GREAT WEEK!!!

Kia Ora!

So after much pleading with the Lord, He in turn blessed us!!! It was such a fun and eventful week! So many things happened!

First off, I have to tell you about our most choice investigator!!! I've really missed teaching great and prepared people! Her name is Alvina!!! She is 19, Samoan. This is how we found her... We got a referral for her cousin. Well he just moved out. And we talked to his cousin, which is Alvina's sister, Sa'ara. Well anyway we get a return appointment with Sa'ara. And she stands us up! We rock up there and her sister Alvina said that she was gone, and she asked, "Did she tell you to come back today?" We said yes. She said, "Well she left for her trip down in the south island today." We asked how old she is and Alvina told us that she is 16. Ha, she told us 20 lol! So yes, we got stood up by a 16 year old. lol! So I hope you got a laugh out of that.... But here is the miracle! So we asked Alvina if she would be interested. She said, "I went through it a while ago. but ahhh.... sure... why not?" So we got back and taught her.... I was on a trade-off with the Assistant presidents.. Elder Greening! He's the man, love the guy! Well we went and had the most choice lesson with her! She taught herself that her Presbytarian religion is wrong, and that our church is right! All we did is ask effective questions and teach simple doctrine and she figured everything else out... Then we got to the climax, we asked her to pray to know if what we taught was true. We knelt, she said the most heartfelt prayer and asked if what we taught was true.... we asked how she felt. "I feel good, like really good," she answered. "Where do you think that good feeling comes from?"... "the Spirit".... "So what do you think the Spirit is telling you?".... "That what you taught is true"... "Do you believe that?"... "Yes, it is true!" It was music to my ears!!! So I AM I STOKED RIGHT NOW, YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's been three weeks since I've had a choice investigator, and we got blessed with one! ...... The next lesson we committed her for baptism. She would be keen for it, but there is a lot of pressure from her family, and right now that's what is keeping her from being baptized! So we are working with her. But she enjoyed church yesterday!!! So this is my committment for you: Will you all pray specifically for Alvina and her family, that they will soften their hearts and that Alvina will be able to make this descision. We have been praying are guts out and fasting for her!!!! All the prayers we can get will help!

Then the next night, President Porter came out with us to teach a lesson! Boy that was nerve racking! We ended up teaching these two 17 year old girls from Ethiopia... I'll just say this, President Porter is used to going out to lessons and teaching their most keen investigators and are ready for baptism... And with us, it was like a walk in lesson, with two young girls that we taught for the first time. And they weren't giving us NOTHIN'! FLIPPIN' one word answers!!! So it was a bit of a rougher lesson lol! But we tried our best!

I don't know if you remember Sam, we baptized her when I was in Swanson ward... anyway I saw her last night at the mission fireside. She hasn't missed church, not once! And is really strong!

We had three investigators at church yesterday!!!! Best we've had yet! And we taught 18 lessons, the most this area has taught in months!!!!!!!!!! So things are really beginning to pick up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am one happy guy!!!!!!! And we talked to the most people that I've ever talked to in one week: 216!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I'm stoked!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our zone isn't doing as good as it should be. We are trying to get our zone going. And we are hoping for a miracle this week. We haven't baptized this month. So we are hoping that a miralce happens....

By the way... All three people that I had set in Hamilton got baptized... Tyler, Bryon, and Kevin!!!!

LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!!!!
KEEP PRAYING FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Elder Belnap