Ngaue ki Sopu

So transfers were this week aaaand I'm excited because I'll being staying with my hoa (comp) Sister Palenapa and we're going to start working in the area that we stay in (Sopu). It's kinda crazy that we'll be white washing again but it'll be good. We also might be covering a little island (Ata'ataa) that we will be able to take the boat to once a week. Which that'll be a lot of fun. 

It's been a good week. Lot's of spiritual experiences. Misieli is doing well! We go there like everyday and he's so happy to see us. He likes to compare churches and he shares all the good things he notices about the Mormon church. He wasn't able to come to church on Sundaybecause he was going to a "remembering of his brother" that passed away but we're hoping and praying he'll come next week. He's reading the Book of Mormon and has such great Faith. We found out this week that he has a really big smoking problem and has smoked for about 60 years. But he's already started to cut down. We're helping him strengthen his faith so he can overcome it. 

This morning we got to go help move sisters around to their new areas. And the sister in the picture below is from 'Eua (the one I got to go on exchanges with) that is waiting for her visa. She got her visa and will be leaving to the MTC/her mission this week...she gets to stay with her family for a couple days before she goes to the MTC and we got to drop her off to them. Her mom is the Bishop's wife in 'Eua so I was so happy to see her again! 

Hope you all have a wonderful week of Faith and Miracles. God lives. He loves us. I'm grateful for His hand in my life, and in this work. 

Ofa Lahi Atu!

Sister Reid

The Miracles come after the Faith

We have been working so hard this past transfer to see baptisms but it seemed like everything was working against us. Our ward missionary leader and bishop are traveling overseas and it's been a little difficult working with the members. But I knew that when we give it our all and be exactly obedient that miracles come...sometimes not when we want them to, but the come. And they came. This past week we went to a follow-up meeting for trainers/trainees and at one point President was asking about our baptisms. He asked several missionaries and I just felt my stomach turn. We've been doing everything we possibly can and I just didn't know why we weren't seeing the fruits of baptism. I feel like I'm so much better of a missionary than I've been my whole mission but at other times on my mission it was easier for us to get baptisms. We returned from the meeting and I had such a greater determination to find people to baptize. 

We were knocking doors with a member and we met this old man. He was making food on the side of his house and we started talking to him. His name is Misieli. He's Wesleyan but he has a lot of family who is Mormon and he used to be good friends with the missionaries when he lived in Ha'apai. We asked him if there was anything he knew about the church and he told us that the Mormon church is the only church that can actually change someone and that the members have Christ-like attributes. He said that his church tries to change people but it doesn't work. I asked him if he would like to get those attributes, change his life etc. He said he would. Then we shared a short summary of lesson 3 (still standing) and we focused on the importance of baptism and then after talking for only 5-7 minutes I committed him to be baptized on the 26th of this month. He said he really wants to try to be baptized that day. He's really open minded and has a lot of faith. He just started reading the Book of Mormon. 

Then two more miracles--we set a baptism date with Foaki our investigator and we found a house of 3 young adults that we committed to be baptized next month if they receive a testimony that our message is true and they agreed. 

Then on Sunday we were finally able to have a meeting with all of the leaders in our wards and the ward mission leader bore his testimony in sacrament about the work and a lot of the other members did to. 

We are finally seeing the fruits of our labors and it's amazing! It's a little sad that the Elders will be taking over the area next week but I know that it's just been a test of our faith and God has other plans for us! 

We went on splits a lot these past couple weeks and it was so fun...I love the sisters in the mission!

Funny thing: so if you leave food out, most the time ants get to it. So we left some bongo (like Cheetos) in our car and when we got back in the car we started eating them (not paying attention) and then I looked down after I'd eaten about five and realized that we'd been eating a bunch of dead ants on the bongo hahaha glad I got some extra protein.  

Love you all so much!!! Pray you all have a fantastic week!

Sister Reid

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

And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

I went on splits with Sister Paletu'a (she's like one of the sister assistants to the president) this past week and it was so wonderful. Towards the end of the vilo hoa we were walking down the street and these two little girls (about 9 years old) came up to us and started talking to us. I assumed they were Mormon because of how friendly they were but turned out they were Siasi Pahai (idk what that is in English). We gave them a little picture of Jesus and asked them where they lived, they got really excited and asked us to walk with them to their house and talk to their family about Jesus. We walked up to their house and the family was sitting on the porch. We told them what happened, that we had met their daughters out on the road. I could tell that they were a little surprised but friendly because their daughters seemed to love us so much. I shared with them the importance of our message and a little part of the plan of salvation. They were very gracious but told us they were drinking beer and about to go to town so we should come back another time. As we left one of the boys living at the house told us that he was baptized but his parents separated so he came to live at this house but he really wants to come back and has been helping his friend to stop smoking. The little girls didn't want us to go and they started crying but we told them to pray and they told us they would. We went back the next day but they had just left. I just learned how in tune children are. I feel like if we have any access to the hearts of that family it will be because of the children there. No wonder why we should humble ourselves to be like a little child. 

The work is going well, our investigators are progressing. President told us this past week that ours and the Elder's area will be switching at the transfer (cause we live in their area and they live in ours..the MQ in our area isn't safe for sisters)...so it's been hard knowing that I won't be in this area next transfer but everyday I still work just as hard and love the people even though I know it's gonna break my heart..but it's all the Lord's work! And I'm happy to do it.

Hope you all have a wonderful week full of miracles! Look for the tender mercies from the Lord.

Ofa Lahi Atu!

Sister Reid

I Love This Work

So much to say. So little time. 

Monday--we got our car! That has made everything a whole lot easier. 

Tuesday--We had our district meeting, went around with a couple members and found some new investigators, and then that night we had a teaching with an Indian Family (from Fiji). The sisters before us started teaching them and they've started to read the Book of Mormon. It's interesting because they are Hindu and believe in a lot of gods. President and Sister Tuione are the fakafeohi (fellowship) to them and so it's been cool. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and they had watched a movie about Jesus Christ earlier that week and the mom couldn't stop talking about the things she'd seen in the movie. So it was perfect cause we tied in all the elements of the Plan of Salvation to Jesus Christ, which was good because he's central to the plan! They are beginning to believe but when we committed them to be baptized they just kept saying "oh you don't understand, Hindu can't be baptized"...so we're working to strengthen their faith and we're praying for a miracle to happen! We got to go to church with them on Sunday to the English speaking ward in Liahona--it was SO weird hearing church in English but it was a good experience. They're such a cute family!

Wednesday-- We taught a couple of our other investigators. A quick summary about them. Saane is living with members right now (her family is a Ha'apai) and she really believes but is having the hardest time agreeing to be baptized because her dad is a preacher in their church and he's having heart issues and is scared that if she gets baptized he's gonna be so mad that something will happen to him. But she comes to church every week and so we're praying and fasting for her! Our other investigator, Foaki, is in almost the same situation...but we just started teaching him last week..so we're praying for him too!

Thursday--We had MLC which was a wonderful experience. My companion stayed the night in my old area with Sister Medina and I picked up the other STL there to go to our meeting. I learned lots and it was fun seeing the missionaries from the outer islands again. 

When we came back we learned that one of the old ladies in our ward had passed away. She was one of the first people we met when we moved here. Her name is Alisi (Alice). She had me get the globe and show her exactly where in the world I came from, then she had given us lots of names to visit and before we left she asked that the palangi (me) say a prayer for her. From what I hear she was a very faithful women in the church and went to the temple every single week even though she was having a hard time. The church needs people like Alisi--what a great example!

I love this work. I love my companion. I love my investigators. I love the members. I love Tonga. And most importantly, I love my Savior. 

Hope you all have a fantastic week! 

Sister Reid

Yay for General Conference

Well things are pretty good in my new area! We went to the training meeting on Wednesday and I got my new companion! Sister Palenapa is from 'Eua and I knew her from the missionary preparation class we helped with when I served in 'Eua! She's well prepared and has such a great desire to do the work! We got to our area Thursday but we haven't gotten our car yet..the area is huge compared to the other areas in the mission, and we live in the area next to ours (because the MQ in longolongo isn't very safe) so it's been a struggle trying to do the work. We don't have a map yet and there's no such thing as an address here so luckily we've had kind members show us around! We have a few investigators that are progressing towards baptism that we were able to meet with and I already love them! 

I loved watching General Conference this past weekend! It was wonderful! We got to watch it in English, which I was grateful for to hear their voices. I LOVED it so much! I received so much personal revelation and direction. It truly testified to me of the blessing we have to have living prophets and apostles testify to us. Their words are priceless and I pray that we will all try to live according to the things they were able to share with us.

Hope you all have a wonderful week full of miracles! Looooove you!

Sister Reid

Hello Longolongo

Sooo the big news...I'm MOVING from Veitongo/Ha'ateiho to Longolongo which I've heard is one of the biggest, if not the biggest area in the mission. My daughter (Sister Aluesi) moved this past Thursday to Halaleva to be follow-up trained by my old companion Sister Malu! It was hard saying goodbye...I think I felt a tiny bit of what a parent feels when a child leaves home. My other companion (Sister Fullmer) is moving too. I will be training again! So that means I'll be white washing the area...a little nervous about that, but I'm excited. I'll get my new companion on Wednesday.

 

Sister Wunderlich (my other old companion) finished on Friday and had to wait a couple days for her parents to get here and she got to stay with us which was SO fun! I miss her and her beautiful voice.

Sitiveni was baptized on Saturday and it was SO wonderful! It actually started out as a struggle...our church water wasn't running, and neither was any other church's water around our area so we asked President if we could do it at the beach in our area and he said that'd it'd be fine. Seriously, the most BEAUTIFUL baptism. He carries his Book of Mormon everywhere with the pamphlets of the lessons inside. His testimony that he shared at the baptism was simple but powerful. I love this work.

We got the opportunity to watch General Women's Conference this past Saturday and I loved it! I especially loved President Uchtdorf's talk (fourth floor, last door). I'm more than excited to watch Conference this weekend!! I know it's going to be so uplifting and powerful. How grateful I am for a living prophet on the Earth today.

I've been thinking a lot about patience recently...it's made the hugest difference! How many times in our lives do we need to be patient with either God, others, or ourselves? And patience isn't just enduring something but it's using our agency to make the best out of our situation and choose happiness. I love chp. 6 in PMG and what it teaches about patience. I encourage you all to read it and listen again to the talk about Patience by President Uchtdorf. Patience and Faith are connected so tightly. As we increase our Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, I believe we will become more patient people.

Hope you've been uplifted this weekend listening to General Conference! Love you all soo much. 

Ofa Lahi Atu!

Sister Reid