Iaorana friends and family! I love you all and I hope that you all had an amazing Christmas! My Christmas was one to remember! We had a great week full of good things! On Wednesday, we participated in our Tahiti missionary activity! We did lots of fun things and I had to think to myself, "I don't think that I have ever been in a room with so many people I love so much!" I love these missionaries and I know they love our Heavenly Father! The Christmas spirit was so strong and we enjoyed the joy that comes through the message of the restored gospel that we know so well. On Thursday, we had one marriage and three baptisms! Tane, Marwinda, and Cecile were ready and so happy to make their covenants with our Heavenly Father! It was amazing to see these three changed people come out of the water clean and ready to recommit their lives to God! Friday was Christmas! We exercised, got ready, studied, and spent some time making cookies. Each companionship chose three people to go and see. We sang Christmas hymns and shared a message with each of these chosen investigators! What a fun experience! Then we skyped! I have the most amazing family and it was incredible getting to see their faces and hear their voices at the same time! I am so thankful for these people and would not be where I am today without them! Thank you father Kent, mother Holly, Shaylee, and Nathan!!!
As the year 2015 wraps itself up, I think that we all find ourselves pondering and reflecting over all of the things that happened during the year! A year is a long time and a lot can happen! For me, 2015 was the year that I was redeemed! My mission saved my life! I have learned so much and have truly come to know better who I am thanks to my relationship with my Heavenly Father! As I discovered on skype, words can never explain all that is learned on a mission! In our hearts, we know that Heavenly Father has trusted us with his most precious knowledge and that he has confidence that we will use it to the best of our ability! Life is a process of changing! We are either always progressing or digressing! So for the new year of 2016, I want to invite you all to have a year of increasing progression! Its easy to say, but can be difficult to do. In life we have two key things that can help us with this continuing progression! Working and learning! If we come to know and love these two things in life, our life will serve as a place of joy and accomplishment! As a missionary, I truly have loved learning how to work. Every minute is an opportunity to do something good, to serve, or to simply be a light in the life of another! Losing ourselves for God really gives us the chance to find ourselves! Serving others also helps us come to know Heavenly Father and his specific plan for each of us, his children! There is always more to give than to receive! So do not waste time! Go out and work! As I like to say, productive days are the best days! Learning is also something that is very imortant in life! Our knowledge will be a great advantage to us in the afterlife, which is why we need to do all that we can to learn all that we can in this life! God commands us to learn! I love the quote from Joseph Smith, "Knowledge does away with darkness, anxiety, and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is." Working and learning are keys to success and our doorway to possibility! But it is always our choice to choose to love these things enough to do them to the best of our ability! Remember also that, "It is often in the trial of adversity that we learn the most critical lessons that form our character and shape our destiny." Even when life gets a little tough, we can learn and grow! Our extremity is Gods opportunity! So with this new year, work and learn and let him change you! Life is beautiful! He knows us and loves us! This church is true! I love you all! Thanks again for all that you do for me! Have a great week!
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