Unexpected Change in Companions

13 July 2009
Dear Family,

It has been an interesting week with a lot of new things happening. I have a new companion, Elder Kelemete, from Apia, Samoa. He just came up this morning from the North Shore, and we met halfway in Whangarei. He was called to serve in Papua New Guinea, but is still waiting for his visa. So that means that i may be here another transfer. I hope that i will be able to serve in another area. For some reason, i get anxious when i serve in an area for a long time, especially when i have a lot of companions but keep being the one that remains behind.

For the last half week I was staying in Kaikohe with the Zone Leaders, Elder Polo and Elder Lawton. It was tiring due to us having to cover both our areas, but it was also a great learning experience.

I am still a bit sick and will be going into the doctors to see how i can get better. Its been hurting in my throat. Most of the sicknesses I've had on my mission have been in my throat. I think i need to stop stressing over things that i cannot control and not worry so often.

I cannot believe that i have about three months left. I really do not want to get trunky to the point where the desire to work is gone, but i suppose that this will be a defining point in my mission as there have been many.

With the car situation, i just have one preference. Please make the car a manual transmission. I have been dying to drive a manual trans since every mission vehicle is an auto except for the van on Niue. But i almost know for a certainty that President Porter won't send me there, being this late in my mission.

I had a good Saturday this week. In the morning we were in Kaikohe, but then traveled down to Kawakawa for appointments that i had set up earlier in the week. We had a lesson with Olivia Owen, who is set for this month. She has been coming regularly for about a month now. I took our Elders Quorum Prez and his wife and taught a lesson. But we had a neater lesson later on during the day.

We went to visit a part-member family, and in fact the father of the family happens to be the Bishop's son. But the partner is not a member. When we first met her, she had appeared to not be interested, but had said something about us working on her partner, who is a member. During our lesson we focused on families and taught the restoration. She has some sincere questions and has actually been taught in the past. She said she wants to get baptized but first wants to get married. She then came on Sunday and brought the kids. Her eldest daughter is a member and was speaking in Sacrament meeting. Hopefully she comes next week as well. We've planned to come see them on Tuesday night.

By the way, i got some pictures developed, i just need to send them. I have almost no money left so I'll have to see how much it will cost to send it. I'm not sure when the pictures were taken, but i printed out about 60-70 pics. Pardon the wait.

Will i still have my old room back? Oh and that reminds me. I looked at the AHC catalog, and if I were to do fast track courses, there isn't really anything that interested me. I'll have to take another look at it, but at the moment, i may just start working and do some shadowing for career paths in prep for the next semester. But tell me what you think and I'll make a decision after some more pondering and praying.

Love you all and do your best.

Love, Elder Cashmore