Elder Ryder Atkinson

Not too much to report on this week so ill just run through the quick highlights - It didn't stop raining all week it was crazy - We started teaching this kid named Cadillac who is super interested in learning about the church! Wish my parents named me Cadillac. - Lots of door knocking - We had set this guy named Clinton on date for baptism a few weeks ago and it's kinda lookin like we'll have to push it back a week but all that matters is making sure he's comfortable livin that church life! - We had a massive feed at the Blakes and like 60 of his family members from Tonga had been staying the week in tents around the house, they roasted a pig on a spit and it was some of the best pork I've ever had. We may or may not have been there when they killed the pig. - They sang Folofola after and it was so beautiful I almost started tearing up. I'll put it in my album thing, definitely go watch it! - We had a family from Utah show up to church on Sunday and I didn'...

Story time! So at around 9 on Monday night, as I was getting ready for bed, I got this sharp stabbing pain in the right side of my stomach. Now I know some of you have had this pain before, so I'm sorry if this triggers any PTSD. I thought it was just a normal pain so I shrugged it off and tried to get some sleep, but I was just in so much pain I couldn't fall asleep. At around 3 in the morning I decided to call President Nikoia and he told me to go to the closest hospital. When my companion and I got there, I told them the situation and they said a doctor would be with be any minute. Well 4 hours passed and we were still sitting in the lobby, New Zealand hospitals aren't the most efficient. They eventually got me in the back where they did a bunch of blood tests and an ultrasound but still couldn't determine what the cause of the pain was. My blood work showed that there was an infection in my body but didn't have a definitive answer for where it was coming from so...

Hey y'all, lots of big changes going into these next couple transfers!!  I have been made the district leader of the Welcome Bay district (don't know if prez was on the right medication when he made that decision) which is still in the mighty T-zone thank goodness. The crazy part is I'm gonna be companions with an Elder from Arizona who I knew in the MTC so that should be heaps of fun. And I get to drive the car:) I am really gonna miss the members of the Taupō Ward and the Tūrangi branch; I feel like I was just getting to know them better and I was so excited to work with them more, but I guess that's just how the mission goes sometimes.  I'm really gonna miss my current companion, we didn't really get to do all that much work together (especially in Tūrangi) which kinda bums me out but I learned heaps from him so it'll be alright. I'm also really gonna miss Elder Nowatzke, he was one of the first missionaries I met in the MTC and we have been in the sa...

Kia ora everyone, been a super fun past couple of weeks! Lots of finding opportunities and lots of new people which is always good! We had a few really really cool lessons with our newly baptized members about patriarchal blessings and going to the temple so I am just beyond excited to see how they grow and progress towards those goals in the future.  I was driving the other day and accidentally ran over a hedgehog, so I'm officially a moster now. It felt only right to name him Sonic; he will be missed. Also stepped on a snail last night, we named him Turbo, I'm sure they both lived very full lives. Last P-day we played a nice round of golf which was so much fun and I really needed that relaxing day just enjoying the beautiful weather. The weather didn't stay that way though, I don't think it stopped raining once all week which makes for some very interesting missionary work.  We had a really good exchange with the zone leaders this week and I learned a ton about the im...