Miracles!‏

Hey there everyone!

This week has been a powerhouse high of spiritually awesome events!  

Tuesday night we had a baptism for the Tutai family.  Little Memory was baptized on her 9th birthday.  Therefore it counts as a convert baptism and the Elders were put in charge of organizing the whole thing.  They had just over a week to get it all sauced out.  We got picked up by Alex at 5 and got a call from them.  They sounded pretty stressed.  Basically the musical item cancelled on them, the man who was supposed to have the key for the projector didn't have a key and they had no way to show a video to keep the spirit while we waited for the people to change after the baptism.  We hung up and Ally told us that she had her laptop in the boot and then called Nikau to bring a HDMI cable.  He said he would and we called the Elders and told them not to worry about it and that we would take care of everything else.  Indeed we got the laptop hooked up to the tv and shared awesome videos to keep the Spirit while they took care of everything else.  We invited our investigator Aaron to come to the baptism.   He set a reminder on his phone so that he could leave work early to make it on time :)  He met so many members and they all just sat and talked to him.  He really enjoyed it.  The mum gave the talk on the Holy Ghost and she said that she was less-active for a long time and that with trying to find happiness in the world she was just lost and selfish.  She said that coming back to church was the best choice she could have made for her life.  Aaron afterward said, "I feel like I might have just been lost for a long time."  I can't help but just smile every time I talk to this guy.  He has been soo prepared to hear the gospel.  After the baptism we texted the Elders and thank them for preparing such a great baptism.  They texted us back and told us that it wouldn't have worked out if we didn't save the day. And then we got this text.  I took a picture of it so that I would remember it.

I was reading in the Book of Mormon this week and I have to say Alma 41:14 has 3 specific things that can help us all heaps.  Deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually.  Lets all apply those more into our lives.  I know I'm definitely going to try harder to do them.  

Now for the Greentree update!   I LOVE THIS FAMILY!  That's nothing new but I just wanted to make sure everyone knows that.  It's amazing how much love you can have for people that just a few short months ago you didn't know even existed.  We taught them twice this week.  When we got there on Wednesday they told us about how they had friends in town over the weekend that were all drinking but they didn't have anything to drink.   One of their friends only had like 2 beers and then put it down and said that from Phil's example that he didn't really want to drink anymore either!  We were so proud of them both!  Then they told us that they had a fight Sunday night.  Phil said that he left the house to calm down and on the way out he grabbed his Book of Mormon.  He went down to the foreshore to read and calm down.  When he came home he found Tash in their room reading her Book of Mormon that we gave her just over a week ago.  My jaw was on the floor and I wanted to cry.  I asked her why she picked up the Book of Mormon of all things.  With tears in her eyes her response was, "Because it just felt like the right thing to do." Kian is up to 1 Nephi chapter 4 and loves reading.  They are progressing leaps and bounds.  They all came to church on Sunday.  With all the money they are saving by not buying alcohol (~$1,500 a month) they went on a shopping spree and bought everyone knew dresses and outfits for church.  They stayed for all 3 hours.  While we were in Gospel Principles we were talking about how families can be together forever.  While hearing the blessings of being sealed the teacher asked Phil what his thoughts were and Phil said, "That's what we want."  I caught eyes with one of the Elders sitting on the other side of Phil and we both had tears in our eyes.  The Spirit was so strong.  You wait your whole mission for a family like this.  Hearing your investigators say that they understand where this path is taking them and that it isn't just baptism makes everything else we do worth it.   

We got to teach the Mai maid class this week which is good because that is the class that Tia is in.  We taught a great lesson on inviting the Holy Ghost to be with us.  We made bracelets at the end off the lesson to help them remember to pray for the Spirit throughout their days.  The girls loved the lesson.  We had made heaps of phone calls throughout the week to have someone sit with mum during Relief Society and the ward just took her under their wing.   It was beautiful to see the ward members and leaders just welcome this family in with big arms.  We got a text from the Elders during the last hour of church.  It said, "Brother Bennett just asked the men in Elders Quorum to help one of the elderly sisters with some service and as usual no one raised their hands.  Brother Greentree was the only one who volunteered.  He put the rest of the Priesthood to shame!  He is a miracle within himself."  

The other amazing thing that happened this week is that we had an incredible lesson with our friend Aaron on Saturday.  Alex went with us again and we planned on teaching him the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We asked him his thoughts about church and the baptism.  He said that he really enjoyed the baptism.  He said that he thought the sacrament was a little cliche.  We started teaching about repentance and how that is the whole reason we come to church.  That really got him thinking.  He was quiet for about 3 minutes and then said, "Well that puts a whole new light on it doesn't it?"  Then he shared a special experience with us.  He said he was on the train and the song, "Temporary Home" by Carrie Underwood came on his phone.  He said that was the last straw for him.  He said it sent shivers down his spine.  I just smiled and said, "That is the Spirit!"  We just smiled and the Spirit was soooo strong!  We invited him to be baptized and he got really quiet.  He said, "You know I was thinking about you three coming over today and I was baptized when I was a baby but I was going to find a way to ask you if it was possible to be baptized again."  We freaked out inside just a little.  HE WAS GOING TO ASK US IF HE CAN BE BAPTIZED!  That never happens!!!!  We set the date for the 13th of September (my 18 month mark).  I'm so excited!  We were just ear to ear with grins.  He has always said that he loves having us come over because we are always smiling.  We asked him how he felt after we set the date and he said, "Well you aren't the only ones smiling anymore!"  It was so great :)  He came to church on Sunday as well.  The second speaker was the second counselor in the Stake Presidency and he talked all about baptism!  He also basically said to the members that if you don't know the people that your missionaries are teaching then you aren't doing your part.  Aaron looked over at us at the end of the meeting and with a smile on his face said, "That's another piece of the puzzle isn't it?  What are the odds that he spoke on baptism today of all day?"  It was so great.  The work is moving along and I couldn't be happier.  Thank you for all of your prayers and support.  I know that they are what have helped me get through the hard times and what helps these people progress.  I love you all and miss you heaps!  Have a fantastic week!

Much love, 

Sister Shayne

Alma

All of 38 - 5,9,12, and 15 especially

39:15-16 That is the same purpose as now

41:3-4 Agency is simple and yet it has huge effects

41:10 Scripture Mastery :) It will always ring true!

42:5 Adam and Eve's fall was part of the plan

Why was the Atonement necessary?

What is the point of us being here? 

What are there so many trials in life?  

See Alma 42 for the answers.  

44:3-4, 10, 12-14 Take that Zarahemnah!

46:14-15 Are you Christian? 

Chapter 47  Tricked, poisoned, and lied to.  What are the influences of that world that have a hold on you? 

Photo of the week.  Elder Teuira has a sticker of the St. George Temple on the back of his badge from when he served around Elder Tidwell from Santa Clara.  It made me really happy to see it.  I had to take a picture :)