We love each other and missionary work!

These are only those affected by this transfer!

Even more transfer photos!

More photos of transfer meeting!

Westphal's, this is your Elder on his birthday!

Massive transfer--random shots!

Some of our wonderful office missionaries distributing your mail to your missionaries!
Left to right: Elder Mackay, Elder DuVall, Sister DuVall

I just thought you might want to see some of your Elders and Sisters doing routine missionary things like this transfer meeting that happens once every 6 weeks!

Largest incoming for over a year!

We are thrilled to have a wonderful new group of missionaries! We feel like the we have been sent just what this mission needs---which proves the point that it is really His mission and we are here to do what He wants done and to say what He wants said!

Elders left to right: Drake, Ng, Lyman, Cope, Pres. Porter, McLain, Krauss, Watkins, Fawson, Bridge, Bridenstein, Whyte, Mafua, King, Tugaga, Hodges, Fiaui

Sisters left to right: Fangupo, Taiton, Mohetau, Porter, Louder, Fakatava, Cocker

August Outgoing Missionaries

We have found something we don't like about the mission---it is having to say goodbye to such wonderful Elders and Sisters every 6 weeks. The only up side is seeing the great impact that their mission experience has had in their lives. God is truly all wise and wonderful! He knows what we need!Back Row left to right: Elders' Murrieta, Miller, Davis, Ellison, Mummey, Powell, England, Ramasima, Spencer, Fairbank, Le

Front Row left to right: Sisters' Muir, Olson, Porter, Pres. Porter, Siilata

Missions create eternal connections!

Sister Olson, Sister Siilata, and Sister Muir in their final hugs together!

Elder Ramasima-Our Figian Assistant

We have just lost our first assistant, Elder Ramasima! We truly will miss him! He has a laugh and smile we will never forget. We also have a memory of him that we want to remember. We were on our mission tour the first week we arrived and the assistants left us to have trade offs while our family had some time together. We were traveling down the streets of Rotorua in our car and looked over to the side walk and saw Elder Ramasima on a bicycle with an umbrella. It was his first experience with the snow. It was snowing in a place that hadn't had snow for over 15years. Thanks for the memories Elder!!!

Mission Mum's Perspective

I know that we are no longer called Mission Mom's but I love the way New Zealander's call their Mom's, Mum's, so I just had to use it this one time. Some have requested my perspective on this mission. I truly can't think of a better mission to go to. I know I will get some push back from my own kids for saying that, but it is a very unique mission in many ways. It was summed up by a comment Elder Cook said when he came on the mission tour. He said that this was about as diverse a mission of any that he had seen. The beauty of it is much because of its diversity. One might only expect to have islanders here in New Zealand and yet in reality it is a melting pot for the world. That melting pot in general is reflected in the mission. We have missionaries from Palau to Provo (Don't worry, I didn't know where Palau was either). We have 5 languages spoken in the mission and your missionary will get exposure to almost all of those cultures and maybe even be able to speak a few of the languages, at least the greetings, as well.
Add that to the beautiful surroundings and the faith filled people and you have a wonderful combination for the best mission ever! We are truly blessed!

Elder Cook's Mission Tour

Elder Quentin L. Cook (Quorum of the Twelve); President Jay E. Jensen (Presidency of the Seventy); President David S.Baxter (Seventy and Pacific Area Presidency); President Keith K. Hilbig (Seventy and Pacific Area Presidency); President Tad R. Callister (Seventy and Pacific Area Presidency)

We had a wonderful Friday full of the spirit, being instructed by men of God. We had two meetings. Half the mission at one sight at a new chapel on Ferguson Road in Auckland, and then had the other half of the mission down in Hamilton. Each missionary was able to shake the hands of 5 general authorities of the church in one meeting. It was a day to remember! We were not permitted to get a picture so we did the next best thing and are posting who was there.

July- Outgoing Elders and Sisters

From left to right back row: Sister Stones, Sister Wolfensberger, Elder Asi,Elder Aiono, Elder Maua, Elder Lipano, Elder Bennett, Elder Parker.
From left to right front row: Sister Terepai, Sister Taafuli, President Porter, Siste Porter, Sister Fox, Sister Remington.
So sorry about the picture quality! Chalk it up to being newbies at this!

Our First Casualty

Elder Raass (from Tonga) ends up in the hospital due to a cold or flu he had several weeks earlier. The infection settled in the joint (his knee). He is now out of commission for 6 weeks!

God is a God of Miracles!

One of our Elders has suffered from boils most of his mission. He was doing all he could and taking the prescribed medications from the doctor with no relief. He didn't feel like coming to the Zone Leaders Council meeting but felt like he should. He could hardly stand and walked in great pain. He came to the meeting and asked President for a blessing. If your son is a zone or district leader or assistant to the president he would have been involved in that blessing. The words of the blessing were that the boils would "heal rapidly." Within two days this Elder was unaffected by his boils and went about his missionary work. Great are the miracles of God, yet none so great as the conversion of a soul to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I recently have been asking the Elders and Sisters what their favorite thing about their mission is. Hands down the answer is seeing the effects of the gospel and the spirit in the lives of the people they have come to love. One told of a motorcyle gang member he had taught that he remarked, "I was scared of him," yet the gospel has changed this big bad biker dude into a lovable teddy bear. If one wants to witness the miracles of God, one need only get involved in missionary work!