MERRY CHRISTMAS--I'm going to Vava'u!

So this is a quick little email just to say hope you all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS aaaand my last transfer starts today and guess what? I'm moving to Vava'u tomorrow! We spent the morning packing up (my companion is moving to Havelu and is going to be the new STL here...so proud of her and gonna miss her like crazy :)..and Elders will be taking over our area...which I'm a little sad we're both leaving). 

Vava'u is a group of islands up north (about a 30 minute plane ride) and I'll be serving in Pouono (which is like the main city) and I'll be driving a car there. I'll be companions with Sister Masima (I think she's from Hawaii and has been out for about 3 transfers) but I'll meet her tomorrow and let you know more next week!!! 

Wish you all the best!! LOVE YOU!!

Sister Reid

Happy Holidays

I just love our investigators right now. They're so wonderful and I feel so happy every time we get to go and talk with them! I'll tell you a little about each of them:

Alisi--she's 89 years old (I told you about her last week) but we're planning on her baptism for this week! There are a few complications with her daughter not wanting her to be baptized...but we're getting that figured out. A lot of her other children are members and... she is so wonderful!!

Ma'u--I wrote about her a few weeks ago (we taught her on her birthday)..we're still teaching her but she was sick this past week so we just visited her. She's so so cute!! She wants to come to church so bad but they've been busy with the Christmas program in their church so her mom said they can't come. But I'm excited to keep teaching them this week!

Taleta--her husband passed away last year and her son is a member but less-active...she has responsibilities in her church she doesn't want to leave but she really wants to listen to learn more. When we taught her about the temple she had a lot of questions and we set up a time for her to go with a few of the members to the temple this week and sit in the waiting room. I'm excited for that!

Brittney--she's 15 years old her mom is less-active but doesn't want to come back to church but they've been being taught for quite a while now...and she's super shy to go to activities and stuff but she finally came to church yesterday!! I was SO happy!

We have some less-actives we're working with, a lot of them who are trying to stop smoking. 

There are several others we're working with but those are just a couple highlights...I love this work so much! Even though it's not easy...mentally one of the hardest things I've ever done...I'm so so blessed to be able to help in the Lord's work. I love my Savior and have felt more of His love as I've reflected on His life a little more this past week. 

We're having a mission Christmas party this week and each zone is doing some singing. I'm excited for that. I'm looking forward to a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Best wishes to you all...you're in my thoughts and prayers...the Savior loves you and because of His sacrifice we can overcome our weaknesses and shortcomings...love you all...keep lighting the world...

--Sister Reid

Mission Tour

This week we had mission tour with President Hallack which was absolutely wonderful! He talked a lot about keeping our goals for baptism in view. The talks by him and his wife as well as our mission president and his wife was so wonderful! We also got to have MLC with them on Saturday which was wonderful. 

We went to Atata on Thursday and it was SO hot!! I was literally gonna die, I felt like I couldn't even breathe...and the saddest thing about it was that we went with a few bottles of water but the people there had no water so we kept one and gave them the other two. They got one of the boys to climb the coconut tree to bring me and my companion a coconut to drink. I love coconuts! Luckily, that evening when the boat came to pick us up they brought some water with them for the people. 

We have an investigator in Atata named Alisi she's about 80 years old but is still in pretty good health. We taught her this past week and it was such a powerful lesson. She shared with us how badly she wants to see her husband again and talked about how much he loved her. I put my hands on hers and told her that she can see her husband again. We shared with her the Plan of Salvation and a little bit about the temple. We told her that her husband is learning these same things where he is at right now. She told me she would do anything to be able to see and live with him again...she asked me what she needed to do to be able to go to the temple. We told her to first, pray about our message, attend church on Sunday, and work/prepare to be baptized on the 24th of December. She told us that she will do her best to do those things. My heart was full of so much love for her! I learned 2 main things from that lesson: 1. How beautiful the knowledge we have that we can live with our families forever! 2. Future relationship goals...haha

I love this work!!! I'm so excited for Christmas even though it feels very different here...we bought a little stand of Christmas lights to put in our MQ this morning so now it feels a little more like Christmas in our house. I'm SO grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I've felt closer to Him this year than I ever have in my entire life. I'm so thankful for His sacrifice and love and I know He will NEVER leave us alone. I'm so blessed to have His example to follow. I know He lives. What JOY that sweet sentence give. 

OFA LAHI ATU,

Sister Reid