Samoa Week 14

I GOT THE PACKAGE! Hahaha oh my goodness I finally got the Christmas Package and I’m not going to lie, the first thing I did was open the jar of cookie butter. 😀 And then I looked for a card because I felt really really guilty and selfish but don’t worry, I at least gave my companion the first spoonful. She cried. (Not an exaggeration). But we are very grateful for the warm greetings from America! Thank you so much…. Hey also! I saw some other missionaries say they’ve been getting packages through American Samoa so that might be cheaper and faster too! but I don’t need anything, so no worries about that. 🙂

I don’t have much time this day but I just wanted to share some things I’ve learned this past week… I was reading in Ether 6 about the Jaredites’ journey over to America, and how the brother of Jared prepared the stones for Christ to touch to give them light as they were in these completely enclosed “boats”. A verse that has really hit me hard was as he talked about how every now and then the Jaredites’ barges would get submerged under the water and they would then cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters. (v.7). I was just thinking, You know, God told them to do this, He prepared the way, the barges, the light, the way for them to breathe, the winds to push them through the waters, but yet they would get pushed under. “Completely encompassed about by many waters.”  Why would God do that? Scare them like that? Make them think He had changed their minds and are now on their own? I’ve been thinking about this story a lot this week because I, too, have been feeling like I was “completely encompassed by many waters” that I was way deep, without a way, like the Jaredites, not sure of a way to bring myself back up to the top. The pressures this week of training this new missionary have really been hitting me, and I’ve been struggling with my goal of not having a spirit of doubt. Investigators have been struggling, not keeping commitments, I feel like the language has become a bigger barrier this week than it was before, its just been a week of a lot of rejections and my companion, being so new, doesn’t know too much of what’s been going on (which is normal at this time). So there’s just been a lot of feelings of being way too deep in these waters. A little overwhelming. But I can testify, that God didn’t ever, even for a second, forget about the Jaredites and their travels. He never left them to fend for themselves during any part of the storms. He simply wanted them to remember him, have faith in him, and they did! When they got deep in the waters, they began to “cry unto the Lord” and he did bring them forth. I am grateful for these experiences, for the times when I’ve needed to cry unto Him, with my companion and on my own. He has brought my upon the tops of the waters again. I also received a blessing this week from our Zone Leaders for comfort and strength. And hey, I’m still bobbing haha. Up and down. But as we remember Christ each day, each minute, he is there 🙂 I love Him! And what he asks of us in Luke is that as we convert ourselves, strengthen thy brethren. I’m in love with this work, and we are seeing miracles still as we convert ourselves and strengthen others.

Mu new friend, the Matai that I mentioned we met with, he wants to be baptized!!! We went on a split with the zone leaders in that area (it’s allowed, don’t worry).  He wants to be baptized, he just is scared. Scared of the people in the village, they are currently building a new LMS church and he being the Matai is heavily involved in the construction so he just knows it will look bad to be building up that church, working with its members, but then getting baptized in the Mormon church. But don’t worry we aren’t giving up, his desire is there and we are just encouraging him to  focus on Christ and the will of the Father. I’ve learned that what you focus on is what you become, so as we focus on Christ, we become like Christ. And Christ is obedient, and humble, and a servant of God.

Okay, I’m writing everything else I want to share with you down so I never forget but I love you so much!

P.s. I finally figured out how to send pictures from my camera so I’ll be sending some from my first area soon!