Ten a Day and "Holy" Shoes

26 April 2009
Dear Family,

I really enjoyed your emails this week. It was good to receive an email from most of you. I wish i could have been with the family on your holiday trip.

This week we finally reached a goal to talk to 70 people, or about 10 people a day. Its one of our "standards of excellence". We didn't do as well as we could have done with our other goals, but we've looked at what we need to do to have a better week, and we're going to make sure we call everyone ahead of time to schedule and confirm appointments.

We had an awesome splits on Wednesday with a Brother Dixon and a Brother Smith in Paihia branch. We were able to have two lessons during that time. My companion and Brother Smith had an awesome lesson with a young couple that we found a couple weeks back (they are about 16-17 and a have a little baby!). They weren't able to come to church on Sunday, due to their baby being sick, but said they would come the following Sunday. They are really searching and wanting direction and peace in their lives.

Last night we were at a member family that is slowly coming back to church. His name is Roger Hohaia and his wife is Sara. We've mainly been working with Roger and he's been coming quite well. He used to be the branch president in Matauri Bay( I've heard its very pretty up there). He was telling us last night about how he was able to activate and find people for the missionaries to teach. He planned a Mother's Day banquet and had each sister in the ward invite two friends. Those friends were also invited to have their sons come and all the sons would be serving the meals at the mothers day banquet. The branch went from 10-15 attending to about 100 regularly attending. He also talked about his job as a train driver. It was pretty funny, because he animates everything. That job sounds pretty interesting too.

As for this birthday package, there is one thing i would like to request, and that is the Discourses on Joseph Smith on audio CD (the cars or cd players do not play MP3 though). I've heard a couple of them. They are inspiring and motivational. I will need to buy some new shoes. The ones i have are no good. The bottom is falling apart. Roger Hohaia suggested that i should buy gum boots! But that probably won't work.

As for the weather, its getting pretty wet. It floods in this area every couple of years. Our flat is built on a short hill near the area where it floods. Apparently, when it flooded, it filled up the whole open air garage (which is beneath the flat) and came up to where our back door balcony is! We'll have to see if it gets that wet.

Thanks for all your love.

ka ki te ano

Love, Elder Cashmore