Dear Family!


It was really great to get and read your e mails this week. I bet it was a little hard for you guys to wait a whole other day to get my e mails. ..I just love ya guys. Well over here in New Zealand it is getting pretty beautiful weather and so that is nice. I am driving now in a car so that's cool too. We have a restriction on the number of Kilometers (miles) we can use so we have to be careful. Well this last week was another great week. It is something else being the Distinct Leader. I have been blessed so much and it is helping me become more Christ-like. It is definitely hard though. I have been more busy and I have a lot of responsibility. But I love each elders in my district.


I'm sorry but I don't have a lot of time to e mail this week. Ugh so many things are going on and I used some time e mailing Kylie because I haven't really even written here since I left. So I will just go over my week pretty fast. We are just working really hard in Rotorua. We are experiencing a lot of miracles. We have a lot of investigators we are teaching. Right now we have 4 investigators set with a baptism date. The Lord has truly blessed us. On Thursday I was able to go on a trade off with some elders in my district. It was awesome. They are serving all the way down in Tapo and Turangi. So I got to see this huge lake in New Zealand. I think its the biggest lake in NZ. It was absolutely beautiful. We have to go there someday. Then because I'm now the District Leader I interviewed some people for baptism. Aw that was a very spiritual experience. On Saturday I was able to baptize Lydia! I don't know if I told you that she was getting baptized. She was in my last area but because I was just in the next area over I was able to baptize her! Aw I will have to tell you more about that. It was just amazing. Sunday was great. I was the one that drove the car all the way to Taranga and then up to Auckland. We stayed the night up there and then had our mission wide conference. Wow it was literally amazing. I have no time to tell you about it but it was great.


Well my companion is name Elder Petty. He is from Melbourne Austria. He a white Aussie with a accent. He has light brown hair and is just really funny. He is a great missionary. He has been on his mission for about 3 months now. His family is all members (well some of his extended aren't) We get a long very well.


Oh my. I'm so sorry but I forgot that I have to send in this thing to Sister Porter today. I'm sorry this e mail was so short. I know it makes you guys sad. But I really have to go now. I do love you all so much. I'm glad you all had a great week. I will make it up to you guys next week. I just am so busy I feel bad. Have a great week!


Love Elder Kitchen

How is my favorite family doing over in good old Utah?? Man some one asked me where we got our name, a lot of people think our last name is really cool or weird over here in NZ. I guess it isn't a common name over here. Well another week as came and gone....sometimes the weeks just fly by here in the mission field. Its crazy! I loved your e mails this week and the pictures you sent were great too. It is so great to always hear from my family every week. I know some missionaries don't hear from their family like Elder Afa because they are catholic and aren't very happy he is on a mission. So it truly is a blessing from God. Well seriously I love my mission but really I miss you guys so much its crazy. A lot of time, my mind doesn't think about it but sometimes I just miss everyone back home. Because I'm such a loving person I just absolutely miss my family and friends.


I know its so crazy my year mark is this Thursday!! I don't want to think about it, because really I just love my mission and I don't want it to end right now. It really is such an incredible experience. I wish I could do another one after this one. No wonder why they only make it two years otherwise missionaries would want to spend a lot more time out on their missions. Well so much has happened since the last time I e mailed you guys. First though....man I loved your e mails and to hear from you.


It was good to hear that you started your school thing mom. I am praying that you will have a great experience and that everything will go well for you. Thanks for all the updates with my friends and everything. Man I'm really a horrible friend for not writing them. I really am going to try and do a lot better this year. But it really is really hard. I sometimes get letters from my friends so its good to hear from them. About Kylie and nick...I was really wondering if I could just e mail them. I know I can e mail cousins cuz they're family. I just wont really have time to write them a letter. Oh yeah mom you asked about what time it is here...well right now its 12:45 pm but I don't know what time it will be when I send it or what time it arrives but probably around 1 or so.


Dad wow I absolutely loved your experience you wrote me about that you had on your mission. That made my whole day...man I loved reading it so much. I'm going to print it off. That is truly a crazy incredible experience you had on your mission. You really never will forget that. See I loved hearing about your experiences you had on your mission especially because I'm on my mission right now. I would love it if you had any other cool experiences you could tell me about. I cant believe that you guys really dropped him off in the middle of the desert!! And then you got to baptize him in the river and the heavens opening thing was just amazing! Wow do you talk to him still? I wonder where he is now!! Thanks for sharing that experience with me. That truly does mean so much to me dad. I love you so much. Wow and I was really excited to read your going hunting. Man your lucky that sounds really fun. I am so excited to go a lot when I get back from my mission with my new gun! And it was cool to hear Ryan is going out on a dance. That's the high school life right there.


I'm glad all of you enjoyed my experience about Elder Afa baptizing Dion, it really was hilarious. I have experienced so many things I'll never forget and things that are just priceless. Well this past week was just incredible. We were double working the area for a while because some missionaries got switched up. Then it was transfers this week and a lot of new missionaries came in and got switched up. Okay guess what?! The mission combined the zones of Rotorua and Taranga so they made Rotorua a district. Elder Breeze went over to Taranga to be the Zone leader over there. AND GUESS WHAT?! President Porter called me to be the new DISTRICT LEADER for Rotorua!! Wow I was like really surprised. But I know this is a sacred blessing and experience from the Lord and from President Porter. I know they both trust me and I will be held accountable for how well I fulfill my responsibilities. Well so I got transferred but just to the other side of Rotorua. So I still go to the same chapel and everything but I'm in a different ward. Tarawera ward now. My companion is Elder Petty. (I already knew him really well because he has been here in Rotorua the same amount of time as me). And because I'm the District Leader I have a car now. There is 5 elders in my district (including my companion). Elder Afa is still in the area I just came from, so I see him all the time still. He is here with us as we e mail. Well I have a lot more responsibilities and have to do more now. I am trying to have more confidence in myself and trust in the Lord so I will be a great Christ-like leader. The area over here is just doing great. We have a lot of progressing investigators and the Lord has blessed this area also. I'm loving this ward also they're great. Its different doing missionary work in NZ with a car. You have to be more creative in the way to talk to people on the street. When we have bikes we just talked to everyone we saw on the street. Saturday we kinda had a hard day and we got a lot of rejection and a lot of appointments fell through. It was hard and the trails were a lot. But I know the Lord was qualifying us for Sunday, because we experienced a lot of miracles. Aww its just incredible to see people accept the gospel.


Well I'm sorry but I have to go now. We have had kind of a crazy day. Just so you know I wont e e mailing you guys until Tuesday next week, so not on Monday. The whole mission is going up to Auckland for a big mission conference, so they are making P day on Tuesday. The mission is breaking records. The NZAM (New Zealand Auckland Mission) baptized 186 people last month. Wow miracles! It was a wonderful experience to have been able to baptize 3 people last month.


I love all of you guys with all my heart. Tell everyone hello for me. I miss you all like crazy. Have a great week. Bye


Love Elder Kitchen

Well hello family!! HOW is everyone doing over in Utah..??

I cant believe its almost been one whole year since I've seen any of you...wow crazy! Sometime it feels its gone so fast others its been forever since I've seen you. Well Sounds like you all loved Halloween and did some fun things. How is the holidays coming along. Over here in New Zealand they don't celebrate the holidays very much at all. They are pretty boring over here. For Halloween no kids went around trick or treating. They don't celebrate Thanksgiving because its an American holiday and Christmas isn't a huge deal over here. They do celebrate it but don't make as big as deal as we do.


Wow its weird to think its already snowing over in Utah. I cant believe snowboarding season is coming around the corner. You'll all have to tell me about your experiences. You should take some photos up at the mountain and send some to me. Oh by the way this e mail me a little shorter because I'm going to try and send some pictures over the computer to you guys. Then I'll hopefully get the pictures ready to send a CD or something home next week. I'm glad everyone is doing well and your all safe. So hows school going Ryan Jami and Kaylee...? Man soon Ryan you'll be all out of high school! Oh man Ryan your turning 18 this year!! Crazy! mom and dad you have another adult in our family now. Can you just imagine when we are all grown up and have our own families. Its going to be different for you guys. We'll have to do some really fun things when I get home and before Ryan leaves on his mission. So Ryan where do you wanna go on your mission. We should start making bets soon and see whose the closest. Well maybe its a little too soon for that haha.


Sounds like mom your still busy at school. Man by the time I get home you'll be a full teacher. Dad your work is going good it sounds like. Whats your guys callings in the ward again? I was just wondering. Well it was cool to hear about Grandma and Grandpa Ellsworth's mission. I'm sure they are going where the Lord needs them to go at this time. There really is no greater work than missionary work, I would never trade this experience for anything. Its weird to think the holidays are just around the corner. You'll all be getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Its always kinda a hard time being away from home. I think this year will be easier than last though. It seems like the more time I'm gone from home the less it hurts ...its not that I don't miss you guys its just its easier or something. I still miss you everyday. Man every P day I want to write some letters to some of my friends. Because only on Monday are we allowed to write letters. But we work so hard during the week and we have no time whatsoever to do anything else during the week so when Monday finally comes around I'm so tired and don't feel like writing. Have you heard anything from my friends lately? I miss them. I feel bad I haven't written them for a long time. Ugh man I just know I'm going to get even busier... now that I'm training Elder 'Afa I've noticed my time has even gotten tighter. I'm struggling to find time to write in my journal but no worries I'll catch up with that. Well anyways everything is wonderful on my mission.


Wow this week Elder Afa and I experienced miracles from the Lord. Yes Dion was baptized and confirmed a member of the church. It was so amazing to see the wonderful change in him. Aww its priceless. The Baptism was great. Elder Afa was the one that baptized him. It was his first baptism ever! Oh man it was funny though because Dion is a pretty big guy and Elder Afa is a small short guy. So we were kinda afraid he would have some difficulty baptizing him...and we were right. HAHA. I'm sorry but it was funny. I was the witness. So elder Afa raises his arm to the square and says the prayer right but when he goes down the baptize him he like dropped Dion in the water but half of Dion didn't even go under water. Oh it was sad...I felt bad for him. Then the second time he tries again but Dion is just to heavy for poor elder Afa. It didn't work....Then the third time he said the prayer wrong and didn't get him fully under water. By now everyone is trying to think of a way to do this. Elder Afa said he was like Heavenly Father helped me baptize Dion. A guy came over and thought of a way. Elder Afa said the prayer and than Dion got on his knees in the water and then elder Afa used all his strength to dip him fully in the water and after he did that he could barley lift him up and he slipped and then both of them slammed into the water. So Elder Afa baptized Dion and himself. Everyone clapped after he finally baptized him. That's the first baptism I've been to where people clapped afterwards. It was an experience I'll never forget. Dion said he was kind of embarrassed but he still felt incredible being baptized. Elder Afa and I had a big laugh about it that night at our house. Awww the experiences you have on your mission. Well yesterday I was able to confirm him a member in Sacrament Meeting.


Well I'm going to probably try and send some pictures now. Well this week was just great. Miracles and we have been working so hard. I love this work. The members are just awesome. Oh ya dad I'll answer some of your questions. Here in Rotorua I've seen and heard about a lot of cool things. Ive seen some of the hot pools and stuff. But we haven't been able to get in them. I've heard of the caves and stuff but never seen them. And the members feed us four times a week (like dinners) its a mission rule only 4 times a week. We cook the rest of the time. My suits are in pretty good condition. I just need to get them dry cleaned. I keep putting it off because its expensive but I will. All my clothes are good for now. Our area is pretty big and we have to ride our bikes everywhere. Man sometimes I get such a great workout because of all the hills. Its hard work sometimes. And dad I know what you mean about eating to much like your going to explode. Aww man sometimes the members just don't know when to stop feeding you. I eat so much...if I wasn't on a bike I would probably get so fat. You should tell me about some more experiences that you had on your mission...I like reading them.


Well I got to go now. I sure do love all of you so much. Mom your really the best mom ever. Thanks for everything you do. Dad your just so awesome and I love ya heaps. Your a wonderful family and a blessing from God. Please get better be safe and keep doing whats right. Love ya.


Love Elder Kitchen..
PS can you please have Nick and Kylie and some more of the family e mail me. I want to write them but I just don't have time. thanks love ya...I'll try to send some pictures but I don't know if I can send very much.

Faka Lofa Lahi Atu Family (aw I miss saying that....thats hello in Niuean)

How is everything with the Kitchen family this week?? Sounds like winter is just around the corner and you'll all be up skiing and snowboarding down the mountain soon! Crazy...its weird to think about snow now...I haven't seen it for like 1 1/2 years now. But man it will hit me when I get home. I'm excited to pick up snowboarding again...I miss that a lot. Its really weird because my life is so different now than it used to be. I miss certain things and than others its good to have a break from them...like worldly things. I've never been happier and I know it is because I'm in the service of God.

Well my week this week was another incredible week. We have been teaching a lot of lessons lately...even more than we have been in the last couple of weeks. I know the Lord is helping me improve my teaching skills and I always have spiritual experiences where the spirit leads me to exactly what to say. I forgot if I have told you about Dion. He is Jessica's really good friend. We have been teaching him a lot and he has been coming to church for a while now. This week we set him for baptism for NEXT Saturday October 30!! He said yes and now we're preparing him for his date. He has a very strong testimony and has been keeping all of the commandments. He used to smoke but now hasn't had one for almost a week. He is just incredible. He is about 24 years old and is a really cool guy. He proposed to Jessica and their goal is to get married at the chapel in a couple of weeks and then be able to get sealed in the temple a year after he gets baptized. Its just awesome. Well yup this week Kylie and Jessica got baptized!! It was just a absolutely incredible experience for me and for them. I truly can't describe how it feels to know you were apart of helping someone of their whole spiritual journey...from meeting her outside her house to be with her in the waters of baptism. It is just amazing to know that I was an instrument in the hands of the Lord to bring two of his daughters into His kingdom. Yup so I was the one that baptized both Kylie Flavell-Brown and Jessica Petersen. Wow the baptismal program was wonderful and Elder 'Afa gave his first ever talk in English. He did an awesome job. Then it was just incredible to have been able to baptize Kylie and Jessica. The feeling when I raised my right arm to the square and then said the prayer and when I baptized them it just is over whelming. To see their faces after brought tears to my eyes. They both said to me they never have been more happy in their entire life. You could just see the change in them after all their sins had been washed away. And they said they felt pure and clean. Its just amazing to know that you brought someone the gospel, told them that they were a child of God, and helped them completely change their life for the better. Its simply priceless. Yesterday Elder 'Afa gave Jessica the Holy Ghost and I confirmed Kylie. Kylie told me when I was giving her the blessing she literally heard a whisper from the Holy Ghost and she could feel a change when I said "receive the Holy Ghost" It was just amazing.

The rest of the week was great. We went up to Hamilton on Wednesday and had a missionary training by President Porter. I learned a lot and as always the spirit was really strong. He truly is called from God. President Porter is a incredible servant of the Lord. When he speaks its like God is talking. He definitely speaks with the power and authority of God. I bet he will for sure be a general authority someday. Then we had interviews with him and mine went great. We have been teaching some Tongan families lately. Elder Afa is able to speak and teach in Tongan and I just bear my testimony in English. Its really a cool experience, its like I'm back in Niue kinda. We literally see so many miracles every day on the mission field. The Lord has blessed me with more spiritual experiences these past weeks then I've ever had on my mission. It seems like we are always getting lead by the Holy Ghost to someone ready to receive and accept the gospel. We have received 5 new investigators this week and each one has a unique spiritual experience. God just keeps leading you to his children when He can trust you with them and when your qualifying by being exactly obedient and having strong faith. A lot of our investigators are doing great and 3 right now have a baptism date. Dion, Timi, and Horace. We are going to try and set Lydia with a date soon. Her husband Gerald has to wait until his probation is over. Wow there is so much more about my mission and all the experiences I've been having but that's all I have time to write about.

I received a letter from the ward and it had a bunch of ward members writing letters to me that was nice. It was cool to read your letters too. I'm sorry a lot of you aren't feeling very well. Its always good to read grandma and grandpa like reading my letters. You asked about Halloween dad...in New Zealand they don't celebrate any holidays very much. So they don't really do Halloween at all. I hope all of you have a wonderful Halloween. I was so surprised when I heard grandma and grandpa got their mission call to St George...because that's where they live. Are they going to work in the temple or go tracking and stuff like I do? But I'm so happy for them. Tell them congrats! I'm so grateful they are serving another mission for the Lord. I'm excited for them...I cant wait until I go on a couple mission with my wife.

Well thanks so much for the letter mom and dad. It was great to read them. I'm sure you'll miss me during the holidays but don't worry because then next year during the holidays I'll be your early Christmas present haha. Well I'll try and write Kylie and Nick. I hope all of them and my friends read the blog so they know about my mission and stuff...ugh I wish I wasn't so busy...o well I'm focusing on what matters most and that's saving souls while I'm on a mission. Well Mom your an incredible Mom. I love you with all my heart. Don't miss me too much. Ill be back sooner than you know it. And dad your awesome...thanks for everything I love ya. Your all an incredible family. I love you all so much. Have a great week.

Love Elder kitchen

Malo Lelei Famili Fefe Hake?!

(haha! That means Hello family...how are you? IN TONGAN!!) I'm trying to learn some Tongan because I've had so many Tongan companions! Man I really want to go to Tonga someday. To see the beautiful island and to see all my Tongan missionary companions.. Man what would be a dream come true is if someday I was able to go on a long cruise around the South Pacific Islands. Like go to Niue again and Tonga and all the other beautiful islands, maybe some day....


Well anyways how are ya all doing?! Sounds like winter is coming up soon...you'll all be going skiing and snowboarding in no time while I am soaking up the hot sun in New Zealand. Thanks for the E mail this week! It was great and it sounds like a lot of cool things have happened since the last week we e mailed each other. It was really fun to read all the cool things you all have been up to! Well your son clear across the world is doing great! Just still loving his mission so much. I just absolutely LOVE it! Its just the most priceless and amazing thing to watch someone find out that their a child of God and that He loves him. That He has a plan for them and that we can return back into His loving arms. Its so incredible to teach people how to pray for the first time in their life and watch them receive answers to their prayers...it really is the best thing in the world. I know I'm helping to save souls and helping them come unto their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.


Man dad I always laugh when I read about your business trips :D haha. I read them to my companion and the other missionaries and they think your job is the coolest. Your one lucky guy dad. I'm glad you had a great time in LA. You asked about the weather...its getting better. Some days its nice and warm and others its pretty cold still. I think its a lot warmer in Auckland but Rotorua is more south. And during our leadership training we didn't go back and forth from Auckland to Rotorua, we stayed at a missionary flat up in Auckland. My clothes are doing good. My suits are still in good condition, my shoes are too except one pair is starting to wear out a little. I haven't really gained any weight...I think I've gained a little. It seems like I gain more weight here in NZ than in Niue. I'm glad Grandpa and Grandma are doing good. Tell them I love them...and I'm still really excited to get that gun when I get off my mission, and Grandpa will have to take me out on his boat when I get home.


Wow that surprise trip you took the girls on Mom sounds really cool. You are such a wonderful mom....you always do such nice and awesome things for us when you don't even have to. I hope Jami had a great birthday and I'm sure she was excited about the St George trip! It sounds awesome. I bet Marissa was very surprised too! Man I miss them...did you ever give my e mail address to Kylie?! I want to e mail her sometime....I feel really bad I haven't written her a letter yet. If she could e mail me next week or something that would be awesome. I'm sure Jami and Kaylee loved that horse racing movie...its probably their favorite movie now and Jami probably wants to be a horse racer now haha :) I know her. Well yeah please tell me when Grandpa and Grandma Ellsworth get their mission call!! I'm really excited for them! What if they came to NZ again?? haha jk but that would be crazy. I haven't heard from Cam ...we technically cant e mail other missionaries at least in our mission and I want to be exactly obedient so I cant e mail him. James sends me a email every week (well its one he sends to everyone) but I never can reply to him. What...Issac is getting married?! CRAZY!! WOW that was a big shock he has only been home not long at all. He didn't wait at all...I think I have only met Melanie a couple of times. But that's awesome...please tell him Congrats and I'm so happy for him.


Well my week was great! Elder 'Afa is doing wonderful. I just love to hear his testimony and his conversion experience whenever he shares it when we teach our investigators. He is adapting to mission life really well. Its completely different than anything he is used to because this is his first time off the island of Tonga. Well seriously we are just seeing so many miracles from God. It is amazing. He is preparing so many of his children for baptism. This week we set two more people for baptism. We were teaching our fairly new investigator name Timi and Elder Afa said the spirit told him to ask him to be baptized so he did and he said yes...it really was a amazing experience. Then just the other day we had met this friend of Duchans (the guys we just baptized) hes name is Horece and he had been to our church before. It was the first time we had ever seen him and the spirit told me to ask him to be baptized so I did and he said yes. WOW! miracles after miracles. Ive never seen so many in my whole mission. It really is just amazing. We are also teaching a lot of other people that are progressing very well and that we might set soon. We are teaching a TON of investigators. The Lord just keeps giving them to us. I know its because we are qualifying by being exactly obedient and having faith. I seriously am working so hard. I love it so much. This is definitely the best thing I've ever done in my entire life. Oh yeah this past Friday Lydia and Gerald got married!! We went and it was just the best feeling to see them get married and to know you were a part of helping them obey the commandments of God. It was a beautiful wedding, they got married in the chapel and the bishop married them. Wow it was such a humble wedding. They don't have a lot of money and so they had their little reception in the garage. They didn't get baptized because we found out Gerald is still on probation for being in jail and he has to wait for a couple of months. But I don't even care because I know they'll be baptized someday. Well Kylie and Jessica are all ready to be baptized this week. I'm really excited. Its just so amazing to be a part of helping them change their life and help them come unto the true gospel.


Well I got to go now. I know I only get to e mail for a little bit but I try to write a lot so you guys have some cool things to read and know about my mission. Well I really do love each and every one of you so much. You mean everything to me. ...man I miss you all so much, but your always in my heart and mind. I pray for you all the time. Have a wonderful week family. Thanks for everything...and I will try and send some pictures soon so you can see all the other Niue pictures and some of the NZ ones.


Love Elder Kitchen

Hey Kitchen Family! How are you all doing?!
Wow it seems crazy sometimes how fast the weeks go....I'm glad I get to e mail you every week and hear how your all doing! I'm glad as always to hear your all happy and safe it truly is a blessing from God.

Jami your birthday is coming up like TOMORROW I think....haha. Happy Birthday Jami! I love you very much and I hope you have a wonderful day. Okay its really weird to think your going to be 15 years old....time just flies so fast. I bet your just so excited to start driving!! WHAT?! that sounds really weird for me to say driving.....scary! But by the time I get home you will probably have your license and will be driving me home from the airport. Wow the experiences you have in life are just priceless.

General Conference was wonderful ehh?? I loved it. I learned So much. I tried to look for Cam but I never got to see him. That's awesome he was in the choir WOW!! he's lucky he had that experience...well my week was just great. I loved it. My Auckland trip was incredible...except all the driving back and forth from Auckland to Rotorua... On Wednesday I was with the Chinese speaking missionaries.... great experience, speaking Chinese haha. No jk I just kind of sat there because I didn't know what was going on. I was really close to downtown Auckland...wow huge city. Thursday was the leadership training I went to. WOW seriously it was amazing. I learned so much that I can improve on. There is always so much we can do as the Lords servants. I felt the spirit so much, I loved it. We've just had a great week. I don't have time to say much more. But we had a very spiritual experience. We were teaching Jessica and Kylie a lesson and all of a sudden Jess just starts getting emotional and says she wants to be baptized!! It was just amazing, so both are getting baptized on October 23!! awww I just love it.


Well I go to go. I love you all so much. Keep praying... Have a wonderful week.


Love elder kitchen

Hello my Kitchen Family!

How is everyone doing this week?! I'm sure all is good and your all doing great. I'm so glad you all enjoyed my letter last week and it was great to hear that you got a letter from my mission president. Its always nice to hear your all enjoying the weather and loving life. Its a blessing from God to me every time I hear your all happy, safe, and well. I know the Lord is protecting you and blessing my family while I'm away in his service.

Well things are going wonderful for me. I'm still having a very incredible life changing experience being a trainer out in the mission field. I love it and I know the Lord is blessing me to be able to do all my assignments. This week has been another great week of missionary work. Work work work is what missionary work is. We literally are so busy and work so hard during the day that when our heads hit the pillow at night I knock out right away. But I know we are qualifying for miracles and this is what the Lord expects of us. I always remember how much Jesus Christ has done for me and everything he went through and I know that what I am doing is only a small payback to him. I truly love the Lord and I'm so grateful I can be doing something he really wants me to do. I know we are gathering his lost sheep and giving people the chance to accept the gospel. I've never really gave you any stats of how a missionary week goes. This week for instance we taught 19 lessons, we had 7 investigators at sacrament meeting, we received 4 new investigators, we talked to 151 people this week (either by knocking on doors or street contacting) and we have 4 investigators set with a baptism date! Yup this week we had a incredible experience with setting Kylie for baptism!! (she was the one we met on our bikes). She truly was prepared by the Lord. She is what we call a golden investigator. She agreed to be baptized during the second lesson we ever had with her! Now that is a miracle. Lydia and Gerald's son is 8 years old and he will be baptized with them! Oh yeah we had a powerful lesson with Lydia and Gerald and taught them the Law of Chastity. We committed them to live it and they agreed to be married. So we are planning their marriage at the chapel on October 14 and then their baptism on October 16! Aw its just amazing watching people completely change their lives according to Gods will. We are definitely seeing more and more of Gods miracles everyday. Our other investigators are doing great. Anetta came to church yesterday for the first time! We were so excited. Timi is also doing really good, he is praying to know if the Book of Mormon is true. Our other investigators are all doing great. We were lead by the spirit to Steven and Crathie and we taught them a lesson. They both want to change their lives and turn to the Lord. I'm so excited to see how the progress.

Well my week was just great. Teaching a lot, talking to everyone, and trying to cry repentance to all the people I see. I'm becoming more bold and telling and warning people if the reject this incredible message. I'm not scared at all the talk to people on the street. Literally we talk to so many people. Some yell and freak out at us and others kindly say no. But it makes me feel bad for these people that reject the message because they don't even know what the gospel can do to their lives. Well my companion Elder 'Afa is doing great. He's loving his mission, its hard and its cold for him but he has such a strong desire to serve the Lord and he has a burning testimony that's on fire. He bore his testimony yesterday in fast and testimony meeting and the whole ward was literally in tears. Its sad because Elder 'Afa was the only one in his family that supported them financially and now he's on a mission. So his family is probably struggling but he said he had faith that if he served a mission then Lord would provide for his family. Now that is strong faith. Members of the church came to our flat last night and dropped off heaps of clothes, shoes, and tons of stuff for Elder 'Afa. It touched my heart....I truly am so grateful for what we have. We are so blessed and to often take what we have for granted. This mission has changed me in so many ways for the better. I know I'm a better person then when I came on my mission. I love it so much.

Well that's enough about me. There's probably lots more I could tell you but I don't have a whole lot of time. We have some other things to do today. I just found out that tomorrow I'm heading up to Auckland to go to some leadership training with our mission President because I'm a trainer. So I will be up there for like 2 1/2 days. All the crazy experiences on your mission eh. Aw sometimes....well always I just wish I could talk to you on the phone just like once a month or something just so I could tell you all the stuff about my mission. There is a lot that I never have time to e mail you about. But that's why I will have so many stories to tell you when I get home. And you know how I tell stories, so you better get the popcorn haha.

I really do miss all of you. I think about you a lot and pray for you all the time. I love you guys so very much. Oh yeah about General Conference I guess we are not watching it until next weekend. The reason why is they don't just broadcast it live is because its in the middle of the night here I guess. So they just send DVDs over the NZ and they all watch it at church. So I'm excited to watch it next week. Dad you asked about the weather...its starting to warm up a little but at night and in the mornings its still freezing. Mom you asked if I have confirmed anyone else. Yeah remember that family I baptized in Hamilton, well Danielle was the 16 year old girl. I confirmed her a member of the church.

Oh yeah thanks for the pictures. I got all of them...well I think. I got ones of you mom and Ryan, and others in the past e mails. Thanks I enjoyed them. Well I got to go now. Thanks for everything. I sure love and miss you guys. You really do mean everything to me. I love ya. Have a great week.


Love Elder Kitchen