May 19, 2014

Malolele!!

Man, what a week! It started off with a bang with Zone Conference on Tuesday! When we showed up to the church building, I saw Elder Jacobson and McMurrey. They came out with me. I got to talk with both of the for awhile. Then once the meeting started, man! President just threw down what we had to do to accomplish our goals and to help people progress to baptism. He compared our mission focus and our purpose with a golf swing and how we need to make our mission focus 'muscle memory'. Just like the golf swing. When we do that, it will make it so much easier to accomplish our purpose, to hit the golf ball, or help people come unto Christ. It's just so true too! He also talked about how we need to remember why we are out here and what our purpose is. It was the best Zone Conference on my mission by far! I loved it! But I think the announcement that me and Elder Fifita loved was simply this, "Sisters, prepare to bike." It was like music to our ears! Why? Because now our chance of getting a car went way up! President said that the areas that would be bike areas for Elders are most like going to be bike area's for Sisters now too. We hope one of those cars comes our way!

So on Wednesday, we went our on exchange with the 2nd ward mission leader. We knocked on a few doors and didn't have too much success, but if y'all remember my email a couple weeks ago how we knocked on the last door and we were excited to teach a lesson and it didn't happen? Well that happened this week!! We had 1 name left with him and we went to knock on the door and it was a members home. The member is married to a non-member and has 3 daughters. 2 of them are married and are members of the church. Her youngest daughter isn't married and lives with them and is not a member. So we walked in and got to know her a little bit better. She is Methodist and is pretty strong in her church. But she said we could share a message about the Restoration with her. At first, she had a ton of walls built up and it was hard to teach. But we did our best not to get frustrated and to teach with love and by the Spirit. And let me tell y'all, that works so much better than just doing it by yourselves. We talked a lot about the Priesthood and she had some great questions about it too. But she really enjoyed it! Her older sister was there who just got baptized last year and helped us teach too. She was really enjoying teaching her too and you could tell. We set up a time to come by tonight and have a family home evening. We are really excited. She could become a really great member!

This week we made a goal to not take money from Tongans this week. Whether its on the road or for dinner. We are trying to get into members houses to start teaching them how to do missionary work and help them to find people to teach. So we made that goal on Thursday and that night, our dinner tried to give us money and we told them to save it for next time. She ended up throwing the money at us and we still didn't take it. She sent her daughter to go pick up the money and we told her she can make some food and bring it over that night. It was funny because after like 5 minutes of trying to tell her to keep the money, I was just going to say fine. But Fifita just kept saying no. They listen to Tongans, but for us white people, man, we have no say. Ha! I'm surprised she agreed to make food and bring it over.  But that was pretty funny.

So along with the meals. We told 2nd ward bishop in ward council to make an announcement to not give us money, but to make food for us in their homes. And at the end of us telling him that, I said, "Man I'm sick of Chinese Buffets!" Everyone started laughing. And then, when Bishop was making the announcement over the4 pulpit, he said, that O'Brien was sick of Chinese food and wants some home cooked food. I've never heard a congregation laugh that hard in my life. Haha. Because Chinese Buffets are  like heaven for the Tongans. Haha!

Other than that, it was just another week with talking to Less-Active people and trying to get them to church. The transfer is coming to and end and also single digits is going to and this week as well. 10 months on Saturday! Holy cow! I can't believe it! My year mark is right around the corner and there's no stopping it from coming. Man, the work is awesome and I'm loving it our here! I love you guys! Thank you for emailing me this week and have a blessed week!

Love,
Elder O'Brien