 A very interesting history about them is they are descendants from Haggoth in the Book of Mormon. They can trace their genealogy back that far. So they're of the house of Israel. If you read an Alma it talks about that Haggoth took a group of people and took boats and went east and then a group came back and then they left again and were never heard of again. They populated the Hawaiian islands and further populate Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand. Now there was a guy there and this was very early in my mission. I went to a lot of meetings that are called Wanangas. Think of them as a fireside but strictly like for the Maori people. Genealogy is huge. Not just like church genealogy but genealogy in general is very big for the Maori people. One out of every ten Maori are members of the church. It's huge. If you ever watch the video An Ensign to the Nation it talks about how the gospel was brought to the Maori people. As early Christian missionaries were teaching people the Maori people had these chiefs. They're spiritual leaders. They're kind of their go to for guidance. One of their most respected leaders or chiefs told them he prophesied. He went to his house and fasted for like five days and then came out and professing the spirit hits you in weird ways. It's funny because the spirit hits you and you know what you're saying is true and it's interesting. He came out saying the church for the Maori has not yet arrived. But you'll recognize it when it comes. Because when they pray they'll raise their right hand and their missionaries will come in pairs of two. And he gave a few other instances that are like obviously he's talking about the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And sure enough when the Mormon missionaries first came the Maori people accepted the gospel and drove. Where at one point it was like one out of every ten are members of the church. So you can't go very far even if you talk with a Maori that is not a member. Chances are almost 100% that somebody in his immediate or very close to immediate family is a member or was a member or is inactive. I mean you can't go generations. It's almost impossible without a member in their family. So you're never going to find a Maori that is not very familiar with the church. Again the further you go north that culture is very thick. And in fact there was kind of this resurgence of the Maori culture because 30 years ago for whatever reason the government actually banned them speaking their language in public schools and things like that. So a lot of their culture, a lot of their language was lost on people 20 years older than me. But people my age there was this huge kind of revolution to kind of bring back the language, the culture. So people I mean were extremely intensely passionate about their culture. And there was a guy named Hedowenny Jones that he put together very intense, very detailed, very researched academic fire sides that the purpose of this fire side was a combination of the culture that is very well known and the genealogy and history of the Maori people. But he would show them you are direct descendants from these people in the Book of Mormon. So the fire side was to show non-members look, this book is true. So I mean it was a very powerful tool originally in the mission where but and my initial mission president actually served as a missionary years and years and years ago when they were riding horses in the middle of nowhere. And so you know he was dead set. It was actually a separate discussion like that we were supposed to memorize and teach. I mean that and now the church headquarters probably wouldn't have approved of teaching anything other than faith and repentance and baptism. But that my mission president was only in there for a couple months. And then when my new mission president came in there, President Smyper, he was like, no, you know, I'm not saying that's not important. You know, everything that was being taught was true. But you don't want people coming into the church just because of facts. You know, it's like farm research. You know, you don't want them saying because there was, you know, bones in South America, the Book of Mormon is true. So he he was very different in his you teach by the spirit you teach by the Book of Mormon. So there was a big shift. But like a lot of things people get, you know, missionaries get culturally ingrained just like members do. And so he had to kind of do some cleaning of the house in the mission of breaking those habits that stop focusing, you know, don't spend all your time at these firesides that this guy puts on, you know, teach by the spirit. So again, where I was at, that was a very common practice where he would do these firesides and very large minority population. And so it was just it was a really unique place to serve because the culture was so strong there. Whereas you go into Auckland, you know, it's just a normal city. The the minorities that are there a little bit more not as interested in their culture. Whereas again, the further more rule you get out, it's like their hardcore about their roots, their traditions and so on and so forth. Sometimes to a fault where it because or so. I mean, I think some of the was Elder Oaks gave a talk a few years ago where he kind of chastised the church culturally saying, look, if your culture is keeping you from like following the gospel, give up that culture. So there was some traditions and beliefs held by the minority population in general that, you know, some people wouldn't join the church because that, you know, that butted head. So it was an interesting, pretty cool dynamic to come into.