E-Mail dated 10/1/12

Kia Ora, How is everything? Brandon, how are you liking BYUI? Mom, how is being home by yourself? This week has gone very well for me. We are still looking forward to a baptism this weekend so that's exciting. We already took care of the program and everything. We have been working hard to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. We also have another person that we're teaching who is willing to be baptised. Her name is S. She is pretty cool. She is 16, but she is a crack-up. She is very busy for 16 because she does her Kapa-haka almost every weekend. We set her for the 20th of this month to give her a bit of time. It's so exciting all the success that is starting to happen in an area that no one believed it was possible. I guess that shows that anything is possible if we have faith. God is always preparing his children to receive the message of the Restoration of the Gospel. Who do you know that is ready? Even if they're not ready, give them the opportunity to hear the gospel! Hope everything is going well. Love you heaps. Ofa Atu, Elder Lee

E-mail dated 9/24/12

Kia Ora, Hope everything is going well back home. Sounds like it has been pretty boring though. It was funny on the 7th of this month I was thinking, "I hit my year mark in one week from today." The funny part is that 2 weeks later I realised that I had already passed it and I didn't even think about it. That's what happens when you lose yourself in the work. This week has been one of the happiest and best weeks of my mission! Being able to go to the temple and being able to see a massive change in myself and my companion as a result has been the most amazing thing to see. We have seen heaps of miracles since going to the temple. We now have 4 new sets for October that will be baptised for sure and we also have a couple other investigators that are experiencing miracles as well. We have an investigator named L who comes to church and everything but the only thing that was holding her back was her drinking and her husband, who is a less-active member, wants to baptise her. She recently found out that she is pregnant and so that means no more drinking! They also found out yesterday that her mum up in Auckland is getting baptised! This should be a huge help for her. Her desire is going to sky-rocket when she sees that. What's crazy also is that we're teaching her sister across the street named P. She is a miracle as well because we taught her the Restoration and extended the commitment of reading the intro and praying. It was so cool because the next time we went by we found out that she studied the intro and read the scripture it refers to (Moroni 10: 3-5). She really liked it but unfortunately she didn't pray that time. We went by the next day or two later and she said that she prayed for her family and about the Book of Mormon and she felt like a huge burden was lifted and she felt really good. They are one prepared family! Miracles in Mangapapa! We are going to get this area pumping! I love this area and my companion! Love you all heaps, Elder Lee P.S. Mum- would it be possible for you to send me some Captain Crunch and Cinamon Toast Crunch. My companion wants to try them.

E-Mail dated 9/17/12

Kia Ora Fanau, It's weird hearing about all these changes that are going on. It's a little hard to take it all in. Nothing has really changed here. We have been able to find more new investigators this week and get more people to church. I was pretty happy about that. Nothing really memorable happened this week though. We've just been trying to help this recent convert who went less-active to return and helping her sisters to get baptised as well. It's been good though. But I will leave a spiritual thought with you that has helped me. There is a lot of people who beileve that God expects us to be perfect. This seems hard when He knows that we will make mistakes. Why would he then expect us to be perfect? He doesn't! He expects us to use the Atonement and to BECOME perfect. It's definitely not easy but it's what He wants, and what other motive do we need than to receive His everlasting love? Keep working for it! It will come slowly! Love you all, Elder Lee

2nd E-Mail Dated 9/10/12

Here are some more pictures. They're old but they are from someone else's camera.

E-Mail Dated 9/10/12

Kia Ora, Sorry Mom that I haven't sent any pictures lately. We just haven't done anything exciting lately or that I had my camera for. But I attached some today. Dad, I'm not entirely sure what you mean but I'm guessing you are reffering to how I spell things with s's instead of z's. I don't think it will matter too much though because if it was that easy to break a habit of typing z's when I've done it for my whole life I don't think it will be hard to go back. Anyways, It sounds like you all have had a very busy week! How was Rexburg? Did you like it? This week was a pretty mean week. Transfers were this last week but neither my companion or I went. We are staying in Gisborne for another transfer! I really like it down here because of the people and the scenery for sure, but it is hard at times. But hard was put into perspective to me by our Mission President when he came down this last weekend for Stake Conference. He made my definition of hard seem like child's play. When he came down the first night he came to our nightly planning and helped us out a bit and told us that he wanted to come to our companion study the next morning. It was quite a nerve racking experience having him at our flat, but we made it through. It was actually a really good learning experience for me. He told me some things that I could improve on. One of those things is being more bold. This week is going to be me applying it. Also this last week we had another missionary with us for a day because his companion was being shifted. It was pretty interesting having him with us because he's like 26 and is very bossy. It was a pretty mean week though. Hope this week is just the same. Hope you all enjoy your weeks. I love you all. Ofa Atu, Elder Lee

E-mail Dated 9/3/12

Kia Ora, Wow! It sounds like a lot of people are getting married! It's so crazy to hear about all of these people getting married so suddenly. I hope everything goes well as you go out to Idaho. This week wasn't all that great of a week. Down here in Gisborne, it's very hard to wok in this area because the missionaries in the past have ruined our relationship with the invesitgators because they were too pushy so we're just trying to find ways to get back on their good sides. We have been getting a basketball night organised for every Friday Night at 7. It was really fun this last friday because there was about 10 people playing the whole time but the teams were uneven in number and in skill. It was 3 on 7. The three were my companion and I and a member. It was funny because we still were keeping up with them and we were even smashing them at one point. It was a lot of fun though because everyone was just playing around to have fun not to be serious. We also were blessed to see one of our investigators at church for the 1st time and it sounds like she's going to start coming more often. It's cool because she's 16 but she's doing it for herself and to follow Jesus Christ not because of friends or anything. She has the desire but we're going to see how much soon. That's our week in a nutshell. Love you all. Ofa Atu, Elder Lee

E-Mail Dated 8/27/12

Kia Ora, I hope everything went well back home this last week but here everything is going great. In answer to the questions that I've been asked. 1. Transfers is not this Thursday but the one after that. (To be honest, I don't think either my companion or I will be shifted, but you never know). 2. I will hit my year mark on Sept. 14. I've been told also that the 2nd year is faster. I hope not because the 1st went too quick! But anyways, this week was really cool because we got to travel up to Auckland for the Mission Conference. We were able to hear from Elder Craig Christensen and Elder Kevin Pearson. Elder Pearson is the 1st counsellor in the Area Presidency here as well as in the Seventy. It was so good! they gave some mean talks! The common theme seemed to be about becoming Disciples of Christ and not just acting. They were very bold in speaking so it made it hit home more. I am trying to apply what they said because I want to make a permanent change and not just a temporary one. They said that our Identity leads to our Belief/Values which leads to our Actions which makes our Reality. If we want to change our Reality then we need to understand our Identity. Of course all of us are Sons and Daughters of God and so we must embrace that and change to become like Him. I thought it was a mean conference. Nothing much happened this last week besides that. Oh I don't know if I told you this but our ward has 4 missionaries in it (Us and aother companionship). They had a baptism on Saturday of a family of 7 but only the 5 kids got baptised for now. The parents are getting baptised in December because they want to get married on Nov. 27th or something like that. It's been an exciting week! Love you all! Ofa Atu, Elder Lee