Mele Kalikimaka!
I know Christmas is over, but I really wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas in Hawaiian. What a special treat to talk and SEE you! Oh boy what a good looking family. And I mean that not only by your great looks, but, you all really just radiated and made me so happy. Thank you for helping me feel the true spirit of Christmas even more. We were so blessed to go to a baptism that same day. It was so special. Talk about giving a gift to the Savior.
This transfer with Sister Tui'moala has been so fun! Wow, do I have a testimony of working hard and having fun at the same time. She sure knows how to do it, and I love that. She is a great teammate as well as the spirit. I love our threesome!
We had the privilege and blessing to have Elder Auna, our Area Seventy, come and have a meeting with all the ward council leaders in our stake. He trained us on Hastening the work of Salvation and what we can specifically do to to work together as member missionaries and full-time missionaries. One of my favorite things he talked about was how we as a people right now are in the exact situation as the people in Helaman were. This is why. They were preparing for the Savior's coming. Aren't we doing the same?? We are preparing for the Savior's coming right now! This just happens to be His second time coming to this earth :) As the people were preparing and diligently sharing the gospel with others before the coming of the Savior, this is what happens: "And it came to pass that in this same year there was exceedingly great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did join themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance. And so great was the prosperity of the church, and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure." (Helaman 3:24-25) Have you thought that perhaps the same thing could happen now? Absolutely! Heavenly Father has prepared those thousands-more even! already for each of us to share the gospel with them. What a wonderful thought. All we need to do is show our faith and be prepared. Heavenly Father will send the prepared to the prepared.
This training reminded my of one of my favorite stories I've learned out here on my mission and my companions and I love to share it with our members at dinner appointments. It's a Tahitian analogy of how full-time missionaries can work with the members to bring salvation to the Heavenly Father's people. As I tell you the story, think about how it relates to working together.
Once upon a time, there was a small boy and his father. The father wanted to teach his son how to fish; and not only to fish, but to fish well. One day, they brought their fishing spears and their little boat, and sailed into the ocean to catch some fish. The little boy was so excited because this was going to be his first time ever to catch a fish. He sat in the small boat with his spear ready to catch the first fish he saw. After many hours, the little boy couldn't catch one fish. He didn't even see one! Discouraged, he turned to his father, and asked, "Father, how are you catching the fish? I can't even see one let alone catch one." As he turned to his father, he noticed that rather than his father sitting in the boat with his spear looking into the water, his father was standing in the boat and looking out into the sky.
"Dad what are you doing?? We're trying to find fish here and you're standing and looking at the sky! How do you expect us to catch fish??"
The father turned around and said, "Son, I'm looking for the birds."
Now why would the father be looking for the birds instead of the fish?
Ah man this always seems to happen, but I'll have to save the rest for next time sorry family! Be thinking about it, and how it relates to working together and then I'll write more next time.
Have a wonderful week in the year 2014! I love you so so much! Muah! :)
love and much much aloha,
Sister Amen
