Malo soifua

 Malo soifua everyone!

This email will be really messy because i'm just using the voice typing thingy.

• Anyways, what my days look like this past week is getting up getting ready for the day and then having personal study for 1 hour. And that's been my favorite because I've been studying more of the Preach My Gospel and the scriptures that are in it and marking them in my scriptures. My scriptures that I got when I was baptized have been pretty naked, except for some verses that were marked in red pencil from my own studies and from seminary and stuff like that. I've been learning a lot and having more of a desire to learn more about the scriptures, and I've been seeing more connections between the Bible and The Book of Mormon and I just wish that everyone would have that same desire to search the truth for themselves. It's more enlightening and fulfilling to go and learn the truth for yourself.
• So this past week, I've met lots of members and I bore my testimony and introduced myself in the Sacrament Meetings of the first and second ward and not the third ward because the Bishop forgot to give me time to share. So I used notes from my notebook and stuff from memory. So yeah, that went well. I liked it.
• This past week, I've been trying to get better at learning the language by writing down new words and asking my soa about what they mean. And also I've been trying to share a scripture to families that are members and I'm trying to ask more questions so that I can practice my Samoan.
• I tried husking coconuts for the first time and it was fun.
• The people are so nice and understanding and are willing to listen even if they're not members. They want to listen and talk about Jesus and God and I try my best to understand even though everyone speaking Samoan but my soa is very good at helping me do my best.
• We had a district meeting on Tuesday and I got to know little bit more about my district and I'm trying to remember everyone's names, but it's hard.
• I know my soa is funny because everyone laughs whenever she talks, but I don't understand cause it's always in Samoan, lol.

Mafaufauga Fa'aleagaga

2 Nephi 33:6 - "I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell."

Back to what I've mentioned before, it's important that you take the chance to search for the truth yourself. That's the only way God can reveal the truth to you is if you truly have the desire to seek for it. Then actually seek for it through all the resources God has given you: prayer (when you legit talk to God), scriptures (filled with witnesses of God and His Son's love and plan for us), and prophets (God and Christ's guidance for now and the future).

I promise that the truth will be revealed to you through the Holy Ghost as you humbly and diligently seek for it.

I le suafa o Iesu Keriso, 'amene.

Alofa atu <3

In Samoa - Sili, Savaii

 It's been a looooong week. I now have to  write my emails from my phone so bear with me.

Aso Lua

• Travel Day
• It snowed and we all cried as we said our goodbyes to our friends and teachers. I felt all sorts of mixed emotions.
• Then we took a bus to the train that took us to Salt Lake. We took the trax from SL to the airport to get in the plane to Los Angeles. We said goodbye to the Fijian District. 
• The flight to LA was short and my travel buddy was Elder Woerner. Once in LA, we chilled in the airport for a while. Elder Enesa brought a guitar so Elder Teloma was playing some sweet tunes on there. We then boarded the next plane to Auckland, New Zealand. 
• Once in the air, everybody was going to sleep and I was trying to sleep as well. But then the plane shook so hard for a fat minute and it frightened me a little too much that I didn't want to sleep for a while, lol. So I just chatted with the flight attendants in the back, and they showed me how they prepare the food and stuff. It was interesting.

Aso Lulu

• NZ to Samoa
• There wasn't really a Wednesday, because once we arrived to Auckland in the morning, it was Thursday.
• I was so happy once we got there, even if it was just in the airport.
• Said goodbye to Sister Moeai. 

Aso Tofi

• SAMOAAA
• The plane ride to Samoa was chill. I thought I would get deported to American Samoa because I wasn't given a physical visa like everyone else did, but they let me in after waiting for a while. Turns out I do have one and it came in last minute. God answers prayers because I prayed to arrive and enter despite not having a visa, lol.
• People weren't lying when they say Samoa is hot and humid, haha.
• The mission president, his wife, and other missionaries greeted us once we exited the airport. We split into vans and drove to the mission office. The drive there was nice and I got to see what the houses and stuff look like.
• The mission office is right next to the Apia temple, and it's so beautiful. We sat on its grounds at one point to write letters to ourselves. I can't wait to read what I wrote when the time comes.

Aso Faraile

• Proselyting
• We all went proselyting in different villages around Apia. I got to proselyte with Sister Wilson and Sister Talafua in Matautu. We walked around and I introduced myself to members in that area and tried to listen the best I could while also trying not to sleep.
• Sister Talafua did most the talking while Sister Wilson translated for me sometimes.
• All the newbies then had dinner at Garden Plate, and it was nice.
• Fun fact : there are dogs everywhere and you have to be careful they don't chase and bite you.

Aso Tona'i

• Transfer
• Missionaries were sent to their new areas (transfers). The only ones that I've known since MTC that came with me to Savaii are Sister Hunt and Elder To'omata. They're serving in different areas though, and I'm serving in Sili.
• Samoa has two big islands and two small islands. Upolu and Savaii are the two big ones, and Apia is in Upolu. So the missionaries that were sent here to Savaii had to take a ferry.
• I had mixed emotions this day because I would miss my MTC family. But all is good now!
• Our MQ (Missionary Quarters) is nice and cute, just how I like it.
• My soa, Sister Kiso, and I ended up having to stay over at Sister Jensen and Sister Samuelu's MQ in Faaala because our water wasn't working, lol.
• I saw a cat for the first time in forever in Faaala.

Aso Sa

• Testimony/fafaga
• Since my soa and I were in Faaala, we went to church there. We went to the first and second ward, and I had to bear my testimony in the second one. I used my notes and also made it up, so I choked a few times, lol.
• We went with Sister Jensen and Sister Samuelu to a fafaga (meal) with members in their first ward. It was my first fafaga of the mission.
• After spending some time with the Faaala Sisters, the STL's (Sister Training Leaders: Sister Loulanting and Sister Taleni) picked us up and took us back to our MQ.
• Fun fact : there are no dogs in Faaala.

Aso Gafua

• Proselyte in Sili/fafaga
• A nice man fixed our water, hallelujah.
• Sister Kiso showed me around Sili and I introduced myself to lots of people here.
• We have to cross a river to get to the other side of the village, and it's where we had a fafaga with members. They had the cutest little cat. It was so tiny, so I'm sure it was still a kitten.
• There's dogs here, and some people have cows.
• Fun fact : most everyone owns their own chickens and pigs. They roam around everywhere, but the owners have a call that tells them to come back to be fed.

Aso Lua

• Proselyte again/koko/lots of food/fafaga
• Today was hard because we were fed at nearly every home we visited and we also had a fafaga. The people love missionaries and feed us to show respect. Faafetai lava mo le meaai tele, Samoa!
• Please pray for my stomach 
• We got to help some members faapa'u koko (de-shell koko beans).
• Fun fact : There are babies everywhere! Baby humans, baby dogs, baby cats, baby cows, baby pigs, baby chickens. So cute.

Aso Nei

• Chill
• We did chores and called family today. Wednesdays (Aso Lulu) is preparation day (p-day) for us.

Mafaufauga Fa'aleagaga

2 Nephi 25:26 - And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

This scripture is basically all I came here to do. So I'm going to do my best to learn the language and serve the people so that they can know the purpose of Jesus Christ, His Father's plan, and they're love for us all.

I invite you to do anything you can to share about Jesus Christ with others as well, whether that be through a smile, sharing an uplifting song/scripture, or inviting someone to a church activity. Get creative.

I promise you, if you take on this invitation, not only will you brighten the life of someone else, but you will also feel the love of God yourself.

I le suafa o Iesu Keriso, amene. Alofa atu <3