Sweet on Samoa 11/28/2016 aka The First Letter From Samoa!

Dearest Famili & Friends!

It's been a second hasn't it! Last week our chapel internet decided not to work so I couldn't tell you about my First week here in Samoa. But all is well. I haven't stopped smiling since I left the MTC! Hahaha! I'm so green, and I love it. After about 25 hours of flying I made it!! We met up with the New Zealand Elders and Sister in New Zealand, which made things about 10x more exciting. Sister Vaovasa (Mesake! Did you serve with a Elder Vaovasa? We think you two served together) the only sister serving in the Batch. We landed in Samoa and were greeted with a friendly slap in the face my the sun and moisture. LOVE IT. And my face has probably been dripping with sweat ever since. Haha! Just kidding! I truly love it, Its so wonderful here. We met President and Sister Hannaman at the airport and loved them right away. We stayed the night in the Mission home and were constantly being uplifted. I felt SO much comfort in the first few minutes of being here. I recived the call to my very first Area and my companion. 

(I am serving in the Makeke 2nd Ward on Tutuila which is TONGAN ward! So I am learning Tongan! And we proselyte and teach the Tongans on the Island. SO SO BLESSED. There are only two Tongan wards here and I get to serve with my hoa Sister Fakauho who is from West Valley and has been here for a total of 4 months! She is so great and patient with me! She knows alot of Tongan but we are now both relying solely on the Lord and our diligent studies and desperate prayers to teach in Tongan. We have already witnessed so many miracles and will continue to do just that. )

Going back to the first week: We woke up the next day in Upolu in the Mission home and went straight to work, we studied and prayed and had a training. All the missionaries serving in the close by areas got the companions, and I and a few serving in Manu'a and Tutuila had to wait a little longer. After we did a few role plays and teaching trainings we went out to the Markets and handed out Book of Mormons, President said he handed out 4 in 20 minutes! So, as soon as we handed out our first Book of Mormon I was so humbled by the respect and love of the Samoan people. They all believe in God, so as missionaries come to them they are eager to hear about Religious things. 

We than had lunch and were taken for the rest of the Day and night with some missionaries for those who didn't have companions. I got to stay with Sister Gardener (in my batch) and served with two sisters in the Upolu area. In the first night I had about 64 misquito bites and that was with bug spray. That was official welcome to Samoa. We proselyted the whole day and I was instantly humbled. The people here are so kind and giving. Even when their homes consist only of a bed and a chair. We ended the day at a Members home of Two Return missionaries. So, cool finding familiar things in a completely new place.

We were taken back to the mission home to catch our 10 hour boat ride to American Samoa. We slept on the Top of the boat on our mats through the night till it started raining on us. LOL Such an adventure. Felt like I was living the Other side of Heaven boat ride to Tonga. I technically am serving in a Mini Tonga! I have loved serving here. It's amazing all of the Tender Mercies I have had since being here. I LOVE IT HERE. I've never been on my knees more than now! LOVE YOU ALL.

My first week in my area has been incredible. I have found a love for this work and for these people I find constant strength in know that Families can be together for Eternity and that I have been called by a Prophet of God to serve these Beautiful people. I feel at times that the only thing I can do here is Smile and pretend like I know what people are saying to me, but I have learning to bear my testimony through song and smiles! I love you all So much! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!! 

Ofa Lahi Atu! *Smoochies*

Sister Finau

Alma 26:12 

GOODBYE MTC!!! 11/11/2016

Dearest Aiga & Friends, 

Can I just say I love you all. Like kind of a LOT! I am so thankful for the Love and Prayers I feel daily and This week has for sure been a bitter Sweet! Bitter to leave my sweet District who I have grown to love and all my amazing Teachers here and sweet because I get to go to Samoa!! ( And NZ for a little while) The spirit has become my greatest greatest Friend! I wish I knew before the Mission how much it influenced my life. I hope you all take a moment each day to make sure you have it with you! It is a something I look forward to everyday waking up and pleading to know what I need to do today to become the Missionary He needs me to be for the People of Samoa! Brothers and Family, What are you doing everyday to have the spirit with you? Imagine what life would be like if we all had the Spirit as our Companion, It's like having the Savior walk with us and show us how to be like Him. If you don't already pray to have it with you remember what we do each Sunday to be blessed with the spirit, Are we using our blessings fully before making a Negative thought toward our Heavenly Father who is the giver of the blessings? I have been thinking all week how I can better my sweet family from, soon to be, the other side of the world. And I found this:

 14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

 15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith,and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in in corruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?

 16 I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day:Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?

 17 Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?

 18 Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea,a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, are membrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?

 19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you lookup, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have the great priviledge and Knowledge of Him who sent us to this Earth! We should be representing the Savior all the time, even in our homes behind closed doors, and as we talk to those around us and showing others we love them. Service! Family, if there is anything you can do for me, anything at ALL, serve those around you please. Even if you just smile and not say a word for the purpose of making someones day not any worse than it has been! I love you all and hope you can do that one thing for me! Look for ways to serve eachother. I have found that the one thing that keeps me from not yelling at curtain people is smiling, saying a quick prayer, and finding ways to serve them.  

Wow! I am such a missionary! I just know that as we come to know the Savior and become like Him, Life will become more bearable and more worthwhile. This week has been so fabulous! I am slightly obsessed with my District and Branch! We just party all the time, like I've said before and of course we party with the spirit! LOL I have seen Tasi!! We took a picture and he said he would make sure to get to his family to get it to you all! I am going to take a picture with him hopefully before I leave! My soa and I are known in the Branch as the Social Butterflies because we just love and talk to everyone. I'm still a social butterfly, some things never change! I am so thankful though that Socializing is one thing that I can for sure do! On Sunday we had our Mission Conference and listened to the words of our Mission presidency. I was reminded of keeping Thankfulness apart of the work and realizing that we are only the vessels that the work is done through! It is not our work, but the Lord's work and he will qualify us as we work diligently and humble ourselves. Later Sunday night for Devotional we had the priviledge of watching Jenny Oaks Baker and her talented family perform amazing musical numbers! If you can you all should try to see her family perform, you would all so love it. Than before that we also had our Departing Devotional. O le a Le Lalolagi?! ( What in the world?!) I cannot even believe how long it has been and yet it feels like I've been here my whole life. LOL It's all just happening and I love it. I have Incredible teachers here in the MTC and I am going to miss them! They have been almost like our MTC Mum and Dad(s)! (Sis Kamaleti, Uso Anesone, & Uso Kilisone) Love them! They tell us all the time that they wish we could put them in our pockets and take them with us! I too wish that. My Samoan is doing good! I am getting comfortable slowly with the language, it's become more simple the more I use it. I've only ever taught our investigators so far in Samoan! How wild is that? Talking about the Gospel in English seems somewhat strange to me now! I love it. Oh! And I almost forgot! I was a host this last Wednesday I was here! I loved it. ​

I am so very excited to speak with you all very soon! Manuia le Aso! Alofa LAVA atu! Toodles Loves! 

Alofa, 

Sister Finau