I learned a Maori dance.

September 3, 2013

Peach Days is this weekend! That will be great. I'm not sure who's in the Peach Queen Pageant, but I am excited to hear about it and who wins! Someone will have to let me know. I think this will be my first year ever not watching or being in the parade. Sad!

This is the ocean port in Picton. 

The boats were all out and it was a beautiful day!

I've had such a great week here, we've been able to teach a lot of lessons and we worked hard to meet all of our goals with our key indicators. We did pretty well! Last week I had one of my famous colds. It's hard to be sick when you have work to do!

One of the ladies that we visit is a cancer patient and they had a big Cancer Society event that she wanted help with. It's called Daffodil Day and all of New Zealand works to raise money for cancer research. We agreed to help and so we were stationed outside one of the stores in town with lots of daffodils and a can for donations. We were under the hopes that we wouldn't have to work with the money because we aren't supposed to fundraise on the mission.. unfortunately that wasn't the case. Ha we had fun with it anyway and it was fun to see how busy the town was! Kids from school had come in for games in the square, everyone was walking around with daffodils pinned to their shirts, and yellow balloons filled town.

Saturday the branch put on a Multicultural Night. It was so great!! We'd been passing out invitations all week, we helped set up the morning of, and we'd even been learning a Maori dance that week to perform. The Young Men and Young Women put on the event. They learned about 5 songs each from different cultures. They had Samoan dances, Indian dances, and hip-hop dances. We had a big feed and everyone brought food from their culture. We had amazing Samoan, Tongan, Indian and Kiwi food. I eat too much for my own good but it's hard to resist such good islander food! A Maori lady in the branch really wanted the missionaries to perform, so she taught us a Raukau which is a dance with sticks. She got the Sisters to do it and one of the Elder companionship. We each had 2 sticks and then to her song we would hit them in a way and toss them back and forth. It's actually pretty hard to not drop them as you throw them between each other. During the event we only dropped ours once each, which we were pretty excited about! All the little kids gathered around us to watch and almost everyone in the branch was singing along because it's a pretty familiar Maori song I guess. It was really fun to be a part of the event!

The Kivalu boys cutting off their Dad's tie.

Sunday was Father's Day and apparently it's a tradition to cut off the Father's ties. All the Dads wear an old tie and then they all go into primary and they kids take scissors and go wild! It was a little scary to watch, but the Dads were all good sports and the kids loved having pieces of their Dad's ties and other men in the branch. We helped the branch President's wife during the week to prepare for Father's Day. We made boutonnieres out of roses for the dads, made a handout with a poem, and wrapped chocolates for them. They go all out since they don't have that many members. It was really fun to celebrate the day with Fast Sunday and to think of our earthly father's and our Heavenly Father who loves us so much to send us here.

 While tracting we get to see a lot of different people in a lot of different circumstances. Most people say no to our message but they are quite kind about it. We experience quite often people telling us that they don't want our message but they respect the work that we do and they think it is good. Isn't that interesting that they know we are doing good and they think highly of us, but they won't let that goodness into their life? "Whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledge that he is" Moroni 10:6. All good things come from Christ. We can recognize such good in our lives and recognize when bad thoughts or feelings come it is not from Him! We continue to seek the people who are prepared.

 Two nights ago I was woken up by a pretty good shaking earthquake! We later heard it was size 4.3. That's a pretty scary feeling to be sleeping and then be shaken up. I've been having such wild dreams on my mission so I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not, but it was reality! I hope that all is well at home! Continue serving faithfully in callings, at home, at work, continue to pray and read the scriptures daily. We gain power in doing the small things daily. By small means are great things brought to pass. I love you all so much and pray for you!!

 Love, Sister Kennedy