I feel so blessed to be working with these people. Its so easy to love them out here.

KIA ORA EVERYONE,

I cant believe its P Day again…the week just got away from me.. WHICH IS AWESOME!!

As a missionary in New Zealand I feel so blessed to be working with these people. Its so easy to love them out here, because they show the same love right back. Their hearts are as big as the portions of food they give us.. WHICH IS HUGE.

So on the topic of portions and food, I got to try some really tasty stuff this week. Kumra... its seriously the biggest thing. Just take a sweet potato, make it the size of your face and about as dense as steal.. soak it coconut cream, and throw some Corn beef hash on it... THAT IS WHAT THEY CALL A SIDE DISH!!! UHH HECK NO. But man it is so goooood. This place is seriously magic too… it seems that the instant my plate is empty and I’m about to pop, my plate magically gets refilled! yayyyy.... But in all seriousness its a huge blessing to have big meals like that. They members are so giving! Then I got to try some duck feet and Pig ear. Doesn't that just sound yummy as? It actually was delicious.. so no complaints there!

ONTO THE WORK!

This week was so hard! But when God humbles us (which he has to do to me a lot)  He pours out His blessings.

So on P Day last week we thought it would be a great idea, as a district and with the Zone Leaders, to go to the BMX track near the chapel. MAN it was so much fun! Until I was racing Elder Morris (our Zone Leader) and saw a jump that would get me a head of him. I thought there was going to be a table on top of it. (Shannon here: a flat area, not an actual table.)

So I put my front wheel down... ( I think we know what’s going to happen) there was no table.. and physics gets the best of me. I literally ate dirt.. (my mouth was open from screaming). Broke my tooth.. not so bad. MY bike.. and helmet. In all honesty, God was looking out for me because I got up, laughed, and then raced again. So fun!

Then DUN DUN DUN,DUN. we have to be humbled. So I went on exchanges on Friday feeling fairly confident about where to go, how to get there, who to see, what say.. I did the 1st. 3rd. and 4th thing well.... But how to get there.. nope.. I couldn't even find my way around... with a map. I was so lost, and the person I was with was a ray of sunshine about it... not... he was getting upset.. but I found my way to one house! Totally awesome! Great lesson I thought (the ray of sunshine just had so much to say) but next time will be better!

Then on Saturday.

Saturday was already a slow and hard day. One of our keen as investigators was having second thoughts, thankfully during the lesson we taught, the Spirit was so strong and he only moved his baptismal date back a couple weeks. PHEW! But then Elder Harmon and I got a referral to see a guy named P. We were told he wanted to learn, so we set out to teach him. We got there. He was a Rev. from a Baptist church in Alabama who just wanted to bash. My first bible bash! We literally bashed for an hour. I hated every minute. (Shannon here: Bible bashing is not “bashing” the validity of the Bible. Nor is it even a healthy debate on the subject of religion. Rather, it is typically just a contentious argument or confrontation about different tenets of religion. See here for a much better explanation.) But he was attacking the Gospel, and my pride wasn't having that... no way. But I left feeling so spiritually drained. But I bore my testimony to him. Man the Spirit was strong, but we could tell he was just there to bash. And it was a struggle to not think about what more could I have done, because at points he was slapping MY testimony in the face. And I was having a hard time with it. So, I knelt in prayer for comfort. A copy of the Book Of Mormon fell in front of me. It was a copy my awesome older brother Elder Sam Gish gave me, and in it a verse he wrote always resonated with me,  “whenever you get sad, pull this book out" and as I just held it close. I felt so empowered. I knew God and Jesus Christ knew what I had gone through and knew exactly what I needed to help me. 

THEN GOD POURED HIS BLESSINGS ON US!

An investigator we have been struggling with to get to come to church CAME ON SUNDAY!! HOLY FLIPPING HAPPY! It was seriously the best felling to see her there! And she loved every minute! Again, Heavenly Father knows us and picks us up!

So a quote I loved from this week "Of all the names our God and Deity has asked us to address him by out of respect, he asks us to address him as FATHER." And, man it was so powerful knowing that.

This work is true. As missionaries we get this amazing privilege to serve our Father in Heaven. I got so lucky to be in New Zealand. Its humbling to have the Holy Ghost as a Companion at all times, and as we listen with our spiritual ears to Him, we can accomplish amazing things. But we only get that by  “obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel" (Article Of Faith 3.)

I love this work. I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God and Jesus Christ. It was translated by a true Prophet, Joseph Smith. Read and pray over this truth. You will receive an answer of truth from the Holy Ghost

KIA KAHA!

love you all!

your kiwi!

Elder Gish 

When the Lord tells us the field is white, He really means it.

Kia Ora everyone!,

So this week has been crazy.. CRAAZY AS! My companion and I were able to talk to 100 people this week! 100! 

Ready for something even better! WE HAVE THREE SET BAPTISMS! 2 NEXT MONTH AND ONE IN MAY! I got to ask both to be baptized! IT WAS a little bit rough coming out.. my words were just flying out of my mouth and getting all jumbled up.. but they got the point.. it was awesome! Cities converted over night! jk.. But really that's how it felt. The work must proceed and when the Lord tells us the field is white, He really means it.

With some people we talk to on the street, we do what’s called Soft set, where we ask them, if they came to know the truth of this gospel would they be baptised? Its a little dodgy at first.. but heeps of people actually say yes!

So all this awesome stuff can’t happen without a little trial of course! BRING IT! Most of lessons during the evening fell through… and wow it really does make you feel so sad, because you see what good this gospel does, and people flake! And then we lost some keene as investigators…they just dropped us.. it really makes you think if you could have don't more.. but one of greatest gifts is agency.. people just use it stupidly…jkk they are awesome.

But then some amazing lessons happened. We have 2 investigators that are just sweet as. J. ( I wont even try to spell his last name) and W. F. 

J. is about 19 and is way hard to get a hold of, he works, has Uni (college) and plays rugby (of course). BUT finally we got a hold of him and we taught him a door step lesson. We taught him about how to read Book Of Mormon and this gospel can change lives, and how his friend Michael ( a recent convert) has been blessed and that we want the same thing for him. We taught his and the Spirit was so strong! HE then said a prayer!!! WHAT !!!! And it was seriously one of the best prayers. He ended and just had this smile and glow. He was so filled with the Spirit!

Then W.F., he’s 26, and has two kids so of course - PLAN OF SALVATION! We taught him that families can be together forever, and he really wanted that, he looksedlike he was tearing up when we taught it.. .totally awesome!

So one of the best things about being here are the people.. I love biking around and people will honk at us and wave! Members and non members. It really makes our day! And also the missionaries, we never go hungry.. I had my first islander feast.. .holy flipping food.... we entered in the house walking but left the house rolling.... so much food. But that's why riding a bike is a blessing because it all comes off! Only after riding 200 miles a week. Not too bad if I say so myself..

This week has just been a joy. I love the people here. It feels like home! I love this gospel. It really does change lives. II’s changing mine more and more as I’m on my mission.. Love it!

That's all till next time! I apologize if I haven't written anybody letters back! I only get them once every transfer, since the mission office is a little far away.! I’ll get to it though!

Love you all! Thank you for the support!

KIA NGAWARI! (sounds like kia narwe) it means be humble and patient!

until next week! kia kaha!

-Elder Gish

I am in in Rototuna…this place is so awesome!

Hey Everyone!

Guess who is officially in the mission field! THIS GUY!

I am in in Rototuna ( mom my hat) This place is so awesome! {Shannon here: Chase has a special hat with Hamilton, NZ Mission embroidered on it. He wants us to write each place he serves somewhere on the hat.}

We are on bikes and literally everywhere we go we got honked at followed by a HI ELDERS! It just makes you feel way good. We are cycling about 20-30 miles a day, yes miles not Km. I feel like I have hulk legs. At the same time, Rototuna is very hilly so I feel like Kung Fu Panda with stairs. I'll see a hill and be like " ah we meet again... hill" and then its a battle from there.. usually the hill wins.. I think I'm allergic to  it.. I get all winded, and red when I’m done.. I might need to talk about it to President Rudd...

So my trainer is way cool! His name is Elder Harmon. He is the man. We work so hard every day, but that to be expected. But the craziest thing happened this week! As we had our companion prayer, we asked if we could meet a family of 5 to teach. So we were out tracting and having 0 luck... a few door slams followed with some words that I don't think had any vowels in the them. We were so down, and in our doubt my companion had me lead to find someone! I had no idea where the heck I was! I was relying all on the spirit to guide me.. and as were cycling we came to a dead end. and I kid you not the Spirit literally told me to look for a white car.... and WAM!! there was a white car... my mind was blown! So we decided to knock on the door and a women answered! We did a quick Restoration lesson and gave her a pamphlet and she accepted to read it. At the end we asked if we could say a prayer ( which is a lot of fun by the way) and she accepted! and!!  INVITED HER KIDS!! one. two. three! 3 kids show up! we suspect the husband was gone! But it was a family of 5! can you say MUURRACLES!!! It is amazing how, when in out doubt the Lord picks us up! and then gets us ahead! It was truly humbling for me to experience it!
The Lord blesses us in our obedience!

Now here is the challenge/ question of the week! Do you have the works to match your faith? "Faith without works is dead" we read that in the scriptures. But are you working as hard as your faith is. Faith is something we rely on a lot. It’s hard, but the best story of faith I think comes from the bible. when the children of Israel were being chased out by Pharaohs servants. When they got to the red sea, the sea wasn't instantly parted they had to get their feet a little wet before the miracle. It was asked by our zone leaders... and it really hit me. We have been working really hard. We talk to around 30 people a day (which doesn't sound like a lot, but it is.) But after this I’m willing to push even harder.. exhaust myself even more. The work of salvation is not be taken lightly.

Don't freak out Mom and Dad but a cyclone hit New Zealand, it wasn't to bad! but my comp and I where still out working, we are literally soldiers of God doing His work... the rain is the least of our worries. But the coolest thing happened! Even though we were getting wet doing the work... we were dry when we got home!

That's all my time for now!
love you all!

KIA KAHA! ( that means be strong Maori)
-Elder Gish

Kia ora! Greetings from the New Zealand Hamilton Mission.

 

{Elder Gish’s mom here: We received this lovely message, complete with pictures, from President and Sister Rudd who are leading the Hamilton, NZ mission. With Sister’s Rudd’s permission the following is posted below.}

Kia ora!  Greetings from the New Zealand Hamilton Mission.

Elder Gish arrived safely to Hamilton, and is already labouring in his new area. His companion is Elder Harmon.  They will be serving in the Hamilton Zone, right here in Hamilton.    I have enclosed a picture of them, one of the entire group of missionaries that arrived the same day, as well as a picture with us.  We love Elder Gish already!

We look forward to serving with Elder Gish in this wonderful work as the missionary wave floods this great country of New Zealand!  We need him and are excited to serve together!  His testimony will grow as he helps others receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

Arohanui,

President and Sister Rudd

DID YOU PAY YOUR POWER BILL?

OKAY GUYS this is it! I am Leaving the MTC TOMORROW!! I cannot wait to be in the field! The MTC was seriously such an awesome experience! The days were sooo long but then all of a sudden the week has gone by! We have learned so much! Its crazy, its like a serious Doctrine over load! just like BOOM! As a Zone Leader over the MTC I have a lot of responsibility, sometimes a little to much but it was amazing to see the Lord’s hand in all that I was doing.

SO to get on my week! its been long, but crazy fun , myself, my companion, and another really close Elder were all singing " I see The Light" from Tangled! MAN WE SOUNDED SO GOOD! all the sisters where like “WHATTTT? You know this song!” And we all started to sing some of our favorite songs. Of course my voice sounds like a moose being hit by a four wheeler, but when I was next to the Elders I thought sounded great!

SO here is the question of the week! DID YOU PAY YOUR POWER BILL? during a devotional we were asked how power works (speaking in terms of electricity) and we went through this big process of how to get power. BUT what we left out was we have to pay for our power. It is exactly like how Heavenly Father works, we need to make sure we are paying our power bill, by following the commandments, reading our scriptures and most of being OBEDIENT. It was like a serious Spirit over load! These rules we have been given as missionaries are hard! But thats the point, if it was easy everyone could do it, but the Lord blesses us in our times of being distraught to let us know he is still watching over us and walking besides us.

DAD YOU CAN BE VERY PROUD OF ME! there was an elder who HADN’T SHAVED HIS FACE ALL WEEK! and was looking very scrappy. and I had to tell him that he had to go back and shave before going to class. I felt like my Dad so much it was crazy. I can’t wait to see what the lord will have in store for me next! He works through each of us so differently but the same thing is always the end result.

During one of lessons teaching our investigators Resina, we found out that she really needed to hear about how families can be together forever. My companion and I ONLY HAD FIVE MINUTES TO TEACH, so we bore our testimonies on how families can be together forever, and WOW the Spirit was so strong we all started to tear up and even though it was just a role play it felt so real. My companion is going to be such a beast on the field! both literally and spiritually! He’s the bomb.

The church is so true. I’M greatful for this opportunity to serve. I do not want to let the Lord down!

LOVE YOU ALL

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS! - Elder GIsh

image of Hamilton, NZ temple courtesy of https://www.lds.org/church/temples/hamilton-new-zealand?lang=eng

Kira Ora!

 

So i really dont have a lot of time to write sorry everyone!

This week has been so crazy! seriously trial by fire, the mission really brings out your weakness and makes them show, but then the lord builds you up, it is hard as( thats a new zealand term) but i am pushing through it. I recieved a blessing and man i feel really good.

My MTC comp is the man! Ready for  this his name is Elder Lehi Renimana- Te Whatu. When we role play and i introduce him he's just Elder Te Whatu. Hes the bomb though, we have a lot in common and seem to work really well as a team, but he is going to the Melbourne Mission. SO LOOK FOR HIM DANE!

This Sunday it was fast and testimony meeting and I got a real glimpse of the truthfulness of this gospel. There are only 8 missionaries (sisters and elders) that are from America, the rest are from the island , Austrailia, Papua New Guniea, Tonga and Samoa. So you can bet I feel really small when I'm talking with them. ANYWAY most of the Elders here gave up so much to be on a mission. One was almost killed by the people of his village becuase we wanted to serve the lord. WHAT FAITH. I complain when i stub my toe on a desk. These missionaries are going to be awesome I know it.

Since we are only the 5th intake this year, we have new teachers and they are so awesome. they teach us so well, and  what’s amazing is for the quick passed work, we are intkaing so much. All thanks to the Lord. He really helps us out in our everyday life, I see it all time.

The food here is CRAZY almost every meal we have potatoes, i remember my suits not being so snug when I got here. The food is amazing though.

This place is so full of the spirit. I love it. My companion and I are The ZLs of the MTC. [Shannon here: ZL’s=Zone Leaders. He and his companions are assigned to lead and minister to other missionaries in his ‘zone.”]  It’s a lot harder then I thought. The Lord really humbles us before he can make us stronger. It’s hard at first  but now that i step back a little bit I can see a lot more behind His doing.

OH so role playing is a blast! My companion and I switched accents. So he was American and I was an Islander. He sounded kinda like Elvis and I don’t even want to begin to say how bad i sounded. But he’s teaching me, I'm getting it down... I think.. but really I'm glad I’im here. It maybe hard at first but it will get better through time. I have faith in the lord that he will help me.

I love this gospel. I know its true and that Christ lives and loves everyone of us individually and that Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. I’m greatful for his wonderful example. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a true living prophet of GOD, and we are all God’s Children.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT I FEEL !   

Ka kite ano

Elder Gish

images of the Auckland, New Zealand MTC courtesy of http://missionarymums.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/new-zealand-mtc/mtc-flags/