Memorable Week with some baptisms!

I had a great week!  I was able to see President Kezerian again before he left.  I saw him on Saturday at our baptism.  He left yesterday.  So, we have our new mission president but nothing has changed yet.  We have a Zone Conference on Saturday and we each get to meet with him for 5  minutes.  He sounds awesome!  I'll let you know how it goes next week.   The office couple came to me at the baptism to talk to me and it was depressing...... They wanted to talk about my leaving date.  That made me sad.  My visa expires on Jan 28th.  I said that I need to probably come home for school, so she said that we will have to talk to the new president.  We will see what he says, but if so, I will come home a transfer early.  

I had a great and memorable week with Elder Holladay! I has been fun covering two areas, meeting all of his investigators, and him meeting all of mine!  We can now cover both areas.  We did a lot of finding in my area and found a few potentials!  No one was really excited about the Book of Mormon or anything but we aren't finished with them yet!  Elder Halladay and I are really excited to start training this week and we are excited that we don't have to live out of suitcases any more.  But once we get our new companions, we probably won't be leaving our areas for 12 weeks.  (Which won't be fun). They come in on Tuesday.  We are going to Wellington to pick them up either at the mission home or airport, I am not sure.  That's tomorrow!!!!  

This last week with Elder Halladay went too fast.  Saturday was probably one of the most fun days!  One of our investigators had a massive 40 foot shipping container that he needed to paint, so we had to take grinders and grind off all of the rust on this shipping container and sparks were flying everywhere!  It was a blast!  I forgot my camera though, so no photos.  We only finished the top, so hopefully we can help him some more this week.  After helping him, he took us for some really good grilled chicken!  Elder Halladay said it was like Pollo Loco, New Zealand status..... But it was really good.  It was really expensive though, but much better than KFC.  

Later that day, we had our baptism in my ward.  It was the investigator that the sisters had.  It was fun! (This is where I was able to see President Kezerian one last time, and the office couple.)  Elder Halladays ward came too and I got to see the Chevy, Mesa people again!  Then right after that we got a call from the sisters that there is another baptism up in Titahi Bay for 2 children who were child of record but we had to go help set up and everything.  The meeting started 30 minute late which made me embarrassed.  The bishop asked us if we wanted to do the confirmation, I let Elder Halladay do one, and the grandpa did the other,  it was just a great night.  

How do you like the Lava Lava that Elder Otahouma left for me?

Elder Halladay having some fun!

How about this, I got us both in the pic!

Look at this stuffed dog from our investigators house!  

And I am going to call this a miracle on my mission.  My wound is already healed!  Fastest healing I have ever seen in my life!  It is like gone!  I don't worry about it anymore.  And it has only been a week. Yep, miracle if you ask me.  I love it.

Love, Elder Tuckett

First week of Winter....

It was the first day of winter!  Actually, it has been cold for the last month!  Luckily, we got a car this week!  I think you misunderstood me last week.  I am not in a threesome.  Elder Halladay is my companion for a couple of weeks until our companions get here around July 1st.  We are both going to be training.  We had dinner with the office couple last week and they said that our companions are still in Auckland learning English.... So I am a bit concerned about that.  We thought they were just on a VISA delay.  Elder Holladay is awesome!  He is from Gilbert, AZ! And lives near the new temple.  He also went to BYU-I before his mission, and he took the same Mission Prep course there that I did.  We weren't there at the same time though since he has only been out 8 months.  We are talking about being roommates when he gets home since he will be going back to school too.  

Here is Elder Halladay!

After my companion left this week, we had to drive to the bus station to make sure that the Elders were able to put their bikes on the bus and stuff and take care of an Elder until his companion came in.  All of us that were there were from Arizona!!!!!  Hooray!!!  During this time.... We had a little accident!  There was one bike that did not get on the bus, so we came back to the flat to put the bike away.  It was the first time I had been to the flat and the door is really hard to open because it rubs on the top left of the door.  So, the door opened partway, then the corner was stuck, so I pushed on the window part and my hand broke the window and went through. So, I got this cut on my hand.  It could have been much worse, and many people said that I should go to the hospital and get stitches. But it really wasn't deep.  Since I shake so many hands, I have this big wrap on it so it won't get dirty.  Everyone asks questions about what happened.  It is annoying, but I have had fun telling them I got into a fight with my companion or someone didn't like the message I was sharing. It has been and adventure!  

Here is a picture of my misfortune encounter with the door.

Anyway, our week has been hectic since we are covering both of our areas.  And, our areas really aren't close together either.  So, we spend 2 days here, then head over to Elder Holladays area for 2 days.  It has been good for both of us to really get to know our areas before our new companions get here as we are both rather new to the areas as well.  We have been having a lot of fun together!  

I got a letter from Grandma Engel this week!  It made my week.  She shared a letter from the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission and it made ours look lame!  It was 4 pages and ours is only 2 pages and theirs was a lot more inspiring.  I love talking to other people that went to different missions,  it was interesting to see how theirs is different from ours.  I also got the church magazines you sent and some letters of my missionary friends.  Thanks!  

Last night was fantastic.  Probably the best night we have had in our area so far!  We took out a recent returned missionary with usout on visits.  We went to our investigators and less actives, and even though he had been gone for 2 years he still knew about half of them!  It was so great!  It was like we had an extra missionary with us!  

I love this work!

Love, 

Elder Tuckett

A Chevy lover from Mesa!!!

My companion is leaving this week!  I found out I will be training someone!  However, he isn't coming until July 1st.  So for two weeks, I will be in a threesome with Elder Holladay and Elder Johnson who is training as well.  We will be covering both areas until our companions come in.  Should be an adventure.

So yesterday at church one of our investigators came to church and sat right in front of us!  Exciting, right?  I didn't even find out it was an investigator until that night until we were talking about the day.  Most of our investigators I have only met once or twice but lately I have been feeling comforted because I know it is in the Lords hands, or else I would be freaking out right now.  

This week, Brother Hatch [David Glen Hatch] from Utah came to share his wonderful talents with us here in New Zealand. They started in Auckland, and are making their way to the South Island.  He is an awesome piano player.  It just so happened that I was in Wellington from Thurs-Saturday and on Friday night he did a charity thing and so we got to go to this beautiful building in Wellington.  We escorted people in and gave out the fliers.  Then we got to watch him play his classical music along with about 10 of his students.  It was amazing.  Then on Sunday, in Upper Hutt, we got to go see him at a fireside!  And, I got to see Elder Usalai'a there!!!!  He is so good at piano and made everyone cry,  it was so powerful. 

This is a picture with all the piano players and Brother Hatch.

This is an awesome staircase that was in the concert hall, reminded me of Harry Potter!

We are such a finding mission.... We used a new way of finding this week.... Drawing the plan of salvation on the sidewalk!

I haven't gotten any mail in the last couple of weeks.  I am hoping it is because of transfers.    I love you guys so much!

Elder Tuckett

How about this graffiti we found?  

And best for last......  I found a Mesa, Chevy lover when I was with Elder Christensen this week!  His sister actually still lives in Mesa!  How cool is that... The Mesa temple and a Chevrolet sign!  

Some pictures!!!!!

This is the view of our area....Titahi Bay.  It is just beautiful!

Thanks for the amazing letter mom.... Your week sounds amazing!  Sounds like you had a super fun Relief Society activity. [we just had an awesome service auction]  I hope that some less actives came to it!  And, I am so excited to hear that Beth is getting baptized!   And.... I can't believe that Ruby turned 8 and got baptized!  Thank you for sharing the story with me about her and Nicole reading the Book of Mormon.  They are amazing!  It is amazing that an 8 year old could do that with her mother.  They are an amazing family.  

I am settling in to my new area.  My companion is still counting down the days until he goes home.  It is 8.  I will be leading in this area after that.  We have exchanges this week again, so I will be gone a couple of days this week.  I just hope that I get a new companion that is ready to go to work.  This area has a lot of potential baptisms and I want to focus on them and not my companion leaving.  I know it will be awesome!

Here is a picture of me having an intense conversation with a lady about the word of wisdom.  My companion was just taking pictures, so I do think he is ready to go home.  I found some scriptures to share with her this week.  She believes everything that we have taught her, she just doesn't want to give up her coffee.

These are someone of the crazies in my district.  I couldn't be in the picture because I was doing interviews with each of them.  

We get fed so much here.

This was my first service here in Titahi bay.  We pulled out vines and bush from underneath the chapel.  

While we were waiting for our pictures to print... We found a lazy boy..... Arizona recliner!

Here we are outside the church!  Visitors are welcome!

Don't worry about not sending me as many letters mom.... [i have slacked in sending him real letters in the regular mail... the first year, i sent one every week, I don't know what I am doing with my time these days.]  Sounds like you are so busy.... You are making treats for the Garns (lucky them), [the Garn family won treats from me, once a month for a year at our Relief Society Auction] going to baptisms, reading scriptures, and serving in Relief Society...    All good things!  

Love you so much!

Elder Tuckett

Settling in at Porirua

My week was fantastic!  I am still learning everything and being gone for a day on exchanges doesn't help when I am trying to learn names and faces.  But, I am getting the hang of it.  My companion only has 2.5 weeks left which he keeps reminding me of.  I really don't know where the last 6 months have gone.... They have flown by.  I think the next six months are going to go fast as well.  My new companion is from Tonga.  

This is our neighborhood.  We live on top of a hill again.  

So yesterday, the sisters brought an investigator to church. The sister went to bear her testimony, and about half way into her testimony, the investigator stood and walked up to the front and sat down,  after the sister was done, the investigator stood up and also bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon.  It was just awesome!  The lady only found the missionaries 10 days ago!  I know that miracles happen with the Book of Mormon!  The only thing that holds us back from progressing in this life is ourselves!  The Lord wants us to run to him, but a lot of us walk slowly and test The Lord.  We just need to trust him in him and he will lead us through any trial.  He is the creator, he is omnipotent, and he loves us.   We all need to come to Him.  

I love you all so much!

Elder Tuckett 

I just had to stop and take a photo on my way to dinner the other night!  I love New Zealand skies! 

My old Distrit and friends I left behind!