The week has been pretty good. We haven't heard from Sarah :(. I feel bad for Heavenly Father - we are pretty useless sometimes and he loves us so much. I am sure that makes his job even harder sometimes. I am trying to do a good job in my calling. I don't mind who writes me I am just grateful as I sit here in the internet cafe grateful for the emails but trying to hide them from the Tongan elders near me. Two of them haven't gotten an email once their whole mission and yet they keep writing every week hoping that their family is reading it. I don't know what that is like thanks to you Mom and Dad. Thank you. The Cabin is always improving, I think back to what it was like before we bought it. There just wasn't much going on. Now we have a lot of things, working on the running water, the power, the new floor plan, the loft, the dead trees are getting removed and of course the best thing is the tree house which I hope is still standing. Right now I think I am the only cousin serving (unless I forgot someone and that would be embarrassing) but soon Clara will get to join me and that will be a great experience for her. My mouth watered as I read your description of tacos al pastor. I really miss Mexican food - like good, flavorful Mexican food. Hopefully it worked out like you wanted it to Dad - I am sure it was great. Things are going to be very busy for the next little while. I am excited to be home but at the same time I am not really. It is a funny feeling because I love it here but it feels like it is time for me to go too. It doesn't mean that I am done today or anything but the feeling is still there.
This week:
So this week we weren't able to see Sarah again. :( Like I mentioned above, it was disappointing. I hope somehow she will pop back up. Her cousin, Sis. Kavea, is out of town for a couple of weeks which usually doesn't really seem that important except for the fact that I leave in 5 so it is crunch time. We have had some good news with our other investigators - Mama and Cleveland. They are such great kids. They were supposed to be baptized on the 15th but we pushed them back to this weekend just to make sure that everything goes according to plan. It was a good decision and we are going to have everything ready for this weekend. These two 11 year old kids are just so amazing. They have made such good progress and they wanted to be baptized ages ago but we just needed to slow them down and help them understand some things. Everything looks to be ready for this Saturday the 22nd.
We had interviews with President Balli this week. It was my last scheduled day of interviews and I was able to have a really good talk with President. I explained to him some of the feelings I have had about my mission. I also expressed some of the feelings I have been having recently as far as desire to work and be diligent. He told me about a talk that Pres Monson gave in 1972 called "Finishers Wanted". That really helped and then he said something that I will never forget. He said, "Whether you have 24 months or 24 hours the Lord has a work specifically designed for you if you are willing, but you have to be willing." I have tried to take that advice and he also challenged me to have a "Just for Today" attitude which pretty much is just to keep me motivated to work for he day and then if I am diligent he promised me that it will be easier to be diligent the next day. President Balli is such an amazing man and I believe one of the main reasons I was called to NZ is so he could be my president. The mission is just so cool. It has been a while since I have had such a good talk with President.
We had a "Come and See" fireside this Sunday. It was the last one I will attend on my mission. I was able to get an investigator to every one my entire mission except when I was serving in Kaikohe in the far north away from the city. This one was so cool. It was like I was finally realizing that I am going to actually finish my mission. I was talking to the Elders from my intake and none of us can believe it. I felt the Spirit so strong during the whole thing. The music, the convert testimonies, the closing remarks from President and having a little bit of time to just catch up with the many members and missionaries I have had the privilege to get to know and love. I didn't cry but I was pretty close a couple of times. It was a sad yet joyful experience. It sucked but I loved it.
Love,
Elder Summers