"Hindsight's 50/50"

Malo soifua!!!

So apparently it's 2021 now. That's cool. It's weird that 2020 is already over, but I'm excited for what 2021 will bring. My mission is focusing on repentance and a "new year, new me" mindset when finding new people. It's been really cool, and it's given me a lot of opportunities to self reflect and look for ways to improve, make bad things good, and good things great. 

This week was pretty fun, especially on New Year's Eve when we had to keep doing missionary work, but nobody wanted to talk to us haha. We also had to still go to bed at 10:30, which was probably the first time I didn't stay up til midnight in the last decade or so. It was good though, and these past few days have been full of people looking for new focus in the new year. I've been busier these past few days, and I've seen more blessings that I could've imagined. Guys, God is good, and He rewards work. If that ain't the truth, I don't know what is. 

The big news of this week is that, after six months on Staten Island, and three of those training me, Elder Checketts is being transferred to Newtown in Connecticut! I'll miss the guy, but we've had a great two transfers. I'll be dropping him off and picking up my new comp, Elder Kelley, tomorrow. It's kinda wack, but I guess this is a good way to kick off the new year with some new comp fire.

This week we got to meet an awesome member of the ward named Bro Colbert, known locally as the Great Corrupter. He's famous among missionaries here for trying (half jokingly) to get us to do non-missionary stuff with him (i.e. Dinner and a movie, dinner and sleepover at his house, etc). He asked us if we wanted to go with him to the Ball drop in Times Square. He said "I'll give you guys a broom, and you can just say you were giving service." He really is a solid dude, and he's a lot of fun (and no, we don't actually break any mission rules, for all you moms out there). 

This Sunday was full of miracles, mainly with our friend Goldie. She is pretty solid, but she's had some concerns this past week that we have been working hard to resolve (personal, not church related). We invited her to church, and she said maybe, but then she came! She walked in, Bishop went over and chatted for a minute, and she sat down to watch the meeting. During the testimony part of the meeting, she sent us a text saying she was going to have to get up and leave, but she never did. She stayed for the whole sacrament and testimony meeting and absolutely loved it. After the meeting, she met with Bishop Reyes and they talked in his office for a few minutes. Immediately after, she asked us "so how does this baptism thing work?" We were practically bouncing up and down as we explained baptism and some of the requirements for it. She still has some things to learn, but I think that she has made the decision, conscious or not, that she wants to get baptized.

Today was Jaycut P-Day, so Elder Checketts and I drove to Brooklyn to get our haircuts, and they look kinda nice, not gonna lie. It was a lot of fun (and that chapel is the YSA building, so the basement has a foosball table, ping pong table, pool table, and a shuffleboard table haha. It's no wonder the Brooklyn YSA ward is so big). Good times all around.  [Jacob is the assigned driver for his companionship.  He told us in a video call Monday night that driving in Brooklyn is completely terrifying, and that parking is worse. He says that cars in New York City have "Park-Anywhere" lights, known in other places as emergency flashers.  The Brooklyn chapel has a parking lot, believe it or not; it's four parallel-parking spaces in the alley in the back.  😂]

The work here is good. God is good. My life is good, and I'm happy. Honestly, what else do I need? I love you all, and I miss you all dearly, but this is my chance to bring people to Jesus Christ and feel His love. The greatest mistake I could make would be not using this wonderful opportunity I've been given.

Alofa kele lava ia oukou uma (I love you all so much), 

Elder Mauga

Photos:

• Some fun with filters on a Messenger call
• Apparently Heelys are a public menace at Stop-n-Shop
• That's healthy, right? (stuffing and potatoes, cold and thick out of the fridge haha) 
• Video:  These cups were stuck together with static, and it was WACK