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

Surprise Fakataha with Palesiteni and Sister Tupou

Sorry, I wasn't able to email yesterday--Pres and Sister Tupou (mission pres) came out for a fakataha (meeting) and they switched Pday to today. It was great! I'll tell you about it at the end of the email.

First, Sione got baptized! He made so much progress this past week (and didn't smoke at all). Also, they had a youth conference activity this past week that he was able to go to. And when Tongans put on activities they go all out. They had a mini MTC and all the youth got "mission calls" to the places where all the RMs in the ward served and had classes with them (cultural/spiritual). On the last day they had a tree of life activity. I wish I could've seen it 'cause it sounded sweet! They waited until it was getting dark and lit up a tree. They put blind folds on all the youth and had them hold on the rope that led to the tree. They played loud music, threw mud at them, and put a slip/slide under them with soapy water--once they made it to the tree they received fruit from the Stake Presidency. Sounds sweet right?

I love the Christmas season. It's definitely different being here where the sun is shining and not many Christmas decorations...but I hear a Christmas song here and there and it feels a little like Christmas. They have dances to celebrate Christmas season...but for the most part it doesn't seem that different..at least here in Eua.

So...about President coming. It was a wonderful meeting and I learned so much! He talked a lot about the higher level of teaching and teaching as Christ taught -- using questions. We're not here to teach others as objects but that's what we do when we just preach. We are here to guide them as they are agents unto themselves. As we create a safe environment where they feel comfortable and we value their thoughts and ask inspired questions from heaven, the Holy Ghost can come in and teach them. When you leave, they remember more of what they say than what you said. 

He also shared his prayerfully sought out vision of (starting in January) baptizing 100 people in each stake before June, to celebrate 100 years of this mission! Yeah that's a HUGE goal and we're going to need a lot of heavenly help. But all the Stake Presidents have agreed and we're fasting and praying because that means 7 new converts each month in Ha'atu'a! 

After the meeting we were able to have interviews with him and that was really good because I haven't seen him or Sister Tupou since the first day I got here. At the end of the interview he said, "your Tongan is so good!" Although the meeting was mostly in English (Sister Tupou doesn't know Tongan and pretty much everyone understands English) we had done a role play of Lesson #1 in Tongan...which we've role played so many times...which was in Tongan. So that made me feel good but that's probably the best Tongan I've got haha and it's all because of the Lords help. I've definitely gained a greater capacity to study and learn and I still have a looooong way to go but I'm grateful for this opportunity I have to learn Tongan! It's really such a fun language and I'm blessed to have the opportunity to study it and share the message of the Restored gospel to the Tongan people.

I hope you're all enjoying the Christmas season and remembering our Savior, Jesus Christ!

OFA LAHI ATU!

Sister Reid

So Blessed.

The Lord has REALLY been blessing us! We had two baptisms (Kulisi & Sepesi) and it was such a sweet experience! They bore their testimonies and it was the cutest. We have a potential baptism with Sione...he relapsed with his smoking but he got rid of all of his Tongan tobacco so we're helping and praying for him. 

I got 4 new dresses this week! A lady from our ward went to Tonga so I gave her money for fabric and she sewed them for me :) Thanks goodness because I was down to 2 (we're not allowed to wear black anymore and my other one got lost). So that was so great! 

The weather is so perfect here right now. It's pretty breezy and warm. So blessed to be in Eua! We've been eating a lot of pineapples and drinking Otai...Tongan punch with fruit shredded in it...so yummy! I love the simple life on this island. I hear it's a lot different from Tongatapu (the main island) and I really do love it here!

I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve my Father in Heaven and be a representative His son, Jesus Christ. I am so humbled. So inadequate. But I know that I have been called of God and he qualifies those he calls. There's a song called "Grace" by Laura Story that summarizes my feelings. How grateful I am for God's grace (Ether 12:27)!

Ofa Atu

Sister Reid

Let the Little Ones Come Unto Me

"...and becometh a Saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father" (Mosiah 3:19).

I've felt the reality and importance of this scripture in such a tangible way this week. It's been a turning point for me. A mission has made me vulnerable in ways I couldn't quite anticipate and in some aspects I've resisted it. There have been times it has been hard to completely let go of things I feel comfortable with and totally rely on God--trusting in His great power and goodness. 

I had certain expectations for my mission, certain challenges I anticipated, and goals I'd set of what I want to happen. But I'm realizing that some of those things have been overshadowing all that God wants my mission to be. He knows me better than I know myself. It's difficult when good desires are different from God's will and timing...But that's the beauty of submitting to God and watching him make more of me than I can make of myself. The experiences I am having and will have are so perfectly crafted for me to learn and grow if I trust God and do my best. Submitting my will and everything to God has made all the difference...I thought I had "submitted my will to God" when I came on my mission. I was ready to give it all to the Lord. But I've realized this week it's an everyday, every hour, every minute thing and it's only when I trust Him, let go of pride, and lean on my Savior that His grace can work in me.

D. Todd Christofferson (2002) said, "Surely we will not be one with God and Christ until we make submitting to their will our greatest desire."

I am also grateful for such sweet examples of the attributes listed in the scripture above. The children here are straight tender mercies from the Lord. I've been able to talk to them a lot more this week and my language is improving! There is one family of Wesleyan children that follow us everywhere we go and so I try to talk to them. There dad thinks it's hilarious that they follow us everywhere but their mom doesn't like the church so we can't really teach them.

The member kids are also adorable! They always play at the church and sometimes when appointments fall through or when literally almost everyone has left to go to Uta ("the bush") we go there and role play with them. And they are so sweet to come and be investigators! Children have such a special spirit. They crack me up!! 

We have 3 investigators that will be getting baptized this Saturday if all goes as planned. One of our investigators (16 year old boy named Sione) is trying to overcome his smoking addiction so we're praying for him to stay strong so he can be ready!

This week has been good. We've also had great fafangas. One more wealthy family bought this HUGE crab (like $100) for us to eat. TOO nice. But it was delicious. 

Hope you're all doing well!! You're in my prayers.

Sister Reid

Challenge for this week: Listen to conference talks while getting ready in the morning! It's a good way to multi-task, start your day off right, and to remind you of what was taught in the past conference! 

Happy Thanksgiving

There are some weeks that are just super rough...and this week was one of those weeks. We've knocked on like every door..twice..the members are super nice but not the most helpful when it comes to giving us referrals (but we're setting up a program to help with that) and there was a funeral this week and in Tonga it lasts for like a whole week and no one is allowed to play sports or play loud music and everyone goes over and helps the family of the person who died. Also, on Thursday night when I came home there was a HUGE spider (the size of the palm of my hand) at the foot of my bed. It took me like ten minutes to get up the courage to smash it..and I missed and it went behind my bed..and I couldn't find it...so I prayed like the whole night...and I am, thankfully, still alive haha and also the mites are no longer in my hand! Hallelujah

But it's weeks like these that you just need to turn and see all that you've been blessed with. So that's what I've done (plus, it's Thanksgiving...) 

I am SO grateful for:

MISSIONARY WORK it's such a humbling experience to be here on a mission. Everyday I realize the great blessing it is to have the gospel.

MY FAMILY their support means the world to me and I love them so much

CHICKEN it's always the best meat at Fafanga

SUNDAYS IN TONGA nothing is open (it's against the law), no one can play sports, and pretty much everyone goes to church!

TONGAN HYMNS the Tongans don't sing with a piano and they sing with their whole souls. They also make up their own tune so it sorta sounds like the songs I sang growing up but I am learning to sing them in the Tongan way..so don't judge if I come home and sing the hymns with the wrong tune!

THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND I AM ON There are palm trees and beaches, rain forests and hills, cliffs and ocean, pine trees, and the most beautiful sunrises (the first sunrise in the world is seen here!)..seeing the sights on Pday is amazing!

MY COMPANION She's so sweet and way fun and super sassy. She takes a lot when it comes to me learning the language. She learned Tongan from just listening and so although she can't answer my grammar questions, she's good at knowing if what I am saying sounds right haha

THE "SHUMMWAY BOOK" It's a language learning book that has all kinds of scenarios with sentence structures and it is so helpful! 

THE SPIRIT Ultimately, I can't do anything as a missionary without it. It guides me, teaches me, comforts me, and testifies of truth to our investigators.

THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST I think about the situation I am in right now and from the surface it isn't totally my ideal. There isn't always water and electricity. Lots of bugs. I sometimes feel like a child in my braids, no make-up, and not always being able to communicate for myself. There are struggles, at times, with my companion--not always seeing completely eye to eye. No one really wants to listen, etc. And then I wonder why I don't get discouraged, why I don't just quit, and why I am actually EXCITED to get up everyday and walk in the sun for hours while most of the appointments we have fall through. It's because of the LOVE I have for my Savior and the strength I receive from His atonement. It helps me want to improve. It's when I do the work for Him, rather than for myself, that I feel the real reward. It's hard, but the atonement strengthens and carries me. Let's be honest, nothing in this world is a stronger motivator than charity. I know that as we love God we will feel love for those around us and we will find pure motivation to do all that is required of us--and in that we find pure joy.

AAAND yesterday the Returned Missionaries brought some people to church and we taught them...and there are two people getting baptized next week :) MIRACLES HAPPEN <3 the blessings come after the struggle. 

Love you all!!! Ofa Lahi Atu!

Sister Reid

Grateful To Be Here

We found out that we have less time to email now....so my emails are going to be shorter. 

This past week a Sister in our district finished so we've been in a trio with her companion (Sister Latu). It's been cool because she doesn't really speak English so it's been fun doing language study with her. But  it's been a little difficult being in a trio...she was kinda sick and loves taking breaks...so it was a struggle.

Also, I had my first dream that had some Tongan in it! It wasn't very much but a step in the right direction...haha

Aaaaand I got some mites in my hands and feet (SO GROSS)...they're like little bumps under my skin that get itchy at night, there aren't that many (thank goodness) but we went to the hospital and got some cream...and the mission doctor said it should be gone by next week...so nothing to worry too much about :) The hospital was pretty sketch though, like definitely not sanitary, so I am grateful I only had to go there for cream!

I am going to try and send some pictures (it takes forever to upload) so sorry this is so short! But I love this work, it is wonderful. God lives. Christ is our Savior. And the Holy Ghost can be our constant companion. 

Ofa Lahi Atu!

xoxo Sister Reid

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