TWENTY

HOLD ON

And with only 23 days left before I head off I am a little bit of a mess. I mean don't get me wrong, I am more excited than ever before. But I am also so very depressed (I ain't gonna lie) that I will be leaving my family... *cue tears*

I’m going to be a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints (Mormon).

“What does that mean?” you ask?

Well… It means that I’ll be leaving my Family, friends, work & everything I love (& not love) to move to a foreign place for 18 months.

I’m only allowed to call home TWICE a year: Mother’s Day & Christmas Day, email Family ONCE a week & write letters to friends.

I can’t check my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube. I can’t even Snapchat every second of my life like I do – no movies, no music, no Beyoncé, no Nicki!!!

It will be hard… I will have days where I’ll want to just break down & cry. Heck! I'll have days where I do just break down & cry. I’ll have days where I will want to give up & just go home. I will miss my Family more than ever!

BUT... 

I’ll also have the best 18 months FOR my life & maybe IN my life. I’ll make friendships that will last for eternity, I’ll meet people who will change my life & hopefully I'll change theirs as well, for the better.

I know that this is such a small sacrifice but I know that there is nothing else that I’d much rather do than this - the Lord’s work. “Because I have been given much, I too must give…”. Mosiah 2:17 reads: “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

I know that without the Gospel in my life I would be LOST & so I offer a small sacrifice of 18 months to my creator, Heavenly Father & Saviour Jesus Christ. “…The work of the Lord will go forth boldly, nobly & independent…” & I want to be a part of it! I want to be the Lord’s hands on this Earth. The time will come when we have to take that stand for what is right and true. The Lord knows when His children are ready & I have never been as ready as I am now - grateful to be made an instrument in His hands! I testify that the Lord knows everything & that we must put our trust in Him & know that everything will be alright.

My purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ & His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost & enduring to the end.

I CHOOSE TO SERVE!

OKAY? OKAY.

Hola!

42 days until I fly to the other side of the world… Viva mehico! Hahahaha! I’m not even going to Mexico, I just felt like saying that. Anyways, ever since I received my call, everything has been so hektik! Life has been busier than ever, work has been CRAZY (& driving me crazy!), birthdays, baptisms, funerals, reunions, weddings… You get the picture.. si? Hahaha! Such a wannabe Spaniolo (Samoan for Spanish person).

My emotions have been a rollercoaster (but then again, when are they not?) & one minute I’m so excited then nekk minnit I’m in tears thinking about how much I’ll miss my parents!!! But anybody who is about to embark on a journey thinks like this right? Of course right!

So here is a list of things that you do to prepare yourself to not miss your family & friends… no guarantees! (Hehehe!)

How to help with not missing loved ones:

•  Don’t waste time!
• Spend as much time as you can with the people you love the most.
• If you wanna cry – CRY!
• There is no better time than NOW… If you are having a moment where you want to break down & cry because you’re about to leave your home for 18 months to a foreign strange land, then you CRY!!! Just let it out, let it out.
• Talk to them…
• Nope, not through social media, email or text! Pick up the phone & TALK! Or better yet, arrange a time to meet up & talk… FACE-TO-FACE!
• Tell them you love them...
• Self explanatory...
• Say CHEESE!
• Take lots of photos, selfies, group shots, get a selfie stick & go crazy. Then print them out & take them with you to wherever you may be going.
• Keep a journal...
• it will help you not think too much about home, family or friends. It will be your new bestfriend & letting it out on paper will help with the pain of missing people...
• Just keep swimming!!
• Keep a positive attitude, keep smiling & remember that "this too shall pass"

So I guess now all I have to do is remember these points & try & not die when I have to leave my family, friends, lovers lol! Anyways, that's all for now... Ahhh! Time is flying fast. Scary, but also so very exciting!

Sister Loli ;-)

SISTER AMITUANA'I

I opened my email this morning & received Sister Amituanai's last email before she comes home & I am bawling my eyes out! I can just tell by the testimony that she has shared, that she has grown SO MUCH! I guess it's true what they say, "missions change you"... I wanted to share her email with you, so here it is:

"LAST EMAIL EVERRRR!‏

Well my Dear Brothers & Sisters,I can't believe how fast time has gone! It's already been 18 months here in the field & now they're telling me it's time to go home! :(I can't believe it still but I am so so so grateful that I could serve a mission here in the beautiful land of Japan! I am so so so grateful for this amazing opportunity to serve here in The Lords vineyard doing those things that please our Father in Heaven, as I have reflected on my mission & looked back on the work I have done here & relied on our God to guide me everyday to serve his children I am so so so heartbroken to leave this land that I love so much but I know that I can look back & say that "I've done my best".I just want to share my simple testimony with you, I know that this work is true, it is soooo true & most of all REAL! The Lord is working amongst his children to bring about this great work & I have just been so grateful & privileged to be apart of it.I know that God loves His children & I have seen his love everyday in my mission & you can see it no matter where you are if you just open your eyes & LOOK.I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE! I know it with all my heart & I know that because God loves us he restored this church through The Prophet Joseph Smith! I know that Jesus Christ is our savior & redeemer & that he  will take anyone who will turn to him & bring them happiness, peace & joy.I have been so happy & felt such satisfaction everyday in the field knowing that I am doing all that God wants me to be doing, there is no greater or more satisfying work upon this earth! I promise that if you participate & join this great work you will feel a joy beyond your imagination! Now that I've come this far I'm never turning back. I am so excited for what life has in store now that I know that God loves me & will never forsake me.D&C 128:22"Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad..."I know with all my heart that God loves us & has given us his son Jesus Christ to redeem us all from an awful hell! We can not even imagine or understand how much God loves you & desires for you to return back to Him! I love him & I will sing everlasting praises to my Heavenly King & I pray that he will accept my small but sincere offering of 18 months here in Japan & the many more days that I  will dedicate in his service while is am still in this mortal frame! I owe my everything to Him & I know that I am nothing but to him I am something! Don't ever forget who you are & please embrace & partake of His goodness! I love you all so much & I will forever love this blessed land, JAPAN! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 Timothy 4:7" I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"
In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.Aishitemasu!Amituanai Shimai in Japan!"

Amen & amen!

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE...

I went through the temple on Saturday.

The feelings I felt whilst in there are indescribable. The one feeling I felt above all else was love – just love.

I felt love all around. I felt love for my Heavenly Father, I felt the love that He has for me. I felt the love of my parents & sisters that were there with me. I felt love from my eternal family & friends who also attended my first time at the temple to receive my endowments. I felt love everywhere.

I fell in love with the feeling & I wish that I could just live in there & not have to worry about the world around me. Once you walk in through the temple doors, all the bad feelings you have, all the stress that you feel, goes away. & you feel calm & peace surround you. But then once you walk back out those doors, the doors of security, all your stress comes rushing back. Nevertheless, the love that I felt in the temple, stayed with me. The feeling of love.

It was such a beautiful day & I am so glad that I was able to go through on such a beautiful sun shining day. 44 days until I leave & I am ready as ever (mentally that is because everything else is such a mess i.e., immunizations, but that’s another story hahaha). I couldn’t be more happier that I am leaving to serve the Lord in FORTY FOUR days!

My baby sister who means more than the world to me: Eternity!

My cousin Vaiola & her husband Filipo

Bishop/Uncle

Aunties: Mel & Ana

Older sister: Bez Aso Lagi

Why are my parents so gangsta?

This trouble maker Leata

My hermana Melissa!

Princess Aurora.

My homeboys Hans & Mosiah

My glowing preggs, Luaina

My new found love, the house of the Lord.

We had a YSA Fast Breaker last night at The Whiting’s house & it was just the best to be there amongst young men & women who share the same standards, values & beliefs as me. Also, I LOVE THE WHITING’S!

I love this girl too much! Marlies, she served in KOREA!

Stacey Stace, we tighter than tight now! 

Michael Faustini.

The Cessnock boys!

I’ll leave you with my testimony that I know that Heavenly Father lives & loves us! I know that He prepared a way for us to return because He loves us so much & the way that He prepared for us is His son Jesus Christ who came to Earth to die for us so that we may live again. I love the Atonement so much because without it, I would be lost. Everyone would be lost. I am so very grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith & for the MANY sacrifices that he made so that we could have the truth in these latter days. I absolutely LOVE the scriptures, it is my breath of fresh air in this cruel world. I love our living Prophet Thomas S. Monson & am so thankful for his teachings & his guidance. I am one hundred per cent in love with the Gospel of Jesus Christ & would not know where I would be in this world without it. It is my sunshine in the rain, my cold breeze on a hot Summer’s day, my light at the end of a dark tunnel. It is the one thing that makes COMPLETE sense in this crazy world. It is my life, & I would give anything for it. If I didn’t believe this Gospel, then I wouldn’t be giving 18 months of my life for it. This is what I believe, this is what I KNOW! Through & in the name of our beloved Saviour, Jesus Christ…

Sister Loli ;-)