Transfer Week and Mission Conference

It's the week before Christmas and the final Transfer week of the year. It's also a week when we say goodby to two special Sister's that we have grown to Love. Sister Ulu'ave and Sister Fotu. Both Sister's have worked for a few weeks in the Mission Office doing referrals. Sister Fotu did them last Christmas along with Sister Selfiason and Sister Ulu'ave did refferals with Sister Mafi this year. They are both going home to Utah and attending BYU, so we will be able to see them when we finish our mission.






It's also Rain's Birthday, and she had 12 new arriving Missionaries sing her Happy Birthday.

This week is the week before Christmas and Elder Callister allowed us to have a Mission Conference with all the Missionaries and Senior Couples. We had about 230 missionaries in attendance including our two missionaries from Niue. It was a great day with music and wonderful teaching by President and Sister Porter and Elder and Sister Callister. Elder Callister is the Presiding Authority for the Pacific. Normally the entire mission never gets together but this year we had three Mission Conferences with the entire mission. In January we had Elder's Cook, Christofferson and Bishop Burton here in New Zealand. In November Elder Hinckley and his wife were here to attend the Pacific Mission Presidents Conference and he came to the New Zealand Auckland Mission because we had doubled the number of Baptisms in the last two years which was his father's direction when he was the Prophet. This week Elder Callister allowed us to have a Christmas Mission Conference which was wonderful. The following are pictures of the great day we were able to enjoy.

This is the start of the Conference. We all got up very early to take all the Christmas Packages to the Ferguson Road Chapel. We're grateful that we could get this load of packages out of the Mission Office. We were running out of room.This is a picture of Rain, Elder and Sister Walch and Elder and Sister Brasher sorting the mail by Zone.

Rain and the Walch's working hard!

Sister's Nalisoni, Alatini & Mafi along with Elder Stucki arriving at the Mission Conference

The cars and trailer's packing up all the luggage and bikes, getting ready to travel to their new flats.

Sister's Irobeni and George, and Elder's Spicer and Edlefson

The new arrivals picking up their bikes

New Sister getting fitted for her helmet by Ben Marshall

Our sweet Sister's from the Visitor Center along with Elder Andros

Sister Kapalu, Rain and one of our new arrivals Sister Naidu

Lunch at the Mission Conference

Sister Jones who was one of the great judges of the entertainment. She was "Paula" Jones and was too sweet as a judge!

Mission Conference Lunch

Randy Christensen and Paula Jones

Our new arrivals

New arrivals introducing themselves to the Mission

The Judges: "Randy" Christensen, "Simon" Whitrod and "Paula" Jones

The Crazy Aussies!

Our Chinese Elders singing Silent Night in Chinese

Sister Porter's goofey 12 days of Christmas. It was pretty funny

The Samoan Sister's and Elder's. They were probably the best entertainment. They sang three wonderful Samoan Christmas songs and then ended with the Haka War Dance!

The Grand Entrance
of the Tongans!

The Samoans take up the Challenge and do the Haka after the Tongans did their Haka. It was great fun!

After the Conference everyone picks up their Christmas treats and packages and get ready to go to their flats with their new and old companions. It was a wonderful day.

Sister Elisaia. a wonderful Samoan Sister.

Sister's Beia and Ashcraft

Our great Tongan Elder's

Elder Gunn and his new companion Elder Loomis.

Elder Kafusi after Elder Callister used him as a visual aid when he taught us the Atonement. Elder Kafusi will be playing for BYU when he's through with his Mission in a couple of years. He's 6'7" and weighs about 280 lbs. I'm trying to convince him to play for Utah, but I don't think I'm going to influence him!

This is some of our great Tongan Elder's. The smallest one with the U sign is Elder Molisi. He was an all state running back for Skyline and has a scholarship to play for Utah when he's through with his mission. Some of the Missionaries just know what is best for them. Go Utah!