Hey people!
This week. was. spectacular. Everything is so hard, but everything is so good because Heavenly Father has been making us stronger.
Learning Samoan is so fun. This week, for the first time, I had a phone call with our Ward Mission Leader completely in Samoan. It was sweet. The whole time I wanted to give in and toss the phone to E. Pauga, but I was like, "Fa'amalosi. Fa'amalosi." which means, "Be strong."
Sometimes members tell us that towards the end of a meal. :)
Last night the youth had a "Youth missionary Night". They all dressed up as missionaries and wore "Future Missionary" name-tags and went out with the leaders in small groups and visited a bunch of people. They had us make a list of the people to visit, and we shared a brief message from Preach My Gospel about talking to people. We role-played. The youth were excited. WE were excited. It was one of the best experiences of my mission.
On Friday we stopped by some apartments that several families in our ward live in. We were going to pick up a Brother to come out with us, but he was busy. As we started back to our car, we passed a guy that looked Samoan. He turned his face away and turned around an apartment as soon as he saw us. We kept walking. But I had a pressing feeling that we needed to go talk to him. So we quickly turned around and found him.
His name is Sa'olotoga. He is the less-active brother of Young Womens' President in the ward. We've been trying to meet him for months. He said he's had plenty of visitors, but he doesn't really like being visited. But he said we could stop by if we wanted. We told him we'd be back in an hour, after an appointment. We returned and just talked with him. He told us of how he's been looking for a job. We told him of a lady that could help him at the church. We shared some scriptures from Mosiah. The room felt so still. The Spirit was working on Sa'olotoga--I could feel it.
Quietly, he said:
Yeah... it's time... I feel like... I've just been chasing something... I don't know. But it's time.
He told us he would definitely be at church. He told us we could come by any time.
This Sunday, Sa'olotoga was at church. The first time in years. :)
We also found a new family! To'esea and Myriam. Our good friend Poe told us about them. To'esea is Samoan and Myriam is half Jamaican, half German, and grew up in Germany. We met To'esea outside his house and talked with him. He told us they've been looking for a church to go to. We've already had 2 visits with them. When we introduced the Book of Mormon to them, we read part of the introduction with them, which promises us that if we read the Book of Mormon, ponder upon its message, and pray to know if it is true, the Holy Ghost will tell us that it is true.
To'esea finished reading and was like: Whoa.
Whoa is right. This week, I was able to finish the Book of Mormon again. From real experience, I have been able to come to know that the promise of the Book of Mormon is true.
In the middle of this last week I was having a tough time feeling the Spirit and finding happiness. But while reading in Moroni, a verse hit my heart:
My beloved son, I write unto you again that ye may know that I am yet alive... and I am mindful of you always.
I knew that my Father was there, and is there, and will always be there. I felt refreshed, and I understood His plan for me. Those feelings come only from the Holy Ghost. That's how I know the book is true.
Love,
Elder Judd
