The Future Is As Bright As Your Faith

Hello family!!!

Once again, I absolutely love all of the support you give me. Whether it is receiving letters, packages, or reading your wonderful e-mails. It helps me so much and I love it!

Man, transfers are already around the corner. I, personally, do not really have a preference where I want to go. I would like to go somewhere different, but it is wherever the Lord wants me!

This week was actually not as bad, maybe because it was General Conference, which was awesome!!! It is weird how your perception of it changes while you are on a mission hahaha!

Good to hear that you enjoyed my Samoan testimony :). I had a Samoan companionship translate it into Samoan then I read it. I cannot speak it that well, but I love trying it out, it's a very unique language.

Me, Elder Ashby, Elder Robertson, and Elder Offley.

This is what we look like on P-Day while doing laundry.

 

We are slowly having a little more success in our area. Our numbers were not as bad this week, not that they were that good either, but considering what they have been in the past, they were not half bad! It is amazing how you can have a whole day of no success, and then near the end someone calls you and says they want you to come visit! BOOST!!!! It was so kool, so Elder Ashby and I were driving around, trying to contact people, and of course no one was home. Nobody is ever home in the day, you have to try and catch them by night, that is another thing that is hard here, everyone is working straight through the day. After we tried visiting 6 people, none of which were home, we were driving away from the last house, about to give up, then suddenly I heard a voice say "Mike", who is someone we have been trying to contact for the last 4 weeks (I was driving because it was too bright for Elder Ashby again). I thought that it was Elder Ashby who said it, I heard it so loud. I turned to him and said "what?" because I thought it was him who said it. "Nothing" he replied. A little perplexed I kept driving, then about 5 seconds later, I heard it again! "I think we should go see Mike" I said. Elder Ashby agreed. When we got to his houz, he was walking out of the door about to get into his car! Talk about perfect timing! We talked to him and we are meeting with him tomorrow at 4, it was a little hard to agree cuz it is P-Day, but its the Lords work and we were happy to do it! Just a little miracle that really gave us a needed boost! 

Elder Thompson and I playing guitar together.

 

I loved what Jeffrey R. Holland said in his talk on conference, how every talk can relate to everyone. It is so true. I loved how he said "one way or another, the Lord's voice will be heard!" so true! One talk that stood out to me was Kent F. Richards when he was talking about afflictions and trials, mainly because of what I am going through in my mission right now. I loved it when he quoted "ye are little children, ye cannot bear all things" that was really comforting to hear. Another thing I loved was when he said "after being refined through our trials, we shall come forth as gold". I know that, even though this is a really difficult time in my mission right now, it will be for my benefit and will help make me stronger. It only took me 6 weeks to realize that! ;) as Russel M. Nelson said "fear not, be of good cheer, the future is as bright as your faith". So true!

My study desk right now, a little messy, but I thought it looked good cuz it reminded me that we should put the scriptures before everything else first.

 

I'll write out my testimony in Samoan so you can read it what it said. I'll write one sentence in Samoan, then the next in English.

Ou te iloa o tatou Tama i le lagi ose Tama alofa

I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father

Ou te iloa o tatou Fa'aola o Iesu Keriso

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior

Ou te iloa o Iosefa Samita o se Perofeta moni ona sa faaliliu le Tusi a Mamona

I know that Joesph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and was a true Prophet

Ou te iloa o Thomas S. Monson o le perofeta Seifua luga lenei fuga eleele ona e maua na ia miti ma faaliga e taitai tatou

I know that Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet on the earth today and receives revelation from Heavenly Father

Ou te iloa e moni le tala lelei ma sa toifutai me ala i le perofeta tosefa samita

I know that this church is the true church established by Joseph Smith in the last dispensation

Ou te fai lenei molimau i le Suafa o Ieso Keriso Amene

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen

 

A little note, G in Samoan is pronounced "ng", like in the back of your throat, like how you pronounce ring. So "lagi" is pronounced la"gn"i. And "I" in Samoan is pronounced more like a "y", so "Iesu" is pronounced "yesu". There's your Samoan lesson for the day! :)

Elder Ashby, me, Elder Robertson, and Elder Winterrose before the Sunday General Conference session.