Letters from a Pakia (White, non-Maori) Sister
Kia Kaha!
Dear friends & Family of mine,
Sometimes we go through life discovering we are on a mission we never knew we were on. But other times we choose that mission. This week I have learned oh so many things about the types of mission we are all on. My mission in life at this time is to help the people in New Zealand find happiness, true happiness which has been designed and orchestrated by God to come when we follow the steps that lead to happiness. What can be better than to find happiness through reading the scriptures and living the gospel every day and then sharing that joy and happiness with the rest of the world?? well here's the thing- nothing is ever easy and everything comes without a price.
We all have weaknesses. Our purpose on this earth is to learn how to turn those weakness into strengths. So when we have trials and tragedies Heavenly Father is giving us an opportunity to gain wisdom and knowledge which will strengthen our weaknesses. This being said, I have A LOT of weaknesses and sometimes I hate asking Heavenly Father to help me to have something because i always know that what follows is a situation that will require the use and uncomfortable development of that attribute. like when I pray for patience.... God allows me to have plenty of experience that allow me to practice my ability to have patience. well here's the thing... I've been praying for charity, patience, and discernment recently and all at the same time, so this week was pretty much AWFULLY ENLIGHTENING aka a "painfully beautiful experience" (hard but necessary).
For some time now I have not been able to get along with my companion. This struggle shocked me because I decided before I ever came out that I would get along with everyone. So why couldn't I get along with her? I always felt like she was angry and things got to the point where she refused to talk in lessons and then to the point where we had to cancel our appointments and talk for 3 hours.... 2 of which were spent in silence as she was trying to find the words to say..... then things escalated to the point where we couldn't leave our apartment for 2 days and i was calling our sister training leader in uncontrollable tears (brief version of what happened). Wow, right?! Why couldn't we get along? why weren't we having fun? why was I not happy? Even though i was painfully unhappy i had this voice in the back of my head that never leaves (moms voice) telling me that the reason why i was so unhappy was because i was so focused on my own happiness. lets make this long story a short one now eh? No matter how hard I thought i was trying to get along I decided to try harder. I didn't realize but my mission at this time was to help my companion. I had been telling myself that i didn't sign up to help this girl- she has too many issues to be here. But as I continued to love her no matter what crazy crap she did (charity) she finally finally opened up. turns out she had been struggling with an internal battle for some time and she expressed it by punishing me in a desperate cry for help...but now we are all goods :) it took a long time, a lot of patience, a barrel and a pinch of charity and lots of talking and listening. and maybe we will continue to still have issues, but now i know the benefit of taking the concerns of myself out. I have realized though that even though we are looking outwardly for "the one" we wish to help or "save" sometimes the person needing the most help is the person right next to you, the least and most obvious, who may even seem the least deserving.
i have seen grown men cry, i've looked into the eyes of a stranger and saw them for good or bad and what i have come to find is that eyes never lie. We can discern the heart of a man through his eyes. Maybe that’s wrong but it sounds good for now.
So funny story: we had the open house for our chapel last saturday and i was ushering people into the chapel so we could get the next tour started and in an exaggerated attempt to motion them into the chapel i swung up and hit a ladies' butt. All the elders saw but surprisingly she wasn't even phased.... guess that’s just how we roll in katikati.
Sad realization: Apparently when I'm stressed out i eat and cut my bangs... so as my face is getting wider, my hair is getting shorter. (Sometimes we are stretched in ways that don't flatter us ;) ).
SO I realize that I don't say much about what KatiKati is like or the people really.... They really are quite a hoot, all of em. i'll try to tell more stories of the people in the future, i've just been really focused on well, dang, me. and when i read over my last emails they all sound annoying so i'll also try to get some more entertaining stuff :)
Tid bits:
-Never thank an australian for doing the dishes.... maybe its just my companion but apparently its like thanking them for washing their hands and thats just weird for them...
-Our relief society president is THE FUNNIEST/ most interesting person ever.... she is 80 years old and decided to get a hair cut and a quick hair dye before the open house tours.... she showed up with PURPLE hair.... it was suppose to be black but something went wrong apparently.
-Every Elder i have ever met is like a lost puppy dog, they're so precious, scared and lost looking... especially around the sisters. But i love the elders in our district so much. Every time we have to do a training I make up acronyms for them and they eat it up like a duck sees bread in water.
Much Love!
-
Sis Moore
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