Due Tomorrow!

Helloha Ohana!

Happy Tuesday! How the heavens are you all? Did you have a super week? I sure hope so! Boy, do I have a week to tell you about :D

So today is the last day of transfers, which means, tomorrow is the first day of another transfer, which means, I'm not an online missionary anymore, which means, I'll be out in an actual area, which means, I'll have a new companion starting tomorrow, which means,.... I'm training a new missionary! Ahhhhh! I'm having a baby! (that's totally mish slang btw! I'm not literally pregnant for those of you unfamiliar with missionary language. There totally is one) I received the training packet in the mail Friday, and on Sunday night I had the training conference call with all the trainers and President. Her name is Sister Knudsen :) She is from Arizona, and she is 19! She'll be one of the first 19-year-olds in our mission! I can't wait to meet her tomorrow. I'll have to let you know all about my first week next Monday. I already love her.

Heavenly Father and Pres trusts me to do this huh? They trust me to train a new missionary huh? Since the call, I'll be praying and ask Heavenly Father, "You trust me huh?" And immediately the feeling of "Yes, I trust you" comes to me. So I'll ask, "So...you'll help me right?" :D ha and I know He's probably just chuckling and thinking, "Of course I'll help you! Who do you think I am?" :) I know He will help me. It's the only way that I can do it is through Him! So even though I'm nervous and I feel inadequate, I know Heavenly Father will help me.

Here's also something that blows my mind. I'm at my six month mark now! How in heavens did that come up so fast?? I remember being a greenie just yesterday! I'm still a greenie! I'll always feel like a greenie up to my last day!

I wanted to share a cute little experience I had at the VC a few days ago! So this big wonderful Hindu family came in the other day with all of their beautiful children. The kids were wandering around, having fun watching the kid kiosks about Jesus and Heavenly Father and where we go after we die, stuff like that. I went up to them and showed them the clip on the kiosk called, "What Happens when we Die?" After we watched it, I was talking to them about Heaven and what happens to us after our life here. One of the older kids said to me, "Oh I know! After this life, we will become either a tree, a leaf, a bug, or something like that!" And then his little baby sister replied, "Ya if you dress up." :D ha it was so cute and so funny and so true! I tried to hold in my laughter because she said it so matter of fact! This experience was so cute and so interesting to me and helped me to learn more about how pure and innocent children are. The older sibling had been taught, while the younger sibling had just recollected. Children are so close to the veil no matter how they are brought up! This helped me to understand more about what Christ meant when He said, "...whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God..." We need to keep our selves unspotted so that we too, can be pure and receptive to the Holy Ghost-a being, who, as a member of the Godhead, can and will open the channels of Heaven if we only let Him. Did you know He is capable of such a thing? I didn't really understand that until now! Allow Him to be capable of doing that to you. I challenge you to do what is necessary for that to happen. It is the ONLY way we can enter into Heavenly Father's presence. I want to find myself there. I want you to find yourself there. You can do it. He knows you can do it.

I better go back and move in to my new pad now (it's the same pad I lived in when I first got here!) and decorate my dear companion's planner. Make this your best week yet! Know that you are a tool in the Lord's hand wherever you go. No need to wear a badge to be an instrument :) I love you all! 

much aloha,

Sister Annen

Our Own Scripture

Happy Tuesday and Aloha family of mine!

How was General Conference for everyone?? Super great ya? How was it being all cozy all day, eating yummy food? Ah I just loved it. It was honestly more exciting than Christmas over here! All of us missionaries got to wake up at bright and early at five-Hawaii being four hours behind Salt Lake, and got to go to the Visitor's Center and watch the apostles on the big screen baby! So awesome! We were cuddled up in our blankies and pros clothes and just enjoyed listening to what Heavenly Father wanted all of us to learn. I had so many favorites it's not even funny. Of course I loved Elder Holland's talk. I really needed to hear what he said. I felt like every word was for me. I also loved Elder Falabella's where he said, "Shake hands with EVERYONE!" haha so funny and so cute. And President Monson's was incredible too! All about obedience! mmm.. so good. It totally pumped me up to be a better missionary and to be more exactly obedient. Not only here on my mission, but also when I'm off my mission. I know that I needed every single one of those talks at General Conference. Before my mission I would have argued with myself because how can EVERY talk be for me? I realized this conference that it is through the words of the apostles and prophets that I can receive my own revelation. No matter what the talk is about, I can know what Heavenly Father wants me to start doing or stop doing in order be a better person and be more of a disciple of Jesus Christ. So many promptings came to me as I watched and listened that I didn't even expect! And it didn't really have to do with the talk necessarily; But because the talks come by revelation, each of us can receive our OWN revelation just by listening and pondering with open hearts. Have you thought of that before? I sure hadn't! I didn't realize just how personal and powerful General Conference could be until this last weekend. It is a powerful blessing from our Heavenly Father. If you didn't feel like Heavenly Father taught you personally as you watched General Conference, I challenge you to watch it again. Watch it with the questions you have had these last six months. If it's important to you, then it's important to Him. You are entitled to receive your own personal revelation. He will tell you exactly what to do because He wants you to return to Him. He'll give you your own scripture. I know that's true. 

I wish I had more time to talk about everything! But I had to talk about General Conference! Know that I love you all oodles and oodles. I'll talk more about my week next week! 

xoxoxo

lots and lots and LOTS of love,

Sister Annen