Preach My Gospel

We have had a most wonderful,  amazing,  uplifting and spiritual experience. The Christchurch Stake, under the direction of Brother and Sister Pitama (pi-ta-ma) hold Missionary Preparation course three times a year.  We were asked to come and be "investigators" about half way through the 9 week course.  They have recent returned missionaries come and teach the class each week and they are amazing!  After each "Preach My Gospel" lesson, the perspective missionaries would teach the investigators.  We sometimes got to choose our scenerios and sometimes they would give us a concern for the missionaries to discover.  The "Preach My Gospel" manual is so amazing and inspired.  Even in these mock situations it is amazing how you can feel the spirit.

Three of the attendees already have their mission calls and are so pumped up.  They can hit the ground running when they get to their missions.  Any mission president would salivate over these young people who are so prepared.

On Mother's Day the Missionary Prep class held it's final climax activity.  It lasted from nine until three pm.  We started off with a Sacrament Meeting, complete with the sacrament and four speakers.  Elder Blackwell went first and told the story about his bishop calling him into his office to talk about going on a mission.  His bishop told him to pray about it, so he did.   He didn't receive an immediate answer, so he figured he was off the hook.  When he went to work later that day, every time he would think about a mission, he would start to cry.  (making very salty pancakes for the customers at Dees Family Restaurant)  He told how that one decision changed the course of his life.  Sister Blackwell was the second speaker and talked about how they had always planned to go on a mission together after they retired.  Two Clendon sisters, Julia and Grace, were the next two speakers.  One is going to Florida and the other one is going to Germany.  Grace can already speak German.  We had guest teachers all day, a wonderful lunch whipped up by Sister Pitama, more teaching situations, video taping and then a critic by the group, and ended with a beautiful testimony meeting.  Every single prospective missionary bore their testimony.  It was so awesome!  There were a few other students who attended class, but left early and we didn't get their picture.  We were honored to be in their presence.

Front left:  Julia Clendon, Grace Clendon
Back left:  Tutara Pitama, Aiden Johnstone, Daniel Sarjeant,
Gerry Kumar, Doren Semu, Jordan Lafaele

Sister Blackwell and Ellen Chan
Ellen speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.  She is just finishing her degree at the
Canterbury University in music and plans to put her papers in around September.  She
is so sweet and talented and amazing!  We just love her to death!

The beautiful and talented Suzanne and Hare Pitama

Luke Karene teaching techniques.  Luke just got married in April
to a darling girl named Hilary, also a returned missionary.


We are so amazed at the quality of youth here and the wonderful preparation they receive
before they go on missions.  Five of the eight above, plus Ellen already play the piano beautifully.
They all want to learn to play the piano.  Daniel is taking lessons from Sister Blackwell.  He started
taking lessons in January and is already playing hymns.