Well this week has definitely been one for the books and one that I'll always remember! There was good things and bad things! I will start with the bad... Sister Lavaka got transferred..../: Of course we just bawled the whole day when we got the call! We just like hung up the phone and cried our eyes out! My new companion is coming today so we are waiting for her to come! But it was so sad to say good bye to Sister Lavaka! She is my trainer and we got so close! She was seriously like my best friend and I will probably never see her again! Unless I go to Tonga and marry her brother in law like she wants me too! haha(: But thats kind of impossible! Haha
But anyways, it was sad to say good bye and have her leave! Last night we just sat and talked and when she got up to bare her testimony we both were just crying! It was so sad and I will miss her so much! She has definitely helped me so much and I felt like I wasn't done learning from her! Hopefully everything with my new companion works out!
Good news: I had probably the best experience this week! It definitely changed everything about me being a missionary! We had mission Tour, where Elder Pearsons came. He is a member of the seventy! He gave us a training and just talked to us and hung out with the missionaries all day long! His training was all off of inspiration! He had no notes, nothing! He talked about having faith in the kind of missionary you are, forgiving yourself for all the things you have done wrong in the past, and so much more about just being a confident missionary! I don't know if you know this but a personal struggle i have been going through since i got here has been my confidence. I just don't think I am a good missionary! I feel like I am not teaching people in a way that helps them! I just have been doubting myself alot! And thats not who I am at all! But mom, you told me, "fake it till you make it" So thats what I have been doing! But this week, after Elder Pearsons training, I have been able to stop faking it and actually believing it!
Elder Pearsons chose 5 missionaries to interview after his training and I was one of them. He took me in the office and told me that he felt like he was talking to me all day! He kn ows I want to be the perfect missionary and he knows I have been doubting myself a lot! Without m even talking to him, he knew that! There is no one who knew any of this except for my Heavenly Father.. so the power of the priesthood is real! He talked to me and of course I was just crying and he just helped me feel so much better and he gave me so much good advice! He then asked me if i wanted a blessing and of course I did! he sat there and it was one of the most powerful blessings I have ever received! Literally every question that has been in my heart, in my prayers, Heavenly Father answered for me! Stuff Elder Pearsons couldn't have known! It was the most spiritual moment i have had here and it has helped me look at things with a totally new perspective!
I am never going to be a perfect missionary! But Heavenly Father trusts me to share his gospel! He trusts me to teach the people here in Nadi and he put me here for a reason! I am always going to make mistakes, but i can't be perfect and i wont be perfect.. I have to be okay with that! And i am okay with that now! After that blessing I realized i need to stop doubting myself! Elder Pearsons told me to focus on how i can help other people improve and it will help me not focus on what I am missing because I am not missing anything!!
I have really recognized on my mission how powerful the priesthood is and how amazing it is! I have really come to recognize how true this gospel and church is! I am SO GRATEFUL I am here serving a mission! I wouldn't have been able to meet the people I have, or been able to learn the things i have learned if I didn't choose to be on a mission! It took me 3 moths to figure this out, but being a missionary is the most amazing thing ever! I have always loved being able to share the gospel here in Fiji.. But now, i really really LOVE it! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else or doing anything else except being here in Fiji!
Okay enough of my rant... other things, my memory card got a virus.../: So I am going to send it home! There is so many pictures on it! So please try and fix it without deleting the pictures! I don't know what to do here so i am just going to send it home! Also.. I don't have any shoes but my salt waters... my flats broke so i'll need to get some more shoes! haha! Lets see, our investigators this week have been so good! Bobo and Liti got confirmed yesterday and it was so good! Good way to have Sister Lavakas last Sunday! We also are teachign another family! The oldest son is a member but he is serving a mission! When then came to church for his farewell last month they wanted to take lessons! but we just started teaching them last week because school has been so busy! But the mom and dad decided to not take lessons.. but they brother and sister are! They are so good! They ask so many good questions and they really listen! It is so fun teaching them! We are aiming to have them baptized the end of this month! SO EXCITING!!!(: We are also teaching a little girl in Sobeto! She is so cute! She is 10 years old and she is so smart! Her older brother is a member and she wants to take lessons because of his influence and example! Which i think is the coolest thing ever! We have more but because it is holiday here everyone goes back to their villages and we have to pause on our lessons, which sucks... but hopefully in Jan. when they come back it will all be good! Lessons will pick up again!
Well fambam! That is all I have time for! I love you all SO SO SO MUCH! DON'T EVER THINK THAT HEAVENLY FATHER DOESN'T HEAR YOUR PRAYERS! Because he does! I know he does! He loves each of you so much and he ALWAYS will!
AU LOMANI VALEVU KEMUNI!
Have a good week this week! Can't wait to talk to you in 2 1/2 weeks!!(: WOOHOOO!!!!!
loloma levu!
-Sister Rich
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