Double Covering Again.....#blessed

What's up everybody,

This week was bomb and busy as. A lot happened this week. We went on a couple exchanges, and of course there were miracles like always, which was amazing. A small miracle that I'll quickly share happened with Elder Damuni. There was this lady that he and his companion were seeing but she had been ghosting them for a couple months. On the way to ride the ferry we drove past her house right as she was pulling in. So we went and talked to her and she had been trying to catch the elders for awhile and she had been praying that they would find her again and low and behold we pull up. Apparently the elders had the wrong number and would never catch her at home. So she was pretty happy.
We went and rode the ferry and met heaps of BYU students which was pretty cool. They all knew Lone Peak and bagged on it for a bit. Haha. I stayed strong though. LP forever!!
Later in the week we ended up having to double cover East Coast Bays and Sunset again because Elder Mondejars companion had some health issues and had to go home. So we have the blessing of helping out both wards till transfers which is on Wednesday.
It's made it so that we've been so busy. Hahah We've had multiple dinners every night and have had to fly to each teaching appointment. It's been nuts. The members here are amazing though. They help us out heaps. All the people we're teaching right now are doing great. It's been busy, but busy is good.
I was blessed on Saturday because Elder Liao had to take an English test at Massey University for college and it was 4 hours long. I had to stay out in the hall and there was NO ONE in the whole building but me. So I found a nice comfy couch which was actually comfier then my bed and took a long nap. It was the best! I have never been so relieved than when I found that couch. #BLESSED
I got to go see my great friends basically my family out here--Jade, Geoff, Shyloe, and Emason. They're the best. They have a baptismal date in March and I was so excited when they told me. They are nuts. They roasted me hard out for getting chubby haha. I love them heaps.
Chinese Old Dude is doing good. He had to go to the hospital this week but we were able to see him yesterday and he's doin all good.
I NEED a favor. We get heaps of bread donated every week (I think that's why my cheeks are lookin huge) but if anyone has any bomb French Toast Recipes or sandwich ideas please send them my way. It would be much appreciated to me and my companions. Send us the best ones cause were in for a treat. (Don't worry I'm riding a bike next transfer if I stay here so it'll even out all the French Toast I'm eating.)
Well love yous. Hope you guys are reading your scriptures and saying your prayers! Have great week!

LOVE YOU GUYS!!
Elder Cushing

Scripture of the week
John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

I love this scripture. It says it right there that God loves us and he wants us to live with him again but that will only happen as we follow the commandments and live by his word. That we MIGHT be saved and have everlasting life and joy if we follow Christ and make him the center of our lives.

Pics
1. Auckland city views

2. Bowling

3. Me and Damuni with Auckland

4. @carsshreddawgs car

5. Before Church, Me Liao Mondejar

6. Our boi Chinese Old Dude

Airport

Farewell

Opening Call

From Sister Stosich--ADD PICTURE

OK! He is so wonderful! He has such a dynamite personality! We love him. I told everyone he was my favorite and I don’t even care if they know it.

From his Mission President--ADD PICTURE

Dear Brother and Sister Cushing

It was a great pleasure to welcome Elder Cushing to the New Zealand, Auckland Mission.  He arrived ready to begin his missionary labors with people who are full of faith and love.  We appreciate the privilege of having him here in the mission.

Elder  Cushing’s companion, Elder Brodie will help your son adjust to missionary life.  They have been assigned to work in the Waitemata zone.  We are confident that as they work diligently together that the Lord will bless them and they will experience the joy of seeing our Heavenly Father’s children progress towards baptism in His church.

He will look forward to your weekly letters of encouragement and support.  Monday is his preparation day and the time allocated to him to write emails home to you.  All mailed letters should be sent to the Mission Office (see address below).  Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

We have created the New Zealand Auckland Mission blog and we will be posting some more photos: https://jahwalker3.wixsite.com/nzaucklandmission.

We will do everything in our power to help him have a wonderful and productive mission.  We pray the Lord will bless and sustain you in his absence.

Sincerely yours,

President and Sister Walker

New Zealand Auckland Mission

Letters:

PO Box 33-840

Takapuna 0740

Auckland

New Zealand

Packages:

7A Auburn Street

Takapuna 0622

Auckland

New Zealand

WEEK TWO!!!!

WHATS UP EVERYONE

Week two in the MTC (prison) and it's awesome. Nothing too special in the MTC the sports are still really funny and hurtful but other then that just same old class and laughs. 

This week we got to go out on missionary exchange. It was thee coolest thing ever. It's where we get to leave the MTC and go out with the missionaries from our field for a day and teach and knock doors and things. I was super pumped and I got paired up with two elders. Elder Damuni from Logan, Utah a D1 athlete he's playing football at Stanford and Elder Zacher from Montana he only has a week left in his mission. 

      They were thee best, I was nervous. But they've had tons of success on their mission because the people here are super chill and relaxed. So that was a blessing. We had a car so we drove about 30 minutes to these MASSIVE houses. They were thee nicest things ever. They had never been there before so they were super shocked. Some of the houses we would try and get in but if they rejected us we asked if we could go the bathroom just so we could get inside. 

     We knocked doors and had found an Investigator and talked to a family for an hour about religion which was awesome. Then we gave away 5 Books of Mormon! And got a couple referrals. We walked up and apparently one of the mission presidents lived up there so my two companions just walked in and asked if we could have lunch with them and HOLY COW they fed us good. I forgot to mention I've gained 17 pounds in the MTC hahahha. I'll send you a pic of me to see if I look any different. But I thinking I'm sticking to salads for awhile. But it was an awesome experience the people here are thee nicest and it got me beyond excited to get out in the field and actually start teaching. Not that I don't love the MTC and all the people I've met here I'm just ready to get out and PREACH.

LOVE YOU GUYS,

Elder Cushing

WEEK ONE--ADD PICS

WHATS UP EVERYONE 

It's ya boi and I'm still alive.

     New Zealand is amazing this place is so pretty. Even though I've only seen it from my bedroom window which has a great view. But I love it. I've already been here a week and I have stories on top of stories. But I'm doing so awesome. This place is amazing.

     We flew in last Thursday and as we were driving to the MTC I was hoping to see the country but it was the foggiest I've ever seen we couldn't see five feet in front of us in the car which was the scariest thing ever but we made it to the MTC. 

     The MTC is awesome right when we got here I got my companion! ELDER WHITEHEAD. This kid is awesome he's from Arizona and he's a super athlete. But weird enough we have so much in common which makes it way easy to teach and we got super tight within the first day which is awesome. There isn't that many missionaries here which I like a lot cause you know everyone and everyone knows you. There is missionaries here from all over but a ton from the islands which is awesome. I've learned some rugby and just for all my friends to know if you thought we were good at volleyball back home we weren't we sucked but 'm getting better so watch out when I get home. Also we played basketball with the Tongans we made a USA team and they made a Tonga team and it was thee funniest\PAINFUL thing ever. They came out tackling. I had the ball to start out and I tried to go for a layup and I'm not kidding I got him by a truck. One of the Tongans went full blown rugby mode and LAID ME OUT with perfect tackling form. It killed but I couldn't show I was a wuss so we kept playing.

     We are learning a ton here which is good but being real I'm having a GOOD TIME. When I say I'm having a good time I mean I've been laughing for a week straight. Me and Elder Whitehead share a room with Elder Ross from Phily and Elder Vaca from Fiji and HOLY SHEEP these kids are hilarious I've already got tons of stories about them I won't share on here but it's been so funny. We've had almost every night were we didn't go to bed we stay up laughing all night and it's was the best. We also have these things called districts that we get put into for our classes and I seriously have the best one. We have a good time when the time is right, which we have gotten into a bit of trouble but other then that we have been progressing so much in becoming missionaries which is awesome. But these kids are awesome. Other than that I've learned a ton here and I'm getting ready to go out into the field which isn't for another 2 weeks but I'm pumped to get out there and PREACH. I love all the guys here and I already know I'm gonna make tons more memories.

LOVE ALL YOU GUYS 

I MADE IT!!!!!!!

I just got here with a bunch of missionaries that I met on the way, they all seem like way cool people. I got to New Zealand and it was way foggy and cold so we can't see anything but they're not giving us that much time to email but my P-days are on friday but I can't email you tomorrow the next one you get will be next friday. So ill tell you everything then. TELL SADIE HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Love you guys

Elder Cushing