Back to it...

ALOOHAAA

It's very strange to be back home, because sometimes it feels as if I have never left.  I have all these new experiences and friends but they are all some where different.  It's almost like Narnia I suppose haha.  It's nice to be home and be with family and friends.  It's hard to know what to do next.  I know the Lord will guide me. I just getting a little tired of hearing the question "so what are you going to do next?"  It's not a bad question I just don't have a good answer so it frusterates me because I have always had a plan in my life and now I don't.

Since I've been back Ive been able to get a bit done like: getting my stuff organized, gardening, searching for apartments, searching for jobs -no luck on that one yet- enjoying having nothing to do :) watching a lot of movies, spending time with friends and family, and more errands.

It's really hard to put all my thoughts together.  Before my mission I was really worried about leaving because somewhere deep in my heart I knew that things would never be the same.  Not with friends, and not with life in general and that scared me.  Now that Im home Im seeing how true that was, but as hard and sad as it is to let the past life go I know that something better is in store for me.  I now get to apply all that patience I learned on my mission and just take things a day and a week at a time.

I loved my mission and all the experiences I had.  Im also looking forward to the new journey that's about to start.  It's Like the Goo Goo Dolls said "Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end."

Aloha!

Thanks for your last email I love getting updates on how everyone is doing. Things are still going haha. We had some difficulties and a cool experience this week. We were a bit annoyed because all the investigators we have have pretty big road blocks and we are dropping the one who has a baptismal date because he is not progressing. Then one of our members told us they had a couple of friends that they were going to take to the English ward on Sunday (meaning they would be taught by the other sisters). That's another hard thing when we have referrals or tract into someone we have to give them to the other sisters. So we were a bit disappointed. Then in our meeting with our ward it was announced that if things didn't improve the ward would be losing their missionaries and they would go back to sharing with the English ward. It's kind of harsh but there are a lot of challenges. We truly depend on the members because we don't tract into Tongans here. If the ward wants baptisms they have to help. In other wards we could probably find and teach on our own but it's different here. So well see what happens in a few weeks. However, Sunday after our meeting we were able to meet the couple our member had taken to church. The member convinced them to come to our ward next week so they could sit with them and take their niece to primary. They said that they would like that. They also set it up so that we could have dinner together on Wed! That was really cool. They are such a sweet couple I can't wait to teach them. This maybe the miracle baptism Ive been waiting for :).

I was reading an awesome talk today by Elder Bednar its called the strengthening power of the atonement. It was so good I encourage you to read it. It talks about how we don't understand all of what the atonement means. It's not just for the sinner but for the good who are trying to be better. It's the atonement that can help us in difficult situations. He gave a lot of examples from the scriptures about people who rather than praying for their circumstances to be changed pray for strength to overcome their circumstances. Very good talk. There is so much that we don't comprehend and it's so easy to think about how we want things to happen and get upset when they don't happen that way -does it sound like Im speaking from experience? haha- I love how in the gospel when our hearts are soft we are able to learn, and there is always something to help us and encourage us even when times are hard. I think about all the ones I love who are going through hard things back home and I think about how much God loves them and will help them through their trial, especially if they ask.

Malo e lelei

Another week. We had some good experiences and some frustrating ones. I really want one more baptism before I come home but I am being tested, so we'll see how things go. We have one scheduled for the 25th but he has word of wisdom issue and I don't know how dedicated he is to quitting but we are trying super hard to help. We have quite a few potentials but they have have huge road blocks that are not going to be solved in a few weeks so we'll just have to keep working.

Here's my funny story for the week. Yesterday (Sunday) we had just finished a teaching appointment it was about 12:50 and we were on our way to Church. We received a call and I could hear my companion say just Sister Pinder? Okay the topic is solving your problems with the Lord, sounds good. I could have died! This is only my second time having to speak in Church and I have to prepare it in 5 minutes! haha. I could tell my companion was so glad it was me and not her. So when it was my turn I stood up and said "Malo e lele, my name is sister Pinder and I'm obviously from Utah. I'm very grateful to be here, but do you know why God gives us companions? It's so that when we don't know what to say they can take over, so I'm going to turn the time over to my companion." I turned around saw the fear and a look like I might not survive later and then turned back to say "Just kidding, but I know I just gave my companion a heart attack." It was so funny and the Tongans loved it they kept saying later "oh you got her!" haha. I ended up spending most of my talk in Romans 8 which talks about how we are children of God and nothing can separate us from his love. We just need to remember the purpose for trials. It went okay, not as well as if I would have had time to prepare but it went fine. It was a good topic though one I wish I would have had more time to delve into but I challenge each of you to think about it. How can we solve our problems with the Lord and in the Lords way.

I love you all and will talk with you next week!

Aloha

We've finally learned transfer news! and no surprise Im staying in Maui for another transfer. It's really crazy to me that I only have a few more transfers left. It will be nice to stay here for one more transfer but challenging too. We had some cool experiences last week. We've been able to set baptismal dates with three people and we have some potentials. They aren't extremely solid but it's something to works towards and is better than what we had at the beginning. It's crazy that six weeks have past already! Not to seem ungrateful but I hope the next six week pass just as quickly. I miss the visitor center even though things sound a bit crazy with the new director arriving. It's just continues to confirm to me that I was called to the right place and God knows and love me so well. Which means it's the same for all his other children. Sometimes I get so frustrated with my brothers and sisters I don't know how to help them and it hurts my heart. There are so many people who have returned from missions here and they know whats right they know the blessings that will come from living the gospel but they choose not too. I guess that just comes with living in the last days and being tempted by the adversary. I sometimes get overwhelmed, there is so much work to do in this world but unless people have that desire to change they just get annoyed with missionaries trying to help them. We become burdens because deep down they know what is right. The thing they don't get is we are never going to leave them alone because they are our brothers and sisters and we love them. We are not there because we hate them and love to annoy them no one wants that, but we care and hope that they will see that. I didn't choose to serve a mission because I wanted to bother people I chose to come because I love my savior and I know that He loves his children and he is searching for the ones that will come back. It's a long trek to find them and not easy but its worth it. This work is hard but I love my savior more so I will continue to work hard.

Thank you for the encouragement it is always appreciated, I love you all so much and will talk to you next week!

Hi

Hi again. hmm, I think this is the first week Im a little stumped as to what to write about.

I must admit my companion and I have talked a lot about whether this ward has enough work for us to do. We were a little frustrated about how much open time we have and that really makes it difficult especially when your trying to stay focused. We wrote to President and told him to recombine the wards again, he told us he wasn't about to give up. I felt like I was lacking faith, then in church on Sunday the lesson was on faith. we read from one of the manuals a story about a mission president telling one of the missionaries " give the Lord a Chance, he's put you here for a reason, he will open the way" It hit me pretty hard. That was just for me. It was God's way of saying don't give up keep going. Attitudes are so important, they are hard to control sometimes but I know that when we are in the right mind set we can see miracles. Transfers are next week and Im pretty sure Ill be staying here another six weeks but you never know. I do know that wherever Im sent Im going to have a different attitude. I know it's not going to be easy but I've made it this far I know the Lord will continue to bless us. I've been getting the reminder a lot this week to look at the good. We stopped in on one potential we like to talk with. She gave us some more good advice. She said "Be grateful for what you have, and for what you don't have." So whenever Ive complained about something Ive said something Im thankful for. there is so MUCH! So try it out this week. When you are stuck in traffic be thankful there is more than one lane and that you have a highway that for the most part gets you places quickly. When it snows and is cold be thankful we have the tools to remove it :). There is always a blessing that comes with the trial. Sometimes we just forget to look. I love you all and will let you know what's going on next week.

P.S. Thanks for the updates with the kids I love hearing about whats going on back home.

Love Sister Pinder