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Little do you know, that that was just Tahisian.  My companion is teaching me, and I'm picking up on it really well!

Not really.  I bet I tricked you though, didn't I?

This last week has been pretty great!  I've almost worn out Elder Temanaha's shoes already!  I'm the man!  Haha we knocked on his first doors this week, and we're doing great!  We're baptizing a 10 year old kid this week, and we're working with his mom!    We're really excited!

Nothing special has really happened, but we're moving along steadily.  I'm getting along great with Elder Temanaha! Elder Temanaha and I just click. We're going to baptize millions, just watch.  We'll make our own city of Enoch!  See you in the Millennium!

Haha I feel like the father of this area.  Whenever the sisters (even though one of them is the sister training leader, kind of like the zone leader for sisters) in our ward go somewhere with us for a dinner, the whole family and all of the missionaries just stare at me and wait for me to lead us into everything.  Especially a church.  I've just kind of been given the role of the senior missionary in the ward, and among the members as well.  The conversations with them usually go like this. 

"How old are you?

"18"

"WIHHURFIEHLFIGEHRHFK"

Apparently everyone thinks I'm almost going home, because I've been out for so long, and that I'm like 23.  I guess New Zealand eggs do something to you, because I eat a lot of those.

I'm loving it out here, and just the other night I had such a burning inside that came out of nowhere.  I had such a feeling of gratefulness to my Heavenly Father and a love for my mission, that I really don't want to leave.  We watched the best 2 years at an investigators for a family home evening sort of thing, and when we were watching him get on the train to go home, all of us just couldn't even imagine the though of leaving our mission.  If I get two years of this, I'm not sure how in the world I could come home.  Don't be surprised if my passport gets lost mysteriously...  It's not like I thought this out or anything.

But honestly, I feel such an obligation to do this service.  Just as I had a hungering for the temple work to be done, I realize that it is the exact same work being done out here, just among the living.  I kept feeling temple-sick, but I realized that I'm doing temple work, in the field.  Everywhere where there is work to be done is a sacred place.  We just have to recognize where those temples really are.  

I love you all, and I miss you!

Elder Lukens

Hello family!

Hello family!  This week has been great!  No crazy stories or anything, and I really want to sleep... haha my companion fixed our heater and he needs it on full blast to sleep... I need it cold.  Dang it.  Haha so sorry if this email isn't the best.

At a meeting with other district leaders and zone leaders, we were encouraged to stress faith with our missionaries.  We are setting a goal for our zone of 12 companionships to baptize 21 people this month, and of course, the scripture we are going off of is Alma 32:21, keeping the 21 theme.  So this will be great!  I'm just thinking of an activity to do to make it sink in more!  I'm really excited for how this can turn out!

My area is in South Auckland, and we don't have any hikes in our zone.  We are the smallest zone in size, but we have the most baptisms of any other zone in the mission (HA!).  I basically go sight seeing while I'm proselyting.  I'm in the city, so there's not a whole lot to see, but those pictures I sent you of the trees and the bay are the only places that are nice to look at, and I see it every day, multiple times.  Don't worry, I'll move around the country!

 Tell people that I miss them back at home!

I love you all!
 Elder Lukens

 PS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't be surprised if a man named bro. Tonga comes knocks on your door with gifts from New Zealand some time after Thursday.... :)

Lots of Changes

Hello family!  

This last week has brought a couple of changes, but it's been a blast!  I got a new companion, I was called to District Leader, and we're going to baptize three people!  It's been a blast, and I can't believe it's already been 4 months!  When I realized how long I've been out, I was terrified!  There's no way!  I don't feel like I've done hardly enough!  I work hard every day, but still!  I've taught over a thousand lessons since I've been here, and I still don't feel accomplished.  If I were to go home today, I wouldn't be happy with my mission as a whole.  Yes I've baptized a couple of people, yes I've learned heaps, but I still have 20 months to go!  There's NO WAY I could be done!

So I'm going to kick butt!

But really, I was able to be here to see this area start to wake up, so now that I have to lead it, I'm going to make it hit the ground running!  I don't like it when the work is slow, and I'm sure Heavenly Father isn't too pleased with it either.  I've had some good practice, Elder Witt had me lead the area for the last few weeks he was here, and I'm completely comfortable!  So just watch this place grow!

I love this mission, and I'm having tons of fun!  My new companion is from Tahiti, and he speaks French.  He is a brand new missionary, and I'm training him.  He was on the national team for basketball, and he is a stud!  We get along great, and he is one of the happiest people I know!  We're gong to see a lot of miracles happen here, I can already promise that.

Thank you family for everything, I love all of you!  I Miss you, but like I said, there's NO WAY I could come home!  I'm not going to leave this unfinished!  It's not even my work that I'm doing!  I owe my Savior so much more than the entire missionary force could provide him.  I can't give Him that much, but I'll do what I can!  I don't want to stand in front of Him and have to tell him I didn't try my hardest.  It's actually going to happen, we're going to see Him again, and only if we have done all that we can do will we be given the full gift of what he can give us.

So, do it!

Love yous!

Elder Lukens

Elder Temanaha

Elder Witt's last day with our favorite family!  Sorry about the tie.

Our investigator's baby!  Everybody's brown out here!

Spiritual highs and stuff

Hello family!  It it super hot in this email shop.

This week started off great!  By the time Wednesday ended, we had 20 lessons! I was on such a high, I felt confident, and everything was going great, then my companion got sick and we stayed in the house for three and a half days.  Last night was the only proselyting time we got since.  I could see such growth in myself from those days before, and things were perfect, I led the area with the zone leaders and had heaps of success for two days straight, but then we switched back companions and dealt with this test.  It really put a damper on things!  I was craving so bad to go out and teach people, but he could hardly move.  I cleaned the house, I washed and organized the dishes, I read 50 pages in the book of mormon, but it just couldn't satisfy the craving I had to go out and work!  We gave him a blessing and some medicine, but it still took time.

The whole time I was confined to my companion's bedside, I was eager to leave.  I realized it was going to test me to see if I could handle some trials and not lose determination.  It may have been a bigger test for Elder Witt, but I also had a curveball thrown at me too!  We played twenty questions, shot darts out of $3 dart guns, slept a ton, and had a great time!  By the time we were able to go out and do some work, it had been over 80 hours since we had walked off of the property, and since he had walked further than the bed to the bathroom, but we taught 8 lessons in 2 hours, and had 5 potential investigators.

We realized that this was an inconvenience and it would test us, but we didn't care.  We had a desire to work, and we just waited until we could.  That night was incredibly successful and was more productive than the last three days were, and I noticed how much my desire to work has grown since I arrived.  9 hours a day is hard!  Working in an environment where the community generally doesn't accept you with people who would rather be anywhere else than with a missionary isn't the most pleasant experience at times.  But that doesn't really matter if I want to work.  That desire was the answer to many prayers, and I didn't recognize the answer until 3 months of praying when I was given a test.  

Praying is something that I've recently gained a testimony of.  In James 5:16 it tells us that the "effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much".  Sometimes I used to think that having a prayer in my heard and faith was enough, but the actual act of getting on your knees brings some extra power into it.  Prayers aren't always answered instantly, and with asking to help someone in a quality or virtue like I tried here can't be answered instantly.  Just like our Savior, we have to grow grace by grace, which we can only do if the grace of God is upon us, like it was for Him.

I love this work, and I can't believe it's already been 4 months!  I still feel brand new!  Where has the time gone?! I love you all and thank you for everything!

-Elder Lukens

We made a blanket fort

(no subject)

This week has flown by!  I really don't know what to say.  I've fasted twice in this last week and my testimony of fasting has actually grown quite well!  I've learned heaps, I've studied a ton, and I'm enjoying my time here!  There's nothing really to say this time around and I don't feel like typing a whole lot.  We didn't sleep too well last night for whatever reason haha!

My mailing address is still the same, it goes to the mission home

I actually pick up on more Tongan and Samoan than Maori.  I have a Maori book of mormon though!  Along with vietnamese and french!

The weather is starting to cool down, but still short sleeve shirt weather.

My camera works fine, I just don't keep it with me... haha!

There's heaps of fast food here!  They have takeaways where they just sell fish and chips, and chicken.  They taste soo good!  We go to mcdonalds every now and then too.  Carls jr, Burger King, subway, Dominos,  and KFC are all close by.  KFC is the most popular by far, and Denny's is like $30 a plate!  All food here is much more expensive, except for the bakeries.  The bakeries are the best!  Super cheap and better than anything else!

Keep sending pictures, I like seeing things at home!

These things are EVERYWHERE and SUPER NOISY

Cool story by the way!  We were talking with one of our investigators in a park, and a kid lights this back yard on fire and runs away.  The flames kept growing, and it was a forest of dry weeds.  We quickly ran around and told the owners of the house, and put out the fire.  Otherwise, the house would have burned down seconds later.  The fire dept came later after we had it all out!

KFC with the zone leaders

McDonalds with the Elders in the District!

this week has been pretty rough

So you all have a lot of questions, and I don't remember them all.  so... yeah.

Haha this week was pretty rough, all (8) of our investigators stopped progressing, and not a lot is happening.  We've met a few new people though!  The ward is almost useless in helping with the missionary effort, but we're getting along pretty well.  The neighboring ward is the highest baptizing ward in the mission, and the missionaries are hardly doing half of the work!  Members are really the most important part of missionary work.  Don't get me wrong, I love it out here and we're working our butts off, but sometimes things are harder than they should be...

I don't have any crazy stories from this last week, but things are starting to get better!  The members just need a wake up call and get off of their butts.  My teaching is starting to get a lot better, and I always seem to have the right answers to even the most vague of questions.  All of the missionaries ask me questions about things, and I seem to know where to find them in the scriptures!  It's a really cool feeling.  I honestly don't feel like I know anything, but I know enough!  I'm learning tons every study in the morning, and it never seems to stop!  Joseph Fielding Smith is the man!  I've read two of his books so far now!  I am dying to find Doctrines of Salvation Vol. 1&2.  I have vol. 3, and I love it!

Never stop your reading, that knowledge is a blessing, and even a gift of the spirit!  Knowledge is numbered among the Christlike attributes, and is a result of the Melchizedek Priesthood!  I've definitely seen the promise in Ether 12:27 come to pass when he tells us that our weak things can become our strengths!  Now I need patience, because I want all of this progression right now!  Haha I'm loving it though!

Love you all, I'll see you all soon!

Elder Lukens

Excuse the cheezy smiles and the untucked shirt, but this guy is Jericho Tanuvasa.  He just left off to Aussie to play semi professional rugby for the Panthers!  Remember this guy when he hits it big!

New House!

So we just moved out of our flat, and this new one is nice!  We have a deck in the back, we have a long driveway, and quite a bit of space in the house!  We have a cool secret door that leads to our garage too!  It feels like you go to Narnia every time you use the door!  

The land here is beautiful, and we went to get my camera back, and it wasnt there!  they sent it to the wrong place, so they just gave me a new one!  So I have pictures now!

The baptism was pretty crazy.  We show up to the Chapel around 3:30 to 4:00 to fill up the font, because it takes a good 45 minutes, and we had a dinner appointment at 5.  We figured it out, filled it up, ran to go eat dinner, the members decided to drop it off 30 minutes late, we scarfed it down, and my companion's bike broke at the front axle, and it's ten minutes until the wedding!  So we are in our suits and everything and we start running to the chapel, and a member finally finds us while we are just a few hundred yards away from the chapel, give us a ride the rest of the way, and we barely make it on time.  We go through the Marriage just fine, and when it comes to the baptism, we all go and change into the baptismal clothes.  While we were there, we checked on the font and everything to make sure it was alright, and it was just perfect.  We get changed, and go to start the program in the Chapel.  It takes about 25 to 30 minutes to get back to the Font.  Everyone is moving over, and little kids are running ahead of us then coming back yelling "THERE'S NO WATER!!!".  I wouldn't be fooled though!  So I kept walking not believing them saying "Of course there's water, we checked twent-OHMYGOSHTHERE'SNOWATERINTHERE!!!".  Somebody who thought they were doing (satan) a service decided to empty the font right after we left.

We started filling it back up, and in the meantime, everyone went to start eating instead.  It took a good 45 minutes to fill it again, and at this time it's around 8:30 at night.  We try to get everyone back into the room with the font, but they were all hooked on their food.  So we just decided to go ahead with it with the 8 people in the room.  We had the baptism, it was great, and it was very cold.  This one was a special baptism though, because Satan has tried so hard to stop this couple.  We just know that they will accomplish great things if they just keep their covenants with Heavenly Father.  

This week has been pretty great, and I've had other great experiences, but I think that's it for now.  I love you all!  I'll hear from you next week!

baptism!

Deck in our back yard!

This is why you ask for the "toilet" instead of the bathroom.  They're separate!

Farewell for a member!

Secret entrance in a closet to the garage!

Things are going good

Hey, things are going good!  I'm still with my companion, and we're still kicking butt!  This area is finally starting to wake up!  Those three baptisms are as strong as ever, and it's going to happen!  Two we are sure are going to stay forever, but one we're working a bit more with.  I love them all, and we're keeping daily contact with them.  One of them has had some attacks from Satan trying hard to stop her.  I see it as something against his cause for someone who has any bit of logic.  Why would you give up on something if the exact person we are telling them is going to try to stop them is doing exactly that?  We know there's more to it, and she has a renewed vitality towards the baptism.  We're all excited for their date!  They're getting married and baptized one after the other, on valentines day!  We're expecting at least two more people to set a date too!  We keep seeing miracles every day, and we're looking forward to another week!

I love you all, thanks for everything!

Elder Lukens

The people and the food are the best!

Life's the same here, more food, more work, and more blessings!  I started to get a little lazy in my workouts and gained five pounds, so I kicked it up and lost seven... My body doesn't know how to work normally.  It's great though, I'm still keeping tone and everything!  I'm eating more than the islanders, but my waistline is just getting slimmer!  I guess my metabolism is going crazy from all of the food!  I'm watching what I eat, and not going to fast food places, no fizzys (soda), and tons of abs!  It's made my studies more meaningful and I have actually been learning a lot more than I did when I first got out here!  I'm getting a deeper and stronger understanding of the gospel every day!  I've been reading the Book of Mormon for the last two weeks, and I'm only to 1 nephi 20!  I've been diving in like crazy!  I know the stories, and I know the characters, now I'm finding all of the little overlooked details that really sets it apart from a story book with doctrinal details.  An in-depth study of the Book of Mormon really increases your testimony of the power of the priesthood.  How Joseph Smith was able to translate the golden plates without even looking at them at times and come out with a book that has so much depth and so many meanings to it only shows that we are just instruments.  It isn't how fast I can run, high I can jump, or even how much I have read that can convert somebody.  It can only be the same spirit that told Joseph Smith the right words to say that can speak to any kind of person through print on a page.  The answers are all found in 531 pages, you just have too look deeper some times more than others.  It's a simple testimony of the Book of Mormon that I have to give, but I don't need any more than that.

This week we set three people for baptism in February!  This area hasn't had any baptisms in over 4 months, and we got three!  I have a great companion, and he is leading the area and district amazingly!  We were able to speak with President Rudd this week, and he told me that he saw us as a very powerful and effective companionship.  This week on Thursday is the transfer meeting, and we will get a call Tuesday night if we're going to be transferred out of the area.  We have had so many great things happen to us here, it would be sad to leave, but it would also be exciting to see what else there is out here in Aotearoa!  It's a beautiful country, and I'm stuck in the city, but it's alright!  I'm loving it here!

The mailing address that I gave you goes to the mission office.  The mission office then gives the mail once a month to the Zone Leaders and they give it to the Elders in their zone.  It takes a while for the mail to get to us, so don't be surprised if you don't hear of me getting any for a while.  I haven't gotten any pictures through email yet though!  I don't know why you're not sending them!  Oh, and I bought a new camera.  It's a sony... I like cannons better.  I wont break this one though...

I'm loving it out here!  Everything is great! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!  The people are amazing, and the food just follows after!  Thank you for everything, and I love you all!

Elder Lukens

I love it here

Yeah mom told me about the new film!  I wish I could see it.  Oh well, I'l see it eventually.  The work here is going great, our zone has reached the 10 baptism goal/month twice in a row now!  Apparently, our zone leaders have the highest baptizing ward in the mission!  They are doing great, one almost every week!  I'm going to get to that point eventually!  They taught 30 lessons last week too!  They plan their time very well!  I have a lot I can learn from them!  Nothing too special has really happened with us in this last week.  We were walking down the street and a member at a fruit stand gave us a watermelon though!  We saw watermelons the other day for $30!  So that was pretty nice of them.  We need more people like that in the world! I'm going to give you a challenge!  When you drive around, look for opportunities to stop and help people!  Tell me how it goes next week!  We have been giving our members a lot of commitments and challenges, and they're getting all motivated to do the work too now!  I can see how Indiana helped prepare me for here!  The techniques our Elder's quorum president came up with work great over here!  We still have a long way to go, but a long journey always starts with one step!  I think we've taken a little more than one by now, but I still see a long path ahead! The chance not to worry about anything else and just work is great!  I always find myself doing productive things!  I can't wait for the blessings promised to come!  They probably won't be at once, but gradual, but I can't wait to be where I have always wanted to be!  And even then it probably won't be enough.  I just love seeking for knowledge and learning new things in any way possible!   I've really seen instant blessings from the Holy Ghost happen plenty of times when I get irritated at my companion for taking my stuff or leaving the dishes for me to clean.  I remember that anger is only from the devil, and I feel so much more at peace, because I have been set apart to be like Jesus.  As soon as I realize how I want to feel, and it's a righteous desire, the Spirit does the rest.  It's so cool!  I never knew that the spirit could be so active and obvious in my life like that!   I love it here, and I love the spirit and faith that everyone has here. I love my mission president, and I love my companion.  I feel myself becoming more Christlike all the time.  I see my prayers answered, and I feel the spirit.  I love it! Thank you for everything! -Elder Lukens

Hi.

Nothing too special has happened this week.  We got three new
investigators though!  that was a miracle.  This week was slow and
steady, but we ended up with a lot more success than we originally
expected!  I'm just looking forward to eating!  I skipped breakfast
because Elder Witt used the last eggs to try and make cookies... Which
didn't work.  Oh well!  I don't have anything good to share this week,
but I'll just share a scripture.  Hebrews 13:2.  Don't be afraid to
help strangers, because many people have actually attended to angels
without knowing it.  Just like Jesus came to his apostles on the road
in Luke 24, he can hide our sight from them as angels, and just being
regular beings.  Angels are always coming to the Earth, so by serving
everyone you can, you may be serving angels!  I love how thin the veil
really is!

I'll consider it a miracle that I left the states at the time I did.
I would much rather have this weather, even if it means a warm
Christmas!  Thanks for everything, and I love you!  Sorry I'm not up
for a long quality letter, I'm too hungry to focus haha!

-Elder Lukens

Happy New Year!

I don't know if I've ever seen pictures of you at that age!  That's weird to see!  Haha so my camera broke, so I'm just going to buy one out here.  The only ones that aren't 20$ ones for kids are around 150$.  So I'm just going to spend some from my chase account.  I love the quotes that you send!  I just like good quotes I guess!  I use them all the time!  I wrote one down from President Uchdorf saying that the best place to start is where we are right now, and that the darkness won't all dissipate at once, but surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come.  He hung it up on his wall and tells me how much he loves it every time we see him!  Liken that to a financial situation!  A sunrise is a slow and gradual change.  Like our faith, it happens in such a way that we don't even notice it until we are able to look around and see so much better.  It's a very comforting concept to see how much brighter everything is than it was earlier, especially when I feel like I am walking in darkness.  The parable of the mustard seed also gives me comfort.  Because a seed can grow into such a tree, birds can find shelter and safety in it.  The faith that I can bring to people can give them comfort and a place to go in times of worry!  I think that is a reason I was sent here.  I have learned that faith is something simple.  I am simple enough to believe that Heavenly Father can travel anywhere He wants.  I am simple enough to believe that He will answer my prayers if I'm obedient to His commandments.  I love the simple yet overwhelming faith that the islanders have here.  It's just so simple.

I can't wait to see the promise of the youth and others manifest itself too!  That will probably be something gradual that when I look around I can see it, but not with my forward tunnel vision.  Sometimes I just want to walk backwards so I can see how much I have done.  So I can see what I have accomplished, but like Edward Dube said in the last conference, Never look back.  A man putting his hand to the plow and looking back is not fit for the kingdom of God.  I don't think the Brother of Jared was comparing his past experiences when he took the stones to be illuminated.  He just kept looking forward with a simple but overwhelming faith that he knew would only bring him higher.  I want to be like them.  The less a man knows, the more necessity for revelation he haves!  But I've learned that the more knowledge you receive, the less you know in proportion.  1 Cor 3:18, Nobody is wise.  Everything I am looking to learn is what I can teach, and what else there is to learn!  Studying is much more exciting when you're not just searching through doors, but opening as many as you can!  sometimes I write for a whole hour study period and I've just peeked into another door!  I love this gospel!  You never stop learning!  At the same time, D&C 121:45 tells us the Doctrines of the priesthood shall distill upon your soul as the dews of heaven if you have charity towards all men.  BAM!  Learning without studying!  I'm so excited to learn everything out here!  

I absolutely love the scriptures.  I love Hymns.  I love quotes.  I love gospel discussions.  I LOVE THE SPIRIT!!!  The excitement that He gives me just can't be compared to any other experience I have ever had, so what's the use in looking backwards?  BAM!  Everything fits.  Everything testifies of Jesus Christ.  I love it!!!

I'm learning a ton, I'm eating a ton (and exercising), and I'm rambling a ton.  I'm sure you can understand my feelings.  President and Sister Rudd are great!  I talk with them a ton when we have a conference or any other opportunity.  I've gotten to know them pretty well, and they always get excited when they see me coming their way too.  I guess we were friends before or something, because we can just talk forever!

The holiday season has settled down, so I hope more people will be home!

Thank you for everything, I love you!

Elder Lukens