Week 28 We're Innocent Officer

FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, CHILDREN OF GOD,

What a WONDERFUL time of year. I have felt so incredibly blessed this Christmas season. I feel spoiled that I get to be on a mission and that I get to focus so much on the Savior this Christmas. It is incredible. The members here have been AMAZING. We had Christmas Eve dinner at the Haights and it was the cutest thing I have ever eaten. She made a pot pie in the shape of a Christmas tree, Snowflake shaped creme brulee, and she made WASSELL!! (My favorite part since it is a family tradition to have Wassell on Christmas) We also had a delicious Christmas lunch at the Fioris house and they made some real good pumpkin pie. Which as we should all know by now, I am a sucker for. 

Out of all the great things to choose from my favorite part of Christmas was spending it with Sister Moala. I made her Christmas breakfast and she couldn't stop telling me about how that breakfast would be history for her. She loved it so much (it was just pancakes and caramel syrup). My sweet momma also heard she wasn't going to be getting any Christmas due to her family being all the way in Tonga so she decided to send my companion Christmas. There were many times where my companion was almost in tears because of how grateful she was for all of the gifts. She told me that her and her family had all been praying that she would have a good Christmas and enjoy it even though they couldn't do much for her. So they were all very grateful and felt prayers were answered through my amazing Momma. I really am the luckiest. 

SO MANY BLESSINGS HAPPENED THIS WEEK! One of those is Ginger! Ginger is the lady I was telling you about last week who has been taught by missionaries for 20+ years. We went over yesterday and had a lesson with her and the spirit 100% taught the whole lesson. God used us as an instrument and we invited her to pray about which church God wants her to go to. (She has been attending her church all her life and has a lot of good memories there that are hard to leave behind.) She said that she would. She also testified of the Book of Mormon and that she knows it is true. It was a really special experience that I am so grateful I got to be apart of. 

Funny Story: So we were knocking on doors the other day, just doing our thing when all the sudden this Police car pulls into the apartment complex. So I jokingly say to Sister Moala "Oh no they found us." I was COMPLETELY kidding when they really did drive our way and shine their super bright light at us. I legit put my hands up in the air hahahhaha. The officers got out of the car and luckily they were very nice. Apparently we had scared a lady when we knocked on her door (cause we look very intimidating;) and she called the cops. It was kinda funny. We explained who we were and they understood and were on there way. It was an experience. 

God is good. This week has been good but hard. It has been an adjustment getting used to people not being as receptive here. We haven't found anyone new since I have been here, but I know that Gods hand is in this and I am excited to see what He has in store and what I can learn this transfer. 

A favorite scripture we have shared a lot this week is found in 2 Nephi 32:3-5 

    "3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

     4 Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.

     5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do."

I am SO excited to be reading the Book of Mormon for Come Follow me this year! I KNOW THAT IT IS TRUE. WITH EVERYTHING IN ME I KNOW THAT THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE WORD OF GOD! I KNOW that we can get nearer to God by reading it than anything else. It will CHANGE your life. I have a deep deep love for it and I know that it is our defense in this crazy world that we live in. God is found in that book. Read it, and if you have already read it READ IT AGAIN. 

Mucho Love, 

Sister Tams 

Other/Funny stuff:

-The day after Christmas we were knocking on doors and we kept messing up on our holidays. I said Merry Christmas like 8 times and Sister Moala even said Happy Halloween once. Probably my favorite though was when this guy was shutting the door and I just shrugged and awkwardly said "new years" to him. It was too good. 

-On Christmas we played Bananagrams with the Senior couple and poor Sister Moala was struggling (English is not her first language) So I have been helping her use bananagrams for her language study. It has been pretty fun. 

-I literally ate SO much food it is ridiculous. 

-We are teaching a guy named Mark and he is the coolest. He has been reading the Book of Mormon and has bomb questions. 

-We stumbled into an inactive member who has sadly fallen into anti. We had a lesson with her where she tried to tell us all of the "truth" that she found online. The spirit was absent and it was a very sad situation, so we did all that we could do and testified of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith. God knows the truth of ALL things. Hearing some of those things were not fun but as I relied on the primary answers, on what I KNOW to be true it all turned around. We even got to send her a talk about the dangers of anti. She was sweet and I pray that she will allow God to soften her heart. I cannot express enough the importance of going to God with our questions. 

-I love the gospel, I am so extremely blessed, and I know it is the Lords kingdom on the Earth today. 

-HAPPY NEW YEAR! SEE YOU IN 18 MONTHS!