Sister Carmen Olson

Kia Ora Whanau So this week started off in Dunedin for zone conference. It was a really good zone conference, fun but spiritual and uplifting. The missionaries in out zone are all really solid and experienced which is nice. After getting home from zone conference we went to visit Donald and Theresa and had a really good lesson with them about prayer. Sister Tapumanaia and I were just bouncing off each other so nicely and the spirit was really there. Donald definitely felt it and got really excited about it and jumped into the conversation. When teaching, the goal is to make it a dialog and not a monologue which is honestly really hard to do, so it was really great to have him so engaged. Theresa was not as into the lesson which is a bummer. At the end of the lesson, Donald said to us, "Do you want to know something shocking? We're coming to church on Sunday." Both me and Sister Tapumanaia thought he was going to announce that Theresa was pregnant lol. But we were

Kia Ora Whanau I am now in Timaru and boy is it different from Lower Hutt. It's a small city with lots of hills and it's right on the coast. There isn't much of a bush, mostly deciduous trees. There are more older buildings and the houses are a lot bigger.  Our flat is huge! It's got 3 bedrooms and a giant kitchen. It is apparently the nicest flat in the entire mission, so blessings.  My companion, Sister Tapumanaia is so great! I love her, she's so much fun but also hard working and we get along so well. On Monday, before transfers, we had 2 dinners (typical of the Hutt). One at Seiara's house and the other with Hine and Mia. We taught Mia about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before the lesson, Sister Crichton and I talked about maybe inviting him to be baptized, but we didn't confirm it before the lesson. Then as Sister Crichton was teaching (in Samoan) I was doing my best to understand what was going on and then all of a sudden I hear her in

Kia Ora Whanau This week was so happy but so sad!  It was day light savings this week and because we're on the other side of the hemisphere we gained an hour, but my body is in such a routine that all week I was waking up at 5:30 instead of 6:30.  This week was focused on preparing for Seiara's baptism and finding people. Finding people was a bit of a struggle but we did get to start teaching a little girl in a part member family so hopefully we can help her and her family come to church!  We had a lesson with Daniel on Wednesday and we taught him about prophets and invited him to attend general conference (in New Zealand we watch it a week late because of the time change). He told us that if it wasn't for his belief that Saturday is the sabbath that he would get baptized. We told him that his concerns about the sabbath day are something he is going to have to take up with the Lord. But we encouraged him to keep reading his Book of Mormon and pray and come

Kia Ora Whanau, This week was wild! But next week is going to be even more wild!  On Tuesday, we had a lesson with Mia. It was 100% in Samoan, so my role was to keep the kids quiet so that the spirit could be there more strongly. It was really cool to get to watch Mia as Sister Crichton taught, because you could see it all click in his mind and his face would light up. Witnessing someone's conversion is truly a special thing.  We also had a lesson with Sheena on Tuesday. She was pretty awestruck at the message of the restoration. She said that she wants us to teach her kids as well which is exciting! She also promised that she would come to church on Sunday to hear our testimonies (she didnt come, sad).  After our lesson with Sheena, we had a lesson with Daniel and discussed why the Sabbath Day is on Sunday. He is so hung up on it and its really making it hard for him to progress. Sister Crichton did most of the explaining and read lots of scriptures that support S

Kia Ora Whanau  This week was a week of miracles!  So this transfer the zone has been doing an initiative based on some training we received last transfer, and this week we all prayed in our companionships and asked Heavenly Father who we needed to teach how to liken (apply) the scriptures unto themselves. Sister Crichton and I did it and recieved some really great revelation. Throw back to Tuesday, we went to teach Jenny. She hasn't really been progressing and so as we prayed, we both felt that helping her learn how to apply the scriptures to herself would help her. Sister Crichton and I both shared our favourite scriptures and discussed how they apply to us personally. I shared Words Of Mormon 1:7-8 : "And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will. 8 And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the r