8-7-16 Group Email

So this week has been good! Me and Hazel still having a great time!! We started out on monday going on some hikes and stuff with Chiyah Oti La-Hood. Such a baller. He has had a few months of praying now about going on a mission or not and this week (here is a miracle) he was sleeping one night and suddenly shot up awake and knew that he needed to go on a mission!!!!! So he will be starting his papers soon (:
That same night we also went back to the hike area when it was dark with some Ysa and looked at the Glow worms!!! Sooo cool. They're way too small and I don't have a tripod so I couldn't take any photos but they are super cool.

I got a new suit... it's a meaaaan suit, and some new pants and a handful of dope new ties...

A miracle and cool experience happened though.. very scary but cool. So Tuesday morning at like 5 or so in the morning we got a phone call from Auntie Barbie and she asked if we could rush over to their house and give uncle K a blessing because he had a super tight chest and was struggling breathing.. So we got up and ran over as quick as we could.. The ambulance was there and everyone was up and kinda crying and stressed.. Callum was walking really slowly out to the ambulance when we got there. This is amazing to me.. He stopped his walk to the ambulance to sit down for a priesthood blessing. So I gave him a blessing and I have no idea what I said. All I know is a said everything would be okay.. so off he went to the hospital. Then we ended up giving 2 of the kids a blessing because they were sick and scared. And we went off to the hospital with them.

I didn't know the full story until yesterday at fast and testimony meeting. 3 of the family members that were there, went up and bore their testimonies.

They were all SOOOO grateful for the priesthood and stuff and I had no idea what it really meant to them. Apparently before we got to the house early that morning, Callum asked his son Brodie to come and talk to him. He told his son to be the man over the house. To take care of all his sisters and his mother. He thought he was going to die. And so did they. But as he was at the hospital. He completely went back to normal except for a little high blood pressure. He was discharged within 9 hours of his heart attack.

Because of this experience, I know how I want to serve my mission. And I know how I want to be when I'm a father. I want to use my priesthood as much as I can to help as many people as possible. It's a real power that we have to call upon heaven.

That is the way Christ served. That's the way I want to serve.

I LOVE the people here. I LOVE this place. I have found family that i've never met until my mission. I'm so grateful for the literal power that we have in this gospel. To save people.

I'm not saying I saved Callum. I didn't hardly do anything. I am grateful though that I was able to be Heavenly Fathers connection as he blessed that man and family.



--
Elder LaMunyon

Hangi from a random guy on the street

Rained for 2-3 weeks straight!

New Zealand described in one picture

The Countryside

a EWE protecting her babies in a crazy wind

SNOWWWWW! (look closely on the mountain top)

Perspective.

Group Email 7/17/16

My first week with Hazel has been so flipping fun!!! We have just been having so much fun laughing and joking around and remember old stories of all the fun times we had in scouts and growing up!!! It's so nice to not have to get a completely new person.. which I've had to do nearly every month and a half on my mission. We instantly have unity and have such a good connection!!! He is a fantastic missionary and loves the work.

One sad thing happened though. Elder Walsh called me yesterday morning and said he has decided to go home.. I wonder if I could have done anything to help him.. But I kind of saw it coming. I just can't believe it happened so fast into his new area and companion.

Things are going great!! Feeling great, doing great, working hard.

Studying has been kind of hard this week. we have been so busy with transfers and stuff it's just been crazy. But Hassell taught me about 2 Nephi 9:39.. SMILE which means Spirtually Minded Is Life Eternal. I love that.. Also I taught him about Alma 32:28 how do you know it's a good seed? it will Swell in your breast, Enlarge your sould, Enlighten your mind and become Delicious to you.
I think that's the right order... hahah

We have met with some members and me and Elder Hassell are going to run a Ward FHE to teach these people how to interact with family and friends bearing purpose testimonies and we are going to make each family in the ward have a baptismal goal. Just like missionaries. They pray and fast about a family or friend they want to see baptized and taught and when we visit with them we have a specific name to follow up with.. Should be awesome and hopefully we get heaps of investigators through that (:

Teaching non members.. We actually had a miracle his first or second day here. We went to the market and started teaching a man named Sefo about families and temples! He loves what we teach SO much.. But as we were teaching, 3 others came and listened. E Amentiers, Matthew, and Bob. We were teaching them about prophets and repentance and being baptized with authority from God and one of them even started recording us, and they kept saying that they were feeling us speak truth and that they were feeling so much love and everything and so I popped the question.. "After we teach you more, will each of you be baptized if you continue to feel this feeling?" All 4 said yes, and they would love it.

So no big deal, me and Hassell just preaching the word out here in NZ telling them to repent and be baptized like Peter, James, John, and the early missionaries (: Plus Matthew and E gave us two free Hangis.. Which Elder Hassell explains in a video I'm going to put on the drive. It's a couple video journals.

Coolest thing about my mission so far.... being companions with Hazel and also I still think Haynze teaching his mom the Plan of Salvation on his own was amazing. It's cool enough he understood it and got baptized but to draw it out perfectly on a board and teach his mom who had no knowledge of it at all, is AWESOME.

I love the mountains in this area. We are surrounded by them!!!

I love you so much mom (: Hope home is good.

--
Elder LaMunyon

Group Email 7/10/16

for those who don't know about our fun news...
Bryson's new companion Elder Hassell is a friend that he grew up with.  His family moved away when the boys were about 13 or 14.  When they were called to the same mission, we didn't know if they would serve as companions (and frankly, we doubted they would) - but after 8 months of hard areas and companions, he has been blessed to be reunited with this childhood friend!  We know that this is just the morale boost that our Elder needs at this time, and that they will be able to accomplish great things together in Wainuiomata.



Kia ora whanau and hoa!

this week was a good week!!! Mainly because me and Elder Hassell have been reunited to a companionship!!! I am so beyond excited for what the future holds in this area. Hopefully we get to teach and see many miracles (:

what happened this week was a lot of goodbyes to good old Elder Walsh. Who really has taught me a lot. I will miss him more than I expected but change is good!

it'll be a quick email though so i'm sorry.. we have dinner waiting to be picked up and basketball to go to!! But I love everyone and miss them heaps!!!



Oh. I also saw Durtchi again!!!!(:

--
Elder LaMunyon

1/3 of the Mission Completed! Email 7-3-16

I know it really is so weird - 1/3 done!!! I think I might be here for another 3 months or so.. But I will know in one week. Could even hit my year mark here in Wainui, but we will see.

Thank you for your prayers and fasting. I have felt them and seen miracles in my life and spirit that are only because of my family. So thank you (:

Thanks for the advice about the priesthood too.. I was actually thinking about that a lot recently. About how I have some great priesthood holders around me on the mission and it would be awesome to get blessings often from them (: So I will start asking more and using mine as well.

Cool photos!!(: you're getting really good mom, honest. Nanna marylin is making me and my companion some chicken and stuffing for a big feed tonight since it's the 4th (: So yay! I'll try to get more pictures this week! I was sick from like wednesday or thursday to like yesterday.. Not crazy bad but there were a couple nights of sour stomach and throwing up. I'm pretty much better now.. I hope (: hahaha.

Haynze will be getting the priesthood this week and also a kid who hasn't come to church pretty much since he was baptized has become really fond of me and has started coming! He found a suit and his mom bought him a shirt and tie and he has been for about a month straight and he will be getting his priesthood this week too! He is nearly 16. His name is Daniel Oti. And i'm hoping to see him on a mission. Lots of good things have come into light!

Daniel is the one with his arm around Bryson.

The olsens who coach the wainui basketball team have asked me to help coach so I've been doing that for about 2 months and it has been awesome!!! something I didn't know was they were inactive and wouldn't let anyone from the ward visit them or they wouldn't talk to anyone really for years!!!! But now we go over whenever we want and they LOVE having us over and they always invite us to things! Even their 5 year old sons birthday party and they have been coming to church pretty much every week!! They aren't taking the sacrament I don't think.. I'm not sure why but I hope they are finding blessings in their life (:

Another lady, Amelia Brown hasn't come to church for 12 years and is now coming every week, she sang at one of our firesides and she is taking the Gospel Principles class now, she has commited to coming every week and wants her daughter to take the lessons now to be baptized.

A lot of these things haven't been really anything we knew or been our focus! We have just been connecting with anyone. Not for the purpose of getting them to church or anything but just becoming friends and now look at the miracles (: we didn't even know that these people were so difficult to get back to church or even in their homes! pretty cool (:

Group Email 5-29-16

So just found out i'll be staying in Wainuiomata for another 6 weeks which i'm pretty happy about (: I'll probably be here for quite a bit. But the mission transfers have proven to  be quite unpredictable. We had a lot of time spent with auntie kell and helping her set up the ward conference activities which was a ball! It was pretty fun. We spent all night friday and all day saturday setting it up! it turned out quite nice! Then we had the actual conference on sunday. It was really good. Bishop gave a pretty good talk about turning and committing. How we have to turn in the direction we want to go and give it all we got.. I think I could definitely do that much more. 

Then that night we had yet ANOTHER fireside.. His love part 2(: It turned out really good. I made videos featuring Sister Sagote, Nanna Marilyn, and uncle and auntie Wilson (Sonny and Keli-ann) (: It was a great night and the best part about it was auntie Kim came!!!(: She is less active but the nicest person in the world. She always cooks us delicious kai like Fry bread burgers and Huge Roast dinners and really wants to make my dads Crepe recipe with me (: one of the main reasons she is less active is because she has a smoking problem.. But she came to the fireside and one of the videos really touched her and she loved the whole night so much, she has decided to come back to church sunday. And she is one that you can actually believe and take her word for. She said she realized she doesn't have to be perfect to go to church and enjoy the gospel. She knows that to enjoy the FULL blessings and even more happiness she would need to stop smoking, but small steps are big ones in this case (: I'm so glad she has felt the spirit and support from our savior to come back after many many years of not even stepping foot in the chapel. That is definitely a huge miracle (: 

I'm grateful for the chance I have to serve these people. They have definitely served me more than I have them.. But I really do love these people now. I see them as whanau and that is how they treat me (: I'm not sure if any missionaries have ever gotten more calls than me and my companion asking if we were moving or staying.. they were all so worried that we could be moving!! They were wanting to throw a farewell if either of us left haha. I'm glad we have been able to connect so well with the members here. I feel like this is the best missionary work we could do. Strengthening what we have, finding those who need to be rescued and teaching in everything we do. 

I've been through a lot on my mission mentally and emotionally. But i'm working on using the gospel and Christ's atonement to have Joy in my life. Pure joy. There is nothing I need to worry about, or stress about when I am living the gospel and helping others. Life will be good. And like President Monson has said! "Everything will work out"

Love you all (:

-- 

Elder LaMunyon

kids he helps coach for rugby

just thought this was a cool shot :)

Member MTC Day tags (a great success - hopefully we'll hear more details about it soon!)

more from MMTC day

MMTC Day

group shot MMTC Day - sorry it's not super clear!

Tender Mercies & Miracles! ~ 2/7/16

This week was awesome. I mainly want to talk about Saturday, which was Friday for many of you.

We started off the day by walking just randomly to the chapel (for no reason) and found Sister Edwards there taking care of the Garden! So we talked to her for a bit about how we should focus on Less Actives and stuff. We then were walking back to our flat when we saw this CRAZY old lady (lots of those in Gore), but this lady could barely move. Her walker had fallen off the back of her electric wheelchair and so we were able to help her and get her back on her way. The Lord probably put her in our path so that people could see why we are here.

We then went on a rescue mission to Mataura (part of my new area) and brought Brother Clark along to see if he could help us out visiting people he knew! So we had okay success with him. We met 1 less active with Brother Clark's help.

So Brother Clark said that he needed to go and he would drop us off by our car, but me and Vaha'i asked if he could drop us off just where we were so we could walk! We decided to knock on Kayla Hema's door.

Background on her: She was door knocked by past Elders and seemed super prepared! She took a Book of Mormon and said that she had read much of it! But the past like 10 times that I have gone over to meet her she hasn't been there!!

Back to the story. We walked up to her door and were just about to knock when we heard someone coming up to us from the front gate! I asked if it was her, and she said yes, and she also said something very surprising to me. She said "Yeah the past dudes that gave me the book of mormon were nice and all but I'm done. I don't really want you guys over or anything to learn." I asked her what the problem was and she said "there isn't any proof. There is no evidence that your book and religion is right. I can't live my life based off faith. That just seems stupid."

I didn't really know what to say for a couple seconds. But I remembered some MTC training. Silence is okay. So I sat for a second. And the spirit just told me to bare my testimony. I bore my testimony on how God gave us liberty and freedom to choose. She had many questions about the pre earth life and Satan being brothers with Jesus. Amazingly I had studied that very thing that morning. I explained to her our knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and how this Gospel has blessed me in my life and my family! I asked her if she felt blessed to have a family and she said yes. We had a long discussion (guided by the spirit) about how living a gospel of Jesus Christ, the perfect example, would be a good life to have even if you didn't believe in our teachings. She agreed and she totally flipped her mood toward us. We set an appointment to go and teach her about everything on Wednesday. We will start with the Restoration but also see what questions she has. This was the best experience I have had so far in this area.

So me and Vaha'i were pumped after this and just decided to keep going and visiting people! We received a referral from a member in Invercargill about her son! Jaden Kahuroa. He lives on River Street Mataura. We went over there and it was a little sketchy at first. We heard he was a "naughty boy" or whatever so we just went over expecting whatever. It was dark inside and He was with a couple mates. One of them was crazy tipsy and came up to the door and started talking about religion and how crazy it all is. He said he didn't believe in science and only God haha. Very weird guy. We asked if Jaden was around and he was super cool!! He said he is at one of the lowest points in his life and was praying for help.. He lifted up his pant leg and showed an ankle tracker on his leg and said he was stuck in that house for another month. But we asked if we could go over and start teaching and visiting him, He was like "Yeah bros, sweet as!" We started talking about how he wanted to start on the straight and narrow again. How he used to be active as a young boy and now wants to start going again with his partner and kids!!

So after that, me and Vaha'i are on a missionary high. We just want to talk to everyone and anyone, so we kept visiting houses and inviting to church. It was so fun!!

We drove back to our flat and I told Vaha'i I didn't want to just sit around with the spirit so strong! We should go out again. So me and him just rode our bikes around Gore for about an hour but nothing happened. So when we finished that up I decided I wanted to go take pictures of the birds in the Garden Park across the street (something I could have done any other time in my first 3 months of Gore). And we were there for like a half hour. It seemed like a long time but I was just feeling so peaceful and amazing there! I was over by the Peacocks and trying to take photos of them with cool feathers, but they weren't having it!

Some random lady came up to us and started talking to us about how it isn't the right season and that the male is too young or something.  It was cool of her to stop and talk to us! So when she was about to leave she turned back and stopped! She said,"actually, I need to tell you guys something.. I'm a Mormon."

Me and Vaha'i were just like....... Uhhhhhhhhhh, hahahaha, it's so weird to find mormons here in Gore and we didn't know why were were at the bird cages or why we were there so long.. but wow. Heavenly Father has blessed us so much this weekend!!

We had 20 people come to church and this was a week where I had to conduct sacrament! Usually we only have like 4 come!!

And later on Sunday we got a call from the Beckmanns (senior couple) who are in Hamilton doing temple work before it closes for a couple years. They said they prayed soooo hard for us in the celestial room the day before. They even have our branch on the prayer role!

It is amazing how the Lord blesses us!!! I couldn't believe what had happened this weekend!! I'm so lucky to have this gospel and I can't wait to share it more and more and more!!!!!!!! I love you all! Have a great week.

--
Elder LaMunyon

Email from Mission President's Wife, Sister Hudson

It's such a relief to hear from Sister Hudson!  And we had a small miracle before receiving this email:  John had done a bid for a lady earlier in the day who mentioned that they had just picked up her son from HIS mission, and when John asked where, she responded "Wellington, NZ"!  Literally, within the past couple of weeks, they had gotten home from there. Her son was at work at the time, but later in the evening, she sent a text to us which included where Bryson would be serving, who his companion was, and what he was like, and a little bit about the area and people there.  What a blessing to know that Bryson will be with a great polynesian elder who is a good missionary and who will teach him the ropes in his fairly isolated area in the southern part of the south island...  Tender mercies for this missionary mom and dad!!  We are so grateful that John had that encounter with just the right person!

Hello! We wanted to let you know that your son has arrived safely to our mission! He has had orientation, been interviewed by President Hudson, and has enjoyed supper and a testimony meeting at the mission home. Tomorrow he will leave for his assigned area. I have attached a picture of him with us, taken this afternoon. All is well! Love, Sister Hudson

PS his new mailing address is

3D Williams St.

Gore 9710

New Zealand:

our blog is    newzealandwellingtonmission.blogspot.com

we will post pictures each week