Kia Ora! 5-29-16

It's WINTER! It's rainy as here, but it's definitely land of the long white cloud, it rains then it hails, then the sun shines!! HAHA also, TRANSFERS are this week, can you believe it's already been 6 weeks? Sister Chudleigh and I are for sure good, so we think, I guess you'll find out next week :) 

Well, this week in our area was pretty slow, but was FIRE online. We were able to teach people from ALL around the world. We know have an investigator in Kansas, Canada, Texas, and North Carolina. It's amazing seeing the gospel go throughout the world. The other day we had a message from a man named Brad saying he was very Christian and had some questions about the mormon religion... SO we called him. At first it seemed as though he was trying to bash, and sister chudleigh and I were ready for war. It's pretty amazing that as a companionship we literally go to battle fronts sometimes together. We had our scriptures out and we felt so excited to be kind to this man who would be rude to us. As the conversation went on, this man got EXTREMELY humbled when we could support all his questions with the bible, and the book of mormon, and he just was sincerely seeking to know answers not bash. He was so kind to us and was in awe of all that we knew (what the Lord knew;) and anyways, we kept talking to him and the spirit was so strong and we even felt prompted to tell him that when he comes to find out these things for himself if he will follow the example of his Savior and get baptized and HE SAID YES. WHAT THE HECK. It was unreal to experience this. I felt like a solider with my awesome comp!! It was so funny to look at each other when the other got done, and to testify and build off of their testimony :) Ah, such a sweet and spiritual experience.

Well, I had my first door slammed in my face. We were talking to this woman Kelly at her door, and asked if we could help her with anything and all of a sudden this mean scary guy came out of the back of the house and said "WE DON'T NEED YOUR HELP" and slammed the door. He then grabbed Kelly and like threw her. I yelled "Sir we were talking to her, not you" And he then said "GET" I almost felt as though the devil possessed him. He was so abusive we could tell, especially because she is 21, and he is 55 and they're dating. It's a weird as situation. I left feeling so fumed I wanted to fight that guy, and scream at him our message. But Sister Chudleigh just put her arm around me and walked with me to the car. When we got to the car, both with a few tears in our eyes for how sorry we felt for her, we said a prayer for this man. I won't say all my terrible feelings went away, I still wanted to beat him up, but Sister Chudleigh helped me realize that Jesus would pray for this man, and that he loves him regardless. I truly am at war with the best comp I could have ever had. I feel so grateful for the lessons she's taught me. She is leaving in 6 weeks, and I know that will be hard. She gave me one piece of advice that she said is the only thing I truly need my whole mission and it's two words. JUST LOVE

Well, Family I realized this week that I thought everyone and everything back home would change so much while I was gone, I thought all my friends would instantly become so righteous, I thought we would all have desires to go to the temple and church, but this week as I pondered, I realized I had it all wrong. I didn't come on my mission for you all to change, I came here so that I could change. I realized it's not a matter of everyone becoming more righteous and more perfect it's a matter of me becoming changed in the way I view those things. I truly can say that I could love anyone regardless of their past, future, or current state, and I truly feel as though this mission was to change me. I can now JUST LOVE as Sister Chudleigh has taught me. I am not perfect at it, but I am trying every day to do my best!! I hope you all can strive every day to become more like the savior!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! 

"The greatest gift of the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don't succeed."

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you"

Dad, I am literally in the seed planting business like you told me;) hahah we were doing service and it made me think of you!! I love you!! look how silly this mail box is!!

I LOVE MY WHANAU!!
I FORGOT TO TELL YOU!! A couple named Alex and Sarah came into the VC a while ago and the sisters before us taught them so when they got here we taught them and they are from Brazil and got baptized this week!!!!! I am so happy for them!!!
I forgot to tell you all, but I decided 18 months isn't long enough to wear this tag, so I decided to sleep with it on every night.. HAHA my next comps might make fun of me, but it's all worth it :

Love Sister DeLoach