We received this e-mail from Mandy on 8/11/2016.

A week ago today I stepped foot into the MTC. It's crazy how much information they can cramp into 7 days!! (sorry the enter key doesn't work) Yesterday I had the chance to go the New Zealand temple! It's not very large, but then again I'm use to Utah temples. It looks similar to the Oquirrh temple, except it doesn't have an angel Moroni on top, and it has a simple design decorated along the edge and steeple of the temple.

The weather here is kinda chilly. Most days it's very overcast, and will occasionally sprinkle with a light shower. It's not nearly as cold as a winter in Utah, it's more like our average spring or fall.


It's been fun to compare cultures. We have a lot of Samoans and Tongans here at the New Zealand MTC, so for once I'm the minority haha. ;) I'm used to telling the weather by Farenheit and here they use Celsius. They also use different words then we're use to like they say "rubbish" for trash/garbage, or they say "chips" instead of fries.

My companion is Sister Petty. She's from Melbourne, Australia and is the 5th of 6 children. She loves basketball and wants to get to know everyone. We've truly bonded over the last week. I'm really gonna miss her when she leaves to serve in Auckland, New Zealand.

Well that's all the time I have. I'd add pictures, but I'm not allowed to until I'm in the field, so you're gonna have to wait for two more weeks. I'd love to hear from you and know how life is going. I hope to hear from you soon, and hope you have a good week.

Sister Welker