Monday, April 28, 2014

Watch Out Where You Sit

Hello Family!!!

First of all sorry too much about last week...the internet has been no
good here lately. Thanks for all of the fotos!!! You all look great! Man everyone is
getting so old!! Mason is HUGE!!!! I don't even recognize him! haha.  It looks like Easter was a huge success another great Easter Egg hunt with Grandpa Brown!

This week was a great week! I really could not have asked for a better week. Last Monday we had an Easter Monday activity at both our branch in Litz Litz and our unit in Tautu.  We spent the morning cooking with all the mamas and then played all afternoon and closed
with a devotional in the evening.  It was a huge success! One of our investigators Mama Klaris came with her whole family. She has been investigating the church for years, but her husband was  blocking her from joining.  When we first started coming to visit her her husband would literally run every time he saw us coming.  We started praying
and praying every day that Papa God would soften his heart somehow.  A month later we started to see changes. I knew we were making progress when for the first time last month he came and shook hands with us.  I was like.."Uh huh...there ya go...slow slow.." haha.  A few weeks later he came and sat on the edge of the bench while we taught Mama. The next week we came Mama told us that Papa had quit kava and smoke and that she caught him reading the Buk of momon 3 times that week. Since then, every time we come to see Mama, Papa will come and participate in the lesson.  We invited him to come to church last week, but he didn't come.  I was like.. "Oh no..Papa God has worked way too hard on you for you to slip away..I am not giving up on this one."  


Monday we were on our way to the activity and we decided to go and try to invite him to come.  And guess what? He came! Him, mama, and all the kids came to the activity
and stayed the whole time. Papa was all smiles the whole time and now he calls us to make sure we are coming every day.  It is amazing how Papa God can work to soften even the hearts that seem like they are too hard.  I am glad too much because we have been fasting and praying to find a family to bring into the gospel and there ya go. The
joys of missionary work.

Okay so I have to tell these two funny stories because I was dying. Okay so we have had bad luck with sitting this week. First one, we were teaching a recent convert Glendon.  His house was chaotic so we went down to a little shelter down by the beach.  There were us
three, him and a member and so we could not all sit on the bench. Seeing that there was not enough sitting space I grabbed a small cut tree stump and put it down for me to sit on.  Everyone had sat down to start the lesson, and I went to sit down.  Next minute I was falling
backwards with my legs failing in the air.  I guess I didn't plant the tree stump as firm as I thought. When I got my skirt pulled back down, I looked at everyone else and they busted out laughing.  hahaha I was so embarrassed and so I tried to act like nothing happened. I was
like.."Well, now the spirit is here, let's start" haha how embarrassing.


The next story wasn't me thank goodness! But it was a similar situation.  We were teaching two new investigators and a Papa had come with us to help us.  Sista Vieho, papa,Sista Tenge and me were sitting on a bench teaching when all of the sudden we heard this big crack and I looked over and sister vieho and papa were on the ground and the
bench was snapped in half..hahahaha we were ded laughing....lesson to
be learned...watch out where you sit...hahahaha.

I love my mission.  I love watching Papa God work with people's hearts.  I love watching people change their lives.  I know that every single one of you has the ability and responsibility to do missionary work.  There are people all around us that need our help.  President Monson said, "Along your pathway of life you will observe you are not the only traveler.  There are others who need your help.  There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save."  As we go about our daily activities let us look around with the eyes of Christ.  Be aware, and Papa God will help you help one of His children.  You could be the answer to someone's prayer today.  Don't delay a prompting to help someone that you meet on your way.  You never know the effect you can be on someone else's life.  I know that when life gets hard the best way to look is outward. Instead of focusing on yourself and what is not good, turn outward just as Christ did.  I hope you all have a great week!! :) I love
you!!! :)

Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Dream

Hello Family,

Wow! It is awesome to hear all of the mission calls in our ward. They are about to have the absolute time of their lives. I am glad too much for them. I feel so old. I remember all of them when they were little little kids. Man time flies. I bet Amy and Eden had a great experience
in Ghana. That is one experience in my life that has helped me heaps and heaps on my mission. I will never forget the times I had there with World Joy. 


That picture of Mase was so cute. You always are the best at packing snacks. I am sure his mom is so glad that Granny is so nutritious. I am jealousy that you all hiked to Ensign Peak. That is one something I want to do when I get home.

We haven't had the janis to watch Conference yet, but I am hoping the
disc and the portable dvd player come on the next ship!! Keep your fingers crossed.
What a small world.  The couple Brother Anderson talked to in the Conference Center is from my mission. Wow, it shows how the gospel binds everyone together all around the world. Crazy, crazy!

This week was a little slow. I have had a lot of sick sisters to take care of. More playing doctor than being a missionary, but sometimes that happens. We have seen a lot a lot
of blessings this week from the power of the Priesthood. I am happy to say that all the
sisters in Malekula are back on their feet now.  Now we will be able to go back out to work
this week.


This week we had a great experience with one of our investigators Ann Rose.  We had been having a hard time with her.  She told us that she wanted to be baptized, but then the next time we bin come she told us that she did not feel like she was ready yet.  We were a little confused because she knows so much about the gospel.  This week I had been thinking a lot about her and I got the impression that we needed to ask her about her experience with the Book of Mormon.  We went out on Saturday and talked with her about the Book of Mormon again.  She said that she had read, but she had not prayed about it. We explained that she was holding evidence of the truthfulness of everything we have taught her.  The Book of Mormon is the key to developing a strong testimony inside the church.  We committed her to read and pray and came to see her on Sunday. 

 On Sunday we asked her about her experience and she shared one of the sweetest experiences with us. She explained that in a dream that night she was on a railroad track.  She looked ahead and the rail line split.  She had to choose which way to go but she had no idea where to go.  All of the sudden she looked back and a train was coming, she started to cry because she didn't know which way to go.  The train was approaching really fast and then she saw a man run to approach her.  She cried and asked him to help her know where to go.  The man took her by the hand and said, follow me and I will show you the way.  He led her to the right path.  When the train had passed she looked at the man and said, "Who are you and why did you save me?" He smiled and said, "My name is Thomas S. Monson. If
you follow me you will never be lost." She then went on to bear her testimony about how she knew Papa God had answered her prayer and how she knew the church was true.  She will be baptized in two weeks time!


Papa God hears and answers each one of our prayers in His own way and in His own time.  How blessed are we that we have a loving, powerful Father who pleads with us to ask Him for help.  I know that if we will ask Him with faith, believing that He will help us, he will never let us down.  He will always answer.  I love this gospel and I love being a missionary!
Have a great week!

Monday, April 7, 2014

Zone Conference

Dear Family,

This week we had the first Zone Conference on Malekula island.  The spirit was strong too much as we made history in the Vanuatu Port Vila Mission.  Malekula was never a zone and so this is the first time ever we have had Zone Conference. We met in a small bush chapel that one of the members made with his own hands.  It was absolutely amazing. President and Sister Brewer gave amazing training to us missionaries. I have such a high amount of respect and gratitude for Mission Presidents.  President and Sister Brewer have such strong sweet spirits and their wisdom will absolutely blow your mind.

I feel so blessed to be serving where I am at this time.  I can see how Papa God really is hastening his work for the second coming of the Savior. Nothing in this world can stop His work from moving forward.  I am so blessed to be able to be a part of this.  The church is growing at a rapid rapid pace and it will continue to do so until that day when He comes again.  I know that the Gospel of Jisas Kraes is the only thing that will bring happiness to people in this day and age. There is noother way to find peace and joy besides through the gospel.  As we set our foundation on the Savior and His teachings no winds or trials in life can tear us down.  We can never fall.  

I know that life is not easy.  A mission is far from easy, and life is hard and sometimes we
feel like it is too much.  But one thing we always have control over is our attitude.  Like President Monson said, " We can choose to have a positive attitude.  We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.  In other words, we can choose to be happy and positive,
regardless of what comes our way." What wise words to live by.  I love the Savior. I love my mission.  And I love all of you!!!! Have an amazing week!

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Slumber Party

Hello Family!

I am telling true when I say that time is flying by!  It looks like you all have had a blast in St. George! You all are always up to something fun and exciting!! Tell Benny to wait, the fun sister will be back in 2015! Tell all of those girly girls to get in the water! Sheesh!! It was
crazy to see the area of the condo bekegen! So many memories of our frequent trips down there, I am glad you all got to go! The good old suburban ride down to St. George. Poor Mase. I hate to say it, but I think it might have been the driver that made him puke. hahaha.

This week was a little crazy, but all is well for those who just go with the flow. haha. Monday and Tuesday a sister from another area in Malekula came and stayed with us.  She was waiting for her companion that came on Wednesday. There is not a lot of communication here and so we got a call 15 minutes before her flight landed telling us that
two new sisters were coming to Malekula to stay with us. We were pretty excited to go and greet all of them. Wednesday night every sister in Malekula stayed with us, that was a fun slumber party. We got another new companion. I am training one from Fiji and one from
Tahiti. The one from Tahiti, Sista Veiho,  is so nice but she speaks zero english, just French. Mainly we speak in sign language. It is awesome! When we don't understand each other, we just look at each other with that, you are so nice and cute but I cannot understand
a word you are saying look, and shrug our shoulders and laugh haha.

Wednesday night when all the sisters were staying with us I got a call at 9 telling me that me and the two Zone Leaders would be flying out tomorrow at 10.  (Elders and their communication skills...) haha.  I felt sorry leaving my two companions that couldn't speak to each other together, but I did not really have a choice. I tried my best to make plans for them so they were not completely lost, and I even gave them names of some French students to go visit, so Sista Veiho could at least talk to someone. :) I packed my bags that night and left the next morning.

Friday we had a leadership meetings with all the Zone Leaders and the two AP's in the mission with President and Sister Brewer. All the Zone Leaders have companions that are Zone Leaders with them but there are only three of us Sister Training Leaders in the mission, one for each island, so the sisters were well out numbered. President Brewer gave us great training and announced some exciting changes in our mission, it was a really exciting meeting. Me and the two Zone Leaders were supposed to fly back to Malekula on Saturday morning, but the Elders were holding the tickets and missed the flight time! haha But the work keeps moving no matter the delays. I got to go back and serve in my old eria in Ohlen until Monday morning when I came back to Malekula! It was seriously such a treat to be able to go back and see all of our recent converts in Ohlen! It really just showed me that when missionaries transfer the work does not skip a beat. Everyone keeps on progressing because it isn't about the missionary that teaches, but it is about this gospel that changes people's lives. Missionaries or teachers can change and change, but the message of the gospel will always be the same.  I got to see a bunch of recent converts that I bin teach when I was there and it was amazing to see how much their testimonies have already grown. Sometimes we are there to plant the seeds, but it sure is great to see the fruits of those seeds
later.

I am excited to get back into the swing of things this week and we also have Zone Conference. Thank you too much for all the packages you sent! I feel so spoiled!! I feel like I have everything I am going to need for the next 9 months. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I will start to use those medicines this week and let you know how the oils work. The pillowcases are adorable! Thank you too much for the hard work of making them!! I love them! And now guess what?? I HAVE A BED! No more sleeping on the floor for this sista!  I am pretty excited to use my new pillow case on my bed this week!

I love all of you! And I hope that you have a great week!! Keep
on making family pray and skripja study!!