Malo Lelei

"Generations" Photo, Mission Family

September 30, 2013

Dear Family,

So the big news for this week is that I got a new companion.  I am training Sister H from Tonga! :) So if you translate the title using Tagalog you won't find it because my title this week is Tongan. :)  She was born and raised in Tongan and has only been out of the country once before when she visited New Zealand.  She has 10 siblings.   She knows english really well so we use english but for companionship study she uses her Tongan Preach My Gospel when we read out loud (because she doesn't have an english one).  She has a great spirit and knows how to work hard. She is definitely better at Tagalog than I was when I first got here and she is working hard to learn more. (It helps that the vowels in Tonga are the same as here)  Wednesday we had the new trainers meeting where we got to meet our companions and I got to see Sister R! It was so fun.  We also got a ride from the AP's to our house!!! (Maraming salamat for that because I did not want to take two big suitcases on a Jeepney with someone brand new to the Philippines.)

This week we have been doing a lot of walking. Even for me it has been a lot but my poor new companion is definitely not used to it. But we are both glad to be out meeting people and doing the Lord's work.

My spiritual thought from this week comes from Thursday.  I was a little apprehensive about being the only one in the companionship that can understand and speak Tagalog because there are still times that I struggle.  And it also would mean that I would be leading all the OYMing and what not.  So, we went to our first appointment and as we walk by this man he says, Joseph Smith and then continues to tell me the entire life history of Joseph Smith and starts talking about how he had come to our church before. It was cool to have him know so much and we were able to get a return appointment with him. But the biggest miracle came that as we were talking to him the investigator whose house we were headed to just happened to walk by and tell us that her daughter was in the hospital and they wondered if we could come to bless her! (Obviously, we got priesthood holders to do the blessing. haha) It was such perfect timing that Heavenly Father orchestrated. Then we went to our back-up appointment. (a Less active)  His father told us he wasn't home and said we should come back another time. (I had previously seen this father briefly but he always went into a room if we came to the house) But then we got talking with the father and he told us about how the Catholic church was false and about how the Mormons are right.  Then he tells us this whole story about how he was going to be baptized before but a problem came up. So instead he had his 2 sons baptized.  But he still knows that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church! It was such a beautiful experience.  Just the kind of thing you wait for your whole mission. :)  And even though the rest of the day didn't go that well and the following days were hard too.  That one hour and a half gave me the confirmation I needed that I am doing the Lord's work and that with His help I can serve Him well even though I have so many weaknesses.  I know that Heavenly Father gives us the things we need when we need them.  He is just waiting to "reveal His hand" in our lives and He will if we just act with faith and live worthy of His help.  Some days He may seem far away and like we are just wandering around by ourselves but He is watching and He is ALWAYS THERE.  I know this is true.

Have a great week!  Enjoy the things you have and pray for help to see His hand in your life.  

Sister H and me with President and Sister Tye

Love you lots!

Sister Hamm