The Best 18 Months

G'day family & friends.

Here we are. It's been 18 months. 

This mission means everything to me. The people I've loved, the message I've shared, the miracles I've seen, and the changes Christ has helped me make are too much for me to express my gratitude. 

As a missionary I have felt discouragement, I have oft times been stressed, and I have reached a state of perpetual exhaustion, I have felt the eternal weight of this work on my shoulders. I have faced, rejection, doubts, and disappointments. But I can honestly say, I have never in my life felt this much pure joy. Labouring in the work of God Himself, with the Saviour, Jesus Christ, as my guide, and the Spirit as my companion. What an honour! I am not worthy of this work, but the Lord has called and qualified me to do it. I used to think I was making a sacrifice for Him by serving, but now I'm more inclined to believe that He made a sacrifice for me by letting me be a part of the sweetest work under the heavens. 

The love that I've felt for my God, my Saviour, and my brothers and sisters has changed me to my core. The experiences I've had have sealed a sure witness of the reality of the living Son of the living God. The trials have refined me. The work has strengthened me. The love I feel for the people has softened and transformed my heart. 

The blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are infinite and available to all who will come. And we must invite all to come. This is God's purpose and it needs to become ours. 

I can't believe my time to serve as a full time missionary is up in 2 short days. But I know I have no need to fear or to feel sad, because the same Saviour who got me on this mission and helped me for the last 18 months, will fly home by my side. He will continue to be my closest Friend and I will continue to labour with Him. 

I bear my witness that I know God lives. He is our Father. He hears our prayers and answers them in wisdom and love. I know our Saviour. You can know Him too. He is Jesus Christ. He has conquered all and lives this very day. I have seen Him heal and I know His Atonement is real and it is enough. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been revealed by God to Prophets since the beginning and that God has never stopped reaching out to us in love. I know that Joseph Smith restored this Gospel, and that the Book of Mormon paired with the Spirit of God is tangible evidence of this. I believe in Priesthood power, temples, and families that last forever. 

Brothers and Sisters I love you and I am excited to continue to serve in this work with you.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-My last district P-day was last Monday. My district leader tore a ligament in his foot playing rugby and then was dying in pain for an hour while we waited for the mission nurse. We took turns eating, distracting him from the pain, SR & I sprinted to the store and back to by him some pain killers, we sang, and laughed a lot. It was an unforgettable pday! 

-Said goodbye to my new Grandpa Pip. He made me try to play Estonian songs to him on the piano lol. He is not a member and is the most stubborn, hilarious old man. I only had a few chances to be with the Kaimur family, but it was such a special experience to be in their home. I believe that Pip and Loris will be an eternal family one day. I know I will see them again! 

-Serving in a ward with 6 missionary companionships and another 2 working the Mandarin ward has been heaps of fun. It's been awesome to be in such a united team doing the work here in Greenwich. #EnglishClass

-The work was so awesome this week. So many great people to meet. So many miracles. I got to do some door knocking too, which was like Disney world for me. I love the people here so much! 

-Sister Ruengurai has become my little sister. It's official. There is no one else I would have rather spent these last 2 transfers with. She is a firecracker. She is a hard worker. She loves the people and they love her! So grateful to have a friend like her as my companion.

-Game night was SO fun this week. I got to see the elder's investigator from Florida again which was awesome. And it's so good to see all the missionaries, investigators, and members having fun together. 

-Sarah got a temple recommend this Sunday! She was so excited. She also started her family history and is preparing to go to the temple next week. So amazing to see her soak up the Gospel. 

-I taught Relief Society for the first time in my life. So scary but I'm so grateful to be in such a great ward.

-It's just been awesome. This whole thing. Some days were hard, some days were easy, but every day was an adventure. Every day I felt the Spirit of the Lord and got see the His work move forward. I have given my whole heart to this. I know Heavenly Father will sanctify my imperfect efforts to bless as many of His children as He can through the mission I've served. It is never over! 

I love you all so much. Thank you for all the support you have given me in different ways throughout my mission.

God be with you till we meet again.

Sister Froemming

Happy Halloween from GreenWITCH

Sawadeeka family & friends! It's been another great week here in Greenwich. SR & I are continually getting more guidance for the people we're working with here as well as how we can continue to reach more people!

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many people have tried to disprove us this week. It has been a wonderful experience for Sister Ruengurai and I to testify of what we know and how we know it. We will never argue, we will always listen and respect their opinions, we will even let their questions effect our Gospel study and personal prayers, but we cannot deny what we know and feel. The Church itself is not what our faith is centered on, it is the true Doctrine of Christ. And the Doctrine of Christ is our Saviour's Atonement. When our faith is built upon this sure foundation, we cannot fall! (Helamen 5:12)

We all need the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ to cleanse and heal us. We all need His divine mercy. But the only way we can truly receive His Atonement fully into our lives is by making promises or covenants with God. We promise to trust Him and to keep His commandments, and He promises never to give up on us, He allows us to receive His Son's grace. These covenants are made by us receiving ordinances (a sacred religious ceremony ex. baptism). This shows our willingness to follow God. To perform ordinances, we need God's true power and authority - the Priesthood. All of these things: ordinances, covenants, and Priesthood, can only be truly accessed through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This has been God's truth since the foundation of the world. These are the same principles that have always been taught to God's children to lead them to Salvation. This is God's purpose. And though I don't understand the meaning of all things, I trust God and know He loves us. 

I want to invite you all to find an opportunity to bear your testimony this week! There are so many who need to hear it. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Service for the Kaimur family. They are an absolute delight. The wife Loris is 89 and Aussie. The husband Pip is 90 from Estonia. They treat us like royalty when we come do service for them. Pip makes heaps of Grandpa jokes that crack us up, and Loris gives us life tips. It's kind of like heaven. 

-I do impressions of the other missionaries in our area (who are all like hilarious cartoon characters) and it never fails to make Sister Ruengurai laugh SO hard. It's too easy and so funny. 

-Heaps of amazing finding! Our lessons are getting so much deeper. We are learning to help people open up to us and how to administer the Gospel in a way that they can understand. It's the best!

-Halloween party! So fun to see the ward together. 

-I just love the YSA here! We are pretty close with a lot of those who just recently got baptized. It's so amazing to see their journey and their faith. We had lunch with Telle this week and she's just the cutest. 

I hope you all have a great week!

Rak na!

SF

"This Country is Killing Me" -SR

Sawadeeka family & friends!

I hope you are all feeling fantastic and had a wonderful week! This week was challenging, but we saw so much progress! The coordination between the ward and the missionaries continues to tighten. The vision SR and I prayerfully gained at the beginning of our time here has been realised by the leadership in the ward. And the best part is, we have goals and plans of what we will do to actually achieve this vision. 

I'll try to keep my sermon short this week. I just love our Saviour. He has never failed me. His Atonement is more than enough for us, no matter how great our weakness, mistakes, or trials may be. He has conquered! Sin, death and whatever you are facing right now have all already been overcome by Him. I'm so grateful for the moments when I have felt hopeless, alone, or broken, because these are the times when I have seen a loving Saviour heal me. I testify that I have felt the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ relieve me from pain. This is a tangible experience that has ingrained my belief in Him into a part of who I am. But this experience is only made possible through initial Faith in Jesus Christ. I invite all of you to trust Him just a little more. Please let Him help you a little more fully. He wants to help. He is there. Give Him your load and He won't fail you either.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS! 

-We had an awesome lesson with Andrew this week! A member came (from another ward but has a class with Andrew) and we were able to all teach together in unity! I was the question ask-er, Dana was the question answer-er, and Sister Ruengurai was the testifier (along with the Spirit lol). It was a powerful lesson that allowed us to understand Andrew more. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I know he will be baptised one day. 

-My crazy companion. She is so lovely, so funny, so caring, so happy. I just love her! Funny story this week: We were walking to the train station from the chapel as a group of missionaries and investigators. I was walking a little ahead of SR talking to someone and she was behind me talking to Sister Chao. Up ahead, I could see two wild turkeys. Some of the missionaries began pointing them out. I know my companion loves turkey and is crazy. I sighed and said to the missionary next to me "She is going to chase that turkey." 

I literally slo-mo turned around to see my companion slo-mo beginning her run after this turkey. Sister Chao accompanied her of course. It was so funny. P.S. She did not catch the turkey. 

-One day this week Sister Ruengurai and I had a strong feeling to change our morning plan. We had a feeling we needed to stay in the flat and work on the crusty, old, former area book full of people who were taught years ago. We prayed about it a lot because we really would rather go outside haha, but our answer was clear. So we began to work on the area book and call people. It was mostly just cleaning up old records (ex. number disconnected, moved, STILL not interested, "will contact us"). 

After 3 hours of this, we reached an old teaching record for a Vietnamese man name Hue. We called and a woman answered saying no one by that name lived there. We felt like we should keep trying so we began listing off information we had from our teaching record trying to identify him. Finally after reading his wife's name which was listed on the record, she realised who we wanted to speak with and somehow connected us with Hue. 

He. was. so. excited. He doesn't speak English very well, and is 74. He said "wow thank you to remember me!". We asked when we could visit his family, and he said, "2 o clock today. I will wait for you." It was already 1 o clock so we quickly began travelling to his home. When we got there, he was literally waiting outside for us. It was so cute! We talked to him and it was difficult to teach because of the language barrier, but it was amazing to see that God is so aware of His children! He provided a way for us to visit Hue and be able to brighten his spirit and teach him the Gospel!

-Telle got baptised!  It was such an exciting day! We have come to love her so much even if she's not our investigator. #wardunity. She was glowing and her testimony was so cute! I love watching people accept the Gospel here. It's such a leap of faith for those who were taught their whole lives that God is not real. She kept saying "I am a Mormon! Life is full of surprises." hahah, she is the cute girl in the red dress in the picture of all of us. 

I love you all so much! Have a great week.

Rak na,

SF

Sister Froemming's General Conference Address LOL

Sawadeeka family & friends! 

I hope you have all had a fantastic week! Another amazing one here in Greenwich. 

The work is moving forward. We are increasing in vision of what to do, and trusting the Saviour who goes before our faces to know how to do it. I love serving Him. When we serve for the Saviour, we are never alone!

I remember a time I watched a sad movie about someone who passed away. After I watched this movie, my emotions were raw and I couldn't stop crying! I thought of my own family and how devastated I would be if this situation were my own. To console myself, I decided to watch bible videos (while eating chocolate obviously). As I watched my heart burned and I continued to click, video after video, scene after scene, watching how the Saviour lived His life. And then finally, I clicked on a video portraying when the Resurrected Saviour appeared to His apostles. 

As I watched, I felt something like a lightning strike go through me! It was as if my chest was full of hot air and fire was running through my veins. Fresh tears overflowed from my eyes. 

"He lives!"

It was more than a thought, more than a feeling (don't you dare start singing that song ahah), it was a knowledge that pierced my very being. It went right through me. Of course I had already believed that Jesus Christ was my Saviour, of course I believed that He lived, died, and rose again. But for some reason as I sat watching this video in Spanish Fork, Utah, I was absolutely aware in every way that He was somewhere near right then. That He actually knew my name. That He truly understood my feelings. That He loved me. It was suddenly so much more real, suddenly so much more personal. I don't really know how to put it into words, but I cannot forget the feelings of that moment.  

I hope that we have all had similar feelings as we have watched General Conference. The theme I personally saw as I watched was knowing, feeling, and trusting the reality of Jesus Christ and His saving Gospel. We must be deeply converted to Him. We must recognise the battle we are fighting and Who's side we are on. We must allow the Gospel to become woven into who we are. The love we have for our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ should be an anchor to our souls and influence each decision we make. 

I testify that we are truly Children of God. That the Plan of Salvation is real. Each day we make choices that determine our destiny. As a missionary who lives each day to serve God, who has seemingly sacrificed (but really just received more in return) a worldly life to more perfectly represent Jesus Christ, I can testify to you that it is worth it. No matter how hard living the Gospel may seem, no matter how inadequate you may feel, no matter what you may be withholding at this time from giving your all, I invite you to put your soul into this. Sacrifice what you must, forsake what you may, nothing is more important than living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and allowing His Atonement to heal us.

He lives. The Spirit has witnessed to me that He is real, and I have witnessed His power changing me and others. He absolutely lives. I know it.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS! 

-FINDING! SR & I are getting soooo much more effective. We really gave our all to our finding efforts this week. We are seeing the work move much quicker as we are constantly seeking the Spirit. A lot of the time it's easy for us to pick and chose who we want to talk to, but only Heavenly Father knows who is actually prepared. Following His promptings has brought so much joy! 

-Last week I had trade off with Sister Spainhower. It was a dream. And it literally felt like a dream cause I was burning a low fever the whole time lol. But we went to all these beautiful places in Sydney and shared the Gospel with people. It was absolutely the coolest. We also had a sweet lesson with one of SR + I's investigators who we are referring to the City. They have this awesome set up in this big building right in the City where they converted a whole floor to be the chapel and a floor to be a teaching centre with fantastic reverent rooms. It was such a powerful lesson. We could see that David really understood and had desire to follow Jesus Christ. An experience I will never forget. 

-Watching everyone we meet who asks where I'm from as their face drops and they tell me about the hurricane. Everyone in Aussie thinks Florida was like wiped off the face of the planet! Sending prayers to those who lost their homes and their lives wherever they may be from. 

-GENERAL CONFERENCE! A real game changer. So much revelation was received! So much spirit was felt. It was an amazing experience and it just renewed over and over again my love and appreciation for the Saviour, Jesus Christ and His Gospel. We were also so happy that our investigator Andrew stayed for all 4 hours on Sunday! :) 

-Being a missionary is the greatest. And the best part is, we don't have to have a badge to live a consecrated life and to partake in the greatest work in the world! I hope you all are having meaningful experiences taking care of your Heavenly brothers and sisters (especially those in your family). It's truly the best!

I love you all heaps! Shout out to all of you who made it through this long email! #GeneralConferenceFinallyMadeItToAussie

Have a great week!

Rak na!

SF

Mandarin + Miralces + Bday = WOW

Sawadeeka family & friends!

I hope you all are having a great week! 

It's been another FANTASTIC one here in Greenwich. Sister Ruengurai and I are enjoying every moment here. We have adventures and meet wonderful new people everyday! It's amazing to see how Heavenly Father is preparing people and putting us in each other's paths.

My heart feels so full being a part of this great work. The world would love to dim our feelings of love and gratitude and thwart our promise of the Spirit as our constant companion. But if we can remember who we really are, if we can trust God, if we can have faith in Jesus Christ, we can give our hearts to God and experience real happiness. That is what I know. Happiness, sacrifice, and service are eternally intertwined. The happiest moments of my life have been spent in the service of God and fellowmen. I have begun to cherish every opportunity I have to speak Christ's holy name and to testify of His reality and divinity. 

I invite you all to be a part of this in anyway you can. Please just look for someone to love and serve today. I know that God wants you to be His hands. For their gain and for yours. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Sister Ruengurai's birthday was this week! It was super fun to surprise her with little things but the best part was the work! We set some really fun goals and just went for it! We talked to heaps of people and saw some awesome miracles: finding an investigator that the elders hadn't been able to contact in weeks and inviting her to come back to church, having TWO people ask US for OUR number. One even asked "Would it be okay for me to invite you to my house for dinner to teach me and my wife?" 

-Sister Ruengurai and I literally meet the world's best people everyday. We have too many funny, amazing, miraculous stories for emails. 

-I learned like two sentences in Mandarin and now when we meet Chinese people who speak no English, we teach them with Chinese pamphlets and these two sentences and they literally begin to glow and be the happiest people in the world. It is so fun! 

-Casually seeing the Harbour Bridge while visiting less actives. #impromtuphotoshoot 

-I SAW SISTER SPAINHOWER AND IT WAS THE BEST! Crazy miracle:

One year ago, in Emu Plains, I left my quad (scriptures) engraved with my name on the bus. I spent another 4 months in that area after losing them and never found them. When Sister Spainhower arrived to our flat for trade off, she whipped open her suitcase and pulled out what else but my QUAD FROM ONE YEAR AGO. I immediately fell to the ground in shock and starting laughing/crying. "HOW DID YOU GET THIS!!?!?!" 

She said that while she was on a trade off in Penrith, as she was getting off the bus, a bus driver pulled out my scriptures and said "These have been on my bus for one year, do you know who's they are?" It was the funniest, craziest miracle. Of all people, this bus driver gave it to Sister Spainhower....Heavenly Father has a sense of humour for sure. 

-We finally had a lesson with Daisy! She is an investigator who comes to church. She is so wonderful. Sister Ruengurai and I could feel so much love for her. Not quite a miracle but also worth mentioning, Daisy took us to get drinks and I accidentally ordered black tea. Good thing my comp is a convert and stopped me from drinking it after she tried it. But only after I also gave a sip to our investigator who is trying to keep the word of wisdom. Oh, Sister Froemming. #RepentanceisReal

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Rak na,

SF

Moon Cake 4Ever!

Sawadeeka family & friends!

I hope you had an amazing week wherever you are! It's been great here in Greenwich!

Sister Ruengurai & I are absolutely loving the work and seeing miracles! 

I am learning about the importance of keeping ourselves sanctified. As the Lord's servants and representatives (this applies to all of us who have made baptismal covenants, not just missionaries) we must be prepared at any time to be His hands. To call upon the powers of Heaven. To be divine instruments!  

I do not understand everything about sanctification. But what I do understand has deeply impacted me. I believe that sanctification is something like being continually completed by and cleansed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. A constant change of heart. A concerted effort to live according to the spiritual knowledge that we have, regardless of the circumstances. 

It may sound out of reach, but I know in my heart it is not far from us. I know our Saviour has provided every resource for us to be able to be in His constant care! He has taught us the Gospel, given us covenants that unite us with Him, given us the words of ancient and living Prophets, given us the bounteous gift of the Holy Ghost, and given us the sacred, renewing ordinance of the Sacrament. 

I know that if we simply give our all in living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can become sanctified through our Saviour's Atonement. He's not asking for immediate perfection. Mistakes, trials, doubts, and fears are not what hinders our sanctification, but what makes it possible. 

I love the Gospel and how it changes us. I love our Saviour. And I know that He needs us to sanctify ourselves for His work. 

"We do not need to be perfect, but we need to be good and getting better." -Elder Kim B. Clark.

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages-for-youth/sanctify-yourselves-2

weekly highlighs! 

-We gave talks yesterday at church. I had such a powerful experience during the Sacrament because I was so desperate for the Spirit! A good reminder that I should always be that dependent on the Sacrament. But the Spirit helped me so much! And my companion did a great job.

-David Li! We had another lesson with him this week. His real intent is so amazing! He definitely doesn't believe everything yet, but the faith he has is rock solid and growing fast! He kept his commitment to pray all last week and it was amazing to hear him pray with us after our lesson. He happily accepted to come with us to church next week. He is exercising his faith in big ways! 

-We went to Milson's Point on PDAY which is basically the side of the Harbour Bridge opposite the city, which luckily is in our area! YAY! It was soooo beautiful. I love Sydney with my whole heart. 

-We had our first dinner appointment here! Sister Brooks is this amazing french lady with beautiful kids and a wonderful testimony! It felt so good to be back in members homes! 

-My adorable companion who is constantly a ray of sunshine. #thaifood #toneslol

-Andrew Houseman is doing well! We had an awesome lessons with him this week about the First Vision and Book of Mormon. We had a little testimony meeting with his member friend, and the Spirit was so strong. Andrew said he's not ready for a specific date, but when he gets his answer, he will be baptized. Please keep him in your prayers! He is very busy/stressed with studies right now and it's difficult for him to read the Book of Mormon every day. 

-Sister Ruengurai is amazed because I can eat Durian. It is a Thai fruit that all the white people hate because it has a strong smell and taste. But I ate it and was like "yeah, pretty good." All day she tells me I'm an Asian born American LOL.

-The sisters had a beautiful baptism this weekend. Also after the baptism they had an activity and I was involved in teaching the members from the Chinese ward the Boot Scoot Boogie. It was a proud moment for Bay County. 

-Sister Money and Sister Chao scared the absolute tar out of me last night. They told us they were visiting someone far and would be home late. Then after Sister Ruengurai had been home for a few minutes, Sister Money came out from around the corner and scared me and I screamed for like a full 60 second without stopping. It was so funny, we were just looking at each other while I was screaming and she was like um when are you gonna stop. What lovely flat mates I have!

Hope you all have a great week!

Rak na,

SF

Nihao From Down Under

Sawadeeka family & friends!

I hope you all had a fantastic week! It's been an adventure here in Greenwich. The area is SO different than anywhere I've ever served. Majority of the people here a Asian, mostly Chinese. Hardly any white people. And heaps of Uni (College) students! The work moves fast here because these people are prepared. It's such a fun area to work! And what I love is that there is always, always, always something to do and somewhere to be. Honestly, I feel so inadequate working in this kind of area.That is why Heavenly Father blessed me with an incredible companion! 

Sister Ruengurai from Thailand! She is energetic, open, friendly, caring, and hard working! I can't explain how much her example helps me. I am so blessed with this one! I know that there are big things that need to happen in this area. Heavenly Father has put both of us here for a reason. Because we both need to learn, and because He has given us gifts and skills that the people here need too.

Challenges are gifts from God. How grateful I am to have opportunities to be out of my comfort zone each day! It is such a blessing to have weaknesses, they tether us to Christ. They remind us of our dependence on His grace. I testify that when we acknowledge our weaknesses and turn to our Saviour, we can be made strong. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-My two day trio adventure with Sister Money & Sister Chao. Two of my new most favourite human beings in the world who I now live with.

-Andrew Houseman!!!! He is an incredible investigator! He is Chinese but he speaks with a British accent. He loves everyone and is fellow shipping the 5 other missionary companionship's investigators haha. He has such real intent and fantastic questions! He is working towards baptism but feels he needs time. 

-Our area is beautiful and exciting! Asian shops, chic buildings, the occasional city views. It's pretty fantastic.

-The past sisters who served here have done such great work. They have made it so much easier for Sister R & I to come in and pick up where they left off. We are so grateful for their diligence and sacrifice! #dorman #koi #ballif

-I eat delicious Thai food courtesy of my companion for basically every meal. So blessed.

 

Chinatown

-The fantastic ward! We were welcomed warmly. It's a small ward. A mix of older, established Aussie families, young Asian recent converts, and American immigrants lol. Also one of the coolest chapels I've seen.

-The work here is so wonderful. 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Rak na, 

SF

Nofa aa

Malo lelei family and friends!!!! 

I hope you all are happy and well! :)

It has been a great week here in Winston Hills. Sister Taholo and I have been privileged to see some great miracles! We just decided we weren't going to let a single person by without trying to interact and invite! We saw success! I testify that we are happiest when we give our all!

I truly love this area sooo much. I have loved getting to work in this ward. Such amazing leadership, such willingness to serve. I know great things will continue to happen here.

But, I won't be here to see them. Because I'm getting transferred! I'm going to Greenwich ward. It's the closest to the city I've ever been! Still in the suburbs though. Heaps of Asian people. President said there are about half a million people in the ward boundaries, so there is a ridiculous amount of potential. I am so excited to start working there! My new companion will be a new missionary. I will meet her on Thursday! 

I love this work. I love the Saviour so much. I trust Him. I know He is always there for us.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Agnese! We knocked randomly on her door and she was on the phone, she casually said "Sisters, can you come back in 30 minutes?" We were so surprised but agreed. We kept knocking and accidentally met a less active who was praying for help and was so happy we came! Then we went back to Agnese, she immediately invited us in, told us about her Mormon family in Utah, cooked for us, and then received our message! 

-Trade off with Sister Hedger!!!!! She is from Adelaide and absolutely amazing. Such a genuine, dedicated sister. We also got to go back to Central Coast which was pretty cool. 

-I also had a trade off with Sister Tapusoa who is my grand daughter! haha Sister 'Ete'aki is training her. She is from New Zealand and she is amazing! She really loves the work. Such a funny, hard working sister.

-Sister Taholo. What can I say! It's been such an amazing 6 weeks with this lovely companion. I truly love her so much. I am going to miss her HEAPS. But I'm so grateful to have been able to serve with her. Such a tapuaki. #ofaLAHIatu #ofaanga 

 -The sisters I've lived with have been the best. I have loved living with and serving with them!

-President invited us to come to the mission home for the transfer call. It was us, President, the Assistants, and Sister Checketts. I said the opening prayer over the phone. It was pretty cool to see the behind the scenes. Some very funny moments that I didn't expect haha.

-Winston Hills has kind of been a blur, but along the way I've met some really incredible people. Especially the members! I will really miss them. 

I hope everyone has a great week! 

Ofa lahi atu,

SF

#malitemipalekiai

Malo lelei family & friends!

I hope you are all doing great! :)

Today I went to the temple. I know it is the house of God. I love the Plan of Salvation. I love learning everything I can about it. I know that it is what's real. It is true. I know it's true because it is us. It's our story. He's our Saviour. 

What I am learning right now is that opposition is so important. Remember how last week I wrote how we can always choose to be happy? This week my companion and I were humbled haha. We had some hard days. But oh how they taught us! Oh how they brought us to our knees. Oh how they sweetened the miracles we saw. I am so grateful for opposition. Even if it sometimes seems unrelenting. I know that when I am experiencing opposition, I'm getting the most out of my Earthly experience! Opposition is central to our Plan. It's only through opposition that we came into this world, and it's only through opposition that we'll make it to our Father's presence again. If you are struggling, I invite you to look heavenward and smile. Pass through this trial. Rely on the Saviour and not your own strength. If we do it with Him, we will grow. 

I am reminded of when I used to take ballet lessons from Marina Medvetskya. A lovely but harsh Russian woman who often visited my dance studio. I used to tell my mom "She picks on me! She's always correcting me. She singles me out and makes me work harder then everyone else!" And my mom would say "She wouldn't do that unless she saw potential for you to become better." I feel something similar sometimes happens with our Heavenly Father. But in a more loving, less Russian kind of way.1 Nephi 20:10.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Trade off with Sister Wilson. She is AMAZING! She makes me laugh, her testimony makes me cry. She can talk to everyone. She speaks 4 going on 5 languages. She is so dear to me! I learned so much with her. "You get out of life what you put into it."

my comp teaching the exotic bird who
landed during studies

-My companion is a gift. She is helping me and this area so much! I have a strong testimony that when missionary companionships are aligned with each other and with the Saviour, hell shakes. Relationships take work but we truly need each other. 

#fakasiosio

-The work can be frustrating, but we have seen so many miracles. Just when we feel like giving up the miracles come. And when I step back and look at how blessed I am, I realise that miracles are truly EVERYWHERE! 

-We had an amazing lesson on the Book of Mormon with a GENUINELY INTERESTED PREPARED PERSON! Wow. It was amazing. He is moving to Queensland in a few days, but it was still such a miracle. I have just really been savouring teaching the gospel lately. It is a privilege. 

-I love being alive, I love being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Ofa atu,

SF

Baulko Kiai

Malo lelei family & friends!

How are all of you? I hope everyone is happy!

It has been an amazing week! Sister Taholo and I are really loving this area and figuring out what it needs. We have set stretching, achievable goals for this transfer. We are committed to these goals and we know why. Because we love the Saviour! Because we know that making and keeping covenants is necessary for salvation and it is the only way families can be together forever! Because we know that we all need to acknowledge and partake of the love of our Heavenly Father and the Atonement of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Please, jump on every opportunity you have to do any kind of missionary work. The triage of a soul is found in helping others into eternity. The most peace for your own salvation comes when you are focused on that of others. The most closeness I have felt to Heavenly Father is while labouring for His children. Honestly, it's incredible. Please participate freely and frequently in the greatest work in the universe. 

I want to share with you one of the discoveries of my mission: we really can choose to be happy. I have realised just how powerful our agency is. I know we can choose to be happy or at least happier in any circumstance. My catch phrase has become "The Saviour has already come." That's what I remind myself when something goes seemingly wrong. Because of Him, there is always hope. I invite all of you to try it! Try to be happy even when you feel down. Sometimes we wake up in the morning and we don't know how we are going to get through another day full of work. But then we smile, sing a song, maybe do a little dance, read the scriptures, plead in prayer, and make a choice. Today I will follow the Saviour with a willing heart, and I will do it happily! 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Some of our eternigators (eternal investigators) are starting to progress! We are especially excited for Annie. She shared with us that she acknowledges the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and that she will be baptised when she feels she is ready. She still has so many concerns, but we are so excited for this huge progress!

-The Baulkham Hills sisters started driving, so now we share the and we are walking some days. Honestly it is so fun. Sister Taholo and I LOVE walking around and talking to people. Australia is so funny because some days it's like fully spring outside and then other days it's winter again. But we're up for it. :)

 

-Marilyn, Sister Vaiho's recent convert in our ward, is preparing names for the temple! We are so excited for her.

-I saw Sister Panmongkol twice this week! I loooooove seeing her sweet face and hearing her cute laugh! Made my week.

-Everyday is an adventure. 

-I'm obsessed with Baulkham Hills stake. This stake is so fantastic with missionary work. I'm so grateful to work with the leaders here. 

-I love my companion! The work is so fun with this one. We laugh all day long! 

Have a great week! Let me know if you need a boomerang or anything.

Ofa atu,

SF