"His Old Life Lay Behind Him in the Mists, Dark Adventure Lay in Front."

Hello all!! 

First off, for PDay we went back to Abbey Caves, got wet again, but got more muddy because we discovered a little secret place and it went on for ages!! So we might go back today.

We went up to the zone leaders area a lot this week. Which isn't bad, cause that's where the bush is. So yes it was very cool! 

On Tuesday we had interviews with our mission president. Which was cool. He is the man. 

On Thursday we got to go to another Tongi!! It was so cool!! For those of you who don't remember, that's a Maori Funeral. Speaking of remembering, do you remember what a hongi (Sp?) is? It's the greeting where you basically put your forehead and nose to another person’s. It is actually pretty cool. (Warning, I am probably going to do it to a lot of you when I get back. Although it's only for men usually. Women and men greet with a kiss on the cheek...). Anyway, at a Tongi, you give the dead body a hongi (or a kiss on the cheek it doesn't matter as much if they are dead). Anyway.....I did that. I touched my face to the face of a dead person.... AND IT WAS SO COOL. Who can say they have done that? Ha! That is why I love being out here.

 On Saturday, Elder Fanger was sick, so I mostly just watched a bunch of old church videos. You know those old cheesy ones from the 90s? Yeah those.

And on Saturday night, we went to the zone leader's area (more than just twice, we went almost every day this week for different reasons) to a camp-out our ward was having. We went up and were able to have a big Hungi (again: Sp?). Basically, they dig a big hole, throw a bunch of sacks of food in there, and cook it. A lot of people have special cookers for it now, but this is my first ground one, and I gotta say, it was GOOD. Very filling. :))

As for our teaching, I think our highlight would have been seeing a girl named [Tara]. Her mom is less-active (though trying to come back) and she is investigating. She is probably the smartest 9 year old I have ever met. So yeah she is cool! 

I apologize, I have no pictures this week, but I will try to get some next time. I will send one of me doing a hungi so you know what it looks like. :)) 

Love ya and stay awesome! 

-Elder Clayton-

(http://www.bobandjanette.com/trip-reports/new-zealand-trip-report-05.html)

"The Board is Set, the Pieces are Moving. We Come to it at Last, the Great Battle of our Time."

Not much time! SORRY......

Not much has been happening. Played basketball last pday, it was actually pretty good. Haha, you know me I don't usually enjoy Bball, but I got into it. ;)

 We have been having a good, but pretty average week. We got to swab the deck of a boat on Tuesday, it was AWESOME!! Then we had transfers and our district is pretty much the same. Only one of the sisters left. SO all goodsies.

We helped our ward mission leader's family move (into the sisters ward because that's where everyone is moving to...) and apparently their house is haunted. Hm. We saw the Zone Leaders a bunch.

We have an investigator named [Tanya] who we have been teaching for a while. We weren't able to see her for a while, but we caught up this week, I asked if she wants to be baptized, she said yes! No date yet, but it is still cool!! :))) We went to one of our recent converts house (won't say who) to teach his wife and help her with some word of wisdom things. When we got there, there was smashed window. Her kids said they had a fight, he broke the window, and she smashed his windshield with a 2x4. So that's fun....

Otherwise, it is all actually is fun! Love ya and let me know if you need anything! :))

-Elder Clayton-

"'There's Something Mighty Queer Behind This.' He was Quite Right, but He Never Found Out Anymore About it."

Not a lot of time, because everyone wants to go do stuff, but that's ok, cause not much happened this week. I think the most exciting thing we did was service out at a farm thing. There was this field of hay, and it was all being turned into bales, so we went out to go throw them all onto a truck, drive over to a nearby place, and take the hay off and store it into a barn. When we first got there we just threw the bales up. But on our first ride over, we all rode on top of it. Like a legit hay ride. It was like 10 feet tall. Then Elder Fanger and I threw the bales off to everyone else and rode back in the bed (standing too...) so we could get more bales. I ended up being the person in the truck that stacked the bales as people threw them up and I rode back on it every time. It was amazing!! Wish I had pics, but we didn't have a camera. So next time. But we are going out to "swab tha deck" of a boat on Tuesday, so hopefully we will get some then. Otherwise, I am rushed, so I gotta go. But love all of you and let me know if you need anything! :)) 

P.S. One of the worst things here are the fleas. They are awful. We killed one so there's a pic. ;P Nasty little buggers. They jump about 6 feet high and they are very hard to kill.... 

"Deeds will not be Less Valiant Because They are Unpraised"

Greetings! :) Pretty darn slow week this week. Almost everyone was out at the beach. So there was a lot of "no one home"s. But we will start from the beginning. Monday. Not much happened. All I can say is if you go to the McDonald's here, and buy the Reuben, it is gross. So disappointing. Not nearly as good as all the other ones I have had. Then we went and saw [Jim] and his new wife. We taught them simply about the temple. Which was cool, but they are a little weird about it.

 Aw well, I think they will be all good! :) Tuesday my companion was sick again, so I just studied a bit and read up on some "deep doctrine" stuff. LOVE IT.

 On Wednesday, not much weird happened, but we did go to our Ward Mission Leader's house, and when we got there he and his wife were working on a car. And they couldn't get the fan-belt on. So, in our nice clothes..., we got down and helped. Haha it was awesome. Even though we got one on, struggled to get the other one on, aaannnddd, never got it. Oh well.

 On Thursday it was New Year's Day. So we went up to the Zone Leader's area again. (Pictures included if you forgot) Then went back to the Zone Leader's flat and had the most intense deep doctrine talk ever. IT WAS CRAZY. Just saying, if you’re reading this, STAY A GOOD PERSON. :) Haha then the next day we talked about it again, and then that night we started a trade-off. 

On Saturday me and Elder Donaldson (the one I was trading with) went and walked almost everywhere. We didn't see a lot of people because, again, they were all gone on vacation, but we walked almost everywhere and knocked the doors of a lot of potential and former investigators from the Elders before us. We even got a return appointment. But Elder Fanger seemed a little judgmental for our low number of TWE (Talk With Everyone). But, in my defense, no one has really taught me how to count it, so I don't care if people judge. :P I refuse to get discouraged ever. ^_^ Oh and we were able to see 17 Miracles with an awesome family. YAY!! Anyways, rushed like always, so I will see you next week! Love Y'all!!!! :D

-Elder Samuel Clayton- 

P.S.: Oh, and those last pictures are our mirror. We came back one day and it was completely shattered. So I put every last piece in and taped it up. Heheheh...