Earthquake again?! Are you safe?

Nov 13, 2016
*On Nov 14 there was a 7.8 earthquake in Kaikoura in the South Island of New Zealand.  Luckily Elder Mortensen on the Eastern coastal area on the North Island.  He didn't have too much to say in this letter, and I had received an email from the Mission President, President Cummings, that all is well.

Aloha E Ka 'Ohana Mortensen,

This is transfer week.  I may leave but I may go, so I don't know.  I will let you know next week.

We are working still with the youth and we have two new investigators who are willing to take the lessons and it is going awesome.  We are trying to stay focused even though it's transfer week.

I might need some jeans, but that's about it.

Sorry so short.  We are doing heaps of service today!

Youth in Wairoa.

Happy Halloween and on to Thanksgiving!

October 30, 2016

Still going here in Wairoa.  Me and my comp and a recent convert is putting together a song for the mission. We will share it when we finish it. It is going to be based on Faith, Love, and God.  It will be good.  Studies are falling behind but I am trying to get back on to it.  I am trying to read and get into the book Jesus is the Christ.  It is a really deep book but I will try.  We had a good outcome at church from working hard all week with less actives.  We had six of them show up and stay.  Then they went and filled up our meal board.  It has been raining a lot over here and the air is cold.  I don't get it!  It needs to be summer over here!  We had two Tangis to go to this week.  So full from eating all the time but they serve good food.  Rich foods too like cray fish and oysters.  Ooohhwee!  Way good.  Had fun again this week.  We got a set for baptism and hope to stay on top so he can follow through this transfer.

I hope you are doing well.  Be safe.  Don't stress too much.  Stay healthy.
Love yous.  Ofa Atu!!!

Had District Meeting in our sulus.

Love Wairoa!

Machines I think Dad would be interested in. :)

Site seeing

Can you see the Missionary in the photo?

Lots of Fish and Chips!

*Note from the "falling behind" Mom:
ALOHA family and loved ones. . . so sorry that I'm so behind in my blog posts.  Know that our Elder is being faithful in writing to his family each week.  I just don't always have time to sit and update the blog.  Mahalo for your support of our Elder!

October 23, 2016

This week was slow in the work but the week goes by way fast.  No one is ever home and when we set appointments they never are home.  They are not ready to come back yet I guess.  We work with our less actives a lot and they are trying hard.  We have them preparing to teach us lessons so that they can pray more often as they prepare to teach us the lesson.  We pray often, me and my comp so we can stay focused and not give up.  I like one of the articles that is given in October's Ensign called The Blessings of Obedience where President Monson says "The greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey we will always be right."  We have trials we go through but nothing that God gives us can't be over some and we can look at it as a stumbling block or a stepping stone.

We had interviews with President Cummings this past week and I shared with him my concerns about my health because the members feed us fatty food all the time.  Never do we get any greens.  It's all fish and chips and I honestly think I might get diabetes with all of the starches we get fed and deep friend things.  I'm not starving.  That's good but I might be breaking the Word of Wisdom. Lol!  We work out hard but we aren't as fortunate like other sisters and elders.  They have a gym nearby to go to.  I might need some Purium stuff!  Nah, just joke!

I miss you all.  Hope to hear from you again.  I really am missing the comforts of home and the food, friends, and everything at home.  I miss sports and work.  Just pray for me and my companion to keep moving forward and our area in small Wairoa.

Love you, Ofa Atu!!!

My Companion Elder Chiong and our Fish and Chips.  It's what's for lunch! :)

10/16/2016 Happy October!

10/16/2016

*Hey mom, can I get some hula videos from Kumu Ha'a of the oli and the hula?  I'm hoping to teach a group of school kids.

Aloha E Ka Ohana Hawai'i,

Mean as week.  We are having heaps of fun.  Me and my comp, we are teaching really well.  We don't got any sets yet but they are soon.  We had our Zone Conference and we are looking at a better transfer, to do better on being obedient and to be more self-reliant by praying first then asking our leaders after that.  We had the opportunity to do service and teach heaps the pamphlets.  The object lessons are awesome for teaching everyone.  The members are awesome.  Ever since we had conference, everyone is working harder on their home teaching and doing their callings.  We got heaps more dinner appointments from the ward too.

I was given an opportunity to teach the college students some hula.  They are so excited and can't wait every Friday to learn more.  The summer is here and it is starting to get really hot and the sun doesn't go down til about 8;30pm.  Just a shout out to Joji Fong!  Thank your so much for the camera.  It is an awesome one.  The area that I am in, Wairoa, is awesome!  Everything is unharmed and untouched.  There's NO DOUBT that everything denotes that there is a GOD!  I am still reading the Book of Mormon and I am in the middle of the book of Alma.

I pray every night for help from Heavenly Father on how to be a better missionary and to bless the investigators and the ward.  I miss you all and hope that you are all doing well.  Stay close to the scriptures and prayers.

I love you all!  Ofa atu!

PS:  I need new pants for the charcoal suit.  They don't fit me.  My navy suit is getting tight by the arms.

10/09/2016 Hey Elder!

10/09/2016

Kia Ora Whanau,

So, awesome week.  New Transfer.  I am still in Wairoa which is fine but I have a new comp.  He is from the Philippines and his name is Elder Chiong.  He is way cool and we get along so well.  He was in the intake before me so we are not so far away from fresh of the boat.  Last week wasn't the busiest in missionary work because it was transfers week so we had heaps of traveling to do.  we were in Gisborne for three days.  We finally got back to wairoa and we did some visiting and then lots of the time we watched conference on Saturday and Sunday.  I loved conference!  There was lots of things that talked about repentance and also having joy.

Me and my comp is hoping to get two baptisms this transfer.  But I am on the run.  I'll email more next week.  Love you.  Hope you are all well.  Ofa atu.

10/02/2016 Happy Birthday Elder Mortensen! 19 years Old!

OCTOBER 2, 2016

So this week went by pretty quick.  We had about 16 other lessons this week.  That's was way good.  Lots of people are at home because of the holidays so we got people chilling at home.  We hung out with three boys.  Two who are thinking about missions and one about baptism.  Overall we had a mean as week.  Transfer is ending and my comp Elder Corry might leave so i might train or get another comp.  I learned heaps from him!!!

Hope you all have a good day.  We get general conference this coming weekend.   Excited for that!  Just a good scripture if you are having a hard time with each other.

Matthew 7:12
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

1 Corinthians 11:31-33
"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.  Wherefore my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

I love you all.  Read your scriptures.  Say your prayers.  Think about what our Savior did for you.
Talk to you's later.  Ofa Atu!!!

LATER THAT AFTERNOON:

What's up everyone!  Thanks for the Birthday Songs!

09/25/2016: Helloooooooo!!!!

Kia Ora Whanau,

So this transfer will be ending soon and it once again has been awesome.  I love my area and my companion.  He is so - he calls himself the prophet because he is "soooo consecrated" lol.  This was an awesome week.  Not to much on teaching, and we weren't being dodgy at all, we just haven't had too much days this week to work in Wairoa.

So on Monday our P-Day we spent the day with our district and the Zone Leaders adn that was heaps of fund.  We went down to Te Reinga Falls.  It's a massive water gall.  Then we hike down to the bottom of it and walked the river.  It was cool.  Nice landscape and all.  It was fun!  We worked on Tuesday.  We went out and helped one of our investigators move to his new place right across from the chapel so no excuses why he can't come to churc and went and visited with some less actives.  Wednesday we were busy getting our things together for Zone Conference.  We packed up to stay at the Zone Leaders flat that night up in Gisborne and we also washed our cars that day as well because we had car inspections.  When we got to Tauranga  where conference was we went on a mini exchange that night as well.  To be honest, the Zone Leaders area is on to it as they have 3 baptisms set and heaps of investigators all keen to learn about the gospel.  Thursday morning we all got up at five am and met at the chapel and 5 Toyota Corolla missionary cars all drove for four and a half hours to Tauranga.  It was long but it was fun too because we all went together.  The conference was way good as well.  President Cummings answered all of my questions that I went to conference with.  "How do we help our investigators progress?"  Teach repentance!  We broke the word down from the Bible and it explains to us what our purpose is.  It is to "Teach repentance and to baptize converts."  It was really fun and good to see other missionaries all at once.  That went on for 3 hours.  Then it was another long drive back that same day.  We got back in Gisborne at nine.  It was a really long day.  We went back to Wairoa the next day and went straight to an appointment we had at a rest home that we were singing at.  Again, the elderly women there were just drooling over my companion lol.  That day was really slow because the holidays just started here.  School is out for two weeks and no one stays in small Wairoa.  They all go off to the big cities like Wellington and Hamilton.  Saturday was slow as well.  No one in town.  Sunday we were late to church because daylight savings started and we forgot to move our clocks an hour ahead.  It was a careless act.  We then went to a Tangi, a Maori funeral where we tayght a lesson in the program about the restoration and sang "O Lord That Glorifies the Son" then we go on a mean feed after that.  All and all it's been an awesome week.  Really tired but that is how everyone's lives should be or else we get into trouble.  I hope all is well with you whanau.  Stay cool.  Don't forget the scriptures and your prayers.  

Love you all and ka kite ano.

These photos are of us at Te Reinga Falls

These next few photos are of us getting ready for our trip to Tauranga for Zone Conference.

Feeds that we put together.

Me and my ALOHA GROWN T-Shirt / See my KEAUKAHA GROWN sticker on my journal?

Te Reinga Falls, NZ