Rough Week

Dear Family,

I got a call from my mission President this morning as we were driving to Dunedin on our way to Christ Church.  he called to tell me that you had emailed the office and let them know that Grandpa had died.  I knew that he has been in bad health for the last couple of years but I still can't believe that he is gone.  i wish that I could be home during this time and to be able to go to the funeral - I will never get to go to any of my grandpa's funerals and I wish that I could be there to mourn with you in this hard time.  i know that Grandpa is in a better place, but this is still hard.

I have been struggling all week long, crying pretty much every day.  It's interesting to find out that Grandpa died on the 16th, I know that on my 16th here it was the 15th there, but that morning I cried the hardest that I had ever cried before - except for when I found out that Grandpa had died.  i don't know why I am having such a hard time with being away from home, but I am.  I don't really feel strong enough to be here - even though I know I'm where I am supposed to be.  All week I have felt like I really just need to be home.  But I am going to try to be tough and to stick it out.

Last Monday after I got done emailing, us missionaries wet bowling.  The bowling place has a special on Monday where starting at 1:00 you pay $1, 2:00 you pay $2, and so forth until it gets to the regular price.  So we went bowling at 1:00.  Sam, Shani and Amy came and bowled with us too. Sam and Shani are mine and Sister Hemi's investigators,  Amy is a friend who lives in Gore but was down to visit; she is actually now an investigator, when we went to see Sam and Shani on Tuesday Amy was still there so we taught her as well and asked her if she would read the Book of Mormon and pray about it.  She said that she would and then we asked her if she would like to learn more about the gospel, she said yes so we got her information and then passed it along to the Elders in Gore.  She is doing really well from what they say and is planning on moving to Invercargill so she might eventually become our investigator or newly converted member.

President and Sister Kezerian came to visit and meet out investigators on Wednesday.  it went really well having them here.  On Friday we went down to Bluff, which is the furthest South that you can get on the South Island, there we met with a newly converted member of the Church who is very active.  We got a referral this week and went to see him on Saturday night after dinner.  He called the church and referred himself; when we went over to see him he just came right out and told us his life story.  he has had some pretty horrible things happen in his life, but has also been blessed tremendously.  i didn't come right out and say it, but I'm pretty sure that he is looking to find peace from the things that he has experienced in his life - we are going to help him find that peace.

We left for Gore last night, elder and Sister Risenmay came and picked us up.  We ended up having waffles at their home with four other Elder, Two Elders work in Gore and two work in Queenstown (I think).  They are all very nice and have been very comforting today when I got the news about Grandpa.  Elder Flakemore told me that last hear at the same exact time he got a call telling him that his grandfather had passed away, so he knows what I am going through.

I hope that all goes well this week, with the funeral and everything.  Thanks for the emails, I love to read them. And I hope to be getting some letters in the mail soon.  I haven't gotten the package yet, hopefully it comes sometime this week.  I'm thinking that it will be coming when I am in Christ Church, hopefully it is still there when I get back on Wednesday.  I don't think that my camera is set to panoramic, but I will check it just to be sure.

I will be skyping here on Saturday at about 3:00pm. That means that it will be Friday the 23rd at about 7 or 8 pm.  I hope that everyone will be able to be there when I skype.  i would have skyped on Christmas here, Christmas Eve there, but we are going to the Branch President's on Sunday for dinner and couldn't figure out when we could skype that day.  Also I'm not sure how much time we have to skype,  the white handbook says we have an hour, but president said something about 40 minutes.  i sure hope it is an hour, but I should prepare myself for 40 minutes just in case.

Also, we are allowed to listen to music in this mission,  Church music and some other exceptions.  Could you possibly put some music on a flash drive, or my flash drive if you can find it?  All you would need to do is get on my computer and put on all of the Christian and religious music (I think that is what I have it under) onto the Flash Drive.  Also if you could put all of the songs by Josh Groban that would be great too.  if you can't find the Christian and Religious music here are the songs that I want on it:  songs by Kenneth Cope, all of the Women at the Well songs, all of Hillary Weeks songs (including her new CD), all EFY songs, Songs from the CD Jospeh; Nashville Tribute..., and all songs by Jenny Phillips, jenny Jordan Frogley, and Mindy Gledhill.  There might be duplicates, but don't worry about that it will be fine.

Again I hope that all is well at home.  I pray for you every day.  I love you and I miss you so much.  I'm trying to be strong, but it is hard.  I can't wait to talk to you this Saturday (Friday for you).

Love,
       Sister Jami Huffaker

Standing by the sign at the furthest point south on the South Island

 Bluff New Zealand (or view from a high point in Bluff)

In Gore-New Zealand's capital of country music. me & Sister Hemi

 In Gore-the World Capital of Brown Trout Fishing