Iaorana family and friends!
Another week has passed by and I am now in my last transfer of my mission! I will stay here in Mahina with Soeur Raherimandimby and I am happy with that news! So unless something crazy happens, I will be here until the end! We had a great week filled with amazing things! We had the worldwide missionary broadcast which was uplifting and good! We made some goals to be better as missionaries and have already noticed blessings! We also had the blessing of going to the temple last week! I love the temple and we are so blessed to have one here in our mission! I truly do know that it is the house of God and want to invite you all to go more often! Being from Utah, we need to definitely take advantage of all of the beautiful temples that surround us! Going to the temple helps us improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father and gives us the force to continue to do good and progress on the right path! Our investigator Tuane is also doing great! We had a tender mercy with her this week! She told us her story and we found out that she has two children that she gave up for adoption. One who is in the islands . . . and the other who lives at Papeari! Sure enough, I know her son and was able to show her pictures of him which was really touching, because she hadn't seen him for years! Then went back another day to do another lesson with her, and she started talking about her family. She told us that she had one brother who didn't live too far away and was already a member but is inactive. Another brother is totally against the church and has mocked it his whole life. She said that she later found that her inactive brother talked to her rebelious brother and found that he had, in fact, been baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Out of curiosity, I asked what ward he was baptized in and again it was Papeari. Then a little bit more excited I asked what his name was, Tapena Opuu! He was one of the people who was baptized while I was at Papeari! It was a way cool experience, and I know I must have some eternal connections with this family! Just a cool little tender mercy! I would love if you could keep praying for Tuane! She needs your faith, love, and support!
This week, we received the February Ensign, and I have already loved reading some of the talks inside! Especially the talk that discusses the bond between happiness and the Book of Mormon! I know that these two things correspond directly and I am so thankful for this key to happiness that we have in our life today! It talked about how we need to have good relationships in our life! The people that are present in our lives are very important! Their standards and decisions will either help and lift us to be better than we are, or tempt and threaten our mortal and eternal happiness through things that are not aligned with Gods will. It also talked about aligning our actions and beliefs to God! I love a quote by Gandhi, "Happiness is when what you think (or believe), what you say, and what you do are in harmony." When we find that we are capable of living this quote in our lives according to the will of God, we have become his disciples. Everything we do revolves around our eternal potential, and we invite and involve God into our everyday lives and decisions. I am currently trying to live this quote! To think, say, and do according to Gods will! We also have to work hard! I have learned to love to work! Working is a critical factor in obtaining happiness! I also love the thought by President Monson that God left us an unfinished world for man to work his skill upon! We all have special gifts and talents. God will put opportunities in front of our eyes to magnify and enhance these blessings, but we are the ones who have to recognize these gifts and have enough faith to act! The temple is also directly related to true happiness and also the law of consecration, to share what we have for the benefit of others! The ultimate source of happiness is found in Christ, and when a family is founded upon him, there is no greater thing! In these family situations, we have to be careful of the spirit of contention. The devil does not want us to enjoy happiness during this life, so he will do all that he can to try our families. During these times, we can totally avoid this contention through becoming peacemakers! To not do or say anything that could cause a dispute or fight. We need to be patient. Patience is a sign of humility. Ultimately this happiness is possible for each of us, the children of God. It is his goal for us! He has given us several helpful tools to help us along the way! So in your lives, try applying some of these things that are suggested in the Ensign! Remember the center of it all is Christ! He loves you and is waiting to deliver you! Allow yourselves to have these sacred experiences with him and our Heavenly Father! I love you all and want you to know that I am happy! This church is so true and everything happens for a reason. Even with the trials and hardships that come, there is a peace that enters our lives when we know we are on the right path, which allows us to be happy even during these hard times! Thanks for everything!! Have a great week! Also, if you could pray for the Patii family and the Tetoe family that would be awesome!! I love you!
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