23 December 2013

23 Dec 2013 

Hello All!

 

When I left the MTC this past week I literally felt as though I was being ripped away from my family. I didn't want to leave them and was scared to death to meet my new companion and start the "real thing". After the MTC we stayed in a hotel in between transfers and they served us the most wonderful food I have ever experienced eating- I swear I have never smiled so big before... I think it’s a sure tricky way to make someone forget about how scared they are by putting them into a food coma. I don't know why I was so nervous. I never got scared or homesick in the MTC- although I did break down and cry at the MTC because our teacher or "investigator" brushed us off and wouldn’t give us her phone number to set up another appointment to teach her...... hmmm. Good luck with the real thing Sister Moore.... But then I ate some chocolate and was fine. Funny how easy it is to fix my problems :) I’m gunna gain a lot of weight on my mission if this is how I solve all my problems. 

 

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Mom and David for your wonderful surprise!!!  After the MTC, I got it the day I met my companions.  I tried to wait till Christmas to open it but I lasted about 2 days and opened it. What wonderful New Zealand goodies it had! I hugged the package all day when I got it.

 

The first day out of the MTC was a bit of a blurr.... I taught my first lesson, got a new investigator and started making commitments to people left and right. Everyone was nice to us and everything seemed pretty easy...Is missionary work suppose to be this easy?!  With a brilliant start, I came home to our flat and was overcome, for the first time with intense homesickness. I was pretty strong and wouldn't let myself cry though :)  The trick is to not talk. It’s a pretty difficult thing forgetting yourself and what you want to do, and to give everything to Heavenly Father. I guess that first night i was just thinking... Oooohhhh boyyyy what did I sign up for?!?  My companions don't love me (at least not like my MTC ones did) and one doesn't even speak English!! Even though there were a lot of success that first day, it still made me wonder if we could keep it up and if we could be friends with each other.  But I’ve been getting on my knees every night and pleading with the Lord to help me and to let me forget myself, adjust, and be patient and humble and as a result......... I am doing great! This is really hard work but I feel like I've met so many of these people before.

 

---Also, the letter from Anna and her kids REALLY brightened me up and made me feel really good on my first day in the area, Thank you Thank you! 

 

-We fasted the other day for our area and that our companionship would grow in love and unity (which it has, we are having so much fun together now). That day we went over to Wero's trailer (an inactive member) and helped him with some service by cutting his grass..... And that is how I had my first experience with a Machete!  Turns out cutting grass with a dull machete blade, hot sun and fasting body isn't quite as easy as it sounds. It was so much fun though! Afterwards he showed us the whole Maori village and explained the Marae (a traditional Maori tribal meeting place) and the symbolism to it. (He’s actually the chief's son, but is cast out to live in the lowest class of his village :/). 

 

So of course my computer time is cut down again today because we went to an “unveiling” this morning which took away almost all of our free p-day. This (unveiling) is a Maori tradition in which one will put words onto a tomb stone a year after the death of that person. It was a very interesting experience. There was a lot of crying and a lot of beautiful singing. Every time the beautiful Maori people sing I feel like they’re hugging me with their words. One thing I’ve realized slowly since being here is that- EVERYONE here is related!! Especially in this small town of Kati-Kati in which I am now serving. We, I mean I, call it a Mural Town. It’s this great tiny little town with the weirdest murals everywhere! Murals with big groups of pioneery people that don't smile and hold knives behind their backs.....

 

I will be Sykping home for Christmas YOUR Christmas, so boxing day for me. I’ll call mom first at: 6pm and Dad at 6:30

 

Ok I’m a spastic letter writing mess... Not sure if this all made sense but I gotta run. We have a missionary thing to get to [having a sleep over at another sisters’ apartment to save on some kilos (mileage) ‘cuz we have district meeting tomorrow]

 

Gahhhhh...... I'll write more later. Also a big THANK YOU to those who have written me--will write to you soon!

 

Love, Sister Moore