connor being connor

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falling in love with the island

Today we drove to the beach that was right by where we were tracting.  We went to Waikuku, it's a tiny little beach town and we went to Waikuku beach.  When we pulled up I could just feel the ocean, and the beach aroma just filled my nose and I got so excited!  There is a sand hill you have to climb up before the beach, so I ran up to see the most beautiful sight in the world, the beautiful New Zealand beach and ocean with mountains on the left and the right that went out a little bit, then all ocean.  It was so absolutely breath taking. I felt the most love and appreciation for the Island.  I felt spiritually connected with the island of New Zealand.  I took some pictures of the beach and also me at the beach.  Probably the best photos that I have taken this whole time since I've been on my mission.  I really can't wait till you can come to this Island dream with me.  Mom, you are seriously gonna love it here, no joke.  You're gonna absolutely freak!  The people are so nice, it's a completely different country, everything is just so much different then we are used to.  There is no place that I would rather be!

If we reach our goal as a mission at reaching 300 baptisms this year, then President Jolliffe is renting a big bus during Christmas time and taking all of the mission (40 companionships) on a big Matthew Cowley historical church sight seeing road trip.  He did a lot for the church here in NZ.  That would be really fun.  Stay safe.  God be with you till we meet again. 

singing in the streets

Today was the most productive day we have had here.  The first street we did, we knocked on this door and an 80 year old lady and a guy in his 30's answered and the guy said, "hey we were just talking about you."  And we said, "huh?"  He said "I'm from Hamilton HZ, then I moved to Utah on a tennis scholarship to BYU, then became converted and got married in the temple to my wife who I met there.  Now I live in Mapleton, Utah.  I'm just down here visiting my grandparents and teaching them more about the gospel.  Do you want to come in?"  We said for sure!  I seriously couldn't believe that I met a member from tracting, it was so cool.  We went in and talked with the guy and his grandparents.  He wants us to come back another day and maybe teach them a lesson.  It was really so good to meet an active member.

 

It was a blessing and it totally boosted my spirits for the day.  

On Wednesday the whole zone went into the middle of Christchurch and we all sang hymns while a few of us contacted the people around watching.  I saw a girl sitting on a bench watching us all sing and so I started talking to her and it turns out she is from England just visiting for a couple of weeks.  So I gave her a pamphlet and bore testimony then began contacting other people.  Elder Tinker was watching the girl and said that she read the pamphlet cover to cover.  Then I noticed a guy with the same kind of bike that I have so I went over and started taking to him.  It turns out he is from California doing study abroad in NZ.  We talked about snowboarding for a while and then I started to talk to him about the Bible and the Book of Mormon and I pretty much gave him the first lesson about the restoration in the middle of Christchurch.  I really like street contacting after that day. 

We went over to the Samoan family's house today and boy am I stuffed!  They sure do like to feed you.  They go over to a fish 'n chips shop and bring back this HUGE bag of them and also have sausages, bread, eggs, and all of this food for us.  So we ate tons until I was about to pop!  Then there was one more piece of fish left and I was so stuffed and then Sana says, "Elder Rawle have some more fish" and I said that I was far too full.  Then she says, "RAWLE, I said eat the fish!" really boldly, so I said ok and ate the fish.  They really want you to eat, eat, eat! 

inviting people to come unto christ

I've been keeping track of how many doors we've knocked on this week and it's around 396 and not one person has let us in!  Only one person ever has said anything more then, "I'm not interested", and it was a 16 year old and we gave him a restoration pamphlet and that's it.  

But in preach my gospel it says, "your purpose as a missionary is to invite people to come unto Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel of Christ through faith in the lord Jesus Christ."  So all I can do is invite people to come unto Christ, and that's what I'm doing out here.  Whether people accept it or not is their decision, so as long as I'm trying my hardest to invite people to come unto Christ, I'm happy.   

We are still teaching Grant and Carolynn, and this week started teaching a  family from Texas, a single mom with 2 teenagers, and another single lady. 

Our neighbor is funny, he's always drunk and happy!  One time he called us, "God Squad!"

It was my first fast Sunday out here in New Zealand today.  I bore my testimony, the spirit was so strong there.  I love my area more and more everyday. We get rejected all day and everyday, but we have fun getting rejected and we look forward to the next house.  I love New Zealand, it is seriously the best place to serve! 

I work so hard out here it's absolutely crazy.  I'm so tired by the end of the night!  People say you'll never sleep on your mission till the plane ride home, which is so true!  My testimony grows so much, my faith in the Savior is so big.  I know this church is true.  Everything makes so much sense.  I love you all and I love New Zealand!  I'm gonna learn so much out here, but I'm the same old Connor! 

write to connor

Connor would love to hear from you!  Mailed letters are his favorite.  

Write to him at:

Elder Connor Rawle

New Zealand Wellington Mission

6 Hagley Street, level 1

Porirua, 5022

New Zealand

Cost is $.98 for an average size letter.  We usually just put 3  $.44 stamps on letters.  

the joys of tracting begin

So the first day here we went tracting around Rangiora in a neighborhood.  I had been watcing my companion do it for a while so we came to a house and Elder Tinker asked me if i wanted to talk this time, so I said for sure!  We knocked on the door and there stood this 300 pound Maori, about 50 years old, looking really mad.  I said, "hi, how is it going?"  He stood there saying nothing for 10 seconds, then he looked at his clock and says,"it's 7:30 at night,why are you knocking on my door?"  I didn't know what to say so I said, "me and my friend are with the LDS church and we are sharing a message that God has called a prophet to this earth again, are you a religious guy at all?" He says "yes, I'm Maori/Tongan and I pray to the Maori Gods", in a really harsh and rude tone.   I said "oh that's great", then told him about the Book of Mormon and he said, "where is this book?"  I took it out of my bag and showed him the Book of Mormon and he started yelling, "put that book away, put that book back in your bag!"  I was so scared I was shaking and wanting to cry, we talked for like 10 more minutes with this tired grumpy 300 pound Maori being so rude until he says, "I'm George, my wife was just baptized, we were playing a joke on you!"  

Ahhh!  It turns out that the missionaries have been working with them for a while so they do that to every new missionary.  We went in and he and his wife are so nice, really poor but really rich in heart and giving.  They love the missionaries. 

We are working with a married couple in their 40's.  Their names are Grant and Carolynn.  Carolynn knows the church is true, but she doesn't want to get baptized until Grant does.  But they came to church yesterday and loved it so maybe they will get baptized soon.  We are going to challenge them on Sunday the 30th.  

Me and Elder Tinker visited a part member (all inactive) Samoan family, and we talked about culture the whole time. I talked about lava lavas and about how Kayla is Samoan and they were SOOOO stoked and it feels like they like me more because of it!!! haha. Then they gave me a red Samoan lava lava and I wear it around the house. They are so nice and giving. 

getting adjusted to missionary life

When I flew into Wellington my mouth dropped, it was absolutely beautiful!  Houses on mountains looking onto the beach with clear blue water.  I literally started crying.  When we got off the airplane we came out and President and Sister Jolliffe were waiting with 2 other elders. They were really excited to see us and were so nice.  We went to a chapel near by and got to know them.  Then after a while we went to the mission home and had dinner, and a testimony meeting there in their living room.  We slept in a big room with a lot of beds that were so comfortable it was amazing.  We were all so tired from hardly sleeping on the flight that we were all asleep by 8:00.  Then we woke up at 5:45 am with President Jolliffe blowing an air horn into the room, I literally jumped up I was so taken off guard.  

We had breakfast then go dropped off at the airport.  The flight from the North Island to the South Island is beautiful.  There were mountains with snow on top in the distance, then there was the beach and ocean right below me.  

My companion is Elder Tinker is an Aussie.  He is way cool and funny. We get along well and have common interests.  I'm 2 for 2 on comps right now with not getting gomers which is really rare.  So hopefully I can keep the streak going! 

connors first look at new zealand