Week 71



Kia Ora Whanau

Pisi le ualoka samoa! The Samoan ward keeps us so so busy! This week we didn't even have the records of the samoan members from other areas of the city, just those in our original area and we were so crazy busy. We have no down time and it's the best! Next week when we get everyone's records it's going to be insane! It's such a miracle and a blessing. I love the samoan ward! The language is a struggle but again, the gift of tongues is so real! I can mostly follow the general idea of conversations which is good enough for me to be able to add in my part, especially when teaching. I am so grateful that Sister Crichton is such a strong missionary because she is able to do so much for us with her language skills.  

On Tuesday we had to go through our area book and send all of the non samoan records to the elders in the English ward. We didn't think it was going to take that long but it took forever! We finally got it done though and spent the rest of the day biking and visiting people. Our dinner appointment lives far away and when I first saw the location on the map I thought "what the heck that's not even in our area!" And then I remembered that the entire stake is our area hahaha. 

On Wednesday we taught the restoration to a recent convert and it was so powerful. Sister Crichton taught in Samoan and I taught in English. I was a little bit worried about how well it would go because I couldn't understand what Sister Crichton was saying, but the spirit made up for it and allowed me to say the things that needed to be said. At the end, Sister Crichton asked if I could understand what she was saying because apparently everything that I said totally flowed and testified of what she taught. The spirit is so amazing for making that happen. 

We also started teaching a new person on Wednesday! He is the father of someone we are already teaching and all I have to say about that is Sis Crichton is the best because she did all the hard work!

Thursday I swear all we did was eat. Every home we visited they fed us proper meal. I was so maoga (full). We made some really good visits though and found a lot of potentials and set some return appointments! I don't think I'll ever be  hungry in this area.

Friday we ate a lot again lol. We did service for a member in the morning and before we did service they fed us breakfast. The service took 30 minutes and then they fed us lunch. I though I was going to explode! But we got to meet and build a relationship with their non member parents so we are going to go back next week and hopefully start teaching them.

Friday night we had our weekly sport night. I talked to one girl who isnt avtive and she told me that she wants to come back to church and she thinks that the samoan ward is going to help her do that. She told me that she was coming to church on Sunday and that she was going to bring her non member partner! And then the bee tpart is she did! 

Saturday was such a good day. We had an appointment with a man who hasn't been to church in 7 years and we talked about why the samoan ward was formed so that he could come to church and learn the gospel in his own language and so that his family could receive the blessings of the gospel. We invited him to come to church and he said he will come every week and bring his daughters! Then the best part is he actually came on Sunday! I was lowkey shocked but it was a miracle. 

We also did a service with the stake on Saturday where we helped turn the land where a chapel used to be before the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011 into a public garden. Then we biked in the rain all over. We taught a part member family and I really feel like now is the time for the Dad to accept the gospel!

Sunday was the first Sunday of the Samoan ward and it was so miraculous. Sister Crichton and I fasted for the area and that fast was answered because there were so many miracles at church. There were 6 non members that attended and heaps of less active people that I couldn't even begin to count. There was one lady who came and she introduced herself and told us that this is the first time shes come to church in 5 years. She got pretty emotional and it was so touching! I am so blessed to be serving in this area because it is just full of miracles. The spirit that was in that meeting was so strong. I didn't understand heaps of what was said but I understood the spirit that I felt. 

We spent the rest of Sunday biking and visiting members inviting them to bring friends to church. We also has dinner at a members house and she had he nine member family over. They arent interested but the great thing is that the 10 year old son came to church and really liked it and the Samaon ward is really motivating people to do missionary work!

My spiritual thought this week is from Doctrine and Covenants 84:85, "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man." I always share this scripture with my trainees so that they don't worry about not knowing what to say when teaching or contacting people, but this week it really meant more to me. The majority of the time when we are visiting and teaching people I don't know what is being said and it could be very easy for me to worry about what I'm going to say when it's my turn to speak because I dont know what has or has not been taught yet. But as I do my studies and prepare myself as well as I can I can trust that it doesn't matter that I dont know what is being said because the spirit will give me the words I need to speak in the very moment that I say them. I saw it happen so many times this week, it was so incredible. I testify that the promises made in the scriptures are so real and Heavenly Father keeps them! 

Ofa Atu

Sister Olson 

Pictures: 

- a member made me a skirt with samoan material to wear to church and it matched my biking outfit perfectly haha. Blue for the blue bike, purple for the purple peddles, highlighter yellow for my high vis vest haha

- two of my daughters at the stake service

- biking with Sister Crichton.

- Sister Siale selfies