7/27/18

Talofa Lava!!!

I can't believe I only have 10ish more days until I am in Samoa! I feel like I have been here for forever, but it is also crazy how fast the time has gone by haha! Hopefully, I get the information for my travels today! All I know is I leave August 5th. 

I forgot to say that my soa and I got called as the music coordinators for sacrament meeting so we pick the songs and I lead the music. haha fun, right?! 

We have been memorizing a lot of different things in Samoan haha like scriptures, the purpose, the first vision, the baptismal invitation, etc and lauga's. Lauga's are these cultural speeches that we will have to say over and over again the first time we go to a house or whenever someone asks us to do it by saying this certain phrase (the trigger) for us to do it. For one of the speeches it has four really cool and traditional cultural things to it: 

1. there are certain words during the speech where you hold out the sound of one of the vowels

2. for those words your companion quietly echos that word

3. the last sentence of this speech the highest ranked individual of the house hold talks completely over you and you just got to keep going

4. the whole time you are giving this speech they just look around, start yelling at other things, etc.

Hopefully, that made sense haha! I will probably be better at explaining it when I am there. We also learned a lot of culture aspects this week. For example, missionaries/ministers are the highest on the rank so when we go over to peoples houses they will serve us the food first and only the high chief (Matai) and his wife will eat with us and then everyone else waits until we are done eating before they eat. 

We also talked a lot about the pain we are going to go through from sitting crisscrossapplesause ALLLL the time! haha Yay!!

Alofa atu!! Have a fantastic week!

-Sister Himasi

Fiafia!!

Talofa!

Another great week! President M. Russell Ballard  talked at the Tuesday devotional!! It was amazing the Spirit was so strong and he's talk was so powerful and awesome! it was about Joseph and Hyrum Smith and how they were such great companions to each other and got through all their hardships side by side bound by eternal love (for each other and the Lord). Another thing I got out of his talk was that great testimonies allow us to accomplish and go through anything! No need to worry! We just have to continue to let them grow! The devotional was broadcast to all the other MTC's around the world and we sung in the choir "Be Still My Soul"!! YAY!

Also, this week all the old missionaries in our zone that have already been here for 6 weeks left! and all the Elders sang this beautiful song one night after class on the top of the hill for those leaving! The sung it in Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, and then English! It was so beautiful and spiritual! Such an amazing memory! And all the new missionaries in our zone came in this Wednesday! we only got one new girl! she's super sweet though! We are now the "oldies" haha crazy! I am half way through my MTC experience!

The gym is closed for 10 days so we have to go out to the field for exercise time in the nice heat! It is still a lot of fun! my face just gets super red afterwards haha!  

Oh and also TRC is not through skype haha you go into these little cubical rooms to teach volunteers haha! it was fun to get to know each person and talk with them!! Also, are lessons are going great with our "investagators" they are progressing haha!! 

I hope you guys all have a great week!!

-Sister Hymas

Talofa!!

What a wonderful week here at the MTC!

We taught 4 "lessons" this week and have TRC tonight which is where we teach two 20 minute lessons through skype! The lessons have been going great! and we are excited for TRC...haha it will be fine. This week I have really enjoyed personal study! It's so nice to be able to learn more about the gospel and its doctrine! I like to go in really deep and take a long time pondering the things I am learning and reading with the spirit. I can spend like an entire hour on just two pages of Preach My Gospel! haha it takes along time but i really enjoy it! 

Our district grows closer and closer everyday! We sing all the time, dance, and study together! haha During exercise we all play volleyball in a circle and just in this past week, 4 people have gotten hit directly in the face with the ball! Ouch! (I was one of those 4 people and i was also one of the hitters) haha but we still play because it is still so fun!!   

My soa and I fasted yesterday and did an English fast for a few hours too! It was such a great decision and experience! Alma 5:45-46 The English fast is were you don't speak any english only Samoan! it was faigata (difficult) haha we didn't say much, but we sure did try! 

Also, I love this scripture...Alma 34:41!!!! We must have patience and hope in this life through all our afflictions and trials! and if we do this "ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions!" This is such an awesome promised blessing! Have faith in Jesus Christ and endure to the end! Be happy and helpful knowing all experiences and trials are for your good! "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" I invite you all to read Alma 34 and pray about the truthfulness of its message! it is amazing!

I love you all so much! Have an amazing week!

-Sister Himasi

Day 10!!

Talofa lava!!

Where do I start?! haha I have been having a great time still! oh my Samoan name is Sister Himasi! my teacher says that is what they will call me when I am there. So everyone calls me that or soa (which is companion in Samoan) or Sister Black Belt haha! It got out that I was a black belt in Taekwondo and now the elders keep bringing it up and they keep on telling people as they slowly back up form me and sometimes they come up to fight haha so I get ready to fight back and they stop haha! They are constantly saying it haha so funny! My companion and I literally just call each other soa all the time it's fun and easy! 

Last p-day we were able to go to the temple and one of the Sisters was getting her endowments out that was such a special and sweet day. But, now the temple is closed for a month so we can't go anymore! :( Hopefully, we will be able to go right before we leave!! 

We have an hour exercise time EVERYDAY in the middle of the day were are zone an all go and play volleyball, basketball, run, and there is exercise equipment. I love this time it is so much fun, everyone gets so loud and not competitive (because we are not allowed to be) and it is a great stress reliever.

My first Sunday here was awesome and super long because we had meetings/devotionals/classes all day, but they were all really spiritual and good. One of my favorite things from that day is when we got to watch Elder Bednar give a talk from an old MTC devo and he talked about how the natural man turns inward, while Christ will always turn outward towards helping others. Something that came to me while I was watching this beautiful talk was how I want to be more like my Savior, I want to turn outward towards others amoungst my needs, afflictions, and appetites! I love my Savior and Heavenly Father so much! we must fight against the natural man and be selfless, compassionate, and loving to others. The talk is called "Character of Christ" see if you can go ind it haha!

We have service every Monday morning which is really fun! And we have this role play with this progressing investagator and he said he would be baptized haha its just role play he is actual another teacher! we practice teaching 3-4 times a week. But, next week we are getting another investagator to practice with during class time, but we can't bring in any notes and you have to speak Samoan...we have A LOT of studying to do! 

For the 4th of July we were able to stay up and watch the fireworks. we went to bed so late that night haha but still had to wake up at 6:30am! It was a lot of fun especially because my district and I found a piano and started singing songs together! awe it was fun! Also, for exercise that day the gym was closed so our zone just hung outside and starting racing! somebody was like 4 v 4 relay and i was one of the firsts ones to go and only girl haha and my team won haha! But, its not a competition it was just for fun! 

I love my companion (soa) so much! We are really good at working hard and having a great time! we are always laughing! And we are really good at memorizing material with each other it's awesome!

Well I love you all so much and I know that through Faith in Jesus Christ and as we come to know our Father in Heaven more and more we will be able to have the Spirit to be with us and we can accomplish anything! He has called me as a missionary and through obedience and faith I will be able to do accomplish everything He would have me do!

-Sister Himasi