humbling myself

This week was a little hard. I had to be taught a massive lesson with humbling myself and just really giving everything to the Lord. It was good though. I really love the fact that if we want to know who we are... SERVE A MISSION. If we want to know who the Lord wants us to be... SERVE A MISSION.

 

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The Book of Mormon is one of the most precious things to me. It has changed my life. YAY! But what else is greatest was that I got a book of Mormon in Maori! YAY! Life is same old same old. Just a normal everyday missionary that has trials just like everyone else. Not exempt even though I wish ;) im still a normal human being. Missionary Life is the good life.,.. Best decision everrrrrrr! This week my companion was very sick and I had a massive headache too and so we didn't have such a great week but I introduced my companion to the McDonalds Frappes and she was against them before because she thought it was bad and then she had one right after the doctors and oh she is hooked! Last night we had a fireside and I got to see my beautiful President and his wife as they came and also got to listen to President Going and his wife talk as well as it was a missionary fireside! President Going is the temple president and he used to be an All Black but retired now obviously! But it was amazing just all being together and listening to their talks and then seeing Sister Tepa there! She came up behind and tapped me on the shoulder and I turned and freaked!!!!! We just started jumping up and down and hugging whilst still keeping control of ourselves and I just loved seeing her again. Sister Tepa is from Brisbane Australia from the Ipswich Australia Stake and so it was so much fun being with her again even if it was only talking to her for 2minutes. Her companion is Sister Prince and I love Sister Prince too. Im just so priveledge to have been here serving with these sisters in this time of my life. I really am surrounded by amazing missionaries.... elders and sisters that I dearly love and that's why heavenly father has called me to this place in this moment in time.

 

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  Surprise letter in the mail from my MTC companion who is so thoughtful and I haven't written to her since we left the MTC in February and her name is Sister Travers from Tasmania, Australia. So precious isn't she. And I also got letters from my precious primary kids back in my home ward. Precious!

 

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Oh and one even said to me if I liked McFlurrys!!!!! Probably because my last name is McFlinn!!!! Classic!

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And then being able to be with Sister Simkins and Sister Clarke for a little while as they had to come up to Auckland and do some things. I cam out at the same time as Sister Clarke and so it was amazing to be able to get to know her a whole lot better and Sister Simkins also.

And My Third Transfer Has Begun!!!!

Get this!!!!!!

 

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I WAS SOOOO HAPPY!!!!!!!!! Yesterday at Church and who do I seeeee........ popcorn popping on the apricot tree! Haha kidding... Mr and Mrs Nepe! I love these two so much! They had come for a baby blessing for the Ah-mu family in our ward and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them in Church. I was like ohmygoodness!! Such an amazing feeling it really is to be able to see my family whilst im on this journey in my life as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And want to know what else happened... I gave my first talk in Sacrament yesterday. I f I had not of been chosen to speak on this sunday I most likely would not have seen them. Seriously, everything happens in the Lords timing. I couldn't believe I saw my cousin and his wife at church. Thought I might have gone out of missionary mode just for that slight second but I held it together. Never would I thought I would see any family member at Church so early on in my mission. To bad we cant go over for dinner because they live out of area but hopefully I get to see them again and we can hopefully go out for lunch or something. It was really the perfect way to end the rough week. It was only rough because we had transfers but that's okay, as it ended off on a high! I believe I know why Heavenly Father has sent me to the New Zealand Hamilton Mission and not any other mission in the world and I believe it has to do with me being that example in my family in sharing the gospel. It is honestly a privilege. I was SO nervous in giving my talk on "Called of God" and man it was a hard talk. And I had to talk for 10 minutes and I was like uh this is so hard! But as I said a little prayer in my heart to help me not be nervous, peace came unto me... and then nervous again when I got up on the pulpit to share my talk with the ward and boy was there a lot of people. But if it wasn't for the talk I most likely wouldn't have seen my cousin in the congregation. Im so blessed! Not many people would have that opportunity to really see family on the mission but I guess that's where I am very lucky :)

 

This week was a rough week!!!!!!! I got to stay in the Chapel Downs Ward for another transfer and that was a blessing!!!! I was so excited! There is so much happening in this ward that its crazy and amazing at the same time. Wedding and baptisms for our investigators and I cant believe I am going to be here for them! Ahhhhh! Pooper news was that the elders got transferred and wow I think during transfers you really go through like a mourning stage because we were quite sad that both the elders got transferred out to Hamilton... Elder Triffitt and Elder Napier... but it was good for them to go because their half of our area was soo hard. Full of Indians and Chinese! Two new elders came into the area and hope it all goes well for them. Its hard though. Missionary work is so much fun but it is one of the hardest things that you will ever do in your life.

 

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And here we are! Chapel Downs Ward Missionaries for 3months! Sister Davis and I are still here and so that is still really cool! The hard thing about transfers that I have come to realise is that as missionaries, you are so far away from home and you are all in the same boat experiencing the same things like homesickness, and the work is hard, sudden changes all the time and that's why you like form these amazing friendships with missionaries and the ward because they become your family. They are the ones you lean on in times of need. but definitely heavenly father first and foremost but you really grow connections in the ward and area that you serve in.

 

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I met Sister Iva before she went home from her mission! At the end of transfers, the sisters come and stay with us because we live the closest to Auckland Airport and ahhh soo cool she actually is from Brisbane Australia and in Marsden Ward! I actually cried when I said goodbye to her. I only knew her for that one night and I cried. Its so sad seeing sisters go home from their missions. That will be me one day and one day TOO soon but I try not to think about it. My mission really is everything that I wanted BUT more! I have learnt so much about myself and if I had fallen into temptation before my mission then I would not have found so many things out about myself that I absolutely love. I wouldn't have been able to find my weaknesses and able to make them my strengths. Honestly, a mission really and honestly prepares you for the rest of your life. Its not preparing you to be missionaries really but its preparing you for life afterwards and having your own families and being a wife or a husband. I never really understood that until I came and served my mission and I find myself a lot saying "this is changing me so much and that's what I want to do when I finish my mission, that's how I would want to raise my family" but that is a long time a way but a mission really is the way to go. At times I find myself getting excited for my mission and like "I cant wait for my mission!" and then have to rethink "ohhhh I already am on my mission" :) I realised that I didn't have to be home in Australia to be that example to my family and doing what the Lord wanted me to do. I realised that when you do the same thing all the time and youre not receiving different results then you have to change things! You have to spice things up and that's why I am so glad I am on my mission because I have seen the changes and blessings come to my family and its amazing! My family means the world to me and so does the gospel. I believe that before my mission, I was falling away. I had the right desires but I wasn't really putting action into everything that I wanted like for example my faith. At times I found myself saying "why cant I be on my mission already, because this is so hard" in the trials right before my mission. Then I got out on my mission and I was like "argh send me home" and now im saying "I want to stay forever!" Lets just say I am a typical girl. Cant make up my mind on what I want. As long as I give everything to my Heavenly Father and devote my entire time to Him whilst I am here then that's all that matters.

 

I am not perfect. Just because I made it on my mission doesn't make me perfect. It just really shows that anybody can make there hearts desires come true if they really want it to happen. you just need to put action in to your faith. there is a little saying that I love... "There is no growth in the comfort zone... there is no comfort in the growth zone!" Sure at times there are going to be moments where you are totally out of your comfort zone but that's where you need to be to grow. And I love it! I hated it at first but I knew if I wanted to grow spiritually or even accomplish my goals in life I have to do things that I am not comfortable with. Oh the joys of how life works huh! Live life to the fullest. Don't let it pass by you.

 

All my love,

Sister McFlinn

 

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IM SO SCARED!!!!!

May 26th 2014 to June 1st 2014

I AM SO SCARED!!!!!! So I cannot believe that I have been out for almost 3months and each 6weeks is a transfer and I would then call it a milestone!!!!! So I have come to the end of my second transfer and I am so SAD! I so not want this transfer to end... I want it to last forever! So this week is the big news week. I have a chance on leaving the beautiful area of Chapel Downs Ward In Auckland City! I DO NOT want to leave but there is a chance that I could be. I have been dreading this for the last couple of weeks now but I know that if I leave then its my time to leave. BUT I hope I don't leave. I do have a testimony that my Heavenly Father knows best. So heres hoping when tomorrow night when we get the calls of transfers that President says that I get to stay. Lately I have been like, okay I think Im going and then the next I will think that I am staying. Last night, I even had a dream that I was being transferred... THIS is ho wmuch it has bothered me but the dream said I was being transferred to Japan so who knows what is happening! I wont be getting transferred to Japan but I may be transferred to somewhere else.

I don't know how I deserved such a great start to the mission to be honest. I LOVE my companion and I don't know if we will have much more time together. Im sad about that because I love her so much but I know eventually the time is going to come. We have seriously been so blessed this transfer. We met Tessa and she is going to be baptised and married next transfer on July 4th and 5th and so that's one reason I want to be here for ONE more transfer. That is all Im asking for. And Keala we met this week and I love her so much! The Lord really does have people prepared to share the gospel with and that are redy to accept. Tessa and Keala are those two that were prepared. Keala is from Brisbane Australia and is staying with her grandfather and she want sto be baptised now. We ave met with her twice now and shes ready but she is going to wait for her family to fly back from Australia to come to her baptism. If I have the chance to witness her being baptised, then I will be over the moon because then when I go home from my mission eventually then I will be always able to hang out with her and help keep her on the path if there were ever any times of trouble because she is my recent convert! ahh like the sound of that. But really I am only an instrument in the Lords hand. I am His servant and here to do His work. I just don't know what Sister Davis and I done to deserve such blessings! If I have the privilege of being here for 1more transfer I will cry because next transfer is going to be AMAZING! It was a little bit of a sad morning today because elders napier and triffitt got the news that they are both being transferred this morning and its so sad. So argh transfers are pooooo. They really are but Im just so nervous for what this week is going to entail. 3baptisms and a wedding on the horizon for next transfer and Tessa is just amazing. She said she will cry when we leave and im like I will be too! I really have been a sook lately. I love my mission and I never want it to end. I love my family and friends for helping me to get her and if they hadn't, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I don't know where I would be and who I would be.

This is most likely my last transfer I will have with Sister Davis and this is the drawing that my recent convert Tamia drew for us one day. I hope I get to stay here!!!!! Amazing transfer in this ward coming up!!!!!! 3months down and 15months to go and time is going way too fast!

Love,

Sister McFlinn

Surprise!

May 19th to May 25th 2014

 

I didn't know how this week was going to turn out. I really didn't have too much of a positive attitude from finding out my dog and one of the family members had passed away but that's when I said that I was thankful for the plan of happiness and the plan of salvation. Our families really can be together forever through Gods plan. Not our plan. I think I am a little frustrated at the moment about that to be honest. I don't know why I am letting it get to me but I don't understand how people think they can get back to Heavenly Father their own way. How do you know the way back to heavenly father? That's what annoys me because we need to follow the Lords way and "lean not unto our own understanding". If you think you can go back to live in glory with our father by participating in things that He has said not to, then believe you me that its not the case. The first law in heaven is obedience. Obedience to His law and commandments. just this week has really gotten to me I think. More so last night during our lesson with what we would call eternigators. (people that have been investigating the Church for a very long time). I love that family so much, I just wish I knew what to say to help them realise what they need to do to making that next step. That is when Heavenly Father has been teaching me a whole lot of patience. Patience is so important on the mission. I totally beat myself up last night. I was just so frustrated. But I guess that's when we need to always be in tune with the spirit so we know through the holy ghost how to help those that are in need of the gospel. Which means listening and really  listening to the promptings of the holy ghost.

 

I have had an amazing experience though this week which really lifted my spirits. During my mission, Sister Davis and I had been praying that we wanted to find a family to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to and hopefully have a wedding. And so in the second week of the transfer, we met a couple on the street and we talked to them and they invited us back to their home the next night. and I had this amazing feeling about them. I said to my companion "instant love!" and I said "this is the family that we are taking to the temple!" I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!!!!! The next night we went over and they were waiting for us. I can seriously testify that the Lord does have people waiting for us missionaries to share the gospel with but it takes courage to talk to people out of our comfort zone in order for us to see it. As we put our faith in the lord and act on the things which we are to do, Heavenly Father will bless us. Through obedience comes blessings! And it has now started the 5th week of the transfer out of six weeks and we have been teaching Tessa and Ata the gospel. Ata is a less active and Tessa is investigating and she came to church on Sunday! She absolutely loved it! She said "even if I'm sick I'm still going to come". She also said that as she stepped through the doors of the chapel she felt right at home. We invited her to baptism and getting married and she said YES!!! So we have a wedding on July 4th and Tessa's baptism on July 5th and this family is so ready! Tessa also sews and made her dress for Sunday, bought the kids all new clothes and shoes and her partner Ata asked for Sundays off at work and his boss was all good about it. See how the Lord provides as we show faith in Him and wanting to change our ways to doing the will of HIs?! I just love this family as they are so prepared. Transfers are next week on the 5th of June and I do not like the sound of transfers. I have a feeling that I will be leaving but I don't want to leave. I want to get out of South Auckland because this is where you gain all the weight but I don't feel like my purpose in Chapel Downs Ward has yet been fulfilled. Next transfer is when the wedding and baptism is for Tessa and I really don't want to not be here for it. I hope President doesn't send me somewhere else. I really want to stay at least for one more transfer. But if I do go and if it means I should, then I know that I am going where the Lord needs me at that time and He needs me in the place where He sends me. My President will send me where he I inspired to send me and I love my president so much and do follow his counsel and know that he is inspired to send me wherever I need to go. But, I hope I don't get sent away. We will find out Tuesday next week if we stay or if we go. I will go and do as the Lord commands. On Sunday night we received a random text from Tessa and she said "Thank you so much Sisters for teaching me all about the gospel and teaching me the lessons. I think this could be it for me :)" We are so excited for her and our hearts are so full of love for her. this is the family that sister Davis and I will be taking to the temple next year and its just so amazing that as we have been obedient to the lords commands, that we have been granted with the desires of our hearts to have a family taken to the temple that we have taught. Tessa is also going to make  me some dresses and skirts as yup getting fatter and fatter. Whoop whoop! haha but nah she is amazing! Sunday was amazing with her coming to Church for the first time and we had so many less actives come to Church on Sunday that it really was the best Sunday.

 

The mission life really is amazing! On random as days the Elders are so funny! One night we walked out of our recent converts home and we saw orange peels on our cars with them writing their names with the peels. Another set of elders drove past our car and left a can of coke and pizza for us on top of our car and played with our mirrors and windshield wipers. Its just so funny to get surprises and seriously you have to know how to have fun and to be able to laugh. That same night we got home and at our doorstep there was a pyramid of coke cans outside our front door. Even if we are sad the elders will buy us ice cream and drop it off or like fro my birthday made pudding and came and made some lunch for us. And elders with buying us more lunch too. Just we are so looked after on the mission! I love my experience and how we have so much fun fulfilling the Lords work.Yesterday we had a zone conference with Brother Herewini Jones and he is amazing and just the whole day was so good. It made me really appreciate the person that I am and where my family comes from. I didn't realise that I really am privileged to be a Maori and where my family comes from. I really want to get to know more about my history and learn the language and just be immersed in the culture again. I loved going on a marae yesterday and it made me want to get back into my heritage. We learnt how culture and religion really do compliment each other and it broadened our understanding with especially like working with Māori's and islander families because culture is so important to them. I believe this was one of the many reasons why I was sent here to New Zealand Hamilton mission. Oh and I learnt so much about Family History Work in the church! I love love love family history and history of the Church. I hope sometime in my life I can just be focused all on my family history and history of the Church. It is so interesting!

 

Overall, had a great week. I know that my Saviour lives and loves me and feel so privileged to be a servant of the Lord in this day and time. I know everything happens all in due time and all in the Lords timing and everything happens for a reason. We need to stop procrastinating our time of repentance. I just don't understand why people just keep putting it off and delaying it. What are people afraid of? Change? Do people not want to have the blessings that are rightfully theirs if they follow the Lord? I just do not understand. It takes effort on our part though. At times we say to ourselves, "when im ready to change or go to church, then I will go." What if when you're ready its too late? what then? That's why I get so annoyed because I have so much love for people that I know and have come across that I'm like "what are you really waiting for?" The time will come when Jesus Christ will come again and I can promise you it will be in this life time and don't we all want to be ready to see our Saviour and Redeemer again? To not stand in front of Him and know we procrastinated our day of repentance? We want to stand at that day and when Judgement day comes and our Heavenly Father says "well done my son, my daughter, I am well pleased with you? Oh it just gets me because this day is a time to prepare to meet God. If only we knew our potential and that we all truly believed that we are sons and daughters of an eternal being. Hence we are eternal beings in a mortal state. I just wish people could understand that one day its going to be too late. As missionaries we don't force, EVER, anyone to know about the gospel or to be baptized. Its a choice that we all must have the desire to make. Now persistence perhaps, is another thing. We are persistent because we know of the joys and blessings that you can receive from our Heavenly Father that you really should have. As a missionary, it doesn't change our lives if you get baptised or learn about the gospel or go to church. It changes YOUR life! We only teach and INVITE! I just hope we all can see that if our lives are n the downhill, it is through Christ we can find happiness. Even if our lives are going great, imagine the joy we can then feel we know we have the true gospel in our lives. Why not see how the gospel can change your life. Like I have said before, if it doesn't change a thing then it doesn't change a thing. But what if it does! you wont know until you experience. Make those changes in your life and see how the Lord can bless you!

 

Love Sister McFlinn :)