BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIG NEWS here in New Zealand!!!!!!!! I am now ZONE LEADER in GISBORNE (gisbone) and we got DOUBLE SHIFTED IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I received a phone call from President Porter before my alarm even went off! Pres. Porter asked me if I am worthy before the Lord and then said that he is giving me a "special assignment" and sending me to Gisborne. And making me a Zone Leader! I was completely humbled, stoked, and in shock when I received the call! He told me that I would be a Zone Leader with also a brand new Zone Leader, Elder Perry Sessions from Mesa, Arizona. He was a District Leader for a long time, been out a year and four months. And told me that he is stacking Gisborne and wants to turn it into a South Auckland, which is the ring of fire in our mission. It was a big shock. Don't know what he was thinking, sending two inexperienced missionaries to be Zone Leaders in the hardest place to baptize. Gisborne has always been a very hard place to baptize. But he said that he wants us to set the Zone Best and turn into a baptizing Zone! He went on to tell me more about why he sent me to Gissie. He said that this is where I'll have to rely soley on the Lord to provide. He said that if you look at a lot of my Assistant Presidents, they have served in Gisborne at a young age. He really talked it up. That this is where the top of his missionaries go. I just woke up, and he put all of this on me! Telling me about Gisborne was enough, let alone telling me this is where he test his missionaries to see if they can become Assistant Presidents and such! So overall, very excited!!!!!!! But very humbled!

When I was telling our Zone Leaders they couldn't believe it. And to be honest, if it hadn't happened to me then I wouldn't believe it either! Because to be a Zone Leader in this mission you have to be GREAT! And every Zone Leader has been District Leader and has also trained. But I'm the only Zone Leader who hasn't done either. And me and another guy that came out with me, we are the two youngest Zone Leaders in the mission. I still don't know why or how this even happened. I don't feel deserving of it. But the Lord qualifies those he calls. I know that much! My boy Whaanga is now TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am stoked for him!!!!!!!!!! He's training a guy from Samoa! And he's stoked. Very proud of him! And I left with four people set for baptism!!!!!!! Rayna got baptized on Saturday!!!!!

MORE BIG NEWS!!!!!!!! Our boy ELDER SHANE REEVES!!!!!!!!!!! is now the Assitant President in the Oakland/San Francisco Mission! He's such a humble guy, he hasn't even told me, he emailed me today to say that he is sending me a letter. I found out from another friend in Oakland! Been out 10 months and Assistant President!!!!!!! Crazy!!!! He is the man!!!!!!!! Elder Bracken Nipko is now a District Leader!!!!!! And Elder Kitchen is back from Niue and training a guy from Tonga!!!!! So a lot of BIG things happening!

My 2nd day here in Gissie I got food poisoning and was out for the day! NO good! I am sick of being sick! NO fun! I'm doing much better now though.

I have to tell you about church! We cover four branches and a ward. And we have a baptism in one of our branches that is 40 min away, a Tongan boy, 17 named Adrian! We went to church up there and there was 16 people total, including us! lol! There is pretty much 3 families! So it's different. But the Spirit is still the same, doesn't matter where you go! We have tons of work, and I have a great companion! We work really well together! I miss Whaanga, but Sessions is the man! Gisborne is the first place in the world where the sun rises! I'm in the wamp wamps, big time country! Lots of Maoris! I cover all of the East Coast! Go check this place out! Go look up Gissie on google earth! Check it out! I love it! We drove most of the coast, and it's beautiful. So go give it a look!

Things are good, I took Birthday pictures so when I send pictures you can check it out!

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!!
I REALLY NEED YOUR PRAYERS!!!!!!!!!!
WE NEED TO BAPTIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE YOU ALL TONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MISS YOU ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXOXO


Elder Belnap

FULLY INVESTED.... IN SAVING SOULS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!