I am blessed to be serving with Elder Stucki. Yes we get along, yes he has a much different personality, BUT we still get along great! And he will help me become a GREAT missionary and leader, what more could I ask for? And in my personal life, he has already helped me, and in business as well.... Elder Stucki is from Las Vegas, and a state champ wrestler. And has a strong testimony of the church!
So a bit about Mount Roskill. In my last area, my ward hadn't baptized in like 3 month, unacceptable. But I baptized the whole time I was there, and left 2 solid people set. And next month my area should be able to baptize weekly for may! Here in Manukau, I love my area. Elder Stucki and I are the ONLY WHITE PEOPLE LOL... Everyone is islander, LOVE IT! We have 5 people set in our area! And our goal is 10! I feel we can get it! Yesterday at church this guy spoke and said how his wife isn't a member and how he wants her to be. We asked if we could come see his family. Last night we saw the Fosio family (Samoan) and had a super powerful Restoration lesson with them. We found 4 new investigators. And the family felt the Spirit super strong, and I feel that they are great prospects for next month! It was just powerful. And last night we helped this family that recently got baptized and it was a powerful lesson we gave the boys blessings. And both of them were incredibly strong. It just feels good to follow the spirit. I was praying for Heavenly Father to bless me with a good pumping area and I got it. Roskill was hard for me, cuz stat wise it was difficult, but now we are teaching 30+ lessons a week and having great success. NOT because of us, but because of the Lord! So I am very happy to be here!
I LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!
OFA ATU (Tongan, Love You)
Elder Belnap
Big things happened!! Whooooaaa!!! But before we get to that.....We had Peter's baptism on Wednesday! It was great! I got to baptize him! He is doing great, after I brought him up out of the water we gave each other a big hug! He said thanks... I've been with him through all the good and rough times and to finally get to see him get baptized was great! The Spirit was strong... He bore his testimony, said how he knew this is where he needed or where God needed him to be. Then he talked about his family and how his goal is to get to the temple, and especially get his family to the temple and be sealed there. Now it will take some time, because he has been doing it by himself, but he has great faith and he has a lovely wife that I strongly feel would make a great member of the church one day. So I'm very excited for him and his future as it looks bright!!!
Now for some big news! I went to President Porter's house on Tuesday and he pulled me aside and said those words that make your stomach drop because you know that something big is going down, "Elder Belnap, are you ready for your new assignment?" I said "Yep, what do you want me to do?" He said, "I'm moving you to go to Manukau, to be with Elder Stucki." So I'll give you the background and why all of this is so important.. There are 3 zones that are called the big 3. The mission pretty much rests on these 3 zones to come through each and every month. Then there are 2 zones that are the flagstaff of the mission. Manukau is one of them. So Manukau had some stellar months, baptizing roughly 30+ a month, doing great. Then, the past couple months took a hit baptizing only 12&19 (very low). So President Porter put Elder Stucki in to clean it up and take it to the next level. Which is exactly what he does. He was my zone leader in Henderson when we hit the zone best, then took Tamaki (another one of the big 3) from an under performing zone to performing at a level people never thought (what we did in Gisborne he did in Tamaki). Well he came in and right away cleaned it up and this month. They broke the zone best, and tied the all-time zone best in the mission of 33 baptisms.... And it was just ridiculous what happened and next month is going to be a month that people thought could never happen. So President Porter sat me down and said you will be junior to Elder Stucki, who he said is the best he's ever seen. And he told me that he just wants me to LEARN LIKE CRAZY from him. And then to carry the zone to the next level. So that's my assignment this transfer. Work my butt off and learn like crazy. To be honest, it's going to be hard. But it will be worth it. There is a MAJOR PRESSURE SITUATION. Thus far in my mission. I've never been put in a situation where things are going great and President Porter is just expecting them to get better. I've only been asked to turn zones around and get them pumping, which I have: Gisborne, Hamilton, and Mount Roskill is finally getting on board. Now I'm coming into a pressure situation where even more is going to be required. So I know that President wants me to become great because he wouldn't have stuck me with the best if he didn't. And I'm killing of Stucki this transfer. He is going home. I love him. He's intense. He's very similar to Chase Hart. But even more intense lol! He's good at what he does and everyone knows it. People think he's cocky, but it's just who he is and once you get to know him you realize that's not true, just his personality. It'll be good. He runs things like a business. Like a fortune 500 company, but I've come to learn that it just takes organization and trust from your missionaries and along with that, serious revelation. I've never had a zone planning where we spent literally hours praying, pondering on what God needed us to do to get our zone to the next level. In all, I am blessed to be serving with Elder Stucki. Yes we get along, yes he has a much different personality, BUT we still get along great! And he will help me become a GREAT missionary and leader, what more could I ask for? And in my personal life, he has already helped me, and in business as well.... Elder Stucki is from Las Vegas, and a state champ wrestler. And has a strong testimony of the church!
So a bit about Mount Roskill. In my last area, my ward hadn't baptized in like 3 month, unacceptable. But I baptized the whole time I was there, and left 2 solid people set. And next month my area should be able to baptize weekly for may! Here in Manukau, I love my area. Elder Stucki and I are the ONLY WHITE PEOPLE LOL... Everyone is islander, LOVE IT! We have 5 people set in our area! And our goal is 10! I feel we can get it! Yesterday at church this guy spoke and said how his wife isn't a member and how he wants her to be. We asked if we could come see his family. Last night we saw the Fosio family (Samoan) and had a super powerful Restoration lesson with them. We found 4 new investigators. And the family felt the Spirit super strong, and I feel that they are great prospects for next month! It was just powerful. And last night we helped this family that recently got baptized and it was a powerful lesson we gave the boys blessings. And both of them were incredibly strong. It just feels good to follow the spirit. I was praying for Heavenly Father to bless me with a good pumping area and I got it. Roskill was hard for me, cuz stat wise it was difficult, but now we are teaching 30+ lessons a week and having great success. NOT because of us, but because of the Lord! So I am very happy to be here!
I LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!
OFA ATU (Tongan, Love You)
Elder Belnap
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