Week 25

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 Sunday as the Sabbath and then I bore testimony of the Book of Mormon. I told him that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion and so if it's true, then everything about the Church of Jesus Christ is true, but if it's not, then nothing is true. He told us that he believes its inspired by the Holy Ghost, but he is still struggling with the Sabbath Day. Honestly this one is just going to have to take some time, as he gradually has other spiritual experiences that will help him overcome his concern. 

So for morning exercise, we normally go on a little hike with a member. It's not in our area so we have to get permission. On Wednesday we forgot to get permission so we went on a walk in our area instead. As we were walking, a person in a wheel chair crossed the road and hit the sidewalk wrong and tipped their wheel chair. We all ran to help them up. Thankfully they weren't hurt and they continued on our way. It was crazy though because we were literally the only people around and we weren't even suppose to be there. It's just a testimony that the Lord knows all of his children and exactly what is happening in their life, so he allowed the 3 of us to be there in the time of need for this person.

On Thursday Sister Crichton was sick so we had to go into Wellington to go to the doctor's. Then we had to do emergency splits with the other sisters because we had an appointment with Seiara's parents to confirm her permission to be baptized. Her parents had some concerns with it because of the fact that she had been baptized as a child. So I studied like no one's business to know how to help them overcome their concerns. It was so cool because as I studied, so many thoughts and words came to my mind of what needed to be said so that we could get permission. The revelation was unreal. Then when we went to visit with her family, everything that we had been impressed to say was able to be said in a totally natural way to fit the conversation. It was honestly such a cool experience getting to recieve that kind of specific revelation. And to top it all off, we got permission for Seiars to be baptized! She will be baptized on Sunday April 14 at 6:30pm! So this week please keep her in your prayers! 

On Saturday I had exchanges with Sister Hutia. It was fun to be back with an old companion. She has grown as a missionary so much! It was so cool to get to see her and how she has changed from being very shy and timid to a powerful and outgoing missionary. It was pouring rain all day, but that didn't stop us from riding our bikes everywhere. 

On Sunday, we were supposed to have heaps of people come to church, but they all backed out and didn't come which was disappointing. But, Seiara came and she brought a friend! Her name is Jade, and we had the opportunity to teach her the Plan of Salvation. After the lesson, Seiara told us that Jade just kept reading and rereading the plan of salvation pamphlet that we gave her! Hopefully she will continue to be interested in the gospel and continue to learn about it. I am so impressed with Seiara though, because she is inviting her friends to hear the message of the restored gospel and she's not even a member yet. I think we all need to be more like her and freely invite those that we know and love. 

My spiritual thought comes from something I learned as I did my Come Follow Me study this week. In Mark 9:38-39 it says "Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.(39) But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me." When I read this I realized what they were actually talking about. Someone, who wasn't an apostle or someone close to Christ had been performing miracles in the name of Christ. I thought man that is so cool because this person is a "nobody", no one knows who they are, or what their name is, or how they know about Christ. Jesus didnt command them to perform miracles, the way he did the apostles. But this individual had so much faith in Christ and the power that is in his name, that they were able to perform miracles. I thought to myself, I am more like this person than I am one of the apostles. Not many people know who I am, I haven't been called and tutored by Christ himself, you could say that I am a "nobody", just like this individual. But being a "nobody", doesn't have to stop me from performing miracles in my life and the life of others. If I have enough faith in Jesus Christ, then I am able to go about doing good, just as this individual in the New Testament did. We all can perform miracles, big or small, if we simply have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Ofa Atu

Sister Olson

Koutou Katoa Ra 

Pictures: it was pouring rain but we were consecrated and still rode our bikes 






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