Week 17

Kia Ora Whanau!

Heavenly Father is real! That's all I've got to say for this week. 

Jokes, but seriously He is real and I saw His hand in this work so much this week. I always see His hand in this work, I see it every single day, but this week it was just so obvious. 

So to fill you all in on what I mean, this week Seiara was struggling a lot and really not herself. On Sunday I fasted that something would happen to help her and something did happen! We had a special training on Tueday in Wellington for some of the north island missionaries and so a bunch of them drove down on Monday night and spent the night. Sister Jones came down from her new area and the were assigned to spend the night in our flat, which meant that Tuesday morning she could go see Seiara at seminary. This was a little miracle because it made no logical sense for why Sister Jones and he companion would be assigned to come to our flat. From where they were coming from, they drove past 2 other flats that they could have stayed at, but Heavenly Father is real and in the detail and they came to our flat. 

Tuesday morning, Sister Jones and I ran to the chapel during morning exercise so that she could see Seiara, and Seiara was so so so excited to see her. It was really brief, but later that morning she texted us telling us how much she needed that and how much of a help it was. 

At the training on Tuesday, Brother Donaldson from the missionary department in Salt Lake gave some really insightful and helpful training. We learned how to plan better, how to better help people progress, how to find people to teach better, basically just how to be way better missionaries. Now I'm not gunna lie, I was stressing out hard during the whole day because I didnt know what to do to help Seiara, I didn't know how to be a better trainer for Sister Hutia, and just all the guidance we were getting was a little overwhelming. I was praying for some answers of how to do everything I needed to do and then I remembered what my parent always told me, to choose to not get overwhelmed. So I tried my best and I took a deep breath and I gave it all over to the Lord. As I did that, the revelation started to flow. My questions were getting answered left right and center. I walked away from the training feeling so much better because I relied 100% on Christ. This is His work and so you have to let Him do it through you, you can't do it alone. The training answered so many prayers and I felt very close to Heavenly Father.

Wednesday was Waitangi Day. I don't really know what it is, but it's a public holiday and so the ward did a ward walk and bbq. We walked 5km and then cooked some sausages and played games. A random thing that they do here, is when ever they have got dogs for a big group, they don't buy hot dog buns, they just buy bread and they use a slice of bread for the bun. Anyways, it was fun but cold. Everyone was expecting it to be warm and sunny so no one had a jacket, it was a struggle. After the ward activity, we went to Wainuiomata to have lunch with one of the people we are teaching, Jill, and her member friend, Craig. Craig made fry bread and it was so delicious! We read the Book of Mormon with them and were able to talk about the peace and true joy that the gospel can bring to people. Craig and Jill are both ex Jehovah's witnesses so it was really awesome to have Craig their to resolve concerns that I wouldnt have even guessed would be a concern but are when you have a Jehovah's witness background. I think she really felt something so hopeful she follows through and reads and prays about it like she said she would. We also had our first lesson with Michael Wilson. He has no religious background so we had to teach the  basics. He closed the lesson with a prayer and it was so heartfelt and sincere. He is really keen, we just have to take it slowly. Slow is all good, as long as we are moving. That is something I have learned this transfer. 

On Thursday we had a lesson with Jenny! We read the Book of Mormon with her and then invited her to read and pray about it and pray if taking the lessons again is something that Heavenly Father wants her to do. She closed the lesson with a prayer and it was really powerful. I get so much joy when I hear the people we are teaching pray. Her main concern, really, is her mobility. She is a lot less mobile than she was a few years back when she was being taught, and she's not sure if she can do it because of it. I can tell Satan is going to use it against her as a mental block to try and stop her from coming unto Christ and joining His church, but with God nothing is impossible. 

On Friday we had a lesson with Daniel, we had his member friend there which was really good at the beginning, but towards the end of the lesson they started getting distracted. We taught him about the Rsstoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and he says he believes it, but he also believes that other people restored it too. So we invited him to pray about it and ask God if Joseph Smith is the one prophet that was called to restore the church. Hopefully he follows through because he would be such a solid member!

Saturday we had a lesson with Seiara and it was so good! Sister Hutia took a huge lead in the lesson and her teaching in English was so good! It's crazy how fast her English is improving! I can testify of the gift of tongues, watching Sister Hutia these last 3 weeks is evidence of it. We taught Seiara about the atonement and how Christ and His atonement is literally the only way back to Heavenly Father. We had a great discussion about it and the spirit was for sure there. Throughout the lesson she kept referring to herself as if she was already a member and the  she would catch herself and say "well like not yet but soon". It was such a blessing to see her back to normal. 

Sunday was a big day for seeing the Lord's hand! In sacrament meeting, Sister Hutia sang a solo at the beginning of the meeting and it was so beautiful. Then she also was asked to bear her testimony and she did it with such confidence and her English was so good! I felt like a proud mom. Then we taught young women's which was super fun. The big event of Sunday though was the stake fireside. The fireside was all about people's conversion stories. 3 members of the stake shared their story and it was so powerful! Seiara came and so did her Mom! It was so awesome for her mom to be there because she got to see real people and the blessing that membership in this church has been for them and she got to feel the spirit. Each of the 3 speakers said things that I know directly apply to Seiara. The last speaker was a member of our bishopric. He shared how last night he recieved some revelation that his talk was suppose to be aimed directly at someone. He said he didnt know who, but that he hope's they act upon the things they have heard and felt tonight. When he said that, Seiara hit me and the gave me a look that I knew meant that she knew it was her he was talking to. Like I said, Heavenly Father is real! 

After the fireside, this YSA gurkha not in our ward came up to us and gave us this super great refferal and said that she would be down to organize something so we could all meet up together! It was so random but so perfect! Again, Heavenly Father is real!

So that was my week! It started out stressful but turned out to be really powerful. For my spiritual thought, all I want to say if that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live. They know and love each and everyone of us individually and completely. I know that all they want is for us to return back to live with them in the Celestial kingdom and so they gave us the gospel so we would know how to return. This gospel is the only way back, and the greatest blessing any of us could receive. Going on a mission is the best because you get to see other people's testimonies of the gospel grow, and as a result yours grows as well. You don't go on a mission for you, you go because you love Heavenly Father, and He loves His children. If you are wondering if you need to serve a mission or learn more about the church or come back to church, if you are looking for some kind of sign or answer, this is it. There is no greater blessing than to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, and no great privilege than to serve as full time missionary and represent Him every single day. 

Ofa Atu

Sister Olson 

We stole a mattress from the Elders' flat last Monday night for Sister Jones and her companion who were staying the night, and it didn't fit in the car very well

The mattress from Monday night, just barely fitting in the car

We went on a hike this morning and Sister Hutia and Elder Hala almost didnt make it up but they were motivated by McDonald's to keep going

View from the hike