How to have a B.O.M. Christmas!

BULA family & friends!

I hope you have all had an absolutely wonderful week! It has been an incredible week here in Toukley. Full of fun, progress and surprises!

So this week was transfers and guess what? CHRISTMAS IN TOUKLEY WITH SISTER KOI!!!! What a dream! We are so happy to both be staying here for Christmas and to keep working with all the beautiful people that we are so blessed to get to know and love.

This week we had some amazing Conferences and trainings about the Book of Mormon. Honestly, this week was a total transformation for Sister Koi and I. From these conferences, we were able to see that we working hard but not as smart as we needed to.

Sister Koi and I were feeling so overwhelmed with all of the investigators we have. We have SO many people and they all require so much time and attention and none of them progressing the way we expected. We were feeling weighed down, and as the week went on and we approached our Zone Conference, we were yearning to be spiritually fed and to learn.

And that is exactly what happened. We received so much revelation and were able to get a much clearer vision of the role of the Book of Mormon in conversion. Something President Checketts said really struck me. He said: "Too many prophets have shed their blood and too many saints have suffered to defend and preserve this book, for us not to make it the heart of everything we do as missionaries."

This week, I have gained a new, and renewed love for the Book of Mormon. I know that it is a evidence of God's love for us. If you want to know if Jesus is the Christ, READ IT. If you want to know if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints contains the saving ordinances and principles necessary for exaltation, READ IT. If you want to feel comfort and healing in a world full of hate, sin, and fear, READ IT. If you want your friends and family to come unto Jesus Christ and be one with you in His church, READ IT AND THEN DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO GET THEM TO READ IT.

I received very clear revelation this week that has absolutely transformed me as a missionary and it is this: "Kirsten, you are making things too complicated. The book is true, use it."

I testify to you that I know that it is true. I know it contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel. I know that there is no other book that draws men and women closer to God. I know that this book testifies of Jesus Christ and His divine mission. I know that Joseph Smith was and is inspired of God. And I know he translated this record through the power of God. I know that there is no question or concern that cannot be resolved by praying and reading the Book of Mormon. I testify that it has power to soften hearts and heal wounded souls. I know that this book was designed not just to teach us, but to change us.

This Christmas I invite each of you to renew your testimony of the Book of Mormon and by so doing also renew your testimony of that baby born in Bethlehem whom we are celebrating. I love this book and I hope each of us can gain a greater vision of the important role it plays in our lives as we strive to prepare to meet our Heavenly Father and qualify for eternal life.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Ham the dog. (LOL my poor companion.)

Alright, so one day as we were walking down the street visiting people, a dog ran up to us. It is this short FAT dog and Sister Koi freaked out but I started to be friends with him and he started walking along with us. We realized we had a problem when he started coming to our investigators doors with us and just making everything awkward. We couldn't get rid of him. We decided to go. So we walk back to our car with the dog by our side, and as I open the door to get in the car, this giant fat dog jumps inside and goes right to Sister Koi's seat in the car.

I am DYING laughing and Sister Koi is speaking angrily in Fijian. He is like drooling and shedding and making her seat all gross. And she keeps going "GET HIM OUT!! STOP LAUGHING!" But she is laughing a little bit too. Finally, I stop laughing and try to get him out. But he won't come out. We try everything. And eventually all three of us are sitting in the car (Sister Koi in the back seat lol) and saying a prayer that this dog will get out of our car. At some point I start teaching him the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the pamphlet and Sister Koi is laughing and saying that she has never seen anything so strange in her life, but ya gotta keep it light right? I ended up naming him Ham and after calling him by this name to get out of the car, he FINALLY comes.

But it doesn't end there, the seat was so gross and hairy and drool-y that Sister Koi wouldn't sit in her seat, so I drove her around in the back for two days until we finally had time to give it a proper clean. At dinner, I told one of the member families this story and then they came out to see us off and started cracking up seeing Sister Koi in the back seat. They had to take a picture.

#Thingsthatonlyhappentome

-CAN YOU SAY FOUR MAN FLAT?! YAY. Two lovely Sisters moved into our flat today because of transfers. Sister Spainhower (who was my insta BFF before the mission) and Sister Ah Hoy who I served around in Penrith zone. So lovely and so fun!

-Christmas EVERYTHING! I finally got in the Christmas spirit this week. We decorated the flat so nice and at Zone Conference we won a David Archuleta & MoTab Christmas album which I force my companion to listen too lol. Also the Christmas First Presidency message was wonderful!!

-Going out with Fia. She is CRACK UP and so spiritual and has an amazing testimony to share with our investigators! Love this girl.

Zone conference! 

-Who can find Sister Eteaki? #faceofpurejoy. Also the other blondie with the yellow skirt is my new flatmate Sister Spainhower!

-Here is the before mentioned picture of Sister Stigen and I on trade offs. We had dinner at this beautiful beach and had a mini-photo shoot. More pictures of us probably coming soon because she's coming tonight with Sister Mapuhi for trade offs again. #eternalmissionfriends

-I just love my companion. We have really clicked as a companionship, as weird as it is that we get along so well haha, we just do! We laugh, we work, we cry, we love. Noqu Companion!

-Miracle of the week: JASON! An investigator who dropped us. This week we felt prompted to text him and then next thing we know, he is saying he wants to meet with us and find out more about baptism. He found out that his dad studied with Mormons when he was younger and his dad encouraged him to learn more. Such a blessing. Please pray for him, we'll meet with him again tonight.

I love you all and I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas time! Please let go of any negativity this season and focus on the real reason we are celebrating. I know that Christmas can be a time of great growth and deepening conversion to our Saviour.

Au lomani iko, (I love you)

SF