Dear Family.

The weeks just fly by sometimes don't they. I don't know what I'd do without this e mail every week. I love e mailing all of you and to hear how your all doing. Esther, Paulette, and Samantha e mailed me this week. It was so good to hear from them. I wish I had more time to e mail all the family. I've already written them back. I can e mail a lot faster and I actually have time to do that. I would love to hear from some other cousins and family members. I'm sorry I always ask but can you have some more cousins e mail me. I'd love that...thanks. Mom and Dad I just want you to know I love you guys so much. Awee man I miss the family so much. If it weren't for the Lords work I know I couldn't be away from all of you this long. I miss Ryan so very much and I think about him a lot. How is Ryan doing?? I hope everything is great with him. Thanks for the up dates on how is knee is doing. I was very sad to hear when that happened. So its SO crazy to think everyone is graduating pretty soon. Ryan and Ashley from High school and MOM from college...Wow Congratulation MOM!!! I'm so happy to hear your about to graduate. I can remember clear back when I was still at home and you were going to college. I'm sure your so happy and cant wait to graduate. I wish I could come and support you and be apart of it, but you know I'm there in spirit and my prayers are with you. Seriously though what an amazing accomplishment, mom your incredible and I'm sure not a lot of people could have done what your doing. I really do admire what you've done. I just love your example of hard work and your effort in trying to help others. I know that's one of the reasons why I have been able to accomplish the things I have on my mission....because of your example. I love you.

Dad thanks for your e mail...don't worry when I get back I will teach you how to pronounce all the Maori and Niuean words...Its pretty crazy how they say and do things over here. But yeah sounds like your staying busy and working really hard. I'm glad your park city trip went well and you were able to go skiing a lot. Yeah its been raining a lot here! I heard it rains the most here or something. Its actually raining heaps right now.. its rained a ton last night too. But I guess that's why it is so beautiful and green here. Time flies ehhh...?? Can you believe I've been out of my mission for this long already! Wow it is just really weird. I'm glad to be able to leave Rotorua and experience something else. I have more responsibility...what was it like when you were District leader? or zone leader or whatever? What are some of the things that helped you? You should tell me about some more experiences that you had on your mission. One of the things I have to do every Tuesday is do District Meeting...I just always hope I'm doing a good job and being an effective missionary.

This past week was cool. I went on some trade offs and got to travel and see some other parts around the north of New Zealand. I guess we have a leadership training down in Auckland this Thursday so I will go down there. I did 7 interviews for baptism this week. Because I'm the District Leader I have to interview the investigators in my district for baptism. It was a great and spiritual experience. We have had some great things happen this week and some trails too....Our investigators that are set with a date aren't looking too solid to get baptized...but we are still having faith. Some miracles that happened this week are I was in the area with one of the zone leaders and I didn't know the area too well. We had prayed that we would be lead to some new investigators. I got prompted to try this certain house. I rode my bike in the drive way and knocked on the door. A really nice Maori guy welcomed us in straight away. He and his wife sat down and listened to us. They are both very religious and have a very strong belief in Jesus Christ. It was amazing because we were able to teach the message of the restoration and bare our strong powerful witnesses to them of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. It was just really a great lesson. And then we had another experience where we tried to teach a potential investigator and he let us in and we were able to teach about God and prayer and how is answers out prayers. Then we committed him to pray with us right then and there and so he did. And he got an answer straight away. He said he felt this incredible feeling, he was silent and then started to get tears in his eyes and said he knew that God had answered his prayers. It was such a spiritual experience to watch him receive his first answer to a prayer. I know Satan tried to stop it because we had some big distractions during the lesson but we still keep teaching.

I'm glad to hear Jami made the Golf team!! that's so cool...I'm excited to go play some golf with her when I get home. Tell her I'm very proud of her. I'm sure it was cool for her to try out and make it, she is probably way excited. And that's also great to hear that Kaylee is going to play soccer...that's really cool she is such a good player. I'm also way excited to hear Ryan can start working again..that's good. Yeah its crazy I'm on bikes again eh..? I get rained on sometimes and its really tiring biking up these huge hills everyday....I'll be more in shape that's for sure.

Well I got to go now....the other missionaries are starting to leave and finish their e mails.
Love you,
Elder Tyler Kitchen