Rain for dayyys

I learned how to do an inside-out braid this week and it's actually way easier than doing a normal braid...why have I never done this before?? haha

Also, I forgot to tell you...but I ate DOG (kuli) a couple weeks ago! I didn't have very much but it wasn't too bad.

It rained a lot this week...which makes it a real struggle especially with the dirt roads. On Friday evening, we were walking and all the sudden it started pouring rain so we went under a big tree and waited for it to calm down but it just rained harder. So we got a plastic bag from the house next door, put our bags and ta'ovala s in it, and walked out into the rain. We were soaked in like two seconds. Everyone was outside playing and they told us to stay out there with them so we just watched them play..nothing we could really do. But now we're friends with all the Weslyian (Methodist) kids!

Most of the people in our area have been baptized at some point in their lives but have fallen away and now attend another church. I've been thinking a lot about why that's happened to so many. During a lesson this past week we asked a less active we were teaching to read the Book of Mormon. She used to be a really strong member of the church. But as tears filled her eyes she said couldn't because her preacher said she couldn't and that she was just happy with the church she was in now.

The next morning I was reading chapter 5 in Preach My Gospel and it says, "The Book of Mormon, combined with the Spirit, is your most powerful resource in conversion." I'm beginning to recognize more completely why the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion--it's through reading the Book of Mormon that we can know for ourselves it is true. Did a young boy write this or is it an ancient record that has been brought forth and translated for our day? And if it is true then the gospel is true...and what are we going to do about it?

We must read the Book of Mormon EVERY SINGLE DAY so we can gain a deeper testimony of this Gospel, our Savior, living day prophets, the Priesthood, etc. We cannot afford going a single day without reading from its pages...things are going to get hard, they already are, and we need to have a testimony that is firmly planted...when questions arise, we need a testimony of the Book of Mormon that is continually being fed so that we can tolerate the uncertainty we feel while staying true to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must be willing to experiment upon the word (Alma 32:27-28) and we must desire to know and be willing to act.

Hope you're all doing well. Ofa Lahi Atu!

<3 Sister Reid (Ridi (reedee), Liti (Leetee), Red, and everything else I've been called...my last name has never been a struggle before)

Amanakilelei = Hope (Amanaki-to expect/expectations) (lelei-good) =to expect good or good expectations