Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Another Week in Samoa



 Oh you know.. just wearing t-shirts of a book that my Mom wrote. No big deal. 
 Service at the Etes. Moving the boat so we could wash it. It was so heavy and hard to move. 

 The ideal missionary service picture. 

Joy--what mission life is like.
 Our bubble fight.

 What is my companion holding in her hand?!


Talofa Family!

How is everyone and everything? This week was another great week. I can't believe we only have two weeks left of this transfer. Time is seriously flying. Oh my goodness. I can't believe I've been out for just over two months. Crazy.

This week we had an amazing Restoration lesson with Samson. The Spirit was just so strong. We didn't have very much time so it was a quick lesson but it was very powerful. His sixteen year old daughter and fourteen year old niece were also there and they all committed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. We're going to see them again this week. I'm excited. I really hope they can progress and come to learn that this gospel is true. Because it is. And it is the best ever. And it brings so much happiness. I love it. 

We also had a couple really good lessons with Solomona. He's an older man in his fifties. We can't communicate with him very well because he doesn't speak very much english but the ward is really great about coming out with us when they can so we have people to kind of translate and bear their testimony as well. Our ward really is the greatest. He believes that Joseph Smith was a prophet and he really loves what he's learning. He's concerned though because he goes to Assembly of God and he plays guitar in the band or something so he's strong in his church. So pray for him. He wants to come to our ward but it's at the same time that his church is at. He said he's going to try though.

We had a lesson with Valerie and Rona this last week. They've only been baptized about two weeks and they're already sharing the gospel with their family back in Samoa. They are just so great. Val told me that she feels like we're her sisters and that we'll be friends forever. They are just so sweet.

We got to do service for the Ete family yesterday. We cleaned up their yard and cleaned and moved the boats and stuff. It was really fun. Then after we played no rule basketball. So I got to travel as much as I wanted. It was so fun! All I know is that by the end of it Sister McBride's and my athletic ability increased greatly. I think I might be able to give Joe a run for his money...as long as there are no rules. haha. 

We've just been working hard and seeing lots of miracles. This will be another great week. We got to go to the temple this morning. I LOVE the temple. It's the BEST place in the world. I felt the Spirit so strongly. I just know without a doubt that Heavenly Father is real and He loves us all so much. He wants us to be happy and we're happy when we're choosing the right. Try and go to the temple as often as you can. It's a great way to serve and do missionary work for people who have passed.

Also, this last week one of the ward members gave us money for fafaga so we went to this little cafe sandwich place thing that I've noticed before. Somewhere Samoans would never go. It was so good and so nice to just eat a good sandwich and salad...yes, that's right. I got a salad. Also, my favorite thing about it..While eating there I heard a Fleet Foxes and an Avett Brothers song. It made me so happy. Ridiculously happy. 

I love you all so much and you're all in my prayers everyday. I miss you, but I am so happy! Missionary work is the greatest thing in the world. The gospel is true and the scriptures are true. Read them everyday. They're a blessing in our lives. Life is so BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Love,
Sister Veronica White

Monday, August 19, 2013






 Elder Keung's funeral.

 P-day fun.
We played laser tag on P day. It was so fun. 
Fafaga with Star and Annie from the ward. They're great.
Fafaga with the Etes... they threw Elder Keung a going away party.
Taking pictures with Samoans would not be complete if you don't take jumping pictures... it's a lot harder when you're in a skirt.
We took Fui with us out for a day and she wore her nametag they got from their stake missionary day thing. It says future missionary and her name. She did awesome. She will be a really good missionary. She wants to go. She turns 19 in a year and a half.. right about the time that I'm leaving my mission.

We went to a really expensive buffet one of the nights before Elder Keung left. It was so yummy. You guys would have loved it. It had all sorts of sushi and lobster and crab and stuff. I stuck with more safe stuff but it was still really good. For once I wasn't sad about having to eat lots. haha. 
Everyone decided to give us stuff at church on Sunday. We got a seashell necklace, giant candy bar and Sees sucker.
This is our "haka" face with Joe. I have no idea how to spell that but it's where you're supposed to look really tough in one of their dances. Pretty good, eh? I could pretty much be Samoan I think.
Talofa my beautiful family! 

How are all of you? Hope all is well. I absolutely loved the pics you sent from Denver and such. Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous. It's a good thing I LOVE my mission as much as I do... Or else I would be really jealous. It looks like you guys had fun. You just have to promise that we'll go to cool concerts and do cool things when I get back, ioe? In the mean time I'll be over here in Seattle loving life! I absolutely love it up here and I love missionary work.
 
This week was really good. We found a couple new investigators and a few more potentials. The work is really picking up. Also it was approved for us to go outside the mission boundaries. So now we can go to Federal Way, Auburn, Renton, and Kent. We aren't allowed to tract over there but if we have specific Samoans we're visiting we can go over there. And now we can go over there for our fafaga appointments with ward members as well. This is a really big miracle and blessing for us. We are very excited! We have some former investigators that we are going to go and visit this week. It'll be good.

We had Zone Conference again this week. But this was the first Zone Conference that wasn't like an unscheduled quick one. So this one was really long and how they're normally going to be. Let me just say. I love President Choi. He is so, so, so great. And so is his wife. They are just awesome. I feel so blessed to get to work with them. They're so sweet and loving. They talked about how we need to scare Satan. It was so funny in their Korean accents. Sister Choi told us we "need to scare the Satan." hahaha. There was some really amazing counsel that was given to us. I just know that Heavenly Father is aware of me. He knew what I needed to hear and what would help me to be a better missionary. I just feel the Spirit all the time and I love it so much. I love being a missionary! I feel like that's basically all I say in every email I send home, but it's true. 

Elder Keung's last day was yesterday. I'm sad he's gone. He was a really good missionary. He reminded me a lot of Bruce. It will be weird to have fafaga appointments without him. He will be missed. 

We had a ward party this weekend. It was a missionary open house thing so most of the week was spent contacting every Samoan we've ever come across and inviting them to the party on Saturday. Sadly only one family turned up besides the ward. They're a less active family. But during the question and answer part Henry (the father of the family) was asking some questions so hopefully that's good. It was all happening in Samoan so I have no idea what was being said. He and his wife were baptized in Samoa and then when they moved here they started going to Assembly of God. We go over there pretty often. The wife seems more interested in coming back. Anyway, they didn't come to church yesterday but hopefully they will come next week. 
Also, pray for Situlia. His father is a bishop back in Samoa. He lives here but is not a member. I think he lives with extended family. I'm not really sure. I've only met him once and he was playing video games and high. Not really listening to us. But we text him every week and invite him to church and this last week he actually texted us back. He's just had a death in his family and asked us to pray for him. He said he's going through a pretty hard time right now but he knows he needs to pray. Anyway, we're going to go see him this week and hopefully we can help him feel the Spirit and the comfort that comes from applying the Atonement in our lives. The Atonement is real and because of it we never have to be alone. We just have to use it in our lives. So pray for him this week faamolemole(please). The gospel provides so much peace and joy so let's hope we can help him realize that. 

Also, Mile (a fourteen year old girl that we've been teaching) wants to get baptized! She's so sweet. I absolutely love her. We have to get her parents' permission though. She's really nervous about it but we told her we would pray everyday and for her to pray everyday too that she can be baptized. Her uncle is in our ward so we're going to talk to him and set up a time to meet with the parents or something. Anyway, just pray for Mile too. She's a really good girl and loves the gospel and the Book of Mormon. 

Well I'm going to send pictures. I have quite a few again. I feel like once I get transferred from the Samoan ward I'll never have pics. They just love taking pictures. 

I hope you all have a great week. Have fun at school Savannah and Joe. I'll be praying for you everyday. I love you all so much! 

Always remember that this gospel is true and to read your scriptures everyday. They're such a blessing in our lives and we need to not take it for granted. Choose the right.
Love,
Sister Veronica White

Monday, August 12, 2013

So Much Joy!





 These girls are so sweet.

 From the baptism
Sorry there are so many pictures. We decided Samoans just love photos. It's good for us though. Then we get lost of pics!
 This is Brooklyn. She wanted a pic with me. She's so sweet. I LOVE my Samoan children!

 My comp and me. Just happy after our manaia Saturday. Do you like my eighties hair, Dad? 


 Our last day with Losi. I will miss her but she will be such a good missionary.




 This was Tuesday, the night of their baptismal interview. I think I'm breaking the white handbook. 


 Five way splits! How cool is that. One returned missionary and then four who either have their call or are preparing. And then us five missionaries.
 More pics with Los.



 Sorry these are out of order. This is from the Samoan wedding.
 This is from last week's p-day.
 Baptism.


 From the baptism. Sister O'Brien and the girls.
 This is Sister Timoteo on one end and Sister Ilaoa on the other. They are so helpful in our work and just so sweet. They love us and we love them! 


 This is Brother Ilaoa on the end. He's so funny. He's the one who gave me the Priesthood blessing.
 My lovely Seka. 


Paul Toala from the ward opened his mission call this week. Mexico! So happy for him.

TALOFA FAMILY!!!!

This week was one of the greatest weeks ever. Wow. There's so much to say. But let's start with the greatest thing that's happened on my mission so far: 

VALERIE AND RONA WERE BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!!!!! 

Oh my goodness. I can't even express to you the joy that was felt. I just love them so much. I can't even believe how much I love them. I'm so happy for them. They made such a special covenant with their Father in Heaven this weekend. Watching them enter the waters of baptism and start tearing up because they were so happy--it was the best thing ever. Afterwards they bore their testimonies in Samoan. I was able to pick out a few words I know but I didn't understand what they were saying. But the Spirit was so strong. I couldn't believe how strong the Spirit was. It was so manaia (beautiful.) They were just so happy and then the next day they were confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I'm so happy for them. This gospel is the best thing in the world. I love it so much and I love God so much. I'm so grateful that He loves enough to pour out all these blessings on us. Saturday was just the best day on my mission so far. One of the best days of my life. So good. So manaia. Sek ia(Awesome) Just every good adjective ever that you can think of--that was Saturday. The girls are so sweet and they're so happy. They love this gospel and they have such simple, pure, and sweet testimonies. They were so prepared for it. Heavenly Father was with them preparing them. It's just amazing. Such a miracle. Did I mention that I just absolutely love them? haha.
 
After the baptism they had "light refreshments." Those were the words of Sister O'Brien--the girl's aunt. Anyway, she had told us that there would be light refreshments. That translates into a take out box of meat for each person, oranges, otai (this drink that Samoans love) and cornbread muffin things. Oh and sandwiches and Little Caesar's pizza. Oh my. Light refreshments in my mind is a cookie for everyone. haha. But the ward was so great. There was so much support from everyone. So many ward members came out. I absolutely love my ward. I think this is the greatest ward I've ever been in. The members were so happy about the baptism. 

This week was just all around good. We started teaching Mile and Kaika. They're cousins--fourteen and eleven. They're our ward mission leader's niece and nephew. They're so great. We had two really good lessons with them. Well one with Kaika, two with Mile. Mile loves what we're teaching her. Her parents haven't given her permission though to be baptized. They said no a couple months ago when the elders were teaching them. Really pray for her. Pray that her parents' hearts will be softened. She's so sweet and is gaining a testimony. She loves this gospel. Like Bruce said: We just have to kick family opposition in the teeth. It's a good motto. That, and kick Satan in the teeth. He's stupid. 

Losi left on her mission this morning. She's my age and is in the ward. She came out with us pretty often. Her family is taking her to the MTC this Wednesday. She's going to the Houston Texas mission. She will be an amazing missionary. I feel blessed that I've been able to know her and become her friend. Also Elder Keung is leaving for home next week. I'm sad about that too. It will be weird to have him gone. The ward just loves him. He's served here for a year. Everyone is leaving.

This week I had my first Zone Meeting. It was good. I just really felt the Spirit. I know this is where I'm supposed to be--serving a mission. I love it so much and I am so happy. SO HAPPY. 

This week we finally got in contact with Nena. She has two kids that were baptized. Her third just turned eight. She was going to be baptized but she couldn't quit smoking. Anyway, this all happened a couple years ago in the Beverly Park ward. They're Samoan though so we've been going over there lots but we never catch her or she's busy. We finally sat down with her and talked though. It was good. She was supposed to come to church yesterday but they didn't make it. We're not sure why. We're going to go over there today. Pray for their family. Her little eight year old really wants to start coming to church because she wants to be baptized. 
Last P day we went to Seahurst Park again. It was lots of fun. The YSA and youth in this ward are great. Today we're doing another activity since it's Elder Keung's last P day. I'm not exactly sure what. 

WE got a new mission vehicle .It had eleven miles on it when we got it. IT's nice. but I will never buy a brand new vehicle. And guess what? Like three days after having it it got keyed. Can you believe that? So lame. We weren't even in that sketchy of a neighborhood. IT's one of the nicest that we go to. Anyway, dumb.

Anyway, I've got to hurry and try and send pics in my last minutes. I love you all so much! This gospel is the best. Read your scriptures. My heart is just overflowing with JOY and LOVE. I love all the people I work with so much. Heavenly Father is really blessing me with a special love. I love this gospel. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ, with all my  heart. Sorry this is long. Have a good week. choose the right.
Love, Sister Veronica White