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

Chocolate & Prayers: A Guide to Healing

Malo lelei family & friends!

I hope everyone is doing well! It has been another crazy, wonderful week in Winston Hills. I can't really explain how much I love missionary work.

Honestly, this has been a tough week. There have been a few unexpected trials popping up. But I felt Heavenly Father's love in abundance. There was a day this week where Sister Taholo and I were just overwhelmed. We felt like we had nothing to give anyone else. We were kind of off in our teaching and we knew that we needed to figure something out. 

We said a prayer and then decided to go to the park and finish our weekly planning (because the past few weeks we haven't time to have a good weekly plan). As we went to the park and started focusing on the people in our area, I could feel us being refreshed. I could feel the Saviour rejuvenating our spirits. We also found opportunities to teach as we spotted different people at this park that we could talk too. After we left, we had better plans and new determination. 

I know it's simple, but I don't really know how to put into words what a miracle this was. If it weren't for Christ, I would've have continued on with weary, half hearted efforts, or I would've given up on this day all together. But because of Christ, we were guided to know exactly where to go and what to do that would minister relief to our souls while allowing us to keep working. We really didn't know that weekly planning was the answer to our prayers for help, but He did. 

Hopefully this example is conveying some part of what I feel. Never give up. Work is never the enemy, it is the answer. Trials are not punishment, they are medicine for pride. Being broken is okay, because it means that we acknowledge that we need Christ to heal us.

I love the Gospel. I love all of you. Keep trying!  

 WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!!!!!

-This week Sister Taholo were tracting and it was just like not working lol. No one wanted to talk to us. We said a prayer and kept going and found a miracle door! A man answered and said "Hey come back in one hour, my wife will want to talk to you."

We were soooo happy! We knocked for a bit longer and met some more potentials, went to a members real quick and got a block of NZ chocolate that changed my life, and then returned to meet the wife. She was absolutely not at all interested in talking to us lol. But we kept sharing and showing respect and before we knew it, she was interested and asking questions. It was amazing to see the spirit soften her heart. 

-Before mentioned NZ chocolate. 

-trade off with Sister Tuala. She is the cutest lady from Samoa. She is so humble and quiet and surprisingly hilarious. Also such a testimony of someone sacrificing because they love the Lord.

-trade off with Sister Ceff. She is from Victoria, she is lovely. She is very soft spoken and quiet so I talked her ears off for 24 hours and we helped each other to use our strengths in missionary work! This is her first transfer so we had a great time learning more about pushing ourselves to talk to everyone! A fantastic sister.

-I can bear my testimony in Tongan now. #tryingtogototheTonganwardLOL

-Interviews with President are always a blessing! #SisterCheckettscookiesthough

-Celia came to church again this week!!!!! 

-Leilani (the 7 year old we were preparing for baptism) is now 8 and a baptised member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! It was a happy day. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Ofa at

You're Invited!!

Malo lelei family and friends!

How are you all? I hope and pray that you are all well and happy!

Winston Hills is doing well! We have been praying hard and realising that we are working hard, but not working smart enough. We have so much work to do. This area is absolutely amazing. Being some of the first missionaries to work it since the boundary change is such a blessing. But it's going to require not just a lot of physical work, but a lot of mental and spiritual work. Please, please keep Winston Hills in your prayers. This ward is fantastic! 

I just want you all to know that each day I come to believe more and more that we truly are all brothers and sisters. We are really family. We are really children of the almighty God. We have been created in His image, and His every breath is spent labouring for us. His work and His glory is you and me. How can we keep that to ourselves? 

I pray each of you will accept one of these invitations.

1. Pray for a name of a family member or friend who you can reach out to, serve, uplift, or share the gospel with.

2. Invite the missionaries to teach your family the message of the Restoration, and then ask them to help you with your missionary work. They are there to help!

3. Go out with the missionaries or invite them to teach someone if your home. 

4. Go and visit someone/give someone a call/give some service. Whether they be active, inactive, less active, or not a member. Either way, they are your brother or sister and if they need help, please give it to them.

I testify that this is true happiness. This kind of work is what heals us. You are not entirely too busy. I know it may feel like it but you are probably not the most tired person in the world. Maybe your screaming kids can help somehow! No excuses okay? I love you all. I hope you take this challenge, not because I like pressuring people, but because I want you to experience more joy.

"The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best medicine for despair is service. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired."- Gordon B Hinkley

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-We had an amazing lesson with Marilyn this week (Recent convert preparing for the temple). She had a really rough week. She knew God was trying to tell her something, she just didn't know what it was. We told her to keep a question in mind and that we would say a prayer, start reading the Book of Mormon from wherever she left off and then we would let the Spirit answer our questions. As we read from the scriptures, it was amazing to see her face light up and she received answers and guidance from the source. 

Sister Taholo and I both had ideas on how we could address her concerns, but we were so grateful we allowed her to read the scriptures and just guide her to find the answers for herself. Before we left her countenance completely changed. I'm so grateful for the Spirit and the Book of Mormon!

-HEAPS of Tongan food this week! #tapuaki #kaikemate

-One of our lovely sisters, Celia, who is less active came to church on Sunday! We were so excited to meet her there and spend sacrament meeting with her. (Luke 15:4-5)

-Instead of helping the 3 second language learners I live with to speak better English, my English is worsening each day ahahaha. 

-We're back in contact with Elizabeth!! YAY! She is the investigator from Iran. After weeks of not being able to contact her, we finally caught her at home. She was having a really hard day and recognised that we had been sent from God to help her. 

No pictures this week so here's some more shots from the temple!

Baulkham Hills Zone! (minus Quakers Hill elders)

 

Have a great week!

Ofa 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

Ofa From Sova

MALO LELEI!!!!! 

That's right everyone, I have another Tongan companion. 

Say hello to the lovely Sister Taholo!

My companion is amazing. She is so humble, she's always smiling, she has a powerful testimony of the Gospel, and she is a hard worker. I'm so excited for this new transfer in Winston Hills with Sister Taholo! #TonganHoaKIAI 

This week I have l feel a fresh gratitude for Christ's Atonement, particularly the healing power of His sacrifice.

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary. I love these people. This week I have really felt the healing power that the Gospel has. The Gospel can seem complicated, but truly it is so simple. It is the good news. It is that Jesus Christ has provided a way. No matter what trials you are currently facing, He has already provided a way for you to succeed. Hope without end. 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simply access to His Atonement. It is our ointment. It is our healing. It is our forgiveness. It is our strength. 

Please center your life around this understanding. And if you don't have this understanding, seek it. We must live our lives in a way that allows us to continually receive the healing we need. He is before us, arms outstretched. And all He requires is for us to live the Gospel. To have faith, to repent, to make and keep covenants, and then to endure joyful to the end. It doesn't happen all at once, but as we do these things we are healed. Step by Step. Day by day. (Stop singing the theme song to Step by Step in your head) Prayer by prayer. 

If you are hurting, if you are filled with bitterness, if you feel hopeless, if the weight of your trial seems to great, or if you are the happiest you've ever been in your life, it doesn't matter. The answer has always been and will always be His Atonement. And we can partake of the blessings of His sacrifice as we simply live the Gospel. 

I love you all. I invite you to do whatever the Spirit has prompted you to do while reading this. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS! 

-What a crazy week. We were all sick. Sister Tuala was especially not feeling well. One day, while we were out, we got a call from Sister Checketts asking us to get some medicine for Sister Tuala. When we came home. I see our District Leader and his companion in our flat. Elder Khon is cooking special Cambodian food to make Sister Tuala better. I just could not stop laughing the whole time. It was quite the sight. 

-Sister Taholo and I had so much finding this week. We met so many amazing people. Including a Tongan less active at the train station! 

Winston Hills District! 

-I love the sisters I live with. They are the best. They are funny, obedient, and hard working. Nobody can make me laugh faster than these ladies. #manukaaaaaava

-I love teaching with Sister Taholo! She is so bold. We are trying our best to get these people progressing. 

-It is amazing watching people change and grow. The recent convert we are working with, Marilyn, is doing so well. It's such a blessing to be a part of her journey. 

Have a great week everyone!

Ofa atu,

SF