FAMILY 5-15-16

Kia Ora Whanau,

How are you all?? Sounds like everyone is doing amazing!! I really love hearing from you all, and I heard news that Jaxon still loves me;) Just kidding. But really grateful to hear from you all. Quite a few amazing things happened this week. The first thing was our neighbor, Brother Brown is out of work for dislocating his knee and he was mowing his lawn so we went over and offered to help. He wouldn't let us, but he stopped his lawn mower and said, "Sister DeLoach... Thank you for your testimony in church on Mothers Day" I said oh You are welcome, and then he said how the day before church he was with his two daughters driving in a scary part of town and someone got a hammer and slammed his back window in and then ran away. He said he was on the verge of wanting to kill the man, he said he literally thought how he could find and kill that man. As he came to church and still had those thoughts he listened to us speak and it wasn't until I told the story of my Mom's "Friend" who was innocently placed into Prison that he heard the voice in his head "Did your girls get hurt" He answered to himself "NO" Don't you have insurance on your car, and that won't cost you anything to get it fixed "You're right" He thought. He said that because of that story the spirit was able to save him from making a terrible mistake that could have placed him into prison. He said he has felt so grateful since then. Thank you Mom, for sharing these stories with me, they truly convert people here, and you are saving lives!! I finally got my mail. Thank you for ALL the things you sent me. I feel so fortunate to be so blessed. Thank you again!! As I was kind of down this week, Sister Chudleigh made me read the words to Hymn 241 "Because I have been given much" I challenge you all to go and look through those words, I just wept as I realized I have so much to be grateful for!! 

ALAN GOT BAPTIZED!!!! It was such an unreal day. He looked so pure, and it was hilarious because he is 6'6'' and the man that baptized him is shorter than mom. Hahahah It was hilarious. He is so happy though, and he was able to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost on May 15, 2016 which is the same day the Aaronic Priesthood was restored to Joseph Smith. I was so stinking proud of Alan. Last night he came to the VC, and he just kept saying "I just want to talk about Jesus All day, I only want to be in places where people talk about Jesus" HAHA he has really changed, and i am so proud of him. Right as he was immersed in the water and rose, he gave Brother Halbert the biggest hug, and then sat in the water sobbing. He did it. Alan Kingi, a man in prison who didn't know God existed, now was the purest man in the room. I was so proud. I couldn't cry, but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, I felt pure joy, as I saw how happy Alan was and as I knew the Savior was so happy too!!! 

I saw this quote and I it changed my life, I hope you love it too!!! 

"you were in the war in heaven and one day when you are in the spirit world you will be in thralled with those who you associated with. You asked someone in which time. They lived in, and you might hear, I was with Moses when he parted the Red Sea, or I help build the pyramids, or I fought with Captain Moroni. And while you are standing there in amazement someone will turn to you and ask, "which prophet time did you live in?" And when you say President Hinckley or President Monson a hush will fall in every hall and Corredor in heaven, and all in attendance will bow at your presence. You were held back 6000 years, because you were the most talented, most obedient, most courageous, and most righteous. Remember who you are!" -President Boyd k. Packer

I love you all, soooo much!!! Ko Sister DeLoach Tokau Ingoa (My name is Sister DeLoach) :)

That midget that we painted his house, we invited him up to the VC, and he came! We taught him the restoration, and I invited him to be baptized on June 25 (my half birthday) and he accepted and said YES!!!!! It was completely random and we were basically in shock, but the spirit testifies when the people are ready to receive it, and he was :) he even said "Do I stop drinking coffee now or when" HAHAHAHAH

Arohanui!!! xoxoxo

Sister DeLoach 

p.s... got my hair done mom :)

2 Months Down! 5/8/16

Well, kinda crazy... But, I already got my release date and it's September 5, 2017. I am excited for the time I get out here, but it's nice to have an end goal in mind. 

Well this week was much better. I had a beautiful week. This week we set another investigator with a baptismal DATE!!! Her name is Shayne, she is 12, her parents have been Less Active for about 13 years, but her friends are LDS and she loves to come to church, activities, and read the Book of Mormon. We had our first lesson, and she asked us, "When can I be baptized?" HAHA it's not typical for the investigator to ask.. We set her for May 28, and she seems so happy, her parents are okay with it too!! Alan gets baptized THIS weekend!! I am so excited for him. I can tell that Satan is working really hard on him right now, and it breaks my heart to see. But, He is so dedicated to the Lord, he can do it!!! Well, the beginning of this week I was still struggling pretty bad, so I decided to meet with President Rudd. It was the best thing I could have done. I know that man is called of God, he gave me some of the best advice, but the best thing he said is "No one in this mission has died of being homesick yet" HAHA,  I know that I can do this. It's by far the hardest thing I've done, but I am not alone, I can do this!!! As I was struggling one night, I decided to read in Alma 26 when Ammon is talking about how he overcame his weaknesses and struggles on his mission. THIS CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF MORMON SAVED MY LIFE. Particularly this verse. 

16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

No one can glory to much in God. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to give all that I have unto him. I know it will change me forever!! Yesterday after church we were on here at the Visitors Center, and this lady walked in all by her self on mothers day. She smelt of cigarettes, and was all by her self. We talked to her and took her to the Christus room, and she just sat there and stared at him. We played the message for her, and she just stared. When it finished she said play that again, I felt so amazing. So we played it again. It was so special to see the spirit work through this Catholic woman. We then took her into the Book of Mormon room and testified that it is another testament of Jesus Christ and that the gospel has been restored and she was like yeah this is for sure true. We were like blown away... HAHA As we were doing this I felt prompted to invite her to baptism when she got a confirmation that these things were true. She kinda just sat there, and I then invited her to meet with the local missionaries. She said she wanted to think about it. We then took her into the Theatre room and showed her a clip called "Come Unto Christ" It's only shown here in NZ, and it's UNREAL!!! She just sat there and said how beautiful it was. When it ended, she said "So can I leave you my address and number so that I can have missionaries come over?" It was so special. We then asked about her life and family, and she has a daughter whom she isn't close with. We told her we had a mom that wasn't close at this time and that we could be here daughters and she could be our mom. It was really special. She said we made her mothers day and she didn't know why she came up here, but now she did. As she walked out the door, she yelled "Bye Daughters" It was such a special moment to share with a child of God who was lost, yet who had just been found. 

This week went fast, and I know they're going to keep picking up. I kinda already want it to slow down!! I don't mean to boast at all, but we are just super excited... But Sister Chudleigh and I hit Standards of Excellence the last two weeks!! And we only get half time out there since we are in the VC, we are working so hard for the Lord, and it's paying off!! One night I felt kinda down, sister chudleigh pulled out some facemasks and we had a good time. I love her, she knows what to do always to make me feel better!! One last thing that meant a lot to me, after I spoke on Sunday a really old lady came up to me, and said, "I loved listening to you speak. You and that Sister are very special, but I must say as you spoke I realized you have a special spirit about you." I don't mean to share this with you to tell you I think I did a great job, I share it with you because I have been praying to make a difference, and to help others... AND my prayer was answered. I love it here, and I love it there. I feel so fortunate to be in the circumstances I am in. I love and miss you all and will SKYPE you today!!!!!!!!!! So excited!!! 

God Speed, I LOVE YOU... SO DOES JESES

Sister Maddie DeLoach

2 months Down (friends) 5/8/16

Hello everyone!!! I had a much better week :) How are you all? I am loving it here. This week we were able to set another investigator named Shayne for baptism:) She is 12 years old, and super amazing. She is hilarious, she asked "When I get baptized do I shampoo and condition my hair in the water so that I am all clean" HAHA Oh the innocence. I love her. Alan gets baptized this weekend and I am so excited for him. Satan is definitely working really hard on him... But, he can do it!! One thing that really stuck out to me this week was yesterday on Mothers Day. We had just spoke in church and then we headed to the Visitors Center to work. As we got here there was this older lady, all by herself on mothers day, and she smelt really bad of ciagrettes so we figured she wasn't a member. As we talked to her, we moved into the Christus room. As she stare at the statue of Christ she had us play the message. We did, and she just stared at him. As the message ended, she said play it again. She then told us how amazing she felt during it. We talked and testified of Jesus Christ and his love for her. Her eyes filled with tears as you could imagine she was very lonely and hearing Christ loved her made her whole again. I felt prompted after taking her to the Book of Mormon stand to invite her to be baptized when she felt she knew this was true and to meet with the local missionaries since she lived a few towns away. She said she wasn't sure... We took her into the theatre room and played a video only showed here in NZ, called Come Unto Christ. She just watched in awe, and as it ended she said, "Where Can I leave my address and phone number so that the missionaries can come over?" I knew Jesus Christ had prompted me to do the right thing, and I knew he loved her and it was her time to learn. We then talked to her about her family, and why she was alone. She said she has a daughter who lives far away and we said that we have a Mom who lives far away. We said we would be her daughters if she would be our mom. She agreed and said we made her Mothers Day. She said she didn't know how she ended up here, but was so grateful she did. As she walked out the door she yelled "Bye Daughters" What a tender mercy, being away from my mom on Mothers Day yet feeling of her sweet love through a random stranger. JESUS Christ knows you, HE loves you. He isn't waiting for you to be perfect to love you, he loves you right this very second. If you are hungry, lost, or captive he's the one who sets you free. COME unto christ. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! 

Love, Sister DeLoach