Week 10

Kia Ora Whanau and Merry Christmas Eve!!!

This week was sooooooo long but also soooooooo fast. On Monday we went and contacted a couple potentials and we were able to get a new person to teach! His name is Martin and he is prepared. He is searching for the truth and says if something doesn't add up then he won't stick with it, which isn't an issue because we teach the fullness of the everlasting gospel. After we met Martin and shared with him the message of the restoration we went to contact another potential. This guy was not prepared and not looking for the truth. At first I thought if we could talk to him for a little while then the spirit would work on him and he'd be accepting of our message but it became obvious that he was just looking for a debate. It turned into a low key bible bash, which I tried to wrap up and end as quickly as possible but the guy just kept on talking and then Sister Jones got heated and started throwing bible facts at him. It was a side I had never seen in her before lol.

Tuesday we had to go into Wellington to go to the mission office to get the rest of Sister Tui'onetoa's things sorted. We also had our ward ministering night and we went carolling and handed out invitations to the special chrsitmas Sacrament meeting. One of the families we went carolling to was Hine and Mia (less active, part member). They seemed super happy and touched by the singing and they were excited to see the missionaries again. It was awesome because that was the third day in a row that we made positive contact with them and it really helped build our relationship with them. I see alot of potential in that family!

Wednesday is probably the most exciting day that we had. So last week one of the youth's friends came to church and on Wednesday we had our first lesson with her. Her name is Seiara and she is so golden! We taught her about the resoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and at the end of the lesson we asked if everything made sense and she said yes. Then we asked if she believed it to be true. We asked this rhetorically but before we could clarify that, she said "Ya I believe it. I've looked at a lot of other churches and this is the only one that makes sense. I really believe it." MAN I WAS SO EXCITED!!! I still get excited thinking about it. We committed her to pray about it and recieve a witness from the Holy Ghost that it's true, and we comitted her to read the Book of Mormon. So we got another new person to teach! She is so golden.

After our lesson with Seiara, we had a lesson with the Nickles. They are so lovely and kind. We taught them about the plan of salvation and committed them to read 3 Nephi 11 in the Book of Mormon. They are also prepared but they need us to take things slower for them.

Then after the Nickles we contacted the Fata family (the part member, less active family that seemed so prepared to come back to church) and they were very closed off. It was werid and frustrating because we have no idea what happened to make them go from ready to come back to church to not wanting to talk to us. We are praying lots to know how to help them.

Wednesday night we had our weekly lesson and meal with the Wilson's. We read Alma 32 with them and talked about needing to experiment upon the word, hoping it would help them keep committments. We then invited them to come to church on Sunday and they accepted right away! It was really nice having Sister Jones there to help push them since they aren't so comfortable with her yet. After our lesson with them I was mentally drained. I felt so many different emotions that day. We had three completley different lessons which took alot out of us, but it was so rewarding and the best day!

Thursday morning was interesting. We got a call from the other sisters in our Zone saying that Sister Barao was really sick and needed to go to the doctors. The closest doctor that is covererd by our insurance is in Wellington, and since I'm the designated driver, I drove into Wellington for the third time this week to take her to the clinic. While I was gone, Sister Jones, Sister Mamea, and Sister Tui'onetoa had a lesson with Martin. I was sad to miss it but it apparently went really well and he accepted things pretty easily. We have another appointment coming up this week!

Friday we had weekly planning, which took forever and then we also had our Zone Christmas party hosted by the Senior couples. It was so nice and fun! The church was all decked out in Christmas decorations and we had a solid christmas dinner. We got approval to watch The Greatest Showman, which I had never seen berfore. It felt a little weird to be watching a worldly movie but it was still good lol. We also had a cookie exchange and we came home with so many cookies, which we promptly gave away to people we are teaching. The party made it feel kind of like Christmas for a quick second, but then I walked outside and saw the green and the palm trees and it didn't feel like Christmas anymore lol.

Saturday we did some good service and cleaned a house for someone that the elders are teaching. We also got to teach Luke (a recent convert 9 year old) the second half of the plan of salvation during his follow up lessons. I am always so impressed with how much he remembers from the first time he took the lessons.

Sunday was awesome! The special sacrament meeting was so great and we had 4 of the people we are teaching show up! After sacrament we taught Seiara the second lesson. Before we could even start though, she asked what she had to do to become a member of our church and we told her she would need to get baptized. She said she want to get baptized because she beleives this is the restored gospel! It was so exciting!! We told her we would love to help her work towards baptism! We didn't set a date yet because Sister Jones and I both felt prompted to wait until our next lesson with her! But I know that when we extend a date for her to be baptized that she'll accept it!!! I feel so blessed to get to help her gain a testimony of this gospel.

My spiritual thought this week comes from the Topical Guide. When you look up the word 'obedience' in the topical guide, it says "see also walking with God". As I pondered on this I realized that as we are obedient we align ourselves with God and His will which allows us to walk with Him on our path to gaining eternal life. Walking with God will make our path back to Him a whole lot easier and enjoyable so we really need to be obedient in all things. I want to challenge everyone to find an area in their life where they can be more obedient and then work on it so that you can walk with God.

It's Christmas tomorrow! I am so excited to get to talk to my family! I love you all so much

Ofa Atu

Sister Olson