CRAZY! TRANSFERRED :(... SET 2 PEOPLE! - July 17, 2011

Malosoi fua!

Wow, this week has been one crazy week!! It's been an emotional roller coaster! I got a phone call on Tuesday from President Lekias. He said, "Elder Belnap, you have been a zone leader for a long time. 10 months. And you have done a fantastic job. You are a stellar missionary and with most of the leadership leaving in the coming transfers, I need to make some changes..." (right there, my stomach dropped and I knew what was coming)... he said that he has some exciting news and that he was going to make me a trainer. As he said that the first presidency was making a BIG emphasis on having the best missionaries train. So now I'm training. It's exciting, but hard. And he said that I would get doubled from Mangere and go to Panmure and be a district leader. And I have the biggest district in the mission! There are a total of 6 companionships including the zone leaders.... it's massive! And to be honest, I was gutted! But I accepted. I'll do whatever the Lord wants me to do... Though I had a huge passion for being a zone leader and loved it!

Right now it's hard. This has been the toughest thing that I've ever had to do.... You could say that I went from being on top! In the biggest zone, the heart of the mission. We were on pace to break the zone best! We had 5 people set for baptism! I was running the Thomas Road Ward. Me and my companion got along great. Everything was just pumping!! Not to mention it was my favorite area by far. I thought that I might finish my mission there.... then I get the call, I'm no longer a zone leader, I'm put into an area that is struggling, we have to build it up. And we need to build up the ward as well. Training is hard. I've been blessed with incredible companions my whole mission. All but 3 of my companions have been a zone leader and one of the 3 was a district leader. My new companion is named Elder Gentry. He's from Missouri, a small town of 300ish. We get along okay, but it's a bit hard. I still love him. I feel like I have all this weight on my shoulders. And it's just ME doing all the work. I know God is there. But I feel that I'm the only instrument. It's hard when I have to lead all the lessons, talk to all the people, make all the phone calls, do happy chappy 24/7, love and lift a district and a ward. It's just so much... and it's hard.

But... I am blessed. I still have a cell phone and guess what? I was just praying that I would have a car. And when the assistants rang, they said I didn't have a car. I was super gutted. But I prayed for a car. And right when we were leaving transfers, one of the assistants ran up to me and said, "You must've been saying your prayers, we got an extra car! And we're giving it to you!" I was like WOW! That is a direct answer to my prayer!

Before I left Manutoetoe, I wanted to set one more person. We were teaching Martha, who's set for the 30th. And her neice just moved in. And so we set her for baptism! That's the way I wanted to leave that area! So there are six people set for baptism and another 3 that could still be baptized this month!!

It was super hard to say goodbye to everyone over there! I was just so close to everyone. I'm going to miss that place, but no doubt I will be going back there! I'm really going to miss all the islanders!! There aren't as many in Panmure!

This week we had a good miracle! We found a former named Paul. he was asking good questions and really wanted to make a change in his life. And so we set him for the 13 of August!!

I need your prayers!!
LOVE YA HEAPS!!!!!!!
OFA ATU!!!!!!!!

Elder Belnap