Koji, a Buddhist Monk

This week we went to Tonga for Mission Leadership Conference and it was so amazing! We all had to role play a different lesson using questions...and it was straight death haha but I learned so much!! I'm so grateful for my mission president and for him pushing us to be our best, I know he loves us! Also...we got to stay in a little house with Air Conditioning in Tonga and it was AMAZING!

Yesterday, a Buddhist Monk from Japan came to our ward and he only knows Japanese and a decent amount of English (wishing I was Emily Kenney and could speak to him in Japanese;), so during second hour we talked to him and he couldn't understand everything we were saying but he asked about the pictures of the prophet and apostles on the wall and he was so surprised that they are still alive! There was a stake fireside last night so we invited him to it and he was so excited! So he came even though it was in Tongan. They had me and another Elder speak (without much warning..so that was a little scary...but thankfully the Spirit helps!) and I was able to end my testimony in English for him. Afterwards, a member from the Stake Presidency got up and told us that Koji (the Japanese man) is the most important man in the room and told a RM from the states to go sit by him so he could understand what's going on. He leaves tomorrow but we're going to give him a Japanese Book of Mormon and he said he'll look up the church website!

Today is transfers. We'll find out tonight what will happen. Sister Vaa'i finishes next transfer so we'll probably just stay but who knows! Let you know next week :)

Ofa Atu!

Sister Reid

Question: Who is God? How would you describe God to someone who doesn't believe in God, and to someone who does but not in the way we do? (He has a body, His plan for us, the Godhead are 3 separate beings, etc.) Find scriptures, questions you could ask them, and write down how you could explain it clearly to someone!

Oku ou kamata ke sino (I am starting to get fat)

In Tonga it's totally normal to talk about people's weight. I think I've been told over 4 times this week that I'm starting to look fat. hahaha I don't think I've gained too much weight but I think my face is getting a little wider haha. It's so funny, they say that I don't eat enough and I need to get fat! But luckily since I'm a girl from America they don't push too hard when I say I'm full..but I eat enough for them not to be offended. It's hilarious! 

There's this saying on the Ward Mission Leaders wall that I love! It says:

I'm too Blessed to be Stressed,

too Anointed to be Disappointed.

I refuse to be discouraged, 

to be sad or cry.

I refuse to be downhearted

and here's the reason why:

I have a God who is almighty,

who is sovereign and supreme. 

I have a God who loves me 

and I am on His team.

I refuse to be defeated!

My eyes are on my God!

He has promised to be with me 

as through this life I trod.

I love this so much. God is with us always and we have every reason in the world to rejoice because of that! Don't let Satan get you down.

This week we're going to Tongatapu again for MLC and I'm super excited! I'll let you know how it goes. Love you all so much!

Sister Reid

Question for the week: I feel my church is right and it has blessed my life, why would God tell me now to change the church I go to? 

The Power of The Book of Mormon

This week our mission finished reading the Book of Mormon in 30 days. We'd been given an extra hour to read and it's been an amazing experience! I also started reading the Tongan Book of Mormon this week to read it straight through. It's crazy because I remember reading the first few chapters of the Tongan Book of Mormon before I entered the MTC and wanting to know what all the words meant. And at that point, other than the few words I picked out from comparing it with the English one, those words had no meaning to me. Now, they mean so much to me. I understand what it's talking about! The Tongan Language is so powerful! I feel the Spirit so strong as I read. It's truly beautiful. I'm still learning all the vocab in the Book of Mormon but it's amazing to think that words that didn't mean anything to me as of just 4 months ago are now part of my vocabulary and I am able to express my thoughts using those words. The Book of Mormon is so powerful. 

My Christ-like attribute for this month to focus on is "Knowledge". It's incredible because as we gain more knowledge through study and faith (like for me studying the doctrines of the gospel and the language) we become more capable instruments of the Lord. We're able to be brighter vessels for the Spirit to work through. The Spirit is the real teacher. Literally can't do it without His help. 

Upgraded Shower this Week: Bucket shower --> Cold shower from the shower head --> heated shower!! They just came and installed a water heater in the shower this week. Living the life haha!

Question for the week: WHY is it important for us to accept Christ as our Savior and Redeemer?

President came out to Eua this week and we discussed this question. It's important for our investigators to understand the answer to this question. In the Baptismal Interview we ask "Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world?" They may answer yes, but do they really understand why? Do we really understand why? When people know the why they will then do the how. We focus on this question in the first principle in lesson #3. I really enjoyed my studies on this question this week and chapter 3 in Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage had a lot of very good insights.

I'm grateful to be a part of this work. It is amazing and such a privilege. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I know this is His work.

OFA LAHI ATU <3

Sister Reid

Our Savior Lives

Guess what?! No more bucket showers!! They came and hooked up our water tank to our shower and toilet so we get to have real showers now...I'm pretty excited! haha

This week all of our investigators went to Tonga to go right before school starts up next week. Also, it was Eua's week to go to the temple so almost all of our members were gone to...so it was a little bit of a struggle. BUT we went on vilo hoa with the other Sisters in 'Eua on Tuesday and Wednesday so that was good...and we got to teach someone in ENGLISH! 

I was on exchange with Sister Langi (she's from Tonga but knows a good amount of English) and we were tracting in her area and we came to this nonmember house who had visitors from Australia. One 20 year old girl came out of the house and said that her family is super strong catholic and there's no way they'll listen or change but she said she'll listen to what we have to say, mostly because she's doesn't know Tongan and just wants to speak to someone who knows English. It was very different from all others lesson I've taught in Tonga because one, I wasn't the one struggling with the language haha and two, she's not really religious. She went to the Catholic church as kind of a family thing but doesn't really know what she believes. She believes in a higher power but doesn't know what it is...and feels that life starts at birth and ends when we die. The lesson went really well! She asked tons of questions and said she'd start reading the Book of Mormon to begin her quest to find what she really believes. She was heading back to Australia and wasn't really interested in having missionaries come teach her so I gave her the church website to look up and she seemed excited about that. I was so blessed to be in that area that day and to be guided to that house. It was amazing being able to teach more clearly and set a goal for me to work toward in teaching in Tongan :)

Oku ou ilo'i oku mo'oni 'ae Ongoongolelei o Sisu Kalaisi pea na'e mamahi pea pekia 'a Sisu Kalaisi ma'a e ngaahi angahala 'oe tokotaha kotoa pe kuo mo'ui pe 'e mo'ui 'i he mamani. Oku ou ilo'i oku mo'ui 'a etau Fakamo'ui mo Huhu'i. Oku ne ofa kiate kitautolu pea 'e tokoni kiate kitautolu 'i 'etau ngaahi faingata'a. 

Translation: I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and Jesus Christ suffered and died for the sins of everyone who has lived and will live on the Earth. I know our Savior and Redeemer lives. He loves us and will help us in our difficulties.

I'm so blessed to be apart of this work!

Sister Reid

p.s. I'm going to include a question at the end of each of my emails from now on for you to think about. I think it'll be good mission prep for those preparing to go on missions or good for anyone to help in their personal study. Thinking and pondering questions has enhanced my study.

This is a question a Baptist man asked us: "How do you KNOW Joseph Smith was a prophet, and how do people who go to other churches know their church is true? and I know that my church is true."

To study (write in a study journal):

1. Think of what you would say...how would you clearly explain your thoughts

2. What questions could you ask him to open a discussion and guide them to learn truth

3. What scriptures support your answer or could help explain

The Spirit--the Real Teacher

First off, I GOT MY CHRISTMAS PACKAGE. Better late than never :) Wow you went way beyond anything I expected. It felt like Christmas with all the Christmas wrapping and stuff...so cute!! We picked it up from the office and we were staying with a couple of sisters (Sister Pinnock and Sister Tu'itivake) so I opened it and we all shared some goodies. And the rest made it home safely to 'Eua. MALO AUPITO!!!!! (thank you very much!)

Mission Leadership Conference was wonderful!! I learned so much. Felt a little inadequate being there but SO grateful! We did role play in groups from a principle from lesson 4 using only inspired questions. Sister Vaa'i started and then turned to me and at first I didn't know what to say. And then questions began to come into my mind and I felt the Spirit so strong. Afterwards, Sister Vaa'i told me that some of the questions I'd asked had come into her mind at the same time..it was pretty cool.

I got to go to the temple and it was so amazing since it was all in Tongan! I understood a lot and it felt like home :)

We went on vilo hoa with Sister Bever and Sister Emch and it was wonderful. They are both pretty new but such hard working missionaries! I went with Sister Emch...she's been out for 6 months and both of us struggle a little with the language but we ended up teaching 7 lessons and they all went well! One lesson was with a less active lady we just found and the whole lesson was completely led by the Spirit. We'd never taught together before and hadn't even talked about teaching this lesson, but the transitions were smooth and the woman opened up and shared about her desire to come back to church and about her challenge with smoking. It's amazing what the Spirit can do when we rely on Him.

A couple of random things:

-People walk around with umbrellas or shirts over their head because they don't want to become darker from the sun

-When you leave someone's house or walk by they call out "Sister Reid , eh?" And you reply with "Yo!" At first I felt like some sort of gangster but now it's just normal haha

-There are a lot of Tongans who are members that cover their walls with the pages from Church magazines.

-Also, I've eaten Horse and Octopus!

Hope you're all doing well!! Stay strong in the face of adversity and know that God is always one your side and he will never leave you alone!

OFA LAHI ATU KIATE KIMOUTOLU <3

Sister Reid

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016

Guess who rang in the new year first?! Tonga ('Eua) babyyyyy!! :) Sister Vaa'i and I were sleeping and next thing we new we were getting shot! haha jk it was just fireworks going off in front of our house but it scared us so bad! But I'm excited for this new year--I have a feeling it's going to be best year of my life yet. 

Sorry I didn't email last week, the hard drive at the church was a bit broken. But it's fixed :) Christmas was great, pretty chill. We got to eat food on the beach so that was fun!

Sooo Sister Vaa'i and I got called to be Sister Training Leaders and so we get to fly to Tonga (yes, on that tiny airplane) on Tuesday for Mission Leadership Conference! We were a little nervous it wouldn't work out cause there had been a cyclone warning the past couple days..but it just look super cloudy and rain and the cyclone never happened..thankfully! While in Tonga, we're going to be able to vilo with two palangi sisters! One of them who entered with me so I'm super excited! Also, we get to go to the temple!!!! I'm seriously so excited :) So we'll leave tomorrow morning and come back on Thursday!

Sorry this is so short, I didn't have much time this week...but hope you're all doing well! I love this work and know God is in charge! Also, help the missionaries in your areas...the work is a struggle without the members! 

OFA LAHI ATU!

Sister Reid

I'm Dreamin of a White Christmas

The weather here is very bipolar (kinda like Utah haha) but I think I've sweat more these past couple days than I have in my entire life. Just kidding, but it's been HOT! I think I've gained a couple pounds since I've gotten here but pretty sure I'm almost back to where I started thanks to my beautiful uniform :) 

This past weekend has been very spiritually uplifting. We got to watch a recording of President Peason's --president of the pacific area -- meeting with the missionaries in Tongatapu (the main island) and it was amazing. He talked about how we're blessed with agency which means there needs to be opposition so we can make choices. There's a difference between AGENTS and OBJECTS. And object has no choices, it has to react. However, we are agents. When someone's annoying we can choose whether to be annoyed or to acknowledge that they're being annoying but continue to love. We choose the fruits of the Spirit (love, peace, joy) or things that are not of the Spirit (anger, fear, frustration). When we partake of the sacrament worthily, in that moment we again covenant with our Father that we will keep ALL our covenants (20 year old covenants become new again every week) and He again promises His Spirit (which gives us power). In that moment we are completely clean and acceptable to our Heavenly Father. Then as we go throughout our day we are given choices and we choose to keep that Spirit with us or choose something else--because we are agents!

Yesterday, I was thinking about this a little deeper during sacrament and I felt the Spirit so strong and felt pretty emotional. President Tukuafu (not exactly sure of his calling...maybe was in the 70? I'm not sure but something higher than a Stake President) and the Stake Presidency all came to our meeting and right before President Tukuafu got up to speak he turned to the Brother conducting and the Brother got up and said that I (Sister Reid) would share my testimony first. I was a little surprised for like half a second and then I was filled with so much peace and I got up there and expressed my feelings and testimony in some pretty rough Tongan--mostly rough cause I was crying. But although it was a struggle, I meant every word I said and felt the Spirit so strong.

President Tukuafu got up and thanked me for my testimony and said that before the meeting, when he shook my hand and talked to me for just a minute, he forgot everything he was going to say in the meeting and felt impressed to have me share.

Well I'm not sure why that was the case but I definitely feel that it was a tender mercy from the Lord letting me know that he is aware of me and my desires. I love this work! 

I hope everyone has a very MERRY CHRISTMAS as you remember our Savior, Jesus Christ.

OFA LAHI ATU KIATE KIMOUTOLU <3

Sister Reid