Shoveling lots of dirt...and nerf wounds!

Hey Family! How is everyone doing?

      So now about my week! First off Monday was sooo much Fun!! We went Bowling with one of the Sisters and one of the Elders. So that was good to get to know them better! We really had a great time! And for Haley's sake, just saying, I got more then 13! Then after that we went to the Semu's for FHE and Dinner! We love them! They have 2 boys that just got engaged. They are like 25 and 27. They are so cool! It's interesting being in a threesome! Its really fun though! Its easy because Elder Neria is very laid back! Its good!

       We had District Meeting on Tuesday. Just saying I think I am getting better at leading District Meetings, I still don't really love it. So Its been Interesting... We talked about "Finding", and we basically listed a huge list of ways that Christ was able to "Find" people. Then talked about how we can obtain those attributes. The Attribute I am working on is Diligence. I want to be better at just doing everything 110%. I want to do the best that I can.

    We did see the Koai Family this week! We saw them on Friday night! They are the New Investigators we found that are 7th day! They invited us over to open there Sabbath with them! They are a really cool Family! We sang heaps of songs and we sang them a few hymns! The only issue is that we don't really see them progressing all that much... So its all good to see them but we don't really know where that will go...The other family is Maui and Vieni. They are doing good. They are hard to teach because they are very into their church! So we are just talking with them because they are interested. We will see where it leads but we really hope that they are actually interested in changing and following Christ more in their lives!

         So I don't know who remembers this, but I smashed my finger in the car door about 3 months ago. Well this week I finally got my gross blue finger nail off! I was so done with it that I basically ripped it off! It is pretty gross... But its kinda cool!

         Last Sunday our Bishop asked us to help him with some service at his house some time this week. So we ended up going over on Wednesday to help him. So we show up and he has a MASSIVE pile of dirt that he wanted our help to move. So we ended up spending the afternoon's of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. So we were extremely tired every night.... It was a long few days. I don't think I have ever been more sore in my entire life... 

       On Saturday we went to a place in our area called Hellensville. Its about 30 minutes from our flat. So its a big trip, but we have people to visit up there so we went. On our way up there was a crazy amount of traffic!!! So it took us about 45 minutes to get half way there! The cool part though was that mixed in with the cars there were heaps of really cool, old cars! About a quarter of the way there I noticed that 1. We had about a quarter of a tank left. 2. There was a 60's Mustang in the Gas Station right next to us. So of course I pulled in and started to talk to the guys about there car. They didn't really want to talk to us cuz you know, we are missionaries. But out of the conversation we found out that there is a car show going on in a place called Kumu. So we got there and we went to this car show and were walking around, and there were REALLY cool old cars there! AND we also left with a lesson with someone and meeting like 5 members and talking to heaps of people! So it was a win-win!

       So last thing about the week. We have been playing with the Nerf guns a lot! So this week I got to thinking and I figured out how to put Tacks in the tips of the darts. So we spent a while shooting boxes and then of course as 3 18-19 year old boys we started to turn to each other. Me and Elder Willardsen decided that I would shoot him in the butt then he could shoot me. Well it ended up that it really didn't do anything through clothes. So then after more messing around we got some pipes and were shooting through them. They were more powerful! So I was in the bathroom and all of a sudden the door opens and Elder Willardsen shoots me with the dart in the pipe. Well he missed and so then I came out and grabbed the other pipe and a dart and aimed at his side and shot. Well as I shot he moved and the dart ended up sticking right into his bare fore arm and stuck in his arm... So then he was freaking out so I turned and Elder Willardsen then shot me back in the arm and then we were all goods!

My thought this week...It is amazing how important the Sacrament is. It was cool... I was able to bless the Sacrament yesterday at church. It really is so personal.  It is the same all around the world, but it means something completely different to every person. 

Love you! Thanks for the Prayers!

From Mason's mom-  I asked Mason to share a quick testimony this week to put in our ward newsletter, I thought you might like to read it.

Hey Reading Ward! Its been great to hear about what is going on in the ward from my family! It has been interesting being away from my ward family and going to other wards. It has been really strange to see the differences that every ward has! I have really missed the Ward Family that I have grown up with, but it has also made me realize that the Church is the same all across the world! The things that are taught in the Reading Ward are the same things being taught in my ward in New Zealand half way across the world! It also has made me realize even more who is at the head of this Church! Heavenly Father is the one leading this Church. He is guiding and directing every leader of wards, stakes, and areas across the world. He is talking to them all specifically to lead them and guide them to help the people of the Church all over the world. It has also increased my Testimony of the Prophet. The Prophet Thomas S. Monson is leading this church on the Earth. He is lead and Guided by the Lord to help this Church not only in Utah, or to Americans, or to people that speak English! He is leading this Church for everyone that is living on this planet! He knows what we as Followers of Christ need! And that is the message that I get to share with everyone that I meet! I get to tell people that Christ still speaks, and that the Heaven's are most definitely not closed! Jesus Christ speaks to a Prophet to bless everyone on this planet. I get to tell people about how they can be happier in life and how God loves them! Being a missionary has changed my life! I know that this Church is true and is lead by Leaders that are inspired by God himself to direct us all across the world! I love you all so much! Thank you to everyone who has been great examples to me, and all of the teachers that have dealt with me from time to time, preparing me for this stage of my life. I love you and I love this Gospel, But most of all I love our Loving Savior Jesus Christ for everything that he did for me, you, and everyone who ever has or will live.

The 3 Amigos! 

Bowling!

Ouch!!  & Disgusting!!

Elder Wilardson's nerf wound

My sweet souvenirs!  I had this mask made.  It is so sick!  And I also got this cool New Zealand Greenstone necklace.  New Zealand tradition says you can't buy a Greenstone for yourself, it has to be given as a gift. So,  I bought one for Elder Wilardson and he bought one for me!