Love One Another

I've thought a lot about love this week. Pure Christ-like love and how powerful it can be. This past week we've been working with one of our investigators for them to read the Book of Mormon and recognize that it's true. They've listened to several missionaries before but it always ends up that they believe the doctrine in their church and they're not willing to move to another church. They have a lot of crazy questions but I knew that as they kept their commitments that they could grow in faith and find that the Book of Mormon is true. I could see a change. But on Saturday when we went to them I could tell that the son and his friend were very hard-hearted and wouldn't be open to what we were going to share with them. He had a really hard time believing that there could be other scripture. We asked him how he learned that the Bible was true. He answered that he had read it and fasted and prayed. We invited him to do the same with the Book of Mormon. He refused. The mom then intervened and apologized for the things her son said. Really, it wasn't even rude, he was just sharing what he felt...but there are a lot of people here in Tonga that feel it's disrespectful. I told them I was grateful for his honesty and although we know our message to be true and we want them to read the Book of Mormon, we respect their agency and we won't force anything on them. Then all the sudden my heart was overwhelmingly filled with love for this family. I felt like I had known them forever and I had the greatest desire for them to know of these truths. Tears ran down my cheeks. I really hate crying, especially in lessons, because it's hard for me to speak...especially in Tongan. But I told them that I love them so much and we will always be their for them no matter what they need. Then I looked at my companion to talk cause I couldn't. My heart was just overfilled with love. After everyone went around (one by one) and expressed what they were thinking and feeling, apologizing, etc....that's a normal thing here in Tonga...it got to the sister (Faka'osi) she thanked me. She said that I was the first missionary that has ever shed a tear and that she feels so warm and happy and full of love every time we come. She asked us to please come back and share 'cause she likes learning about our church. I noticed in that moment the importance of showing and sharing Christ's love with everyone. They invited us to kai umu yesterday (eat lu) and it was fun. I love that family so much and I believe one day they'll come around a join the church!

We celebrated the duali (light celebration) at the house of our investigators from Fiji that are Hindu. We just ate sweets and stuff. It was SO sweet. But it was fun! President and Sister Tuione showed up.

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sister Reid