Hey everyone. So this week I have had so many experiences. I have cried a lot and been happy a lot. Sometimes I think I might be experiencing what it would be like to be bipolar. I'll just tell a miracle that happened this week.
This week I offended our ami and made her mad so she wouldn't really let us come and talk to her. I was devastated and lost a lot of confidence.
This week we kept teaching Kulani and Toimato a young couple. Kulani is going to be having a baby soon and her family is completely protestant. She is one of the most beautiful Tahitian women I have seen and is tall like me so I like her. She has one of the sweetest spirits and is shy but very strong at the same time. Toimato, her boyfriend is super young at heart and is also so so nice. We had scheduled their baptisms for the 28 June so that they could get baptized after Toimato finishes all of his examines. They were super happy with that date and I know they will be ready by then. They love the scriptures and pray every single day now. I am so proud of them. We come to do teach a lesson this week with them and Kulani tells us she talked to her mom who isn't super happy with the baptism and the mom said all of their family would be leaving the 28 June back home to their island in Rurutu. Kulani explained to us that she reallly wants her family to be there for her baptism so she is going to wait with Toimato until September when her family gets back to get baptized and married. It was super uncomfortable because I felt like that wasn't the right answer. It was super awkward but finally we just explained and bore our testimonies about how sometimes we have so sacrifice things in our lives for better things. I wasn't at all direct because I was so scared of offending her like I already offended Norma, but we did our best to encourage them to really, really truly pray to know if the 28 June was the right date for them.
I remember descending the stairs and feeling so sad. Me and my companion continued to pray and pray for them.
We had a lesson with them Saturday. Me and Soeur Sommers had decided that we weren't going to talk at all about baptism. We wanted to go back to the basics and talk about our testimonies of Jesus Christ and why we were really there in the first place. We watched "Because of Him." If you haven't watched it you should. We were feeling the spirit and talking about how much Jesus Christ did for us and all of a sudden Kulani starts telling us about an experience she had. She says she prayed and prayed and prayed after the lesson before to know if the 28 June was the date the Lord wanted her to get baptized and if it is a good thing for her. She said she had a bright feeling of light even though she was closing her eyes. She then started to search in her bible to look for an answer and she said she felt like the Lord was helping her learn. She turned to Romans and I forget the scripture but it said to wake up and the day of her salvation was closer then she thought. I know she really felt the spirit.
It is always so cool when our amis pray and read their scriptures sincerely and start to build their own testimony. She came to the conclusion that she needs to get baptized the 28June. Her faith has grown so much and she is such a good example to all of her family. She is truly a disciple of Christ, and I know God loves her because he didn't want her to postpone the day that she would be able to recieve the fulness of blessings in the gospel as a member of His church.
I just can't tell you how blessed we are.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
May 5, 2014 - Pray for Humility
Hello my dear family and friends. I love you so much and I thank you for praying for me. I don't have a lot of time but here are some things I learned this week. This week I have really been focusing on developing humility in my life, humility with my companion and with my investigators, humility to accept the many responsabilities I have with a willing heart, humility to accept my imperfections, humility to be submissive enough to follow the spirit, and humility to pray sincerely to a loving Heavenly Father.
Lately I have also been realizing how good thoughtful and sincere prayer is to our Heavenly Father. I remember an experience that Elder Scott shared at the MTC where he said that some nights in the middle of the night while his companion was sleeping he would go just before the window and talk sincerely and openly with God. Before my mission I would say that I have offered many sincere prayers but not enough. The powerfulness of our prayers is dépendent on us. My companion Sister Sommers has taught me alot about sincere prayer. Every time we have prayers for companionship study or for food or just anything she is completely sincere. It is exactly as if Heavenly Father is in the room.
This week I have really tried to be really sincere with my morning prayers because I could do better with them. I can honestly say I have given a sincere morning prayer every day this week and I have been so blessed. I have noticed the spirit more in my life and in the life of my investigators. I have had more will do do the Lord's will instead of my own and more perserverance. I challenge you guys to do the same. I know you will see the hand of the Lord more clearly in your life;
Besides that six facts about my week.
1 I learned how to drive stick shift.
2. I am a sister training leader and therefore I feel stressed, because I dont know exactly what that means.
3 We found 4 new investigators, including a family of girls who I already love.
4 I ate so much food yesterday I thought I would die.
5. I was in a Church film thing where I had to pretend my companion was sick and so I pretended to feed her médicine and brush her hair and it was so so funny.
6 I started crying in a lesson and my investigator probably thought I was crazy, but at least the spirit was there.
7. I love the Tahitian people even if sometimes they don't love me
Lately I have also been realizing how good thoughtful and sincere prayer is to our Heavenly Father. I remember an experience that Elder Scott shared at the MTC where he said that some nights in the middle of the night while his companion was sleeping he would go just before the window and talk sincerely and openly with God. Before my mission I would say that I have offered many sincere prayers but not enough. The powerfulness of our prayers is dépendent on us. My companion Sister Sommers has taught me alot about sincere prayer. Every time we have prayers for companionship study or for food or just anything she is completely sincere. It is exactly as if Heavenly Father is in the room.
This week I have really tried to be really sincere with my morning prayers because I could do better with them. I can honestly say I have given a sincere morning prayer every day this week and I have been so blessed. I have noticed the spirit more in my life and in the life of my investigators. I have had more will do do the Lord's will instead of my own and more perserverance. I challenge you guys to do the same. I know you will see the hand of the Lord more clearly in your life;
Besides that six facts about my week.
1 I learned how to drive stick shift.
2. I am a sister training leader and therefore I feel stressed, because I dont know exactly what that means.
3 We found 4 new investigators, including a family of girls who I already love.
4 I ate so much food yesterday I thought I would die.
5. I was in a Church film thing where I had to pretend my companion was sick and so I pretended to feed her médicine and brush her hair and it was so so funny.
6 I started crying in a lesson and my investigator probably thought I was crazy, but at least the spirit was there.
7. I love the Tahitian people even if sometimes they don't love me
June 9, 2014 - Temple Assignment
This week has been really intersting. I got sick because I stressed all night long about our activity that we planned and so I didn't sleep and then I caught a cold which turned into a fever. I am all better now. Thank you Elders for giving me a blessing.
I found out I am going to get transfered again. It turns out at the temple there is this little center for explaining information about the church and they just re-did the center so now there is information about the restoration and the plan of salvation. They needed tour guides to explain to people the information. The assistants chose eight sisters who they thought would be good for the center and then they told the president to pick four names. And what do you know they picked me to be the representative for the Americans. Funny story. They chose one sister from every race. Me and the little French girl who I trained and a Tahitian and my friend Soeur Aniel who looks Chinese. It is us four who will explain the plan of salvation and the restoration to whoever comes to the center. I guess we will take turns and it will be 4:00 until 8:00 every night. We will also still have sectors. I will have the sector of Papeete with two companions, so now I am really in the inward, inward city. It will be interesting to see what happens. I have to perfectly explain every principle and make smooth transitions. I am actually really excited about it but at the same time I really love working in the field too.
Lately I have been really feeling less motivated to do things, like talk to people and be a good missionary. It is so much easier to be really motivated when your companions are really motivated. That is somehting I want to work on . I want to talk to and invite every person I meet. Sometimes I am just too scared and it is ridiculous. I get scared my companions will make fun of me or I will forget how to speak, or something dumb. Why on earth should I be scared of a human being? The last time Joseph Smith feared other people more than the Lord he lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon. I am scared I am going to cause souls to be lost because of my lack of sacrifice and diligence.
I am this week going to pray every day to have opportunities to talk to people who are ready all along the road. Can you guys also pray that I can be motivated again and not care about what others think about me? Honestly that would really help me.
I know the church is true and I know He lives and I am grateful that through His sacrifice I can become clean from every wrong thing I have ever done. I can live with my family forever and I can be happy forever;
But everything starts here and now. Everything depends on us. If we want to become something great we can. The Lord will always help us after we do all that we can.
Stay safe and never forget the Lord in all you do. Look for oportunities to serve and to progress.
Love Soeur Kimball
I found out I am going to get transfered again. It turns out at the temple there is this little center for explaining information about the church and they just re-did the center so now there is information about the restoration and the plan of salvation. They needed tour guides to explain to people the information. The assistants chose eight sisters who they thought would be good for the center and then they told the president to pick four names. And what do you know they picked me to be the representative for the Americans. Funny story. They chose one sister from every race. Me and the little French girl who I trained and a Tahitian and my friend Soeur Aniel who looks Chinese. It is us four who will explain the plan of salvation and the restoration to whoever comes to the center. I guess we will take turns and it will be 4:00 until 8:00 every night. We will also still have sectors. I will have the sector of Papeete with two companions, so now I am really in the inward, inward city. It will be interesting to see what happens. I have to perfectly explain every principle and make smooth transitions. I am actually really excited about it but at the same time I really love working in the field too.
Lately I have been really feeling less motivated to do things, like talk to people and be a good missionary. It is so much easier to be really motivated when your companions are really motivated. That is somehting I want to work on . I want to talk to and invite every person I meet. Sometimes I am just too scared and it is ridiculous. I get scared my companions will make fun of me or I will forget how to speak, or something dumb. Why on earth should I be scared of a human being? The last time Joseph Smith feared other people more than the Lord he lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon. I am scared I am going to cause souls to be lost because of my lack of sacrifice and diligence.
I am this week going to pray every day to have opportunities to talk to people who are ready all along the road. Can you guys also pray that I can be motivated again and not care about what others think about me? Honestly that would really help me.
I know the church is true and I know He lives and I am grateful that through His sacrifice I can become clean from every wrong thing I have ever done. I can live with my family forever and I can be happy forever;
But everything starts here and now. Everything depends on us. If we want to become something great we can. The Lord will always help us after we do all that we can.
Stay safe and never forget the Lord in all you do. Look for oportunities to serve and to progress.
Love Soeur Kimball
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Jun 2, 2014 - Courage
Hello family. I thank you for writing me letters. You really don't know how much that means for me. I always feel so much better after reading my emails and seeing that you are all well. Sometimes it just gets me through the week. This week has been really hard. I really thought I was going to die...Why? Because I got two new companions who I thought wanted to kill me. Apparently I told someone that I wanted my new Tahitian companions to suffer and so they thought I had mean intentions in the first place so the first few days were pretty rough because we were playing 2 Tahitians against the american. But I have never prayed and prayed so fervently. I prayed to soften the hearts of my companions so that they could feel the perfect love of their Savior. I prayed and stressed and prayed and now I don't know what happened but I think my companions figured out that I never wanted to torture them and so things are better.
I think almost all of the companionships are in threes now because there are so many sister missionaries here.
I think almost all of the companionships are in threes now because there are so many sister missionaries here.
This week with lessons we hit a low point too. We are at the point where we have to put our priorities straight and that means leaving some investigators for a while. It is hard but it is the right thing to do as well.
I have been really trying to be corageous this week because I read a talk about courage that the prophet gave in the Priesthood session. It takes the most courage for me to do things I know that will annoy my companions but I have to do anyway. For example, this week, like I said, we had a reference in this super ghetto building by a school, so my companions don't know the sector yet so we play follow the leader. I tell my companions we are going to go try to teach this reference and so they follow me behind this really old basketball court into these poor apartements. I yell really loud to see if marereva is there (the reference). I wait five minutes awkwardly surrounded by other people that are ignoring me. Marereva came out and then went back in her house mumbling to herself after she saw us. At this point my companions want to go because they could see that marereva didn't want to see us. They were getting annoyed with me because I was taking too long but two apartments down I saw a family and I wanted to go and talk to them. My companions wouldn't follow me so they just watch me as I went and talked to this family. Turns out the mom Bea was waiting for us. She has already assisted at the church a few times and has member friends. She said when she saw us she knew she wanted to accept us in her neighborhood. She was so prepared for us with her daughter. I was so touched by her and her family and how prepared they were. We felt the spirit as we sang I am a Child of God and as we talked about our Heavenly Father. Even with the surrounding techno music in the background.
What did I learn that day? Courage. It takes courage to be a good disciple of the Lord and it takes courage to even do things that you know will annoy your hungry friends. I'm not saying that I am courageous all the time like that. I feel like for me it comes in bursts and then goes. But I know the Lord is with us. Our courage is a mesure of our faith and willingness.
The Lord is truly with us.
soeur Kimball
Sunday, May 4, 2014
April 28, 2014 - Toimato & Kulani
These past two weeks have been pretty dissapointing. People that really seemed interested in hearing our message decided to not continue or acted like they didn't feel the spirit when I know they did. But I wasn't discouraged, because I know the Lord doesn't work miracles until after a trial of faith.
Something I have really learned this week is to be optimistic even when everything falls through, so that is what I did. I was super happy and worked really hard. It was great. I love my companion and I really, really prayed last night to be able to stay in the same sector with my companion, because the transfer is next week and I don't want to live. I have so much unfinished business.
This weekend we fasted with my favorite couple Toimato and Kulani. It was really good. Toimatos brother is a new convert in our ward and he decided to share the gospel with his family. Kulani is amazing. She is having a baby in three months and so we fasted for her to not have any problems. They want to get baptized in June but they haven't chosen a date yet because they have to get married.
Kulani has really felt the spirit in coming to church and has read the Book of Mormon and felt of its truth. She has so much integrity because she told her family of strict protestants that she wanted to be baptized and her dad wasn't too happy, but she stuck firm to her decision because of her faith. It was so incredible to see that no matter what trials she faces with her family she is willing to follow the Lord and the things she has felt by the spirit.
Also, yesterday was so so amazing because we had Elvina come to church. She is the lady that complains a lot and is super bitter but I really love her. Normally we can't get her to come because she is super scarred everyone will judge her, but she came! I think she was sick of us coming and bugging her and calling her, and she felt the spirit. In relief society we talked about the talk from Elder Uchdorf inviting people to join the church and sharing that this church is for imperfect people. She was touched and after we asked her how she felt and she said it felt really good to come. She feels like it is the true church. She wants to come next week too.
Oh yah and this week I got to be in a film. I pretended like I was teaching Tahitian children how to do math, and then I walked on the beach with the other missionaries and pretended to say goodbye to the Tahitian people. It was kind of fun but not really because the whole time I was just super stressed out worrying about my sector and my amis. I thought school was stressful but when you are playing with peoples happiness and salvation that is another story.
Yesterday we finished also a huge round of concerts we have been doing. The spirit was so strong when we sang "The spirit of God". Our mission president said we need to remember that moment for the rest of our lives.
Well I love you and I challenge you all to do missionary work this week. This is the Lords work and He will help you and inspire your thoughts to know the people you need to visit or just say a kind word.
Love Soeur Kimball
Something I have really learned this week is to be optimistic even when everything falls through, so that is what I did. I was super happy and worked really hard. It was great. I love my companion and I really, really prayed last night to be able to stay in the same sector with my companion, because the transfer is next week and I don't want to live. I have so much unfinished business.
This weekend we fasted with my favorite couple Toimato and Kulani. It was really good. Toimatos brother is a new convert in our ward and he decided to share the gospel with his family. Kulani is amazing. She is having a baby in three months and so we fasted for her to not have any problems. They want to get baptized in June but they haven't chosen a date yet because they have to get married.
Kulani has really felt the spirit in coming to church and has read the Book of Mormon and felt of its truth. She has so much integrity because she told her family of strict protestants that she wanted to be baptized and her dad wasn't too happy, but she stuck firm to her decision because of her faith. It was so incredible to see that no matter what trials she faces with her family she is willing to follow the Lord and the things she has felt by the spirit.
Also, yesterday was so so amazing because we had Elvina come to church. She is the lady that complains a lot and is super bitter but I really love her. Normally we can't get her to come because she is super scarred everyone will judge her, but she came! I think she was sick of us coming and bugging her and calling her, and she felt the spirit. In relief society we talked about the talk from Elder Uchdorf inviting people to join the church and sharing that this church is for imperfect people. She was touched and after we asked her how she felt and she said it felt really good to come. She feels like it is the true church. She wants to come next week too.
Oh yah and this week I got to be in a film. I pretended like I was teaching Tahitian children how to do math, and then I walked on the beach with the other missionaries and pretended to say goodbye to the Tahitian people. It was kind of fun but not really because the whole time I was just super stressed out worrying about my sector and my amis. I thought school was stressful but when you are playing with peoples happiness and salvation that is another story.
Yesterday we finished also a huge round of concerts we have been doing. The spirit was so strong when we sang "The spirit of God". Our mission president said we need to remember that moment for the rest of our lives.
Well I love you and I challenge you all to do missionary work this week. This is the Lords work and He will help you and inspire your thoughts to know the people you need to visit or just say a kind word.
Love Soeur Kimball
April 21, 2014 - The Real Tahiti
This week was good but things are getting slow again, but it is ok because it just means I am going to work even harder this week with my companion. Sometimes here in Tahiti with all the music, the heat, the humidity, the flowers and the fruit it feels so easy to get sucked into the lazy life. We are surrounded by it and so sometimes it is hard to work, work, work, but I love it here. I can't stop thinking of how grateful I am that the Lord sent me here in Tahiti. Whatever you guys imagine of Tahiti it is not what it is like. I guess it is actually kind of ghetto but I don't realize it anymore because I am just used to it.
This week I have not been bold enough. I don't know what happened but suddenly everything started scaring me this week. It got to the point where I was scared to talk during lessons and scared to talk to people on the street. Sometimes I have days where everything seems to get harder. I guess it is just Satan working on me but he is never going to win, but seriously no one likes admiting it but we are all stopped by fear sometimes. It is better now. I know that with lots and lots of prayers and fasting and studying the scriptures the Lord can strengthen all of our weaknessess.
We ate dinner at an American's house and it is seriously on the top of the mountain and we could see half of Tahiti. All of our investigators are doing well but I feel like they have come to the moment where they really need to decide. It is all or nothing.
One afternoon three weeks ago we found a street behind the chapel and we followed it and there were a whole bunch of old scary looking apartements, and a lot of teenagers. Not a good mix, but we started talking to these teenage girls Moerani and Karina and they were open to take the lessons, so this week we continued to visit them and they are super shy. They don't like to answer questions and they don't like to share experiences, so it is hard to help them because we don't really know them. It was amazing because we found a cousin of Moerani who had already taken the lessons in the Marquies who invited us to her house to talk with her. She told us about Moerani and how her mom just barely died unexpectedly and right now Moerani has started to drink. She is 15 years old and so that just breaks my heart. I know that we were lead to talk to her cousin so that we would be able to better help Moerani. Because there is no way Moerani wouldhave told us those things her self. Heavenly Father Loves His children. That is the only thing I have to say. Now this week we will be better able to help Moerani understand that she can see her mom again and drinking will never help her situation. It is seriously sad how many kids are wasting their lives here drinking...same for parents. Many people smoke and drink their lives away here and it destroys their family and the future of their kids.
Sorry for the lecture but decisions determine destiny, and if I can just be an instrument in the Lords hand for helping one girl understand who she is so she can make the right decisions now I would be grateful. I love you all and I am so grateful for parents who made good decisions in their youth so that I could be where I am today.
Love Soeur Kimball
April 7, 2014 - General conference
Wow wasn't conference so great? I warned my companion that after conference was over I would be completely depressed and I was. Holy cow, I was just so impressed with how inspired the messages were. I can't wait for the conference talks to come out in the Ensign so I can read them. I really loved all the talks that invited us to be stronger and more faithful members. I feel like it was something so needed to be adressed. I loved what Elder Holland said about how one day or another we will all be forced to defend our faith. We cannot be passive members of the church, it is not enough in this time of age. We live in such a great time.
This week we saw miracles, so I don't know if I told you about Maina. She is about 22 years old and lives with her boyfriend in these apartement complexes. She just so happens to live next door to members in our ward and one day she was having a really hard time with her family. The member next door, Elizabeth, told Maina about a book that could help her to feel the peace even in trials. She then gave her a Book of Mormon and invited her to read it, so of course we started teaching the lessons with Maina and she is so so ready.
This week we had the opportunity to start the lessons also with her boyfriend and he is way more skeptical and isn't as believing but I know his heart will be softened. We talked about the Plan of Salvation and scheduled another appointment, but that is not all. Maina told us she feels really at peace with the Book of Mormon and she has already read up to 2 Nephi 25 in just a few weeks. She has prayed and felt for herself the testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon and wants to be baptized. Please pray for her boyfriend so his heart can be softened so he can wan't the same things. I know things will continue only to get better. The Lord truly prepares people.
We found another semi-member couple to teach in our ward thanks to a reference. I have never seen two people who want to change so badly. Moroni is an inactive member that left the church at 16. He got into drug dealing and trafficing. Can I just tell you guys how I am going to promise now to never ever let drugs destroy me or my family like it has destroyed his life. I know him and his girlfriend can change but they are going to have to be healed by the Savior. It is only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that they are going to be able to progress and leave the other things behind. I am so grateful for the hope that the Atonement brings in our lives and the lives of others.
Somehow I got roped into being in a film for the church. Not really sure how. We have to act out scenes from the missionaries in Tahiti in the early 1900s. Don't know how that is going to go but we have to wear costumes and everything.
And just know that I have to go but I know this Church is true. No one and no force can stop the stone from rolling to fill the earth. I love you with everything.
Soeur Kimball
This week we saw miracles, so I don't know if I told you about Maina. She is about 22 years old and lives with her boyfriend in these apartement complexes. She just so happens to live next door to members in our ward and one day she was having a really hard time with her family. The member next door, Elizabeth, told Maina about a book that could help her to feel the peace even in trials. She then gave her a Book of Mormon and invited her to read it, so of course we started teaching the lessons with Maina and she is so so ready.
This week we had the opportunity to start the lessons also with her boyfriend and he is way more skeptical and isn't as believing but I know his heart will be softened. We talked about the Plan of Salvation and scheduled another appointment, but that is not all. Maina told us she feels really at peace with the Book of Mormon and she has already read up to 2 Nephi 25 in just a few weeks. She has prayed and felt for herself the testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon and wants to be baptized. Please pray for her boyfriend so his heart can be softened so he can wan't the same things. I know things will continue only to get better. The Lord truly prepares people.
We found another semi-member couple to teach in our ward thanks to a reference. I have never seen two people who want to change so badly. Moroni is an inactive member that left the church at 16. He got into drug dealing and trafficing. Can I just tell you guys how I am going to promise now to never ever let drugs destroy me or my family like it has destroyed his life. I know him and his girlfriend can change but they are going to have to be healed by the Savior. It is only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that they are going to be able to progress and leave the other things behind. I am so grateful for the hope that the Atonement brings in our lives and the lives of others.
Somehow I got roped into being in a film for the church. Not really sure how. We have to act out scenes from the missionaries in Tahiti in the early 1900s. Don't know how that is going to go but we have to wear costumes and everything.
And just know that I have to go but I know this Church is true. No one and no force can stop the stone from rolling to fill the earth. I love you with everything.
Soeur Kimball
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