I Am Convinced That Angels Are Around Us Everywhere.

Maori maori!

So what’s crazy is Maori is the name of the culture I am in love with, but when put together “Maori Maori” is “Hello” in Kiribati. ( its is pronounced like Kitabiss.) [Shannon here” Kiribati is a small nation in the Pacific.]

What a week this has been!! This week we had some crazy experiences. Mostly they happen when there is food involved, which you know is okay by me. But its probably the reason I have gone from 75kgs to 90kgs. For all my American friends, that’s 160lbs to 196... BUT THIS ISNT ABOUT HOW FAT I’M GETTING!! 

So at the moment I have a Tongan companion Elder Fisi'italia. If you know anything about Tongan people.. they eat a lot.. so shopping doesn’t really help when our food gets eaten in like 2 days.

The Other day Elder Fisi and I were walking home from an appointment at around 8:00. He and I hadnt eaten that whole day…and its getting hot here because summer is approaching. SO WE WERE HUNGRY AZ! We were walking home with some noises in our stomach that somewhat resembled that of a Whale calling its young. All of the sudden this white car pulls up next to us. This women who we don’t know stops and says " Elders you two look hungry, do want something to eat?" Of course trying to act like we are okay we say no with a thank you. And she gives us this look…it reminded me of the look my Mom gave me when I didn’t do my homework.  She just says " No! Here take this" and hands us this thing of Fish and chips. She then says "I'll be back with KFC okay?" This women stops by with the food. Of course we are just humbled by this act.. We asked what her name was…and she just smiles and leaves.

I am convinced that angels are around us everywhere. It may not be the kind that we see in movies but the way we act, and act to others can be seen as angelic.

THEN to make this week even better! I got a call Sunday to teach Gospel principles, which I love! Then while we were finishing up, our bishop says can you take the next class? So another Elder and I tag teamed a lesson about, preaching the gospel... It was such an awesome lesson.. you could drink the spirit through a straw it was so thick.  At the end  high councilmen who sat in, told us that it was one of the best lessons he had heard from missionaries in awhile.
SUCH AN AWESOME WEEK:)
Well I hope you all are doing well

Ofa lahi atu [Shannon here: translation –> “Love you so much.”]

-Elder Gish

One Yes Outweighs 1000 Nos.

Kia Ora whanua!

Kua tenei wiki, kua whakamataku! E mohio ana ahua kei te miharo aha koutou! Mongamonga we our pou! To tatou rangatira rohe Elder Christy, e ahau i runga i nga whakawhitinga i tenei wiki. I hanga e matou mahere ki te tiki e rua anake i te feia imi hou i taua ra. I roto i te haora i kitea e matou i tekau i te feia imi hou, ka kite i tenei hapu nui o tekau! ksu tapu e he wehingia!

Now i bet you are all wondering.. What the heck is that. That’s the language of Maori. 

What I just said is how awesome my week has been! 

So this week was exchanges. Our Zone Leader Elder Christy came into my area. We made it a plan to just blow through our area and just get done everything. We did that and a little more. Before we went out we made it a plan to find two new investigators and man we were determined to find two New Investigators. [Shannon here: An investigator is missionary lingo for someone who has accepted the invitation to ‘investigate’ the gospel of Jesus Christ.]

We were out all day just talking to as many people as we could. So here is what is crazy. By the end of the day we walked back to our flat dead. We had been in the sun all day and being in black pants isn’t exactly the best air conditioning. ANYWAY by the end of the day we had found 10 new investigators... TEN!!! and a family of ten! What an answer to prayers. We both walked back to the flat and collapsed. We had given everything we could, and then found a little more to give, because we wanted to help these people more than anything. 

Looking back I can see how God was testing us. We had multiple times where we were rejected, but we didn’t get discouraged because for every ten "no's" there is one yes and that one yes out weighs 1000 no's.  We were out for a higher purpose that day. That purpose was finally realized when we put everything into this work.

So again i need to keep it short:( I love you all!! 

-Elder Gish

Weekly Letter in a Rap

OKAY OKAY everyone gather round

let me tell you a story that will break every sound.

Let me start with the top,

we had an earthquake this week that made our chalkboard drop.

pretty scary stuff to see,

but i guess it was meant to be.

Exchanges filled this week, 

gotta go to work in other areas but just for a sneak peak.

The missionaries here are the bomb,

they make everyone proud, especially their mom.

The week gets better and better as it continues on.

We have a set baptism for this week so it will be awesome to get him that fon(t) .

But to make it better, he comes church,

it was fast Sunday so we got to hear others words,

our investigator gets up and speaks like a beautiful bird.

His testimony was so strong,

that it could go on and on.

It was a great blessing to have him speak,

because now he can find and seek. 

Anyway.. obviously i wont be the next Eminem or anything, but this week was truly amazing. Our investigator who is being baptized seriously is amazing. He bore his testimony and man it was so powerful! Everyone felt the spirit. It was a blessing beyond compare!

We did have an earthquake but we are okay nothing tragic, just a few wet pants and a knocked over white board. 

So this is something that i have been working on a lot with myself and our district. It’s have a Christ-centered attitude instead of an ego-centered attitude. I won’t go into much detail because I want you to find out how you will use that phrase:) and i want you to email me about it:)

i love you all:) 

-Elder Gish