Voices from above, setting goals, and jammin with my YSA peeps....

  Let's just say that today has been a long day... We had interviews at 10ish but then they were behind. After that we had to take some bikes into the  bike shop. Now we are done and get to email... We were thinking about just doing pday tomorrow but we have appointments during the day! So we are just doing it today.

       This week was great! I feel like this week just started! It was insane! P-day last week was with the Tongan Elders. Elder Neufi and Elder Tutu'ila! We went to a place called Clark's beach. In the Hamilton mission. So that was actually really fun! Pics to send!

       We had MLC this week with President. It was very fun to get to be at the Mission Home with all of the Zone Leaders! I always love getting to talk to and be with the MLC group! Heaps of great friends there! We talked about the new schedule and about how we can use it more effectively. There is heaps that we can do better! We also talked about goals and the importance of setting goals and using them effectively. We talked about how even thought there is only one thing that we count every day we can still set goals and work to achieve them! An example is working on Christ like attributes, or Book Of Mormons you can hand out, or even getting rejected so many times a day! We still need to be setting goals but its about how effective we can use our time to share the gospel!

        We are working with a returning less active in our ward named Oliva. He is Niuean, about 23. His Partner, TK, is not a member. She is so cool though! He is really into music and is studying music. On Saturday he had a "Beats Battle". So he went and showed some of his beats that he had practiced in was in a competition. So we went to support him. (Example of how we have to do things in a bit of a different way here in the YSA ward!) He got our in the first round just cuz he was put with another guy who was REALLY good! The judges loved him! I feel like he could have gone on further if it was a different group, but he still did really great! The judges loved his style! Oliva just loves his music and it really shows that he has a different less edgy side then most of the other guys there... His music really showed that. But his partner is really cool. She is totally a potential in our ward. She would be a great member if she would commit to living it!

        We were asked to participate in a Stake Activity for another stake on Thursday and Friday. It was really fun! They had a Plan Of Salvation Play. Each part of the Plan of Salvation was a different ward so they had to go from room to room to see the whole thing. We were suppose to be guides just taking them all through the rooms but the Samoan ward asked us to help them and be the voices in their room. So on Thursday I played the voice of Heavenly Father and Elder Clark was the voice of Satan. Then on Friday I was the voice of Adam and Elder Clark stayed with Satan. Obviously we were "The Fall" room. It really was so fun! It was so spiritual as well! We got to go through the whole thing at the end and lets just say that the Celestial room almost brought me to tears. I just want to tell you all about how true this gospel really is! Its amazing how true this all is and how Heavenly Father has done it all for us! I can promise you all that if you truly study out the plan that God has for us all then you will know for a full surety of 1. The truthfulness of it. 2. Your part in it. We all have a part to play in this plan!

Love yous all! 

       Love Elder Seelos

Clark's Beach


Having fun on p-day at the beach

YSA, Weird members, and my ward newsletter...

     Man, this week has just flown by!!! Like it has just been so fast! I have loved serving in the YSA ward. Its been great to get to know the members better throughout this week! 

      We had the Come and See Fireside yesterday and were able to take 2 investigators. One of our returning Less Active members has a Non-Member girlfriend and she is cool as! She is always over when we go over to his house and will sit in on the lessons and just listen. Her name is TK. She is honestly so cool. They both came to the Fireside. Then we had a new investigator that we picked up on Wednesday. She is keen to learn. Her name is Sinta. We invited her to the Fireside and she said she would come but needed a ride. So we asked a member at church and she was keen to come and take her. So Jaden (Our Member) picked her up and we went to the fireside! It was all around good. The speakers were on point. They were great! We will see them both this week and follow up on the fireside! 

      We got to have a lesson with Salote. It was interesting. We took a member with us, you know for fellowship... Well he was weird. He is good friends with the Partner, John. So he wanted to come, but John is out of town. So it was just kinda weird. He started by giving her (a perfect stranger) his scriptures. Then he just kept saying things in a weird way. He kept doing these weird object lessons and they were just weird and didn't really make sense... I'm sure that she was just weirded out... But she said that we could come back next week... So that's good! We are going to take a Relief Society member this week and hopefully that will go better! Please keep her in your prayers!

      The YSA ward is a bit different in the regard that we cover 7 stakes... So tracting doesn't really work... Its weird because we are looking for such a small group of people.  Single people between the ages of 18 and 30. So we just try our best! We get referrals from other missionaries, people in that age group that they meet and so that's helpful! We are really focusing on making real friendships with the Members and getting out there with them to help them to see us and feel more comfortable bringing their friends to us and letting us teach them! That is the biggest way that we can see the work moving forward in the area! 

       Sorry but no real funny stories this week... Love yous heaps!

        Love Elder Seelos

Mason's update for our ward newsletter-

Hey Reading Ward!

     Its been great serving here in New Zealand! I feel like I have just left my Ward Family but it has actually been so long! Thank you all for the love, prayers, notes, and emails! There have been many huge miracles and many small miracles that I am able to see every day while I am serving the Lord! I have just been called to serve in a YSA ward here in Auckland and everyday is different! 

     I am in South Auckland which is known as the Polynesian capital of New Zealand! Every house is a different nationality! We get to meet people from Samoa, Tonga, Niue, The Cook Islands, Fiji, Tuvalu, and every other island in the Pacific! Its amazing to see how the people here have taken the Gospel into their hearts and into their lives where it radiates out of them in everything that they do! Its a blessing to get to serve around such loving people! That is one thing that I have been able to learn from these wonderful people! 

      One miracle that I have been able to see is in the lives of my investigators. Many of them have gone through many long and hard changes. They have had many different challenges that they have had to overcome to follow God and Jesus Christ. Whether it be family issues, commandment issues, or addictions they have been able to overcome the issues in their lives that are keeping them from following God through using His power. They have truly felt blessed and strength added to them as they sincerely pray and plead with God for the help that they need so that they can take the right steps into the waters of baptism. What a great reason for God to rain his blessings upon them. 

     I taught one girl for the entire 6 months that I was in my 4th area. She has been an investigator for about a year now. She is 17 and completely involved in everything, but could not be baptized because of her father not liking the church. I was able to see her at a missionary fireside and she told me that she told her dad that this is what she wants. So she is getting baptized in the next month or 2.  What a blessing it was for me to be able to hear that. 

     Heavenly father is truly behind this work and loves each and every one of his children. That is why I am here, to help Him by being an instrument in His hands to bless those of His children that do not have to blessings and happiness that I have. What a blessing for me to be His instrument! This is a great work! Miracles are real, and they can happen to each of us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Pday peeps

#Hamilton Mission

Picking berries

My new companion Elder Clark

Beautiful country!

Good Bye and Hello...on to another adventure!

  Now for the Big News of the week! I was transferred this week! After 6 months in Henderson I am now out! I have been moved back out south and am in a YSA ward now! I am now with Elder Clark from Taylorsville, Utah! He has been out for just one transfer longer than I have. He is the man! We have gotten along together quite well! He is made for the YSA Ward and so it has been heaps of fun getting to meet the YSA and getting to know the ward! I am very happy to get to be here! One mean perk is that we cover 7 stakes. 2 of those stakes are in the Hamilton Mission. So we go into the Hamilton mission pretty often! The other 5 are in out mission and Penrose stake is one of them! (Penrose Stake is where I served last summer...home of the Mafi's, Mama Lynn, and many others I love- feels a little like coming home) 

     Leaving Henderson was kind of bitter sweet! I love the area and I really love and will miss the people, but I was ready to leave. 6 months in an area is a long time. There were heaps of memebers that I said goodbye to and heaps of people that I really grew to love. Henderson has really grown to be a big part of my mission and a big part of my heart! It is a place that really is special and sacred to me from all of the miracles that I saw while I was there!

      We have a few Investigators here. One that we have is named Salote. (Just to name drop here and show you how cool this ward is.... Salote's partner is Joseph Parker's Brother. He is Less Active in our ward. If you don't know who Joseph Parker is... look him up, he is a Kiwi heavy weight boxing champion.) She is keen to learn and to talk to us, the only issue is that her partner John is kinda almost keeping her from us. Like they will pretend to not be home. But its good cuz he left for the states last night for training before a fight in a month. So he will be gone for a month. So we will get to start to teach her more!

      I was able to see 2 of my favorite people this week because I have Penrose in my area! I was able to stop by at Mama Lynn's house and surprise her which was heaps of fun! Then I saw the Mafi Family when they came to visit one night at my flat! 

       Not heaps of stories this week. Sorry its been kinda a boring email. Transfer weeks are pretty boring always. I promise it will be better next week! Love yous!

Love Elder Seelos

The Apiata's

Dora...we love her!

The Taliaivao Family

Elder Staniscia and I on top of the world! Henderson is so beautiful.

The Frost's

Henderson is one of the most beautiful places on earth!

The Papali Family

The Hakaria's

Unexpected ups and downs....

  Hello everyone!  We had a great week, we had some unexpected ups and downs...  overall we are just trying to stay motivated past the trials that come our way.

    On Monday we got a text from Shelby and she basically told us that with everything that she is going through she just needs some time off. She has been going through a lot mentally and she is feeling bad and pressured that she isn't married and she isn't ready yet. So she said that she is grateful for us and everything that she has learned but needs a break.  On Friday we went over to her house with a picture of the temple and just told her that we will give her space but we want her to remember the goals that she has talked about and never forget what she has felt and what she now knows.

     Also on Monday we had a miracle. We had decided to go and try a semi active family in the ward. We went there and no one was home.... So we knocked a few doors. Nothing happened. Then as we were walking back to the car a car pulled up and it was 2 Tongan girls that were visiting from Tonga and they were living with their family on that street. Well they told us to come over. They are all members but we talked for a bit and they gave us a drink. Their neighbors kept looking at us weird and they called us over. Well their son (Toni 15) just came back from Australia at FSY with his cousins, and he was keen as to learn and so was the family. We went back the next day and saw/taught them. The Mamea family. They are so great! That turned into 3 New Investigators this week. The 2 sons and the mum. They dad is apparently Less Active. We also saw them on Friday, sadly though they were not at Church though.

      Pday was great! We went to a Waterfall called Karekare. This country is BEAUTIFUL! Its just so green and beautiful! That is one reason that I love Henderson. It has the beaches, mountains, just a bit of everything! 

      On Tuesday we have Youth. Because we have so many youth investigators we usually will at least stop by youth night to see them. They were all combined and were playing Volleyball together. We had Grace and Dora come and play with them all. Its great to see them fitting in with all of the youth and just getting along. The youth in this ward is so strong! Honestly the best missionary's in the ward! They have such great opportunities to share the gospel and its so awesome to see them just take in new people and make them feel totally welcome in the ward! 

      It was a good week but has been hard to think that I am most likely leaving in a few days, transfers are this week. I love the area and the people to much but to be honest I am ready to leave at the same time. Its been a long time here in Henderson... Great area, but I've been here since August, so a long time. Thanks to everyone for the ideas that were sent on how to find more investigators! I think that over all the best thing that has worked is prayer. We were just in the right place at the right time! Heavenly Father works miracles!!! Just ask for them!

        Love yous!

             Elder Seelos

Mean pday hike

Water Water everywhere and not allowed to swim!

Zone Conference

Mom I made jello!!