February 9, 2014
"How long you been growing your dreads?"

Talofa lava, lo'u aiga!  Sa bisi lenei vaiaso! Ia, tatou amata....

monday we played touch in roskill south near sam and robin's house. they came and played with us, that was fun! so stinkin hot and humid though.....

tuesday we had a great lesson with Dorothy! taught her the restoration, and even though she's been thru many sets of missionaries, she learned lots - especially how joseph smith didn't write the BOM, he translated it, and that adam and eve made the right choice to eat of the tree so that we ALL could have the opportunity to live on this earth.  she then texted us later this week and said that she's learning so much when she reads from the BOM! We hope to meet with her tomorrow and maybe even set her for baptism!

wednesday was very slow. you know its going to be a rough/slow day when you fall asleep during personal study time.... but we did have little success everywhere we went. and we had a MCM - missionary coordination meeting - with our Ward Mission Leader and members of the auxiliaries to plan some activity in april.

Thursday we had a zone training where we learned how to be more bold when extending commitments to our investigators. president lekias joined us at the end and gave an awesome spiritual thought from mosiah 3:19.  it was all about how we are to put off the natural man. so this is how be broke it down....

"For the natural man (our own personal will, or our animal instincts) is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and puteth off (or align our will with Heavenly Father's will/the modern day sacrifice of putting it on the alter) the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement (the one thing we can be perfected in and through) of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, (all christlike attributes we should strive to develop) willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit (because Heavenly Father knows best - isaiah 55:8,9) to his father."  SO - our own, personal will (our agency) is the ONLY TRUE thing that belongs to us, and us alone. everything else belongs to the lord because he is the creator of all.  when we've mastered this principle of aligning our will with the father's, THAT is true self mastery.

Anyone elses mind blown? yep. president lekias is a boss with scriptures.


friday was awesome, we had a lesson with Val on the plan of salvation.... and at the end of the lesson we set her for baptism for March 1!  She comes  to church every week with her sister who is a member, so we may move it up to Feb 22nd! so exciting! she is wonderful, and has a funny sarcastic attitude that just makes me laugh. 

saturday was a special day because....... TUSIPEPA was baptized!!!!!!!!!!! so exciting! it was HOT as that day... and so i was all sweaty for the baptism, so excuse my messy hair and shiny face in the pic, but regardless of my appearance, pepa was so happy and that is what matters! Man, it is so exciting having a baptism for someone you've come to love and be your friend.  the spirit was so strong there.  We were planning on the chapel, but a stake thing was going on so we had it in the RS room and BOY it got packed! it was awesome to see support from ward members, friends and family of pepa's!  a very good day.

yesterday was a much better sunday than last week. pepa was confirmed in sacrament, by the stake pres actually, and then we just met with lots of members. sister Aumua is a crack up, man. I'll just say that i would never want to get in a verbal or physical fight with her, because she'd win, hands down. she's in her 50s i'd say and could kick my trash at anything. haha, but she has fun talking to me in samoan and is patient while i translate and reply. ha! she gave us heaps of people to visit this week, so that was awesome too!  we ended the day with a training broadcast from the area presidency of the south pacific. it was all about the hastening the work of salvation, and very cool to think that i am a part of it all! what a BLESSING!

oh, and the title of this email, "how long have you been growing your dreads?" was the question i started to talk to this guy on the street with yesterday.  i crack my self up some days.  he was nice, but not interested. got a good laugh when i told him i wanted dreads... i guess he didnt believe me.... :)

well that was basically if for the week. this week is transfers, but sis H and i aren't expecting any changes seeing how we both just got to mt. roskill!

seems like the birthday boys had a good weekend and enjoyed their days!  sorry i wasn't there, but i was thinking of you, dad and mitch! :) i'm glad yous got the cards!  i hope logan gets that job! he'll be walking around the tool store with the work apron and all the girls that come in with their dad's will swoon! ahhhhh! ;) 

now for the pictures!

1. an awesome sunset from last week!
2. i'm starting to look tan? yes?
3. day before pepa's baptism!
4. we're so excited. :)
5. right before the BIG MOMENT!
6. after her baptism with all the family she brought!  the only other member in the pic is her auntie with the white/grey hair!
7. the guy next to pepa is our WML, bro toleafoa, he baptized her... doesn't he look happy? haha... i guess he doesn't smile for pics. :)


i love you all so much! have a great week and i'll be emailing you the same time next week! stay classy. :)
alofa atu,

sista kamaleti