Happy Birthday

Kia Ora Mother,

Well Grandpa said the same thing about the singing and I told him I would be happy to listen but I need a break. I will have to think about it some more but I already know I don't have too much of a choice in the matter. I might just have to go with Xane on Sunday :) but we will see.

This week was an interesting week for sure. It started off alright and interviews happened on Thursday. It was funny though because I was interviewed three times. The first time President Lekias thought I was going home next week and it was all about finishing strong. Then Sister Lekias told him and he called me back in. The second interview was about my area and staying focused. Then he called me in a third time for a temple recommend. I had asked about it during the first interview and he thought I was going home so he said we would do it then. It was a big mess that turned out for the best. All three interviews took about as long as a normal one, so it worked out. Then we drove back and we were suppose to help this guy milk cows. We got there at the end and just watch him treat some of the cows. We are helping him again this week though which I am not excited about at all.

Yes, I did get the package and thank you very much. It was a good package. I even got to give a couple of the baptism pencils away at a baptism we had this weekend. More on that later.

Friday was an ok day except for the fact that not much happened. We had weekly planning and then a member took us to lunch. Then we had a mini, MCM which is a missionary meeting. We were supposed to stay in Waihi with our branch president but he was with the youth until 10:30 pm. You know how changing plans urcs me but there it was.

Saturday was a very trying day. It was my birthday but that night leading up to it I got very little sleep. Then we got our k's lowered in the morning. Right after that we got a phone call from our branch mission leader stating that our potential set couldn't get baptized because she would be baptized into inactivity. We understood the circumstances but it was still annoying. Also, they asked us to tell them she couldn't get baptized. Then we met crazy people throughout the day. Finally, we were at our branch mission leaders for dinner and he gave me a pretty cool birthday present. Looking back it was an alright day. Just certain events have been challenging.

Then yesterday we had 2 baptisms in the branch. The senior couple in our branch are doing very well and 2 of the girls they were teaching got baptized. It was good to see them get dunked :) I gave them a pencil each so hopefully they liked them.

It was a very interesting week with good and bad mixed in. Our mission president told Elder Cenicola that we were under no pressure to baptize and that the branch is not the best at the moment so we will have to do alot of finding on our own. I guess that is what we will be doing from now on.

I hope that you have a good week and I love you heaps.
Elder Beckstead