Exchanges :)

Malo e lelei!

This was another good week! We've been busy with appointments and it was awesome! There were some days we were running from appointment to appointment. The work here is going so good right now! We had time to go on exchanges this week with some of the sisters and it was fun! It's fun getting to know the other sisters. This week we've been getting ready for our mission tour next week. There is a area 70 coming Elder Ardern and we're pretty excited to hear him speak. 

This week we had the opportunity to take one of our investigators on a temple tour. Her name is Ana and we've been teaching her for a couple of weeks now. She's had some questions about the temple and also about the Book of Mormon. She had the opportunity to come sit in the waiting room in the temple and the temple president, President Langi came and spoke with her and also answered her questions. It was a really great spiritual experience for her and for me and my companion! We have invited her to be baptized and she accepted, she just wants some more time to study and think about what she's learning. We pray for her everyday and I cant wait to see her be baptized. 

The work here is good and it was a successful week. I hope you all have a good week! 

Ofa atu!

-- 

Sista Silivesita

1. Exchanges with sister Fa'aui. We had fafanga at our members restaurant she opened up in front of their house :) 

Transfers :)

Malo e lelei!

This week was a busy week with transfers. Im staying in my same area and im with my same comp. Im pretty excited about it! :) Not too much happened this week... it was a good successful transfer hahah and now we are preparing for zone conferences and other meetings this transfer! This week we also had a program in one of our wards, I think I told you about it last week, but this week we did the same aho ako'i in ward mapelu. So many of our members brought someone for us to teach so our one day of teaching all day turned into 3 days it was pretty sweet. Thursday, the day we had planned the aho ako'i, president gave permission to some other missionaries to come to our area and help with the teachings, so we had 4 pairs of missionaries going from house to house in our area teaching the investigators. We were able to get so many new investigators and a lot of them want to continue the lessons. We have the opportunity to teach a couple of them twice this week and they are on date for baptism. Yay! The work in this area is really picking up. Its hard at times trying to keep the members motivated to continue bringing their investigators for us to teach but we' planned a couple of activities for this month and I have a good feeling about them. Not only do we have the opportunity to share the gospel with non member's but we've been able to help the members as well.  

Sorry nothing too exciting happened this week.  But I hope you all have a good week! Remember who you are! Keep reading your scriptures :) Ofa atu!! 

1. The new ice cream shop that just opened in our area :) hahah 

It's not about me

Malo e lelei! 

This week was another good busy week! We had a program this week with the missionaries who finished this past Friday and that was about it hahah but it was still a good week! On Tuesday we had a "aho ako'i" in one of our wards, so its like one day in the month that we invite all of the members to invite someone to come listen to the missionaries. We had teaching appointments all day Tuesday and it was awesome! From there we were able to set up follow up appointments in the next coming weeks. Ive probably shared this before but my area is all members except for one little village of 5 houses and they are non members. But we do a aho ako'i to help the members bring their investigators for us to teach and its been really helpful for the work here in our area. Next week we will be doing the same program in our other ward. Ive been in this area for about 8 months now and when I first got moved here I wasn't too excited to work in an area of all members but I have seen the importance of working with members and it has help me to love the work so much! I honestly would be okay to spend another transfer here. Actually we were looking at the transfer board the other day with president and he asked me " Sister Sylvester where do you want to finish your mission from?" He was giving me the option to choose any island to go work in. Although I would love to go work in the outer islands I told him "President wherever you and the Lord need me that's where I will finish my mission from. If you need me to stay here I would be happy to stay and do whatever you need me to." Ive come to learn that this work is not about me it's the Lords work and His will. Even though I would be happy and love to go to the outer islands and experience work out there I just don't have the strength or desire to tell President where to put me hahaha. President laughed after and said " hahah its okay we go to the outer islands anyways for zone conferences."  I love being  a missionary and I love to see what the Lords plan is for me. Even though missionary work is not easy at times, I'm  so happy and willing to serve the Lord :) 

It was another great program with the Kau osi this week. It was hard to see them go home but exciting for them that they finished their work! I still cant believe how fast time is going. Its killing me! hahah but I'm working hard to make every minuet count. I cant wait to skype you guys tomorrow!!! I remember mothers day last year like it was yesterday and now I get to see you all again and I cant wait :) Although its not Mothers day yet I just want to wish my beautiful mom a HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! I love you so much and I'm so grateful for all that you do! I hope you all have a great week. Keep reading your scriptures! Keep being member missionaries and find any opportunity you have to share the Gospel. Ofa atu! Tau toki sio apongipongi ;) 

-- 

Sista Silivesita

We are really close with the Chinese lady who works at the store on the end of our street and the other day she called us over and she went in the back to go get something we thought maybe it was cake because she gave us cake last time but no this time it was chicken feet! Hahah we didn't know what it was and when we got in the car we screamed and just laughed. I guess they eat the feet of the Chickens! :)

My first zone leader and district leader both finished this week.    

LIttle miracles :)

Malo e lelei!

Man what a good week! This week was so powerful and uplifting! Nothing too big happened but all of the small little experiences were what made it such a great week! We had the opportunity to go on exchanges with some of the sisters in the mission. I always love going on exchanges. Its fun to learn from other sisters. Even though its just a 24 hour exchange I feel like I learn the most in just those short 24 hours. This week we had two exchanges and they were very special. The first one was with Sister Egan my MTC companion.  :) Man it was so fun to be with her again. The last time we were companions was the MTC and we finally had the chance to work together again. I think I shared this last week but because our area is mostly all members, except for the little area of makapaeo, we go around everyday visiting our members and share a message with them. President committed us to start going to the members houses and asking them if we can role play our lessons with them. Its a good way for us to practice and a great way to help our members. So Sister Egan and I went around to all of the members teaching lessons and it was just a really great experience. We kept laughing because in the MTC we could hardly share anything in Tongan. We couldn't teach, we couldnt communicate or anything! So we just laughed and talked about how cool it is now that we can speak Tongan, share messages and teach lessons. I was really able to reflect on my mission and see how far I've come, everything I've been able to overcome, and the growth I've had in my testimony. Missions are seriously the best!! 

I also had the opportunity to go on an exchange with Sister Malungahu. She is from Australia and we actually finish together in August.  This was another great experience! The stake I'm working in all 4 of the areas are all members. Theres only two areas in the stake that have non members but the majority are members.  Last Sunday we met with the stake to set up a program to help members invite someone to come talk with the missionaries, but also to give the members a opportunity to share the gospel. We came up with the idea to pass out Book of Mormons. Each ward has a goal of how many Book of Mormons to pass out each month and invite someone to come talk with the missionaries. Im really excited because we've been praying hard on what we can do to help the ward members continue to have a desire to share the gospel and work together with the missionaries. So this week we passed out one Book of Mormons to all of our members and explained to them the new program we have in our stake. It was really cool! Im really excited to work with the members and give them a chance to go share their testimony about the Book of Mormon with someone. Working in this area has really shown me the importance of members working with missionaries. So...im giving you the same commitment this week to think of someone you can give a Book of Mormon to and share your testimony with them :) 

Yesterday we had the opportunity to meet with Elder Groberg (Kolipoki) the guy who the movie The other side of Heaven is based off of. I dont know if you know this but he's making another movie! It was a request from President Thomas S. Monson and the movie will be based on the time he was mission president here in Tonga. So he's here in Tonga filming some songs for his movie. We got to meet with him yesterday and it was an awesome meeting! Hes so old hahah but his Tongan is still so good! 

It was a good week! I learned a lot and had a lot of little miracles happen this week thatwere such a blessings for me. We read in 2 nephi 27:23 God is a god of miracles. He is the same yesterday, today and forever; but he works according to our faith. I love you all have a great week :) 

Ofa atu!

-- 

Sista Silivesita

Note form Mom...

Sister Egan sent me a personal email last Monday telling me about her exchange with Kenidee.  She had so many sweet things to say.  These two sure love each other!!  She is from Australia and is the first Indian to ever serve in Tonga. I was able to talk with her for a few minutes when Ken called us from the airport on her way to Tonga and she has the cutest Australian accent that im sure sounds adorable when she speaks Tongan.  :)

Hello sister Sylvester!! 

How are you? How is your wonderful, lovely family?

i just finished exchanges yesterday and had the AMAZING opportunity to be companions with your daughter again!!!!  I miss her!!  She is seriously one of the reasons im still here, she has helped me so much and continues to help me. i was looking forward to exchanges ever since she told me about it!  Man when we got together we just talked and talked! Every time i see her I ask her how is little baby olivia!! 

i was telling her how i was thinking about you the other day!! i had the memory of her and i at the airport and how i couldnt contact my family, and how you spoke to me and were seriously so sweet and were like "Sister Egan!! WERE SO PROUD OF YOU!! WE LOVE YOU!!" seriously that is such a precious memory to me. like it was sooo diffcult not being able to talk to my family, but your kindness and sweetness  was such a tender mercy from the Lord and i will never forget that, thank you for that :)

But yesterday with your daughter, man she is so awesome, she answered so many questions I had in my heart. We also were talking about after the mission amd  how she can come visit me in Australia and I will give her the best tour!  And how I should come next year and I can finally get to meet you all!! 

Thank you so much for raising such an amazing woman, she is such an amazing example not only to me but to all the sisters in this mission, she is doing such a wonderful job being a leader and i know 100% that she was called there for a reason, she was able to help and change me to be better in just a short 24 hours, her influence as a leader in this mission is EXACTLY what this place needs.

all the best to you all!! 

much love!! 

from sister egan :) 

1. Exchange with Sister Egan :)