Changes, Dog and Fun

hi all :) so some big changes are coming this week. yesterday we got a text from President asking if we could go over right after church & so we headed over as fast as we could, turns out we are being released as stls, satini is going to train in long beach, Bradfield is getting kicked outta the polynesian wards, and I get to reign here in the 2 languages I dunno anything about lolol. This was truly my dream: be released as stl AND stay in the poly wards :') God is so so so good to me hehe !!

Sister Satini has been my best friend though so I'm really sad to have her go honestly. She is like my sister, annoying one I wanna punch but can't help to love & hug ! (If u ever see this sis, hi 😂🤍) Catch me truly heartbroken by next Monday lol. But it was just a random transfer, so it'll be a wild ride I guess. I'm still not sure who my new companion is but President let me choose who my options were so I guess I got somewhat of a choice !! Yay !!

But, other than that, it was a blessed week. We met a lot of people, experienced miracles, and I realized that my mission isn't so bad. I celebrated my one year & now I have that feeling where I don't wanna go home ?? Like I never thought I'd have this feeling. It'll probably last 2 minutes tbh hahah. Also, we had exchanges this last week & I was able to really see God's hand !! It was so cool !! We went to a random lady's house who opened the door confused, saw our tags, and said can you teach me more about your religion ? Crazy...yet so prepared by God. There are so many people that I met this last week that really made me realize missionary work is so worth it. Seeing God perform miracles is worth every minute of being here !!

In addition, there was this random trailer at our mission office & the owner had came by, chucked his dog in there (it was in a cage), and left. For about 2 hours we were trying to break open the trailer bc it was like 90° outside so we couldn't imagine how hot it was in the trailer :( we got some big cutters for the bolt & got it open && oh my freaking goodness !!!! This dog was so bloody cute !!!! We decided to name him CAM (california anaheim mission acronym lol). But then the cops came and I had to hand him over, but the dog and I really bonded. He wouldn't let me go :') pure love.

manuia le vaiaso, hope to hear from you soon ! tofa !

sister fin <3

Comments

Blessings

Blessed week !! Too many funny quotes that I could include in this week's email but my favorite was probably my companion & I walking down the street and a complete stranger yelling, "yall be looking foreign walking down that street" hahah, weird way to hit on someone but very complimentary sir. We were extremely busy . . . As usual !! we never get lunch time, or dinner time. or even breakfast because we are constantly on the go. so we feel extremely blessed that our members will shop for us, feed us, and LOVE us !! never met more giving & loving people. last week I commented on a ladys Tongan dress & yesterday at church she handed me a bag and it was that dress she was wearing !! But, we have a couple of our friends on date. Athena, May 8th. Deon & Kiana for April 28. And we are working with Lawrence & Lulu right now :) They are all so SWEET ! They're all young too which makes it better because they get to begin the covenant path at a young age ...

Never Forgotten

One thing I wanted to share with you all was my experience of God testifying to me that He does know me, my worries, needs, everything. Its such a simple, short story but before I flew out here, I journaled on August 1 (I flew out August 3) about how I was only nervous that I'd be at the airport alone and no one would be there to pick me up (🤣) It might seem silly to most of you but to me it was a genuine concern because at that moment it felt like God had forgotten about me already. Everything that was going on really made me question whether He remembered me let alone knew about my existence. I obviously told no one this silly little thing that worried me. I prayed that night that at least one other missionary would be flying with me in case I was forgotten, but when I got there, not. a. single. other. missionary. was. there. So here I am thinking, I am alone. I am forgotten. God must hate me. Oh my gosh why did I come. All of these silly little thoughts🤣🤣 But this past Thursd...

Change and Hope!!

hello everyone !!! I hope you have had an amazing week. There are some big big changes coming this week, I'm sad and happy! I will be transferring to a YSA Ward with 2 new companions...that's 8 companions total for me now...in 6 months hahaha! Crazy. I was released from social media & I am SO SAD. I got a new assignment though and it should be fun. This week has been full of so many laughs and cries. We have a toilet paper problem I think. We have to go to the church OFTEN to go get some toilet paper. We got caught by our AP's (assistants to the president) and they died laughing. I will spare you the details but man, such good times! There are so many ups and downs of serving a mission. Honestly, I question why anyone, including myself, ever wanted to serve a mission hahah. But even through the difficulties, I can find those daily evidences of Heavenly Father in my life. He is in the VERY details of my life. I know that in the end it will be worth it. It doesn't ma...

Sister Leilani Kalona Finlayson