Hello Everybody! Today is Sunday the 27th.
This week was amazing. We had a lot of
good things happen. We got invited to a birthday party by some of our
potential members. We went and it was really cool. (haha) Like we
walk in and -- our potential members really like us; there's two of
them, one of them is in her late 20's and the other is like 20. They
are pretty open and comfortable with us talking about the gospel.
They family is still a little closed off because they go to another
church. But anyway -- we walk into the party (haha) and everybody
like just stares at us! (haha) Like in shock, (haha) because we are
missionaries from another church. But we walk in and just start
talking to people. We actually found a guy who is a member, who
hopefully we can follow up here soon. He was a member up in Samoa and
moved to Hawaii and then he moved up here. Since his parents were of
a different Church, when he went to Hawaii, when they brought him to
their Church, he kind of just went along with it. Anyway as we were
talking with everybody, we look over in the band that was playing
some music there (haha) for their birthday party, and we see in the
band this guy named [name withheld].
We saw him playing in the band and he
saw us too. We had gone to visit him before. He is a member, and was
actually brought into the Church by his girlfriend. His dad is a
minister in another Church, he's a faifeo. We are faifeotalai (haha).
He's just a faifeo, because we are preaching missionaries or
ministers on foot. He was always friendly to us and everything
because he had softened up a lot after he went to his son's baptism
and saw how members acted. But he was super against it before. I
looked over at Church (haha) in the middle of Sacrament meeting and
I'm like, "that's [name withheld]'s dad!!!" I never would have
expected him to come, but he was there and ooh it was such a good
Sacrament meeting! We had a returned missionary speak and bear his
testimony about how serving each other just helps, and how we need to
step up and do our duties in the Church so we can help other people
and help it grow. That totally brought the Spirit. And then the [name withheld]s, oh, a super solid family. I love them. But they get up and
just start bearing their testimony about eternal families and about
the temple. (I love the temple! There isn't a place I'd rather be
than the temple. When I get back, I'm going to spend as much time as
I can in the temple. It's an amazing place. I can't even begin to
describe how much I love the temple. I felt it especially after not
being able to go as often as I did before. It's a place of such peace
and love. You know the Church is true when you go there. There is
nothing that can change that. It's such a wonderful experience.)
Anyway, they just started bearing their testimonies about families.
We went over to [name withheld]'s house for
dinner and she asked us what one thing that we noticed that families;
really faithful members with strong families, strong unity; do to
keep their families together. We said well they pray together, they
read their scriptures together, they spend time together; and then
she asked us what have you noticed that is different about families
who aren't, that don't come and have a lot of discord in the family
and a lot of struggles. We've noticed, and we said, they don't do
those things. I mean it's as simple as that, they don't pray
together, they don't spend time together, and the family suffers the
effects. Those are just things that bind us together and help us
grow; especially prayer, especially praying together, but she (haha)
actually used that in her talk.
I was just like crying the whole time.
I felt the Spirit so strong. Even from the beginning, I knew it was
going to be a special day as soon as I walked inside the chapel. I
don't know how anybody who was in that Sacrament meeting could not
have felt the Spirit. The bishop was talking about [name withheld]'s dad, when
he looked over at him, he could start to see a change in his face. He
totally felt the Spirit. He actually announced in the Elder's quorum
that we were welcome to come over whenever we wanted. We were welcome
to come to his house (haha). I was just like, "oh man! this is
amazing!" Because if he comes, his family will come, and chances
are a lot of members of his congregation will come too. I'm just so
happy to have served in the Samoan ward. We have really been able to
gain the trust of the members. They are really starting to get
excited, and active in missionary work, and just helping each other
out and spreading the gospel. It's spreading like wild fire. (haha)
It's just so exciting to see, and we don't always see the difference
we make. Thankfully, I've been able to see some of the difference
that I've been able to make, particularly with my companions. Elder
Wright -- an awesome guy! Elder Thorne -- awesome guy! It's been with
their help we have been able to move the work forward. I love the
people here.
There is a family we really like that
is getting excited about the temple. We have a lot of people who we
have been teaching that are taking the temple prep class now, and are
getting ready to go. It's just so much fun to (haha) help people, and
spend all your time doing it, and be anxiously engaged in a good
cause. I love spending ALL my time doing that, being very driven.
Yea, and people are starting to go and share the gospel with their
friends, and they are getting ready to have us go over to those
people. As we go out and do stuff, we are able to find people who we
didn't know were there before, who we need to help and who need our
help. And so, we help them. It's very fun to be a missionary. It's
hard at first, but (haha) then it gets easier because then you start
to lose yourself after you get the hang of things. You are able to
work and able to help people, and you get so wrapped up in things
it's hard to think about much of anything else. That's when it's fun.
If you are not doing anything, if you are being lazy, if you are not
being obedient to the mission rules, if you are not being obedient to
the commandments, then it's no fun; but when you are, miracles start
to happen and it's amazing. I have totally seen that so far.
I know the Church is true. I know the
Book of Mormon is true. I know that it is in the temple that we can
make the rest of those covenants to return to live with our Heavenly
Father. I love the temple. I am thankful for the opportunity I've had
to be a member of the Church and to be a missionary. I am thankful
for you guys, my family, and all the help you have given me to build
my testimony. I can't wait to just move forward with life. I wouldn't
have traded this experience for anything. I'm not even out a year
yet! I've grown so much. It's given me such direction in my life that
I'm going to work hard, and I am always going to work hard. I am
never going to leave anybody behind. If there is someone who is
struggling that needs my help, I'm going to help them. If there is
somebody who is weak in their faith and their testimony, I'm going to
help them. If there is somebody who is having a down day, I'm going
to go help them.
I hope you all have a good time back in
Utah (haha). Let me know as soon as you find the address for the
house or as soon as you move in, so I can have that because I will
have to change that card that I give to people. Talk you later, bye.
Love, Elder Record
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