Kia Ora Whanau!

How we doing?  It was so, so good to hear from all of you today!  I've been doing amazing, I love it here!  I'm still adjusting to this new area, my leaders and the ward.  It's a lot different than little Moerewa and my other areas, it's a lot bigger here so I'm still getting used to it!  It's very Maori populated and I absolutely love it.  I love the Maori people.  They are so cool, I hope you can meet one someday!  I share what I know of Maori with them and they are all so impressed with how much I know and the pronunciation of the words.  They are kinda out there hard to say--so I'm learning another language over here!

So last week after emails, me and Elder McKeown were picked up by our good friend, Laurence.  He wanted to take us out for a good time.  He took us to a mountain called Mount Manaia.  It's a very spiritual place and very sacred to the Maori people.  At the very top (you can see in some of the pics I sent home) that is where they would lay the body of a chief that had been killed.  It was pretty crazy up there.  First of all the way up kicked my trash, it was incredibly steep.  I was a sweaty mess by the time I got to the top.  It was amazing up there.  There were carving and drawings of all the chiefs and their whakapapa (genealogy) so it was a good experience to be able to go up there!

Mount Manaia

The fat man of the group (Elder Johnson)

Mount Doom

Laurence, Elder McKeown and Elder Johnson



Laurence and Elder Johnson

Views all day

This week was good.  We were able to get a lot done.  Still biking man, I miss that car, ha ha!  We were able to meet a lot of people and to have a lot of lessons.  Our investigators are doing well.  Chevon is going to be baptized this Friday.  I will be confirming her.  I've never done that before so that should be a good experience.  We're still trying to help our other investigators overcome some Word of Wisdom issues...man, I hate cigarettes and other addictions.  It amazes me the affect they have on people.  It's Satan having a tight grasp on them and it's sad.  They are progressing though and I know that they can do it!

Clean Flat

Clean Flat

From a couple emails ago

Well, that was my week.  Hopefully I'll have some good baptism pics and a story about a confirmation next week.  I love you guys and I pray for you everyday.  Keep being strong and being examples of the believers.  I miss you so much!  (and Chewie-ha)

Love,
Elder Johnson