I just can never think of subject lines

Talofa guys!!! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!  I'll sing for you on Saturday!  Hope you have the best day ever and relax...oh wait, you don't know how to do that ha.  But have fun!

'Ofa teke ma'u ha 'aho fiefia he 'ahoni -- that's happy birthday in Tongan!

Also, can you send me the info I need to fill out the my family booklet?  My memory fails...sad I know.  Thanks!

So my new companion is Sister Vaha'i!  She is seriously the best!  She's 20, Tongan, lived in NZ, Tonga, Melbourne, Sydney, etc. but she's so funny, people will ask where she's from, and she will pick one place and just tell them that.  And it changes ha.  She is the sweetest and funniest and is so happy and wants to do what's right and work hard!  I have so much to learn from her. 

 So the Halls Head area is massive as.  And absolutely gorgeous!  We are surrounded by water all the time.  It's hard to stay focused on the road because everything around us is so pretty...but don't worry, of course I am a safe driver :)

Halls Head

So this week has been crazy...Wednesday was transfers, so everyone left except the people who were training new missionaries.  Sister Iosua-Fiu is training again, and so were the two sisters in Ellenbrook (sister Vea got transferred). So the 4 of us got to stay in Ellenbrook that night while we waited for our companions to get here!  It was sooo much fun!  Sister Iosua-Fiu and I went around and surprised a ton of people...everyone was so confused.  Talk about memory lane.  We went to an appt with Graham and saw the Pettigroves and the Grahams and Ah Hongs and some other families.  It was so good! 

Next morning we went and picked up our companions, stayed there for training for most of the day, and then drove home with Sister Iosua-Fiu and her trainee--we fit 8 missionaries and luggage for 3 new missionaries and the night bags for all of the trainers in 2 cars...you could only tell that there were people in the backseat of the other car because you could see a hand sticking out haha.

We just got a call this morning saying that the Halls Head flat is up for sale and they want to show it on Wednesday.  We have been cleaning it a ton, but Elders lived there for a couple of years...it's going to take a lot more to make it show-able...

The furthest our area goes inland is this place called Pinjarra.  It's set up in a really weird way and really spread out, but we were out there late Saturday night trying to find this less active family, and we accidentally went to the wrong door.  We met this lady from Canada who I know Heavenly Father led us to.  She has gone through some incredibly hard things in the last couple of years, and has such strong faith in Christ.  We talked to her for a while, but she said she was doing alright with the church she was at.  We could tell she was really stressed out though, and we asked if there was anything we could do for her, and she said that she actually could use some help around the house.  It makes me so happy grateful when people allow us to help them :)

 I feel a bit inadequate and a bit overwhelmed figuring things out in a new area, but all throughout church yesterday, our studies, and 12 weeks, Heavenly Father has pretty much just told me not to worry, but just to be patient, diligent and do all that I know how to do, and He will guide us.  I know that is true. 

I want to do so many things at once, but we cannot accomplish anything by frantically rushing around trying to do everything.  We are effective when we diligently seek the spirit to help us prioritize.  Heavenly Father knows what we need to do, when we need to do it.  So  we will continue to work and seek His guidance.  I want  to work smarter AND harder this week ha :)

I love Sister Vaha'i, I love this ward, and I love my Heavenly Father and Saviour.  The Saviour is the ultimate source of happiness, and we can tap into that happiness by living the gospel.  We are going to bring that joy to as many people as we can this week! 

I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!!  Talk to you later :)
Fa,
Sister Formica

Transfers!! 9 March 2015

Kia ora!

It's been a busy week filled with lots of singing.

(yes, font is bigger.... I appreciate bigger fonts more than I used to!)

We had stake conference this weekend, and it was in Bunbury!!  We got to travel down there Sunday morning.  It's absolutely gorgeous!  All of the missionaries in our district sang in the choir, so we had to sit on the stage, and even though it was really good, I started to fall asleep at the end for a tiny bit...but in my defence I was sick this week and was really tired.  Oops...

It was a really good meeting though.  Loved it! 

Zone Conference :)

We had a picnic lunch at one of our member's mother's home down in Bunbury with 4 ladies from our ward.  It was so much fun! 

I can't remember if I told you, but Sister Parks and I also had to sing at zone meeting...so much singing.  I actually lost my voice in the middle of the week ha.

Oh so I am getting transferred...to Hall's Head. It is absolutely a beautiful area!  Love it!  Apparently it's the flat with the best view in the mission!  It's the same ward, we are just switching areas with the elders.  Also I'm training.  So that'll be fun.  Bit nervous, but I know it will be a great learning experience for me, and hopefully I don't mess the new sister up too much haha. 

quit smoking program with 6 people

(Sister Formica often jots down lines and plans to fill them in later... my best guess is she forgot this one.  We'll pray the six people have all the strength they need to quit smoking.  Not easily done, but much easier with the help of the Lord and good friends!)

 We had an experience that strengthened my testimony of prayer and my faith that Heavenly Father will guide us to those who are ready for the gospel.  While studying Preach My Gospel, I was reading in the finding section under "Go about doing good".  I was thinking that we always offer service, but no one ever accepts, and I really wanted to find someone to teach through service.  I prayed that morning for an opportunity to do so, and later that afternoon, we were biking to visit a family, and we saw a man doing yard work.  We went over and asked if he needed help, and he said he would really appreciate it.  We didn't right then because we were in skirts, but we were able to teach him and his friend about the plan of salvation.  We met with him two days later and taught him the restoration.  He has such strong faith in Christ and is so prepared to hear the gospel!  He has actually read the Book of Mormon all the way through, but had no one to discuss it with, so it didn't really go anywhere.  He is really interested in what we believe, and keen to read the Book of Mormon again and discuss what he is reading!

Lucky elders who get to teach him.  He is so smart, it's a lot of fun to teach him.  He asks a lot of questions that really make me think and we have to go find answers and bring them back.

We had a wonderful lesson with this less active family last night.  We read "The Family: a Proclamtion to the World" with them and they were asking a bunch of questions about it, and their grandma actually came out and talked to us and shared that she is a member.  She usually is standoffish, but she said that she is because she feels unworthy.  I am so grateful for the Atonement that allows us to change and to become free from feelings of guilt and unworthiness.  I know we are all children of God and He wants us all to find joy and not to be burdened down by our mistakes.  How much He must love each of us blows me away.  They are going to have to work really hard to overcome their trials, but I can just see them in the temple and I am so excited for them. 

Perth Australia temple

I have to run, but I love you all!  You are the best and I am so grateful for you!  Better email next week, lots of info about halls head and my new companion!

LOVE YOU!

Pictures!! 2 March 2015

Holy smokes it's MARCH!!!  I know I say this like every week, but I have never felt time go faster in my whole 20 years on this earth.

Since yesterday was a holiday (I never remember when labor day is until it comes ha) pday is today!  Obviously.

This week....hmm...

We had district inventory at our last district meeting...opened it up to say things we liked and things we can improve on.  I realized that it is the best asking others what they think you can work on...it's not one of my greatest strengths ha.  But when things are suggested with love, you can take that suggestion and

use it to change and become better.  It doesn't mean you are a failure or you aren't good enough, or that the people suggesting it don't like you (they might not, but oh well).  But receiving advice from others can always benefit you, doesn't matter how it's given--if you have a spirit of humility and truly are seeking to become a better companion, person, teacher, anything.  It was actually a lot of fun!  There's a moment when you just sit there uncomfortably waiting for someone to say something, but as soon as they start talking it's fine.  Then the next morning, our ward mission leader had a companionship study session with all 6 of us...it was a strange idea but good as well haha.

Clinton is getting baptized on April 18th!!  (I think I've told you about Clinton before...if not let me know ha).  He has such a strong desire to change.  I am so excited for him :) His mom and his daughter both are not really active, but his mom is coming back to church and brings him with her. 

So on Tuesday we were talking with one of our investigators--who actually ended up saying they didn't have time or a desire to learn more right now--but as we were walking away, there were a couple people outside at the house across the street.  We walked past them, but felt like we should go back and talk to them.  When we did, a couple people booked it inside, but a few stayed outside to talk to us.  As we are talking to this man and little boy, a woman leans out the window and asks if we are the Mormons...we told her we were, and she explained that her kids are Mormon because of their dad, but she has a different religion.  She told us we probably should go away, but then whispered that we should come back tomorrow at 2...that another lady wasn't happy that we were there. 

When we went back the next day, the other lady was still home actually...she talked to us for a while.  She is fine with us sharing messages, but just not trying to hound her or baptize her.  She has gone through some really hard things lately, and really needs comfort and really needs the gospel.  And we met the kids who actually go to a different ward with their dad. They are so cute and so friendly!  Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways to prepare people for the gospel. 

We had new beginnings too!  It was cute--they do it a little differently here, I don't know how to explain it though.

We got a new phone this week!  Still a brick, but it's new! 

Quite Windy in Golden Bay. 

I almost crashed my bike this week!  It was late and super windy and it was just a weird night...we were on our way home and we wanted to get inside as soon as possible, and so I'm biking quickly, and I looked behind me to check for Sister Parks, and she was super far back...so I slammed on my brakes and I slid off my seat and almost fell over my bike.  A picture of grace right?  Anyways, fast forward to the next morning and I have a couple really legit bruises on my legs.  Battle scars. 

Ok I put a bunch of pictures on dropbox...

Sister Formica catching a wave ... 

My brown shoes are falling apart.  But they are by far my favourite, and since the rip is along the side you can't see it that well, so I still wear them :)

I love this gospel!  I love being a missionary, and I love you all!!!  You are my favourite people ever.  Have a wonderful week!  Be safe, be smart, and have fun!

Love,

Me

New Zealand Mussels

Man, I am the luckiest missionary ever.  I literally get the best emails from all of you and I am so grateful for you and your experiences and wisdom!

This week was good--really fast though.  This transfer sped by!

Golden Bay ... in 2006 Census it had a population of 1873.  

 Met these people who were typical Aussies--don't believe in God really, and haven't really thought about any of it and don't really want to, but we kept talking to them for a bit and learned that they just got back from the Philippines.  We talked about how humble they are and how they are so happy despite their poverty.  We shared that they are focused on what is truly important, and they are grateful to God for what He has given them, and that is what brings happiness.  They agreed, and they told us that their friend is coming from the Philippines to stay with them for a bit, and he is really religious.  We asked if we could come back when he was there to talk to him; they agreed and are going to let us know when he gets there.   

When they found out that we aren't allowed to go swimming, they said that we should just put on our swimsuits and go find people to teach in the water ha.  Seriously tempting...just kidding.  It was such a funny conversation, but they are awesome!  They gave us mini cans of Fanta for the road. 

I ate raw New Zealand mussels this week!  Or I guess I ate a raw New Zealand mussel...it was awful.  You know how Sea World stinks like salt and fish and it's just bad?   It tasted like that.  Then they cooked them for us, and it was a lot better.  Still too fishy for me, but I could eat them. Sister Parks almost threw up the cooked one...their kids were all chanting "eat it, eat it!"  and they were just laughing at us. 

We went to this member's home and it is literally right on the water!  They have dolphins and kangaroos in their backyard--the kangas are on an island right by their house.  Mean hey?  And she is from Huntington Beach!  They lived in Long Beach for a while too!  Coolest house ever.  I am coming back and staying there...just a heads up. 

This is kinda a funky email, sorry!  But I love you all and I really just want to let you know how grateful I am for the gospel.  I know that it is true, and I really can't express how much I love it.  And how incredible the Atonement is.  The fact that we can be forgiven and become clean from our sins and our weaknesses can become strengths is so wonderful and brings so much joy!   

 "scripture -- weaknesses become strengths"

my computer is about to shut off, but have a great week! 

Love,

Sister Formica

Ps I just looked up and there's this quote on the library wall..."Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.  Inside a dog it's too dark to read." Dry haha.  Share that one with Adam for me.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Talofa!! 

Hope you all had the best week!!  We had such a good week! 

 Since mission conference we have really tried to talk to as many people as we can, and we feel like Heavenly Father is blessing us for our efforts in all aspects of the work.  He has guided us to more people who are prepared to hear the gospel, and helped us in being more confident as we teach as well.  This last week I have invited more people to be baptized than I have at any other point on my mission, (it's still not a ton, but it is an improvement),  and all of them have said yes if they find out that it is true they will be.  Now we just have to guide them carefully so that they can find out for themselves, and always follow up! 

We survived Friday the 13th--it was a bit rough ha, but what can you do?

 And the next day was VALENTINE'S DAY!!!  I love Valentine's Day.  Don't ask me why, it's just a happy day.  But anyways, we kind of did a similar thing to what we  did on Halloween with handing out the suckers as ghosts, but we made valentines for people!  We picked a few different scriptures about love and charity and wrote them on the inside of some paper hearts and then we delivered them to people we are teaching or people in the ward and gave them to people as we biked.  You can see the difference it makes in someone--you start talking to them and they can be really closed off or grumpy, but once you give them a valentine, often they open up and are much kinder and happy to talk to you.  One lady from England was nice but didn't want to talk at all, but once we gave it to her, she started telling us about how one of her really good friends was a member of the church and how much she admired her and her family.

We had an apt with one of our investigators this week.  When we went to teach her, her friend and her friend's son were staying with them, and were in a pretty bad situation.  We were able to teach them.  The mom soaked in everything we taught and agreed to come to church on Sunday. But then Saturday night, our investigator texted us telling us that her friend had left, but thanking us for trying to help them.  When we called her to ask about it, she was really upset, but we were able to share some scriptures with her, and sing a hymn and pray with her.  We invited her to come to church and asked her to read a chapter in the book of Mormon.  She was much calmer after we talked, and we arranged to help wake them up for church.  So many things went wrong that morning...It was a struggle, and we got there at 9:30, but she came with her 3 daughters.
She is much more open to us now.  Her and her children need the gospel so badly.  I know that our trials can humble us enough to seek Heavenly Father's will, and sometimes it is only when we feel that there is no other place to turn to that we turn to Him.  And He is always there with arms outstretched to embrace us and lift us up.

We went to pacific area presidency broadcast on Sunday and it was great!  I am excited to work in a more unified way with the ward council!  That's something I haven't really understood how to do, but I think that I am beginning to understand it better.
I am teaching Sister Parks sign language--she already knows a bit, but we are practicing signing to each other.  It's so much fun!  I forgot so much!  We were sitting across from each other in choir, and talking whenever people weren't looking, but we got caught ha.  Oops.

I can't believe it's February...time flies.  I love being a missionary!  The gospel is the best!  It brings so much joy and hope into people's lives.  I am grateful for Heavenly Father's love and for my Saviour!  I am so grateful for all of you!  We taught someone who is just starting uni and I realized that I do not miss school right now haha. 

Love you guys soo soo much!!! 
Love,
Me
P.S. I know last week I said I had some funny stories, but I forgot them...my bad ha.  They probably wouldn't have been that funny anyway haha.  

Happy Australia Day!

Talofa everyone!!

Happy Australia Day! Someone told us that it is also called Survival Day and Invasion Day...depending on who you are talking to ha. Apparently they have crazy fireworks in the city, but we couldn't see any, so we just sat on a hill and looked at the stars for a couple minutes.

So the news is that I am getting transferred to Golden Bay, which is down south, so it should be cooler. And I'm hoping I'm close to the ocean. If it's just called golden bay and it's not by a bay I'm not going to be happy ha. It's supposed to be a really great ward! President told me that they love missionaries. The crazy thing is that my companion is going to be Sister Parks from the MTC...our fourth roommate! What the...this makes 3 transfers in a row that I'll be companions with an MTC roommate.

Sister Vea was sick for about half of the week, but I had so much to do, and I felt stuck inside.

I am so sad to be leaving the people in Ellenbrook. People are just barely starting to get back from vacation ha. School starts next week. I am going to miss Sister Vea so much! I love working with her.

Sorry we don't have long to email again, we had interviews with President Lindsay this morning.

Oh guess what?! We came home one night and there was this huge scorpion in our flat!! I didn't get a good picture, but it was so creepy looking. I caught it and we were supposed to save it for one of the elders, but we forgot that it was in our car and it cooked...oops.

I'll try to put some pictures on dropbox, but if it doesn't work, here's one or two...the first one is our investigator Meemee! She is incredible--she has such a strong testimony and she's so smart!

hey we met this less active man from Italy--he is from the province of Catania I think, from a small town with a famous weird castle? Maybe it starts with an F...I forgot how he spelled it, sorry mom! But He was so funny, and I loved his accent. The weird thing though is that he said he would make soup with ants in it and we have to come try it!

This was definitely a learning week for me. I'm grateful for Heavenly Father;s patience in teaching us lessons. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's plan for each of us. It's so real. And so comforting. We each have our own path to travel, but the same things bring us true happiness, and we are all on this earth just for a little time to learn. As Antonio, the italian man put it, life is just a school. I love the gospel, and I am so incredibly grateful for the Atonement.

Love you all!! Have a wonderful week!

Put a bug in your ear? Maybe not.

So Golden Bay lives up to it's name...I have now seen the ocean, but still haven't been close to it. Hopefully we will fix that today.

My companion, Sister Parks still laughs a lot, but it makes life fun! It's been a good week. She is incredibly kind and sweet--The most service oriented companions I've had. That sounds weird ha, but I didn't know how else to say that she is always serving me. It's hard to keep up with her service wise! I'm trying though. I'm trying to learn the area and get to know people, and it's a bit of an adjustment, but I already love it here! The people are wonderful! There are very few members in our area, but they aren't too far away--all in the elder's areas haha. There are 6 missionaries in our ward. The ward is huge! Our leaders are wonderful!

Sister Parks got a bug stuck in her ear the other night for like 10 minutes. After we got it out, I was telling her how Dad had a pincher bug crawl in his, and as soon as I start telling that story, I saw a pincher bug...and ever since then I swear they are everywhere in our apartment. I am so paranoid now. 

We taught a 10 year old boy and his grandma last night about the plan of salvation...he had so many questions about what happens after this life, and as we explained it to him, I thought to myself that I was grateful that it is so simple.  It struck me how logical and perfect Heavenly Father's plan is.  Our understanding of it is flawed and limited, but it all just makes so much sense.

Oh, guess what! I've been out for 6 months now. Is that insane or what?! It went so quickly. When I think back on the time though, so much has happened. I have grown to love so many people throughout the last 6 months, and I have learned so much. I am so grateful for my mission, and for the gospel.

I know this is short, sorry. I love you all and hope you have the best week!!! Talk to you soon :)

Love,

Sister Formica