Kia Ora Mates!!! 4-23-17

FAR OUT MATES, how are you all??!? We had Stake Conference yesterday, and it was incredible. A man from the Temple Presidency stood up and gave one of the most powerful talks I have ever heard he said, "Brothers and Sisters; the Sealing power, and all other ordinances we need are on earth, we live in the fulness of times, there is NO reason that we should not have them." I truly loved that, it's so true, we really do live in the fulness of times. I heard this story and I wanted to share it with you, I hope it touches you how it touched me. 

"A man was waiting in the waiting room of heaven, when the door opened and it was now his time to be judged, he walked into the room and across the room stood a man with a clipboard, and he said, "tell me everything you know about the Savior" the man began to quote scripture, began to share all the good things he had done, and the man with the clipboard said "Thank you". This man went back into the waiting room, and it was the next mans turn. The next man walked in and looked at the man with the clipboard, and feel to His knees, and said "My Master; and my Lord." 

I love this story so much it truly helps us to see it's much more important that we KNOW the Lord rather than knowing things about the Lord. I know that the only way to come to know the Lord is to strive to become like Him. I know as we strive daily to become like him, we will know and see him as he is. One of my favorite scriptures my whole mission is found in Enos 1:27 

" And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."

I know that we can all rest in the Savior, and I know as we all come unto Him, we too can someday see him, fall to our knee's and say "My Master; and my Lord." Remember that it was foretold in the last days that men would draw near to him with their mouths, but their hearts would be far from him, I hope that we can continue to draw closer to the Savior with our Heart and our mouth, and he will someday look at us, and say "come unto me ye blessed; there is a place prepared for you in the mansion of my Father."

Arohanui,

Sister Maddie DeLoach

MY WHANAU!!! 4-23-17

SO grateful to email you today! This week went SO fast, hard to believe it's already Monday. This week was pretty great, nothing too ordinary happened, but it was still a wonderful week to be a servant of Jesus Christ. How are you all doing? I cannot believe that Mother's Day is in 3ish weeks, I also can't believe it will be my last Skype call. I am so excited to see you all, and to hear you all. 

This week we went to see our really keen investigator, Sam. When we got to the door, she opened it and said, "The Mormon isn't for me." We were so shocked, but just bore our testimonies, and she said she wanted a week to think about, and pray about it. And that she would call us, if she wanted to meet again. I felt prompted as we left to say, "We will hear from you soon, our friend" and she said "Yes, you will." It was the weirdest situation, as we walked away we felt somewhat sad for Sam, but mostly we just felt hope. We knew that it wasn't the end for Sam, for me it kind of helped me re-evaluate that Gods timing isn't my timing. I know that we will hear from her, I don't know when, I don't know how long until we do, but I do know that someday Sam will except the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because she has felt the spirit!! 

The funniest thing happened this week, I went on exchanges with Sister Newton, and she passed out at the womans door we were visiting. It was so awkward, we were just standing there and she dropped and me and the lady were like staring at each other, we finally attended to her, and she felt quite sick, I took her home and I had a lovely day playing mum. I even cooked her lunch, and cookies! :) It was a great exchange though, Sister Newton is from the South Island of NZ, she was home-schooled, and quite unique, something I love about the gospel is though, we truly come from such different backgrounds, but we can and did have so much in common, I really genuinely felt like she was my sister and that we truly needed to be together that day. It's such an honor to serve these Sisters, I truly love this calling, and I can definitely feel the love the Savior has for them!

We had Stake Conference yesterday, and it was incredible. A man from the Temple Presidency stood up and gave one of the most powerful talks I have ever heard he said, "Brothers and Sisters; the Sealing power, and all other ordinances we need are on earth, we live in the fulness of times, there is NO reason that we should not have them." I truly loved that, it's so true, we really do live in the fulness of times. I heard this story and I wanted to share it with you, I hope it touches you how it touched me. 

"A man was waiting in the waiting room of heaven, when the door opened and it was now his time to be judged, he walked into the room and across the room stood a man with a clipboard, and he said, "tell me everything you know about the Savior" the man began to quote scripture, began to share all the good things he had done, and the man with the clipboard said "Thank you". This man went back into the waiting room, and it was the next mans turn. The next man walked in and looked at the man with the clipboard, and feel to His knees, and said "My Master; and my Lord." 

I love this story so much it truly helps us to see it's much more important that we KNOW the Lord rather than knowing things about the Lord. I know that the only way to come to know the Lord is to strive to become like Him. I know as we strive daily to become like him, we will know and see him as he is. One of my favorite scriptures my whole mission is found in Enos 1:27 

" And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."

I know that we can all rest in the Savior, and I know as we all come unto Him, we too can someday see him, fall to our knee's and say "My Master; and my Lord." Remember that it was foretold in the last days that men would draw near to him with their mouths, but their hearts would be far from him, I hope that we can continue to draw closer to the Savior with our Heart and our mouth, and he will someday look at us, and say "come unto me ye blessed; there is a place prepared for you in the mansion of my Father."

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

Arohanui,

Sister Maddie DeLoach 

He is Risen!!! 4-16-17

A week full of opposition. That's life though, right? This week there were cyclone warnings, so we were so grateful to be in a car!!! Well, we thought, until we went into a lesson, came out and someone had vandalized our mirror completely off our car.. hahah. Not to mention the rest of the week we were biking and walking :) Until Sister Ticong's bike brakes literally broke all the way off, haha and so we were stuck to walking, I have never been so exhausted in my life in our huge area! 

This week was Easter Week and it was beautiful regardless of all the chaos. It was such a privilege I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting on the Savior's Death and Resurrection, we had 3 investigators come, so it was such a beautiful Sunday. I felt so grateful to have Easter Sunday to truly think during the sacrament of how I can fully give myself over to the Lord, and to truly heal. It's been such a blessing being here realizing how much room we truly each have to heal. I love that this is a gospel of healing, it's a gospel of growing, and giving everything over to the Lord. I loved a line in general conference which says, "No one has sinned tomorrow." HOW TRUE. We each have the potential today to become the person that we want to be tomorrow. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father, a loving Savior Jesus Christ.

I really feel grateful this week, I feel grateful for parents, and siblings, and friends who have encouraged me to push through hard times. This week was rather challenging yet as we rode up big heals in the pouring rain, I somehow felt the peace of the Lord, I somehow had enough strength to always make it to the top, and I somehow had enough courage to ride through dark scary areas at night. Truly the Lord is my light; so why should I fear!!! I am so grateful for His continual guidance, I feel his love, and I hope you do too. Something else that stood out from conference was this, "Come as you are; but don't plan to say as you are". Truly this has been the lesson of my mission, I have come and he has changed me, once he has changed me, he strives to do so again, this is a gospel of change and we can all change daily. I love you so much, wherever you are right now, remember he can calm troubled seas, troubled souls, and he can heal you. I love you so much, I am grateful for a family like you, I often think of funny memories, and long to make more, but until then I will continue to give my best. I LOVE YOU!!!! 

PLEASE WATCH PRINCE OF PEACE VIDEO on Mormon.org it will change your life!!!

Arohanui,

Sister Maddie DeLoach

Fleas & Broken Mirrors 4-16-17

A week full of opposition. That's life though, right? This week there were cyclone warnings, so we were so grateful to be in a car!!! Well, we thought, until we went into a lesson, came out and someone had vandalized our mirror completely off our car.. hahah. Not to mention the rest of the week we were biking and walking :) Until Sister Ticong's bike brakes literally broke all the way off, haha and so we were stuck to walking, I have never been so exhausted in my life! 

 We had a beautiful lesson with our Investigator Andre, on Easter Sunday. Andre has been Christian his whole life, but his partner is Mormon, and they have a son, and now are at the stage where they want to know what religion they will raise him as. He has been quite Anti-Mormon his whole life and he has SOFTENED SO MUCH!!! It was crazy, yesterday he told us how he is really reading the Book of Mormon, he said he told his friends when they bashed mormons that we really aren't as weird or bad as they make us to be. He said yesterday as he prayed. (screaming) You have RISEN LORD JESUS, and we praise thee every single day. It was hilarious, but it made me smile from ear to ear, HOW TRULY GRATEFUL WE ARE THAT HE HAS RISEN!!! It's such a blessing, and I hope we don't bypass the true meaning of all of that. I really really encourage you to go to Mormon.org and watch the Prince of Peace video, it changes LIVES!!! It has changed mine!! 

This week we had the tender mercy of every single day when we got caught in the rain or in a huge storm that that Less Active member I talked about helping us with our bikes last week, saw us again. He helped us every single time, and he and his wife had us for dinner 2 times. They seriously are examples of being Christlike. It's amazing too because they have this man from Virginia living with them, and he is hilarious, he is 61. He isn't a member, but he is quite impressed with the things we share, and he is always so intrigued with why we are so happy, anywho we showed him the prince of peace video, and he was in awe, he got the link and sent it to his whole NON-member family, he said this video has the power to change lives. :) He then kept talking about how impressed he was with the church, we invited him to church but unfortunately he was out of town.

This week was Easter Week and it was beautiful regardless of all the chaos. It was such a privilege I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting on the Savior's Death and Resurrection, we had 3 investigators come, so it was such a beautiful Sunday. I felt so grateful to have Easter Sunday to truly think during the sacrament of how I can fully give myself over to the Lord, and to truly heal. It's been such a blessing being here realizing how much room we truly each have to heal. I love that this is a gospel of healing, it's a gospel of growing, and giving everything over to the Lord. I loved a line in general conference which says, "No one has sinned tomorrow." HOW TRUE. We each have the potential today to become the person that we want to be tomorrow. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father, a loving Savior Jesus Christ.

I really feel grateful this week, I feel grateful for parents, and siblings who have encouraged me to push through hard times. This week was rather challenging yet as we rode up big heals in the pouring rain, I somehow felt the peace of the Lord, I somehow had enough strength to always make it to the top, and I somehow had enough courage to ride through dark areas at night. Truly the Lord is my light; so why should I fear!!! I am so grateful for His continual guidance, I feel his love, and I hope you do too. Something else that stood out from conference was this, "Come as you are; but don't plan to say as you are". Truly this has been the lesson of my mission, I have come and he has changed me, once he has changed me, he strives to do so again, this is a gospel of change and we can all change daily. I love you so much, wherever you are right now, remember he can calm troubled seas, troubled souls, and he can heal you. I love you so much, I am grateful for a family like you, I often think of funny memories, and long to make more, but until then I will continue to give my best. I LOVE YOU!!!! 

p.s Still love me if I come back a leper, the fleas are eating my flesh.. hahah 

AROHANUI,

Sister Maddie DeLoach 

Friends!!! 4-9-17

This week was full on. We had Zone Conference, Interviews, and General Conference. TOO MUCH SPIRIT IN ONE WEEK, I am exhausted, hahah. Zone Conference it really seemed like was focused around asking specific questions, Sister Ticong and I decided to take it to heart, and when we went out proselyting later that day, we said a prayer and Sister Ticong said, "Heavenly Father if it be thy will we really would like to find a new keen investigator this hour while we are out" I grabbed a book of mormon and said "this is for our new investigator" kinda laughing, haha. We went, and down the road we saw this man, and we both said, there he is!! We kept walking and got to him, and he completely dismissed us, it was HILARIOUS. I awkwardly had my hand out in the air and it brushed his shirt, hahah he said "No time, off to pay taxes".. We didn't give up, we just laughed, and continued on. We went to see an investigator in the near area, and he wasn't home, so we headed in the direction towards our car when right then we look over and see a women mowing her lawn, we offered to help, she declined the help but turned off her mower so she could talk. We shared a message, and she said how sisters used to visit her, but then she had baby, but that she is really interested in the message we have to share and she would like to meet Tuesday at 2. WOAH!!!!!!! We walked a way in awe, we now have a new keen investigator, and MIRACLES HAVE NOT CEASED!!! It was such a blessing to know that Heavenly Father is keenly aware of us, and he did truly hear our prayers!! 

We decided to ride bikes this week, and while riding, Sister ticongs chain broke 3 times, me being the "handy companion who watched her dad fix chains" decided I could fix it, yeah right.. hahah it was terrible, and we were running late so we just decided to walk. We felt to fix it one more time, and right when we stopped, I felt SO hopeless, no one was stopping to help and people were all around, it felt like we were invisible, and we were really struggling, I sent of the most heart felt prayers to Heavenly Father, maybe complaining a little, and right then hands reached out of no where, turn around and there was our Less Active member, brother Heata. He drove by, felt to turn around, and now was helping us. I just sobbed, he probably thought I was crazy, but it was such an answer to prayers, plus he looks a lot like Josh(my brother), and it really made me think of how blessed I am. I really felt so grateful, and once again proof that he really does hear an answer our prayers.

My favorite talk was by S. Mark Palmer, he shared about the Saviours love. I know that is the only way to successfully do this work is to love everyone, and I am so grateful for the love I am beginning to feel for those around me. I love my companion, I love my family, my friends, and I love my Saviour. I hope that we can each continue to be true, and keep our covenants, and our promises "because we said we would" I know that the Lord loves and cares about each of you, I miss you all so much, and I love you heaps and heaps. 

Arohanui,

xx Sister Maddie DeLoach 

FAMILY!!! 4-9-17

Hello family!! It was another crazy week!! Cyclone Deborah from Australia partially hit some of NZ, so it was crazyyy weather, we are all safe though, nothing to worry about!! It was actually amazing because we were on exchanges and the Sister and I just so happened to walk, luckily miracles happen in the rain!! Like I said this week I was on exchanges, I went with a Filipino Sister names Sister De Guzman, and it was amazing. I love being in a position to help sisters, it truly is such a blessing. Previous to opening exchanges I prayed really hard to know what these Sisters needed to hear, and I kept having the thought of weaknesses being made strengths so I decided to act upon it. As I shared this message found in 2 Cor. 12:9-10 I really really felt the love for these sisters. I really felt the spirit so strong, and I know that they felt it, as we each strive to overcome our weaknesses and through Christ make them strengths. I really saw these Sisters for a short moment as the Lord see's them, and I can truly say how much I love them!! 

This week was full on. We had Zone Conference, Interviews, and General Conference. TOO MUCH SPIRIT IN ONE WEEK, I am exhausted, hahah. Zone Conference it really seemed like was focused around asking specific questions, Sister Ticong and I decided to take it to heart, and when we went out proselyting later that day, we said a prayer and Sister Ticong said, "Heavenly Father if it be thy will we really would like to find a new keen investigator this hour while we are out" I grabbed a book of mormon and said "this is for our new investigator" kinda laughing, haha. We went, and down the road we saw this man, and we both said, there he is!! We kept walking and got to him, and he completely dismissed us, it was HILARIOUS. I awkwardly had my hand out in the air and it brushed his shirt, hahah he said "No time, off to pay taxes".. We didn't give up, we just laughed, and continued on. We went to see an investigator in the near area, and he wasn't home, so we headed in the direction towards our car when right then we look over and see a women mowing her lawn, we offered to help, she declined the help but turned off her mower so she could talk. We shared a message, and she said how sisters used to visit her, but then she had baby, but that she is really interested in the message we have to share and she would like to meet Tuesday at 2. WOAH!!!!!!! We walked a way in awe, we now have a new keen investigator, and MIRACLES HAVE NOT CEASED!!! It was such a blessing to know that Heavenly Father is keenly aware of us, and he did truly hear our prayers!! 

We decided to ride bikes this week, and while riding, Sister ticongs chain broke 3 times, me being the "handy companion who watched her dad fix chains" decided I could fix it, yeah right.. hahah it was terrible, and we were running late so we just decided to walk. We felt to fix it one more time, and right when we stopped, I felt SO hopeless, no one was stopping to help and people were all around, it felt like we were invisible, and we were really struggling, I sent of the most heart felt prayers to Heavenly Father, maybe complaining a little, and right then hands reached out of no where, turn around and there was our Less Active member, brother Heata. He drove by, felt to turn around, and now was helping us. I just sobbed, he probably thought I was crazy, but it was such an answer to prayers, plus he looks a lot like Josh, and it really made me think of how blessed I am to know that my siblings would have stopped, that my parents would have stopped, and HE DID STOP!! I really felt so grateful, and once again proof that he really does hear an answer our prayers.

My favorite talk was by S. Mark Palmer, he shared about the Saviours love. I know that is the only way to successfully do this work is to love everyone, and I am so grateful for the love I am beginning to feel for those around me. I love my companion, I love my family, and I love my Saviour. I hope that we can each continue to be true, and keep our covenants, and our promises "because we said we would" I know that the Lord loves and cares about each of you, I miss you all so much, and I love you heaps and heaps. 

Arohanui,

Sister DeLoach 

Kia Ora (friends) 4-2-17

I went on my first ever exchange this week with the cutest Samoan Sister named, Sister Ah You. She is such a diligent, obedient missionary, and I learned heaps from her. When we were out visiting, we decided to tract, and for me, I still get kind of nervous (satan) and It's always a little uncomfortable doing door approaches, but she helped me feel so comfortable. We both pointed out this one house that kept obviously standing out to us, we decided to door knock there, and the most prepared 16 year old girl answered the door, she told us of her curiosity of God and how she was seeking for truth, we gave her a book of mormon, and she was so excited she said after we left she was going to read it. We got a return appoint with her, and we found a new investigator by STRIVING to overcome our fears, the Lord truly blessed us!! 

LEONIE GOT MARRIED. It was so amazing, it was incredible to see her taking those steps to change. It made me so grateful for tmepleand eternal marriage as she was civilly married I heard them say "This is for the remainder of your MORTAL life" the only way to be bound for eternity is within the walls of the Lord Holy Temples. I cannot wait to be married in the temple someday, and seeing a civil wedding made me so much more grateful for the blessings we have as members of the church. 

This morning in my studies I read one of the best talks I have ever read, and it was titled "Truly Good and without Guile." I thought of EACH of you as I read it and the wonderful examples you have truly been in my life. PLEASE READ IT. It also linked me to Alma 38, about Shiblon, and I fell in love with these scriptures, the Lord truly knows our goodness, he is so proud of us when we do what it right, he rejoices that we walk in truth, and he wants us to continually doing so no matter where we are on that path. I felt like the Lord was speaking to me, and I know you can feel that too. I know that we are each so important to our Heavenly Father, and we are all an important peace of His family. Our family wouldn't be the same if one of us was missing, and that is the same with His family. HE LOVES YOU, PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!! 

AROHANUI,

Sister Maddie DeLoach

Whanau 4-2-17

Hi Family!! Another great week of being a missionary!! I cannot believe it's April already, time seriously is flying. I am so happy to email you today!! I missed you all a lot this week, and I cannot believe it's already conference. General Conference is shown a week later for us, and it's broadcasted at the chapel, so I will see it next week:) I am so excited!! 

This week I had the opportunity to attend MLC (missionary leadership council) in Hamilton, it was so AMAZING to be back in my home town. I felt so happy to run to the VC after for a quick visit. It was amazing, as I walked in and as I saw Sister Kafoa, I felt so much love, but it felt like it wasn't for me anymore. It was so interesting, I truly felt right leaving coming back to Papakura with Sister Ticong, it really was the confirmation that I needed and I really felt so grateful to get that confirmation!! I know I am supposed to be here, but It's hard to accept that. It was a challenging week, it's been really hard for us because no one is super willing to listen or help us. I have learned to become a great cook, because no one here wants to feed us, haha. I guess that's a good thing though. We had a member yell at us this week when we showed up to help her because we felt prompted too, we left feeling really sad for her, and when we got to the car we offered a prayer to our Heavenly Father, and we prayed for our Sister, that she would be able to overcome her situation, that she would be forgiven for treating us like that, as we prayed I felt the most overwhelming feeling of peace, saddness, and happiness and I realized that Sister Ticong, and I were trying our very best to be like our Saviour, we prayed forgiveness for one who hurt us, and we wanted her to be forgiven too. It was such a small thing, but I really felt the love of the Lord for this woman after we prayed. 

I went on my first ever exchange this week with the cutest Samoan Sister named, Sister Ah You. She is such a diligent, obedient missionary, and I learned heaps from her. When we were out visiting, we decided to tract, and for me, I still get kind of nervous (satan) and It's always a little uncomfortable doing door approaches, but she helped me feel so comfortable. We both pointed out this one house that kept obviously standing out to us, we decided to door knock there, and the most prepared 16 year old girl answered the door, she told us of her curiosity of God and how she was seeking for truth, we gave her a book of mormon, and she was so excited she said after we left she was going to read it. We got a return appoint with her, and we found a new investigator by STRIVING to overcome our fears, the Lord truly blessed us!! 

LEONIE GOT MARRIED. It was so amazing, it was incredible to see her taking those steps to change. It made me so grateful for TEMPLE and eternal marriage as she was civilly married I heard them say "This is for the remainder of your MORTAL life" How sad that they received their marriage and seperation date, it's so true, that the only way to be bound for eternity is within the walls of the Lord Holy Temples. I cannot wait to be married in the temple someday, and seeing a civil wedding made me so much more grateful for the blessings we have as members of the church. 

This morning in my studies I read one of the best talks I have ever read, and it was titled "Truly Good and without Guile." I thought of EACH of you as I read it and the wonderful examples you have truly been in my life. PLEASE READ IT. It also linked me to Alma 38, about Shiblon, and I fell in love with these scriptures, the Lord truly knows our goodness, he is so proud of us when we do what it right, he rejoices that we walk in truth, and he wants us to continually doing so no matter where we are on that path. I felt like the Lord was speaking to me, and I know you can feel that too. I know that we are each so important to our Heavenly Father, and we are all an important peace of His family. Our family wouldn't be the same if one of us was missing, and that is the same with His family. HE LOVES YOU, PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!! 

I just really feel strong to let you know my family how much I truly love you. I am so grateful to be a missionary, yet long to someday return to be with you again.. Please know that you have never gone to far, the light of Christs atonement is that we CAN change. I promise you, that only Satan wants us to feel we have strayed to far, wherever you are, pray and ask Heavenly Father to let you know what you mean to him, and I PROMISE he will answer you. I know your challenges are for a reason, and that is BECAUSE YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THEM. I miss you heaps, and heaps, and I love you more than words. 

Arohanui,

Sister Maddie DeLoach