Hello from Gore, New Zealand! We are on exchanges right now so I am at boring old Gore from Saturday-Tuesday. This is the longest exchange I have ever been on. It is only supposed to be for 24 hours but because we are just so far away from each other, we just make them longer. And, I forgot my camera, so sorry for no pictures this week, just a lot of me talking.
To answer some of your questions -- I have only been fed once in Queenstown so far. Queenstown is a really expensive place to live so people are just trying to feed themselves so it is really hard to ask the to feed us here. As far as the cold weather, I have been colder in Idaho, I am pretty sure of that. In Queenstown, it can snow but it doesn't stay on the ground. It is like the prefect city! The snow stays on top of the mountains and on the ski slopes, but in the city no snow at all. I was really hoping I could try to ride my bike in the snow too! Oh Well. This week has been really raining, but it always works our perfect for us like there is someone up there watching over us missionaries because it rains all night (when we get to ride in the car) until the morning when we leave, it stops raining and it has worked our perfectly like every day! So, I have not had to ride my bike in the rain. Who Hoo for prayers being answered.
I still have only been to church once in Queenstown, but I know a little bit more about the Branch. Our Branch President is on vacation, and our 1st counselor is in Brazil, and the 2nd counselor just had heart surgery, so we are in charge! We have 22 members in our boundaries but there are only about 6 active members. The rest work on Sunday, or don't want to come. We have about 3 people we are working on to motivate to come back to church and find their testimonies again! They are so close!
We haven't really done much service, but we did cut some wood for one of our less active members and she actually came to church again, so that seemed to work! We also stacked some wood for some little company that the missionaries have been helping for ages. We are trying to find more solid helpful service. We might go ask the Boy Scouts of New Zealand if they need any help. But we have not had time to do that yet.
All of the missionaries say that in Queenstown you just talk to the tourists, but that is why the area isn't progressing, so we have been door knocking like crazy there and we have finding so may potential investigators and people that are interested. It is wonderful!!! So, hopefully people can stop leaving town and we can catch up with them. People leave and come back to this town all the time, it is crazy! Even if you permanently live there, people leave like every other week for a vacation. It is ridiculous.
The missionary broadcast... Yes, we have been watching little bit by little bit. I still haven't seen the Stokers yet thought [our friends who are mission presidents that were shown on the missionary broadcast]
Elder Edwards and I had a great 4th of July too! We called every American in our district and sang "The Star Spangled Banner", and said the Pledge of Allegiance and shared some scriptures about America, the promised land! It was great! Then for dinner we had hot dogs, and L&P (New Zealand soda because we never had time or cash to get root beer or dr. pepper) Then when we were getting ready for bed, we heard a firework and ran outside and someone was shooting a roman candle across the lake! It was wonderful! So we got to see ONE firework! Go America!
6 MONTHS! Sometimes it feels like it has been 6 months but at the same time it doesn't. It is a weird feeling. I have learned so much on my mission it is crazy! I can't even explain how much I have learned! I have also learned a lot about other countries! My companion I am with right now on exchanges is from England, I don't think I ever want to go there -- sounds scary.
All is well, I am learning so much and have the strongest testimony about this church than I have ever had before. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, I know that he leads this church and no one can stop this church from growing, no matter what happens.
I love you guys!
Elder Tuckett
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