Man you guys need to slow down! haha take a break some times, will ya? Just kidding I am inspired by your dedication to all of the many different things you are doing. Whenever I start to get tired I think about all of the hundreds of projects going on at home, and then feel better haha! Know I would love to be working along side you all in this big home project, but I guess my efforts are best used out here. I'll try to get some extra blessings for all of you ;)
I think that is so great that Abby is going to take sewing lessons!!! That is a skill I really want to learn. When I get home she can teach me! haha
So my new area/comp:
Where to even start... I just feel so blessed!!
So I will introduce my comp to you, her name is actually sister Taumawara- try to say that 10 times fast! Or even once! haha She also likes to be called sister T :) She is so short and cute! I just love her and how precious/innocent she is.
She experienced Walmart for the first time and self check out. She also had tacos for the first time and chili. Precious! She loves to eat fish from a tin and lots of rice. She loved going through the car wash and thought it was such a cool thing! I am starting to realize really how lazy we Americans are haha! Oh she was also amazed by the gps and how it tells us where to go. I just LOVE her!!! She speaks pretty good English when she understands what is being said, so I am just trying to build her vocab and confidence. She is a convert to the church and her and her 2 older brothers(one is less active) are the only members out of her entire family (9 kids +parents). She has such a deep and sincere testimony. Precious little thing cries every time she shares her conversion story. So this is her story:
Her older brother first joined the church when she was young and when she turned 12 he told her to meet with the missionaries. Her parents agreed to it so that she could go to the church school on the island. She wasn't too happy because she had been looking into the protestant faith and was actually about to be baptized into that church. So she listened to her family and got baptized/went to the church school (that is where she learned english). So she was a member, but didn't really have a testimony. Then one time she was on a boat going to another part of the island to go back to school when all the sudden the boat started sinking! There were too many people on the boat so her and her friend decided to jump out and swim to shore! Scary! When they got to the shore all of their school supplies was ruined (reminds me of that time on that island... what was it called?! You know when we all almost drowned and lost all our stuff! haha!). She was looking at her books to see if anything was still ok to use when she pulled out her Book of Mormon. It was actually her brothers Book of Mormon from his mission and it was all marked up. She hoped and prayed that it would be ok. She opened it up and it was all in tact, only the edges of the pages had gotten wet. That shocked Sister T and she decided that this book was something special. She concluded that God only would have saved this book if it was something important. So she decided to read it and pray about it. She told me it was the most spiritual experience she has had and she came to know for herself that it is true. So even though only her and her older brother are the only active members in the church, she decided that she had to come on a mission and share this message with others.
Yes, she is as amazing as she sounds. Everything that comes out of her mouth is so simple yet profound. I am so grateful to have her as my companion.
I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the amazing influence it has had on my life- and MILLIONS of other peoples lives as well. Family, continue to study and ready the Book of Mormon. I know that it will bring you closer to God, it will help you to better understand your purpose in this life, and it will give you direction. Whenever I feel that I need to find more peace in my life I read the scriptures and it gives me so much peace. I can promise all of you that as you prayerfully study and read that Book you will feel the spirit more in your life. Who doesn't want that?!
I am sad to not be in a ysa ward, but it is nice to be with families again. We got asked to help out in primary our first Sunday Soo fun!! The missionaries before us weren't teaching anybody so please pray for us that we will be able to find people to teach.
I love you all sooo much and hope you have a great week!! And please be safe!!!!!!!! David you are in my prayers. Everything will be ok :)
Sorry this email is kinda short!
Love you all!!
Love,
Sister Hamstead