Missionary Update August 2009

1. Elder Orlando Wihongi-Seia left for the Provo MTC on Monday 10th August.

2. On Wednesday 19th August, Sister Brenda Zhoya will be leaving on her full-time mission, heading over to the New Zealand MTC.

3. We have received a further two missionaries in the ward - Chinese speaking missionaries. Elder Hu (who was in our ward last year) as well as a new arrival. Please make these new elders feel welcome (along with Elder Hogg and Elder Bergquist!)

4. A reminder that on Friday 14th August, we have the baptisms of Daniel Pipernee and Mangi Terekia at the IOC Chapel at 7:30pm. All are welcome to attend.

Brothers and Sisters, the Lord is blessing us as a ward family with many missionary experiences and opportunities... let's keep going! Thanks for all you do!

Love and best wishes,
Daniel, Bob and Rei

Ward Conference Activity Night July 2009

Our Primary kids singing for their supper



The Soloai Family doing their best impersonation of the Jackson 5



Young Men's 'food for thought' competition

Isle of Capri members, family and friends - GETTING CONNECTED.

Photos courtesy of Bishop Shine

Bishop's Youth Discussion July 2009

In our recent Bishop’s Youth Discussion, we reviewed President Monson’s counsel to rescue all those around us.

We committed to do the following during the month of August:

1. Read President Monson’s talk, “To the Rescue” (refer Ensign May 2001) http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=f18c759235d0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

2. Reach out and rescue one person (each one reach one) during August and invite them to mutual and church.

Bishopric Message August 2009

Hanging In and Holding On

Brothers and Sisters,
We are grateful for your participation in our Annual Ward Conference last week. In our sacrament meeting, I was asked by the stake presidency to do two things – to look back on the progress the ward has made toward goals and to look forward to the coming year – we felt it might be useful to review this counsel.

Look Back
We remind everyone of our ward scripture for 2009, an invitation from Mormon to “lay hold upon the word of God” (Helaman 3:29). There are two goals associated with this scripture:
1. Immerse ourselves in the scriptures every day.
2. Bring our scriptures to every meeting.
We testify that as we “lay aside the things of this world” (D&C 25:10) and “lay hold upon the word of God” (Hel 3:29) that we will be blessed as individuals, families and as a ward family.

Look Forward
As we look forward to the year ahead, our plea is to hang in and hold on – to not give up, especially to Satan, who seeks to destroy our happiness. Our plea is to go forward with an eye of faith – to trust in the Lord. We are told in 2 Peter 3:9 that “the Lord is not slack concerning his promise.” We testify that this is true for ALL of us! In making this plea, we remind everyone of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s experience over 45 years ago. He tells of being newly married, studying and struggling to make ends meet. One day he and Sister Holland were walking together on the sidewalk:
“Somewhere on that path we stopped and wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. Life that day seemed so overwhelming, and the undergraduate plus graduate years that we still anticipated before us seemed monumental, nearly insurmountable.... On a spot that I could probably still mark for you today, I turned to Pat and said something like this: “Honey, should we give up? I can get a good job and carve out a good living for us. I can do some things. I’ll be okay without a degree. Should we stop trying to tackle what right now seems so difficult to face?”.... Then my beloved little bride did what she has done for 45 years since then. She grabbed me by the lapels and said, “We are not going back. We are not going home. The future holds everything for us” (BYU Devotional, 13 January 2009).

Brothers and Sisters, let’s not go back. Let’s not give up. Eternal life with our families and as a ward family is a prize worth fighting for. We can’t let life or the challenges of life get in the way of that prize. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has taught:
“God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go” (BYU Devotional, 13 January 2009).

We pray that each of us can “lay hold upon the word of God” and thereby hang in and hold on. We are grateful for all you do and are thankful for this opportunity to be in your service.

Love and best wishes,
Bishop - Daniel Shine
1st Counsellor - Bob Howden
2nd Counsellor - Rei Singsam

Bishopric Message July 2009

“GET CONNECTED!”

Brothers and Sisters,
You may have noticed our Primary children excitedly wearing ‘Future Missionary’ badges over the last couple of weeks. Our Primary Presidency have given each Primary class a ‘Get Connected’ pack with suggestions and items to help class members reach out and rescue those who have not been attending regularly.

When we heard about this and saw the reactions of our Primary children, we felt to invite each of us to connect with one another – no matter our age, activity levels or life experience.

One brother, who struggled with church activity made this observation:

“The gospel has never left my heart, even though it has left my life. I ask for your prayers. Please don’t forget those of us who are out here—the lost Latter-day Saints. I know where the Church is, but sometimes I think I need someone else to show me the way, encourage me, take away my fear, and bear testimony to me” (Ensign, Nov 2001).

This will require us to “focus outwardly,” as Elder D. Todd Christofferson recently counselled (Ensign, May 2008) – to look beyond our own challenges and to lift and bless others.

President Thomas S. Monson has taught:

“The world is in need of your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save. The blessings of eternity await you. Yours is the privilege to be not spectators but participants on the stage of… service.” (Ensign, Nov 2001).

Brothers and Sisters, while the world desperately needs our help, our ward also needs our help. While we may not be able to provide immediate solutions to these problems, we can reach out in sincere concern; we can listen with love; and we can patiently encourage. As we prepare for Ward Conference weekend (Sat 25 & Sun 26 July), we invite members to:

1. Contact and connect with each individual / family we home and visit teach during the month of July; and
   
2. Invite them to participate in our ward conference activity and Sunday meetings.
   

We testify that as we faithfully connect with each person, great blessings will follow – for us and for those we invite. President Monson has taught:

“Our task is not insurmountable. We are on the Lord’s errand, and therefore we are entitled to the Lord’s help. But we must try.” (Ensign, Nov 2001).

We testify that as we exert effort, we will be blessed to be “instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work” (Alma 26:3). Thank you for all you do!

Love and best wishes,
Daniel Shine - Bishop
Bob Howden - 1st Counsellor
Rei Singsam - 2nd Counsellor

Bishop’s Youth Discussion – June 2009

In our first Bishop’s Youth Discussion (in January this year), we each filled out a ‘Commitment Card’ with goals we hoped to achieve this year. Now that we are half way through the year, we reviewed a talk from President Thomas S. Monson titled “Finishers Wanted.”

We hoped that this would give us the motivation to “finish our course” (2 Tim 4:7)!

We were invited to follow President Monson’s 6 ‘marks’ to achieve our goals and become FINISHERS:

1. The Mark of Vision.

2. The Mark of Effort.

3. The Mark of Faith.

4. The Mark of Virtue.

5. The Mark of Courage.

6. The Mark of Prayer.

A copy of President Monson’s talk can be found at: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=543227cd3f37b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Changing of the Guard

Recently, there was a change in the ward Young Men Presidency. Brother Liam Guy was realeased as our Young Men President and sustained as the new Stake Young Men President. Brother Tawanda Kujenga was sustained as our Young Men President, with Brother David Strudwick as 1st Counsellor and Brother Richard Webber as 2nd Counsellor in the Young Men Presidency.

We thank Brother Guy and his counsellors for their service in the Young Men Presidency.