Hey all! Sorry for the lateness of the email. I was on a bus
heading down to a major New Zealand city when I usually do emails, but here is
my one now!
This is it. This is the real test. My first area, my birthplace,
my first exposure to the mission, my "home" if you will. I am leaving
it. No more trainer, no more comfort of familiarity. I am headed to the big
world now!!
But what happened in the week I left?
Well, we almost got into a fight. After Elder Fanger’s last
district meeting, the Zone leaders kidnapped him so we could buy him some
lunch. Then afterwards we were driving to their flat when we saw a guy and a girl
on the sidewalk. It looked like she was trying to get by and he wouldn't let
her. So we drove by again and it looked like he was apologizing. So we turned
back around and it looked tense again, this repeated a couple times until we
saw him kick out her legs from under her and push her on the ground and then
start kicking her. Well we weren't having that. Elder Jorgenson peeled the car
over and parked and we all got out. At this point he was trying to apologize
again, but she was crying. So we were talking to him and we were asking why he
did that. He swore at us, gave us dirty looks, and said he treats her like a
princess. And when we brought up the fact that he just kicked her onto the
ground he made up some crap excuse about him being "mental". I think he
was just a druggy. But I shouldn't judge. You could just tell he was a tool
though. So as we were there the cops pulled up and started talking to him and
we left. So we weren't really looking for a fight, all of us were just the type
of people that won't stand for girls getting abused. Man, we were not happy.
But oh well. Everything turned out right, and I am glad I was able to help. :)
Then we went and did some service helping build stables for
horses. It was cool, but man we got burned. Which led to the next day. Elder
Fanger was so burned that he was very fatigued and threw up a couple times. So
he rested for a bit, but we were still able to get out some and we went to [Paul's]
and he taught us more of the Haka.
On Thursday, we went out to a place called Dargaville. It is
quite infamous for being an interesting town. There is heaps of different
churches. Pretty much all they grow is Kumara, and heaps of it. And there's
even a story that ages ago, when the mission first opened, some missionaries
went there and the people in Dargaville killed them. So a guy named Mathew
Cowley (eventually and apostle) went and cursed the main river they have and
made it turn upside down. And I believe it. I have seen that river and it is
one of the muddiest, dirtiest things I have ever seen. Anyway, it is a bit
dodgy (the missionaries there are moving cause all of their neighbors want to
kill them basically. Not that bad, but they called the cops on one of their neighbors
for beating his wife, and they are all family...) Anyway, Elder Fanger was born
(started) there so we took him there to see it before he died (finished). It
was awesome! :))
Then I went on a trade off with one of the elders in Bream Bay.
Then the next day a trade off with the Zone Leaders. On Saturday we
went to a little bushy town called Pipiwai. There's not much there. Anyway,
they were having a burnout. Just doughnut and smoke your car till your
tires explode basically. So we went and talked with some of the
people there. It was actually very big.
On Sunday, we had a big potluck at the chapel after church
cause all our members knew we were leaving, so they cooked us a feed. Anyway,
that day and the next were mostly just us saying good bye to people. So I got
some pics too. Anyway, it was actually really sad to leave, but hopefully I
will come back!! :))
--Elder Clayton--
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