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

The Best Birthday Gift

We have a lot of good investigators we've found and are working with...but unfortunately a lot of them are leaving this week to go to New Zealand for Christmas and won't be back until January. So that's kinda a bummer...but we're praying to find new investigators and that our other ones will keep progressing! 

We got to sleepover one night in Atata and get a lot of work done there. I love that little island and I'm excited to see it progress. There are only 3 member families there and it's not even a branch yet...but we're working so that it can become a branch! 

Last week, we started talking to this girl walking by and asked where she lived and she told us that missionaries had gone to their house before. We went to her house and set up an appointment with the mom and came back the next day. She shared about how important her family is to her and so we talked about families and then the conversation lead to the Gospel and we taught lesson 3. She was listening but I could tell she didn't really want to listen. But her daughter (Ma'u-14 years old) was sitting next to her and was very attentive. We invited them to be baptized. I could tell the daughter wanted to say yes but was waiting for her mom. The mom said she has to think about it. We talked a little more and asked about my companion's family joining the church. They talked for a little. She told us that it was her daughter's birthday...so after the lesson we sang Happy Birthday. I just felt so happy in my heart because I know that there is NO better present we could have given her on her birthday than to share the precious knowledge we have of the Gospel. 

We had a musical fireside last night that a few of our investigators showed up to, including Ma'u! I was so happy to see her there. Her mom is going to New Zealand this week, but we're going to go and keep sharing the lessons with her. I love this gospel so much.

The weather has started to get really hotttt, struggle be real in the uniform but I know that because of this I will never complain again in my life about needing to dress modestly and it being too hot or something...haha

I know I thought of so many other things to share but the time's almost up and I can't remember anything...haha I love this work so much! I truly find so much joy. We're working to find those that the Lord has prepared because I know that the field is white already to harvest. I'm so blessed to be able to spread this Gospel.

Thanks for your examples and love and support. 

Ofa Lahi Atu,

Sister Reid

This LIFE is a BLESSING

Thanks for all of the Happy Thanksgiving wishes cause honestly, I didn't even know it was this week! haha 

We had transfers this past week and me and my companion are staying together and working in SOPU (where we've been living, but we just switched areas with the Elders). It's been fun starting out the work here. I have such great hope and faith for this area and know we're going to see lots of miracles. 

We cover a little island that is a 20 minute boat ride away from our area called Atata. We got to go there are Friday with the sisters in Liahona and it was sooo much fun. There are not very many people there (look it up on google maps!) So many little miralces that we were able to see there. It was cool because one of my investigators from Ha'ateiho moved there and I got to meet her again! I'm excited to keep you updated about the island. The church just got allowed into there and it's not even a branch yet..but I know it will be soon :) 

It's nice that we'll still be in the same stake as our old area cause some of our investigators that are going to get baptized we'll be able to go to their baptism! Also, two of my investigators from Ha'ateiho got baptized two weeks ago and I was SO happy to hear that! 

I've been thinking a lot about sacrifice this past week. Nothing great ever comes without hard work and sacrifice. Sometimes I wish I could just wade on the water...but life wasn't meant for that. Our time in this life is so short compared to eternity. It is an OPPORTUNITY and a BLESSING and we need to make the most of it. We've been blessed with adversity to learn and grow and develop Godly attributes so we can BECOME like our Heavenly Parents. Isn't that wonderful? We must use our time wisely, sacrifice our will, talents, time, etc. because all we do here effects our eternity. If you died tomorrow and stood at the Final Judgement how would you feel? (Alma 5: 26-28) How have you used this precious time God has given you on Earth? We shouted for Joy at the opportunity to come here. Remember that. We are all brothers and sisters. And God loves each of us. I hope and pray you will find peace and joy in the little things :) Trust the Lord. Through Him, we find TRUE peace and joy. 

Ofa Lahi Atu!!! 

Sister Reid

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