Thanks
heaps for the fantastic e-mail this week, it was so great to read it!
The weather has been quite the opposite here, with several really hot
days and another one that was almost 110 degrees! It was a really great
week though and we were able to accomplish so many things! Well first
off I guess I should let you know about the transfer news! Elder
Hirata..............will be staying in Pakenham! And Elder
Hopkins........will be leaving Pakenham! My 7 1/2 month reign in
Pakenham is ended, haha. So obviously since I've been here for so long
and since it was also my first area I'm going to be a quite sad to leave
but I know there's still a lot of exciting things ahead and it
certainly will be interesting getting used to a new area. Elder Hirata
will actually be training a new missionary in Pakenham (they told him
early because he has to pack a little day bag to stay up at the place
where they bring all the new missionaries. So that should be
interesting, hopefully he'll do alright! I'll find out tomorrow who my
new companion is as well as my new area so unfortunately you'll have to
wait for a whole week in suspense before I can let you know where I am.
It's been so busy the past 3 days (including today) because we've just
been rushing around from house to house non-stop so I can say goodbye to
all of the members, less-actives, and investigators I've become close
with. I've been able to see most of the people that I'd hoped to and
just have a few more to see today. My last week in Pakenham was really
good though and we accomplished a lot! New Years was pretty normal for
us as we did our countdown at 10:30
because we still had to keep the same schedule. It should be a great
new year though and I hope it brings a lot of success and blessings. It
already has brought some big blessings as the highlight of the week was
we were able to set a baptismal date with Rodney for March 2nd!
That was a huge blessing to be able to do that and his wife really
helped a massive amount in making him feel comfortable with the date and
bearing her testimony, so it went really well and hopefully Elder
Hirata and his new companion will be able to help him reach that date,
as well as Joan reaching hers! It was really a testimony builder for me
going around and visiting all of the people that I've taught a lot in my
time here in Pakenham because I heard all of them talk about the impact
I and my 2 companions (Elder Rafferty and Elder Hirata) had had on
them. I think as a missionary sometimes you don't feel like you're
making too big of an impact in lives but just kind of 'doing your job'
but hearing those people say what they did it made me realize the effect
I have, and anyone has, on people as a missionary and representative of
Jesus Christ. So I'm sorry that I'm going to have to cut it really
short this week, but things have just been really, really busy. I look
forward to tomorrow though to finding out my new area and new companion
and I will work hard just the same in the new area and hope to see heaps
of success! Thanks so much for all of your immense love and support for
me, it means so much and has helped me get to where I am right now. I
hope that you have a wonderful and fun week ahead and that you have a
fantastic new year as well! I love you and I'll talk to you again soon!
Love,
Elder Hopkins and Elder Hirata with Jaynielee and Mathew Gloster (children who recently were baptized), with Bishop Smith in the middle.
Elder Hopkins with Barry and Joan Willmott.
Elder Hopkins with Jocelyn, a less-active member.
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