Last week was super busy! We had so many trainings going on haha. VCTM (visitors center training meeting with Elder Hafen), Worldwide Missionary Broadcast, and Zone Conference! And can't forget, Chinese New Year! :) 

- Elder Bruce C. Hafen wrote several books on the topic of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and he taught us more about our unique understanding of the Atonement because of the restoration of the gospel. We know that the Atonement helps us overcome bittterness, become perfected like Jesus Christ, and that there are conditional blessings attached to our decisions. I highly recommend reading some of his talks :) "Beauty for Ashes" and "All for All: The Atonement"

- The Worldwide Broadcast was so good! We learned a lot about how to teach repentance and baptize converts :)

- In Zone Conference, we received a few insights from President Bekker's son and daughter-in-law from their mission experiences. Kaitlyn said one of her favorite quotes is from the movie, "Forever Strong," which says, "practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent." Our attitude about obedience and everything we do here in our mission will develop habits for the rest of our lives! :) It we want to do God's will and what He asks, we can! Everything else in life will fall into place.

VC: 

1) Online, I talked to Matt, who actually met with missionaries when he was in college. He remembered how welcomed he felt at church, and now, years later, he's searching for that again. He was raised Catholic but felt that the way they handled the repentance process was overbearing. I invited him to meet with missionaries again so that he can know if what we believe is true, and have those same feelings again, of our Heavenly Father's love for him. It is great to see that those missionaries he met before planted a seed of faith in him. :)

2) I met Liz and her family from one of the tram tours one evening, and she was super open to learning more! They were visiting from San Francisco, and she is starting to learn more about Christianity, and I was able to testify about the importance of a living prophet, and having a strong family foundation. She loved the temple, and wants to learn more from missionaries!

3) So while I was on exchanges with Sister Lundgren, I tried to call Jan, to confirm if she's met with the missionaries yet. The crazy fact is, the first time I called her, she was so desperate and took it as a sign from God that she needed the elders to give her a priesthood blessing. So I'm thinking, "wow this is perfect! She's going to truly see the miracles of the gospel immediately in her life." But when we called, it was so weird! She basically felt that the missionaries she met were the kindest people ever, and took the time to listen to her problems, and helped(as she talks, she's crying). BUT she has no interest in becoming Mormon ever, because she just can't believe in Joseph Smith as a prophet. We shared our testimonies and continued to encourage her to read the Book of Mormon, but it was so sad to see that she felt the Spirit so strongly but chose to reject that path to learn more. She wanted to find her own answers first. The restored gospel directly relates to the way we treat others, especially in our missionary work. I know that everyone has their timing to receive the gospel, and I'm just grateful she was able to see how much Heavenly Father loves her personally.

4) We said goodbye to Elder and Sister Smith this past week and welcomed our new senior couple, Elder and Sister Chong! They are such honest people and are converts to the church too!

5) On Saturday evening, we had a little celebration to celebrate Chinese New Year! Just at the VC. Sister Lee and a few other sisters prepared a dragon dance for us, and a fan dance. It was too funny! We are so blessed here to learn about different cultures. Then we had a little dinner with fried rice and other goodies. I love my culture! And it is so fun to see many Chinese families on vacation here during this break. Sister Ng and I took a cute family from Beijing to watch God's Plan (video walkthrough presentation) and they were so touched by the Spirit they felt. The mom was reminded about the blessings of spending quality time with her kids. I love opportunities like this, because we rarely have a family who has enough time to watch God's Plan (12 minutes).

Happy belated Chinese New Year everyone! Year of the rooster 🤗🐓. 

Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 13:19-20

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

​Group picture with Elder Hafen and Sister Hafen(right under the Christus with the yellow tie).

​Dinner with a cute family in our married student ward, Sister Kaopua and her cute baby Leila! We are sad we can't hold babies...

​This is one of our lovely tram drivers for our tram tours from the PCC! William

​Elder and Sister Chong! They are from Utah, but they were both born and raised here in Hawaii. We love them already.

I wrote in my journal 6/7 days in the last week. It felt really rewarding because I can always reflect on how Heavenly Father's hand has been in my day, and remember how much He loves me and the people that we meet. This week I've learned that a part of being a good leader is being a good friend and being a good listener. It's a humbling experience to have sisters turn to us with concerns and struggles that they're going through, and I'm grateful to tell them that "it will all work out, if you seek for Heavenly Father's guidance". There's really no place like the VC with 32 sisters with different backgrounds and personalities! Differences help us learn and challenges help us draw closer to the Savior. The antidote to most problems is charity, the pure love of Christ.

VC:

1) Zachary got baptized on Saturday and it was so fun to hear his testimony! One of his good friends from high school baptized him. When he prayed to God to know if the Book of Mormon was true, he received his answer the next day. And he's already visited the temple in several times and loves the peace there. I'm so happy we were able to hear his testimony, that really is one of my favorite parts of serving here!

2) Micah (from Florida) requested for a Book of Mormon, and it's kind of funny how he became interested. His dad is a Southern Baptist pastor and made some pretty bold statements about our church. Micah wanted to find out if the Book of Mormon is true or not, kind of like Joseph Smith's willingness to seek the truth. And now he's being taught by the missionaries. :)

3) I was texting a girl named Jessica from Beijing, and she's a homestay student in Vancouver right now! She's just the sweetest, and was moved by the kindness of members she's met. She's so excited to learn more about the Book of Mormon, and to keep in touch. The gospel is spreading in so many different ways!

4) Sister Lor and I met a senior couple from California who are serving as service missionaries in a women's prison and also helping with addiction recovery meetings for the church. I just thought that is so cool because they're sharing the gospel with people who are really looking to change their lives!

5) While on exchanges, we picked up a inbound call and talked to Jan, and she was really struggling. Her sister is a recent convert to the church and recommended her to get a priesthood blessing from the missionaries. She's recovering from some addictions, and is a Christian herself. She felt like this was a sign for her to fill the hole in her life, even though in the past, she's been skeptical about our church. Phone calls are some of my favorite interactions online because you can learn a lot from someone's voice and the way they talk. She was crying a lot, and we shared with her how she is a precious child of God, and the message we share really can bless her life. We ended the call with a prayer I said, then she wanted to pray for us, and in her prayer, she was thanking God for us, and felt that we were really able to feel her pains too. I know I don't really receive any credit for the hearts that are touched through the Spirit, but it's just a confirmation to me that we're learning to mourn with those who mourn, and serve as Christ did. 

6) Sister Lor and I have been seeing so many miracles from teaching together at the VC. In one day, we met two couples, one from California, and one from Toronto, who were both really prepared to learn more about the gospel! 

7) Also on exchanges, we talked to a very argumentative girl on chat. She kept accusing us that we were being deceived into our church, along with other not-so-respectful statements, but I just thought of how important it is to respect other people's beliefs. We politely shared our testimonies and ended the conversation... We don't all have to agree, but there is nothing Christ-like about putting down other faiths or accusing them when you haven't even truly tried to understand them.

Chinese New Year is coming up! Last year, I ate Panda Express. This year, we're going to be a little more authentic than that...haha. I hear it's still pretty cold in Toronto, so stay warm and enjoy the hot chocolate! It's been a little chilly the last few days with major winds. 🤗

Scripture of the week: 1 Nephi 9:6

"But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen."

After we end exchanges, we take fun pictures like this one. Memories for days!

​

We went to the temple last Friday! The temple is the best place on earth!

​We went on a short hike this morning, and took cute pictures of course. I love Sister Lor!

So I realized it's only been 5 days since my last email, but then again, I feel like so many things happened since then! Haha

I went on exchanges with Sister Yeung, which was super fun, because we were companions very early on in our missions, and haven't served together since then. We've both grown so much as missionaries, and I can't believe that it's her last transfer here! We both are making specific goals to help us be effective every day we serve here before we have to go home. Also went on exchanges with Sister Staheli, who is from Provo, Utah. She is so sweet and loves to teach and testify to others! This week, I've had one or two days where I felt SO ready to sleep after we came home. We slept at 10 pm. It was heavenly!

I was studying this week in Helaman, and how the concept of remembrance is constant throughout the scriptures. When we remember how blessed we are, we can be humble, and happy. When we forget God, it's easier to become consumed in our own ambitions or pride, and forget to be Christ-like. 

The queue online was SO slow this week, but the miracle was, we still were able to contact some quality and prepared people who want to meet with missionaries! 

Area miracle:

1) So we haven't really been in our area for a while, because they're all students, and we're more effective here at the VC...but yesterday we got a call from a student named Hailey, and she invited us to have dinner with her and her tennis teammates! Three Chinese girls, one Korean girl, one Malaysian girl, and two Americans. Most of them not members, and have met sister missionaries before, but it was a miracle because it was my first time meeting all of them. We were able to just be their friends, and share a short scripture with them! Such a tender mercy, and we don't know what will result from it, but at least they can have a good impression of missionaries before they graduate! Member missionary work is WAY more helpful than any other method. 

VC:

1) Ranielle got baptized last week! Her journey is really sweet. I wasn't expecting the baptism, and was worried her contact got deleted off our system! But good thing it wasn't! I just want to share a short part of her testimony with you, 

"Heavenly Father has always been by my side, even when I thought he was gone. Heavenly Father has given me more than I ever deserved. Not seeking Heavenly Father first will cause me to live and act in ways that are not truth. When I am rebellious and do not focus on Heavenly Father my actions will not be true to the kind and generous heart I have been gifted with. My anger is an enemy to the good and gentle spirit that has been lost but not forgotten inside of me. If I honor Heavenly Father he will place me where I can be used to help heal others of what has so graciously been healed inside of me." I get a little emotional whenever I read it, it was actually longer, but this was just an idea of the blessings she's received from learning this wonderful gospel. 🤗

2) Sister Lor and I also met a man named Jonathan, who grew up Catholic. It was a very easy conversation as we talked more about the temple and its significance, and shared our simple testimonies about the temple, and family history work too. We invited him to keep in touch/learn more from missionaries, and surprisingly, he did! Just reminds me that there's nothing to lose when we just invite everyone to learn more. He was a really open person though, so I'm not sure why I was surprised haha.

3) I've been in touch with a guy named Nick, who actually became introduced to the Book of Mormon because of the Marriott hotel he was staying in. He was surprised to see the scripture in his room and really wanted to learn more about our faith. He had his first lesson with the missionaries today :)

4) We also called Cody, and he's read the Bible on and off and but really wanted to be closer with God. His stepdad is an inactive member of the church, but since he's experiencing some tough trials in his life, he wanted to learn more from missionaries. 

5) Can't forget meeting Tidisha's family! They were from the tram tour, and she had a cute little two year old son, and three week old baby. Her cousin was visiting too to help her out. Her husband is in deployed in the military, and she loved eternal families. Little Alex held my hand and walked with me, so cute! She filled out her info so we can keep in touch and have the missionaries meet with her family in Waianae(Hawaii). 

6) Zachary(online) has been meeting with missionaries and preparing for baptism on the 21st! So fun. He loves the lifestyle we live, and that it brings more purpose into his life.

I love serving here, and we meet so many great people every single day. People who are either looking for something more, or maybe not looking for anything at all. But no matter who we talk to, with love and boldness, we can help them know that they have a Heavenly Father too, and the peace they feel here, doesn't have to be just temporary.

Scripture of the week: 1 Nephi 11:17

"And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."

Dinner with Hailey and her teammates! 

​Tidisha and her cousin after we finished the tram tour that evening. Such a cute family!

​Some of our favorite members from the Kaneohe 4th Ward came to the temple and visited us.

​We also had a taco salad party on Friday to celebrate beating all of our goals the week before! Sister Lee loves selfies haha.

​Just a peek of our beautiful mornings here! :)

Last week was packed with events! Sister Yun from Korea came, and Sister Belmonte arrived just two days ago (waited for her visa)! We had Missionary Leadership Council on Monday, Interviews with President Bekker yesterday, and Zone Meeting this morning. My new companion is Sister Lor, and we have so much fun together! She is such a loving person and always serving me and others. :) 

At MLC on Monday, the APs announced that the missionary schedule worldwide will have some changes. Instead of the rigid study schedule in the morning, we can have companion study at a later time, so that we can be out proselyting by 10 am. And daily planning in the morning instead of at 9 pm, so more time to sleep! Or write in our journals. This is super exciting because the First Presidency is preparing us to be "an agent unto ourselves," so after our missions, we can be flexible but still make time for the Lord. 

VC (so many wonderful experiences!):

1) My last day with Sister Allen, we met two men from Thailand, who came on the tram tour from the PCC. We were able to introduce the Book of Mormon to them, showed it in their own language (Thai), and gave them each a copy to take home. Their English was enough to get by, and we invited them to learn more from missionaries in Thailand and they eagerly filled out the Thai guest card! So cool! 

2) I talked to a mother and daughter named Marguerite and Alisha, from the tram tours, and Marguerite was so touched by the beautiful Christus, that she started crying! She was raised Baptist but is going through some hard times in life, so her daughter treated her a trip to Hawaii. She said hearing the Christus narration (90 seconds audio of Christ's teachings from the scriptures) was just what she needed. She actually listened to it twice! I don't meet people like her often, who are really appreciative of Jesus Christ, especially the role He is in their lives. I loved testifying of Jesus Christ as our Savior, and how it wasn't coincidence she was able to come and feel the Spirit here! Both her and her daughter were interested in learning more about the restored gospel. It was just 10-15 minutes of my day, but experiences like these make missionary work so so rewarding. To see her prayer being answered by Heavenly Father, through us. I don't know anything about her life's details, but Heavenly Father knows everyone perfectly, and our needs, and because of that, we were able to draw closer to Christ together. 

3) We also met a really sweet family visiting from Finland! The dad was really drawn towards the family history corner (probably the least popular area in the Visitors Center), and looked up some family names. Before we hopped back on the tram, he wanted to ask me why our church is interested in genealogy, so I taught him about eternal families and temple work. He was so attentive and felt really impressed! Not enough to leave info to keep in touch with us, but still learned a lot. :)

4) Maday, our online investigator from Florida, got baptized a week ago! She was raised in Cuba without much religious freedom, and was really prepared when the local missionaries started teaching her. I have such a testimony that Heavenly Father is preparing His children to receive the gospel everywhere!

5) I took my first Chinese chat on mormon.org. It was transferred to the Chinese queue... and Google Translate helped me for the first part. One cool feature is you can speak Chinese and it will type it out in characters for you (SO useful! and quick! And usually I can read it to make sure it's accurate). I eventually just told Jeff to call me so I can talk on the phone instead. He's from Las Vegas and recently divorced, but still lives with his ex-wife, been investigating the church for the last 6 months or so, and wanted some clarification about the commandments. Heavenly Father is always helping me to know how to teach in Chinese, because I have much to improve on, but I am so happy I was able to help teach him and promise Him blessings from following the commandments. He really desired to have a firm foundation for his testimony before he gets baptized.

6) I took a referral confirmation online for a woman named Dillie, from Japan. She is an English teacher in Kyoto, and wanted to learn more about the Book of Mormon from the missionaries. The miracle here was her reasoning, "I appreciated the principled stand that many Utah

Mormons took in the last US election. I'm very politically oriented and I was concerned by how many religious people in America were able to vote for a president whose actions and beliefs were so contrary to their faiths. From what I've heard, it seems like a belief system that encourages education, critical thinking, and charity which are all things I value highly." So many members and their voting decision/process left an impact on Dillie! How cool is that? I'm so excited for the missionaries in Japan to teach her, because I know it is so rare for people to have an interest over there.

First week of the new year started off so strong! 263 New Investigators from the Visitors Center just last week. When President Bekker trained on "teach repentance, baptize converts," I was reminded that in order for us to teach with power, we need to have been personally converted to the restored gospel. In order to teach the Atonement, we need to have applied it in our lives consistently. In order to find joy in our missionary efforts, we have to serve others and serve God with all of our energy. I testify that these things are true, and as I've served the other sisters, seen their struggles and trials, I've come to know that any problem we face can be solved through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, by turning outwards instead of focusing on ourselves, and by seeking Heavenly Father's guidance. All the miracles and successes we witness are gifts from our Heavenly Father. 

Friends and family, please pray for my good friends Daniel and Dante from back home. They were recently in a serious car accident and are slowly recovering/going through major surgeries. I'm so grateful for the knowledge of this gospel, and I know God has a plan for them.

Scripture of the week: Alma 27:17-18

"17 Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.

 18 Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness."

After MLC at the tabernacle :) Sister Training Leaders of the VC

​After dinner with Isaac and Jessica, one of the married couples in our married student ward! 

​For interviews with President Bekker, we evaluate everyone's planners. 7 am makes me laugh. Exercise is rough as a missionary...

​​Elder Andrus and the Finnish family! The son on the left has a friend serving as a missionary in Greece, so cool. This is the entrance to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

So this transfer has ended, and a new year has begun! 2016 was a big year for this Visitors Center, and for many of us serving here. But those changes have made it possible to share the gospel with many more people! 

I don't even remember this time last year very well, but I will be staying in the same area with my new companion, Sister Lor! We will still be sister training leaders together. I've been serving on campus and with the married students for over 8 months now! And I think I'll likely stay here until I'm done with my mission... haha (end of March). And tomorrow, we're receiving one new sister originally from Korea! Sister Yun.

I've been thinking about this past year and how serving a mission has changed me. I've gained such a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, how Heavenly Father really does love us so perfectly, and is so merciful, and how our discipleship really does begin with our faith in Jesus Christ. The restored gospel is simple and beautiful, and changes our whole lives, but God won't force our agency to accept and live by its principles. Agency is a wonderful gift He's given us so we can learn and grow and experience opposition. We can be happy when we are living the gospel. We can learn wisdom from prophets of old and present. The gospel will always provide an answer to our problems, if not direct us to an answer. I know that this is true. I know that I've changed and t

This week has been pretty hectic because we discuss closely with Elder Swinton to make companionship recommendations for President Bekker, our mission president. Making the master schedule for the transfer, making sure there's language speakers on shifts, and preparing transfer news! We've spent a lot of time doing administrative/preparation this week, so I don't feel like I met a ton of people at the center...but there were still a few miracles! I realized they're pretty much all of Chinese tours haha.

VC:

1) Yesterday, on Sunday, the pace was pretty slow, and a lot of member families, but so many Chinese tour buses came! Sister Sicotte(still learning Chinese) and I were the only Chinese speakers on shift, so we we tried our best to help the guests. It was kind of rough because Sister Allen and I were fasting yesterday (meaning I didn't eat or drink water), so I was so thirsty from talking so much hahaha. But! I met a really awesome young woman about our age, who was intently flipping through the Book of Mormon. I said she could take it home with her, and taught the whole restoration to her! She was a Christian herself and understood how we need someone with proper authority, the prophet to help us understand God's will. I gave her the guest card and she was a little worried because she didn't live in China right now, but lived in Indianna! (who would've thought?). And was willing to learn more from local missionaries 😄 

2) Also yesterday, a Chinese young man came in, and actually lives in Honolulu. I introduced more about the temple and some of our basic beliefs, but he was pretty Athiest, and had some questions I couldn't answer (because I couldn't really understand what he meant, the struggle of hearing new Chinese vocabulary). He was doubtful that God can answer us or speak to man, and asked if I experienced God answering my prayers, and I confidently testified that He did! I think he found that amusing, but I felt completely happy about the truths I knew, and said he would never know God's reality if he didn't even try to know. This isn't really a miracle or anything, but talking to him reminded me of how the gospel is the best gift I could've ever received in my life, and I know without a doubt that God and Jesus Christ are real, and they love us so perfectly. 

3) So this whole transfer, Sister Allen and I have been pretty consistent at doing language study. And I can testify how much it's helped me to communicate better in Chinese haha. I explained to an old man how the gospel has blessed me in my life, and why it is so relevant to everyone today. And I don't remember all the things I've said to him, but I know it was through the Spirit I was able to share what he needed to know, and my testimony. He kindly said, "those are wise words." Yay! Reading the Book of Mormon in Chinese is so fun! (very very slowly)

4) I took a tour with Sister Au, from Hong Kong, and the family we talked to was friendly, but we could tell the parents didn't have an interest besides getting information about the temple. We were able to teach about the restoration and the Book of Mormon, and as a result of that, the son, who was 19 years old, took a Book of Mormon with him! I wish we were able to talk longer but they were short on time, but that seed is planted! 

Other interesting things:

1) President Uchtdorf visited the temple grounds and also the Polynesian Cultural Center with his family! He is just the best. And loves people.

2) Last week, there were so so many visitors at the PCC, so we helped lining people up for our tram tours. And I think my ability to multi-task and control a crowd has increased hahaha. So many happy people came to see the temple and visitors center :)

Setting goals for 2017 is a little weird because I'm thinking about on my mission and after my mission. But I've learned that it's important to not stress unnecessarily about things I can't control, and to enjoy the little moments that make my mission amazing. I love sharing my testimony with others, and I love introducing God to Chinese people. I know that people are being drawn here to the temple because this is sacred ground. 

Talk of the week: The Virtue of Kindness (so so good!)

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/the-virtue-of-kindness?lang=eng

​We had dinner with two couples from our Married Student Ward! (from left to right: their friend, Sister Watanabe, Sister Allen, me, Brother Watanabe, Brother Kishi, Sister Kishi) I love serving in their ward!

​All the sisters on the evening shift one day :) With Sister Andrus on the left!

​We have blankets because it's cold...only to be used when we're not in the front haha.

I hope that everyone was able to have a great Christmas Day yesterday! We definitely enjoyed it. Church only included sacrament meeting, and then we had lunch with one our Bishops, Bishop Dunn, and his family. I ate eggs benedict for the first time, it was pretty good! In the afternoon, we Skyped our families, and I loved talking to mom haha. In the evening, we had a gift exchange with the other sisters, and watched the movie, "The Other Side of Heaven," which was based on a true story of Elder Groberg, who served as a missionary in Tonga many years ago. Elder Groberg visited us a few weeks ago, and we were privileged to hear of his testimony and his wife's testimony as well. 

It's fun to watch it as a missionary, because there's so many parts we can relate to(on an emotional level). I reflected on my mission experience so far, and how we really do love the people we meet so much! At the VC, we can't build the same strong relationships with investigators compared to other missionaries who stay in an area for months and months, but our purpose and our love is the same. We face different challenges in different environments, but we learn similar lessons. No efforts are wasted in the work of the Lord, trust is built on how people can feel your love, and the love you have for God and His gospel, and the blessings of living the gospel of Jesus Christ continues in eternity. Miracles happen when we trust in God, and do our very best.

This morning, we also had training from Elder Swinton's son, Dr. Swinton, who is a marriage counselor. What stood out to me was that you can't change personalities, and you can't expect others to change who they are, but what we can change is our own behaviors. How we react to things that bother us, how we communicate with love, how we can be kind instead of judgemental. "Value your relationship itself, not just your interest in it." I'm sure everything we learn in our missions will help us with all types of relationships throughout our lives. 😄

VC:

1) I met a really sweet Chinese couple(old) who came from the tram tour. They were really worried about the son-in-law because he worries about a lot of things outside of his own control, and wanted him to believe in a religion, that would give him surety and hope. Isn't that so sweet? I was able to share my testimony and about how God's plan really does give us purpose, and invited them to request missionaries online when their son-in-law feels ready for that. 

2) Yesterday, the VC was closed because it was Christmas, and there were 6 or 7 Chinese buses that came to visit the temple! Couldn't come inside the VC though - we were all Skyping home haha.

3) We met a lot of nice and polite people this week, which just felt really good. People that were willing to learn and listen, but not necessarily interested in keeping in touch. But that's okay!

4) I met a couple from New York, and was able to explain why family history is something the church invests a lot in. William's co-worker isn't a member of our church, but introduced him to the church websites for family history. So neat! I shared about the importance of temples and doing saving ordinances for our ancestors, and I'll have to follow up with him about the Book of Mormon he took too. 

What a year 2016 has been! Last year this time, I was pretty new to the mission, but this year, I'm so old! I love serving here, and I'm so grateful for all the tender mercies Heavenly Father's given me. All the things that trouble us in life, and what can help us be happy, is Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. What a blessing it is to know it and share it. Have a wonderful New Year's!

Scripture of the week: Alma 53: 20-21

"20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

 21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him."

We went on the Christmas Canoe Ride at the Polynesian Cultural Center! A treat from Elder Swinton. 

​Beautiful Christmas decorations and reflections on the water.

​So Sheri Dew (CEO of Deseret Book)came a few weeks ago, and gifted all of us a copy of President Monson's biography, which Elder and Sister Swinton(who wrote it) hand-signed for us! So happy.

So many things happened this week, I can hardly keep track of it! Today, I turned 21 years old. I remember thinking as a teenager, once I'm in my 20s, I hope I have my life all planned out, and know who I am, and who I want to be. Somewhat true, but still a work in progress! I'm grateful to be here, to be healthy, to have the gospel in my life, to have loving parents and friends, and to be a missionary at this time. Thank you for all your support and love!

Last week we had a mission-wide conference with Elder LeGrand Curtis. His training was mostly on the topic of faith, and what that means to us. He talked about lasagna, and how our faith is layered one piece at a time, until it becomes the "perfect" lasagna. I just love that! Faith leads to action, and only through faith can we witness miracles in our lives. 

Area:

1) We had a really great lesson with Aldarma, from Mongolia, but it turns out she's actually in another companionship's area. So they walked with her to the VC yesterday, and started teaching her, and we just did a little teaching. We shared our testimonies with her, and the Christmas video as well. I was so touched by her willingness to read the Book of Mormon and want to apply all the teachings to become a better mother, and to become closer with God. We won't be teaching her, but we are so grateful to know her and see her grow!

2) Today, we went grocery shopping at Foodland. I was going to pay, but a kind man offered to pay for us. We tried to get out of it, but he insisted. Our bill was about $50, and Sister Allen and I were just in awe, for feeling so blessed. The two guys behind us in line were not members of the church, but still wanted to pay for the one thing Sister Allen was going to buy. We don't deserve this kindness but we are so grateful for this small act.

VC:

1) This week, I was kind of struggling and asked for a priesthood blessing from Elder Swinton. I've never asked for any type of blessings on my mission here, but Sister Evans said it would only help. And I am so grateful for that power, because I can always feel the Spirit, and the perfect love that our Heavenly Father has for me individually. I know that He knows all the details of our lives, and if we allow Him to, He really is our Comforter. 

2) Sister Allen and I drove Sister Evans to the Honolulu Airport on Thursday night and we got a little lost...but the miracle was, the GPS died but worked again, and we got home safely after two hours hahaha. We're always protected!

3) Sister Hernandez and I met an inactive 19 yr old guy who came to the VC with his parents and girlfriend. We shared the Christus narration with them, and just testified of how much peace comes in our lives because of Jesus Christ, and His Atonement for us. We could tell he wanted to feel that more, and his girlfriend wanted to learn more too, so we got their contact information! Miracles of being bold but loving.

4) Jenn got baptized last week! Her story is neat; she learned a good amount about our beliefs from a family on YouTube, and was really interested in applying those teachings in her life. I couldn't get ahold of her, but called the Bishop, and he confirmed the baptism and everything. Then she called me back, and was so so happy. 

5) Jannah also got baptized on Saturday! She's from Orillia in Ontario, and felt soo much peace after she started learning the gospel. So many miracles in her life too. So grateful for the missionaries who taught them, and I feel so happy to see another person receive the fullness of the gospel :) She had really bad anxiety, but ever since she read the Book of Mormon, it's significantly decreased, and a continuous peace has come into her life.

6) Sister Hernandez and I took an inbound call online, and talked to a man named Trevor. Basically, he was slightly argumentative, and didn't understand why we didn't teach one verse in the Book of Mormon literally. Can you imagine trying to interpret scripture without a living prophet? We taught and testified, and I realized how in order to understand and learn about our beliefs, you really have to be humble enough to pray about the Book of Mormon, with intention to act on your answer. It's not enough to just pray. The answer doesn't come if you're not ready to receive it.

Christmas is this Sunday! We had a neat opportunity to share the Christmas video with a small Chinese tour, about 10 people, and with each scene, they commented on how important it is to be kind, and reach out to others. It was a short moment, but I found myself tear up a little, because we live in a world where it's so easy to be caught up in our own problems, but even for a few minutes, they learned what it means to become like Jesus Christ. They also asked for the words to the Christus narration! (scriptures from the Bible and Book of Mormon) I said we only had it in English and they still wanted it. Soooo sweet.

We can be kind, we can love others, we can find more happiness and peace, because Jesus Christ showed us the way. When we are hurt, angry, sad, worried, or guilty, we can use the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and have Him lift our burdens. I love being at the Visitors Center as a missionary, and this week will get even busier because of Christmas! I know that Christ lives, and that He understands us perfectly, and because of who He is, and what His Atonement is, we can have eternal joy. "Without Christ there would be no Christmas, and without Christ there can be no fulness of joy." - President Ezra Taft Benson

Continue to #lighttheworld ! 🙌

Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 22:10 

"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."

​It's super small (taken on an Iphone), but this is thee group of all the missionaries on Oahu! With Elder Curtis on the left of President Bekker (above Sister Bekker, wearing the bright red in the middle)

​The children's choir here in Laie performed at our last musical fireside of the season! So talented.

​We tried to take fun pictures because I've always wanted to see the view here - Laie Point!

​This was taken on Sister Andrus's phone, but I met a member of the church from mainland China! She was part of a Chinese tour, so I had to take a picture!

This week was another wonderful week :)

We had MLC in town on Saturday and Elder LeGrand Curtis Jr. gave some training. He really focused on how Jesus Christ was the greatest of all, but also the biggest servant of all. A call to lead really is a call to serve those around us, as Christ did. "The church is like volleyball; we all have a chance to serve." 😋 No matter what our capacity is, Heavenly Father trusts us individually with callings to serve, and to be His hands. He does not love any one of us more than another, because like a parent, you love all your children. But just like Elder Christofferson said in his last talk, "God's love is infinite and will endure forever, but what it means for each of us depends on how we respond to His love."

Area:

1) I went on exchanges with Sister Elden in Hau'ula, and we were given a referral to visit Lea, without any background information. So we went in there blind, but prayed before we knocked on the door. Within minutes, she opened up to us about some deep struggles she's going through right now, and we were able to share how much Heavenly Father is wanting to bless and reach out to her. I could feel the Spirit of God as we listened and shared Mosiah 24 with her, when the Nephites had their burdens lifted. Sister Elden and Sister O'Brien have tried visiting previously but have never found her home. What a miracle that day, we were able to build that spiritual trust and meet her. As a missionary, sometimes I feel overwhelmed because so many people trust us to help them with their trials and the message of Jesus Christ we share can help them solve anything. But it anything we do, but everything that God does, to guide us.

2) Last time I talked about a student, who wanted us to meet her friend, who is at BYUH for an exchange. We got to meet her yesterday after church, and her name (in Mongolian) is really hard to pronounce...but it was neat introducing the gospel to her! She's married and has 4 daughters, and she said she's already feeling how this peaceful community and the temple, has helped her to be a more calm mother. She's already praying often and wants her family to know more about God, but I think Christianity is really uncommon in Mongolia, from what she's told us. Lots of potential here, and her experience is a testimony to me that there are so many ways for others to recognize God, and His love. We can be changed, and have more peace, through this gospel.

VC:

1) Sister Elden and I also talked to a man named Ben on chat (in his late 50s). He asked us what a sealing in the temple meant. Turns out his parents were converts to the church and got married in the Salt Lake Temple before he was born, and passed away only 6 months after he was born. On Christmas, he's reminded of the love they have for each other, and how the temple was one of their biggest goals. He's currently meeting with missionaries and learning more about what was so special to his parents. And we thought it was sweet that really, it isn't a coincidence he felt drawn towards our faith. He was born into a covenant that his parents made in the temple years and years ago! 

2) Earlier last week, Sister Allen and I met a member couple from Utah, and their friend named Mike. They talked to Elder Andrus (a senior missionary here) for a while, and then we were able to introduce the Christmas video with them! Mike had a strong Christian faith as well, and he loved the video. We saw that Elder Andrus already gave him the guest card, so we didn't really ask him to fill it out, but as they were about to leave, the good friend actually asked him if he'd like to fill it out and learn more, and he said yes! They've been friends for 20+ years and she shared her testimony with him as well. The power of member missionary work is real!

3) Online, I contacted a man named Martins, who lives in Italy. He's a member of the church from Nigeria, and is now in a refugee camp in Italy. He expressed how much he misses partaking of the sacrament(he hasn't been able to for 9 months), and how his spirit is really low, and really wants to connect with church in Italy. Reading his email made me really appreciate how blessed we are each week, to attend church, and partake of sacrament, and renew our covenants, and remember Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for technology, which allowed us to send his info to the missionaries in Italy. And they can help him :)

4) Yesterday we chatted with Louise from Scotland, and she asked Sister Allen and I what we do when we face hard times in life. She said in the last few years, she's found the most comfort and peace from our beliefs, and wanted to learn more. I found that I could relate to her personal experiences, and Heavenly Father really is soo aware of our needs! We were online at that certain time, and was able to talk specifically to her. And she was so happy to know there were missionaries in Scotland! :)

5) Jannah from Ontario is planning to be baptized this coming Saturday! 

Scripture of the week: 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (the apostles arguing who was baptized by who, and God reminds them that we are all servants in His process, and all the glory goes back to Him)

"5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

Don't forget to keep sharing #lighttheworld! And ways that you can serve others this season :)

​Sister Elden and I behind beach pads (where this is right behind their backyard) :) She's so awesome! She's a convert of a year ago. 

​Lunch at MLC - Sister Lor, Sister Ng, Sister Swinton, Elder Swinton (VC Director), me, Sister Allen

​A beautiful sunset with a rainbow just peeking behind :) 

​We had lunch with the Swintons today, and Sister Swinton bakes the best homemade bread in the world! She is the author of President Thomas S. Monson's biography "To the Resue"