God is waiting on you!

ata marie everyone !

**note** if you're not gonna read the whole thing at least read the last paragraph 🤍

it was a blessed week here in anaheim 8 & 12 wards :) our Samoan ward was very busy this week preparing for our ward camp next week -- lots of dance practices ! && our Tongan ward was even busier with funeral services -- so heartbreaking !! it was a little hard at first this week trying to adjust to everyone's busy schedules, but by the end of the week, miracles :) patience is key!!

i was able to really see God's hand & witness miraculous changes in the front row seat ! its interesting being a missionary, because you randomly (but not really randomly) get placed in front of peoples paths who ask you when they can get baptized . . . and they're serious about it ! I never ever thought I'd experience this on my mission until it happened. Her name is Cila & she is one of our members girlfriends. I'm excited for her ! The poly wards are so so so amazing. I never want to leave !! I was thinking about how I have 4 months left & it made me so so sad to think about leaving these 2 wards. Theyre my absolute FAVORITES!! 🤍 Would you believe me if I said I've never had to ask anyone to be baptized in these wards ?? Never !! Our members invite our friends just fine😆 This upcoming month our stake is designating August as the missionary month. There will be A LOT of fasting, prayers, firesides, devotionals, etc. I am ready for it !!

Keep your heads up, God loves you so much !! And just a reminder: do ALL that you can to be with God. make the sacrifices, make the changes, & don't let others stand in the way of who you want to be but even moreso who God NEEDS you to be !! go to church, pray, read your scriptures ;) do the basics & God will provide the rest. He is waiting on you !!

sister fin <3

Comments

Absence

The clock strikes 12:47am. My companions rush hurriedly to the door. I make my way down the stairs, trying not to fall asleep. As I felt the cool air brush against my face, I pull my blanket to me, angrily mumbling. I stare at the asphalt covered in droplets of rain but when I eyes revert to whats ahead of me, I deeply longed to go back in time 20 seconds prior. My heart sunk deep in my stomach as if it was the titanic. I look to my phone and the word 'absence' appeared as my daily common word from the Word Web app. I chuckled at how ironic this vocabulary applied to my very situation in the moment. Our car was absent. We won't go into detail but we actually found our car hahah after like 20 mins, we are just dumb ! I actually laughed so hard when I saw the word absence though because I truly felt called out by my own phone haha. But it was a wild adventure... I got to spend the night at some sisters apartment on the hardwood floor. Got 3 hours of sleep with a 6 hour me...

Thanks Pickles!!

Kia ora family&friends !! I have heard rumors that our world is still crap. That has to be rough out there. I feel so protected and safe here. But it was a great week, we were able to invite David to be baptized...if you dont remember, he was* Atheist about 1.5 weeks ago! Except he just barely sent us a YouTube link to why mormonism is false and asked us to give it a thought . . . so keep him in your prayers :)) Another amazing person we have met is already a member, but she got out of a psych ward 3 weeks ago. When I saw her, you could tell she was not in the right mindset and just overall her vibe was depressing. She struggled a lot feeling God's love, but she wanted so desperately to feel it. We taught her about the Atonement of Christ and left her with a few tasks to fulfill. This last Saturday we saw her, and I have never seen the Atonement of Christ comfort, care, and heal someone as much as I did that day. I have such a strong testimony of the reality of Christ's ...

Small things

talofa lava !! it was a special week full of so many blessings from God. it was so special. I felt so many prayers & fasts answered as we went about our week !! ☆ i got to poi ball dancing !! best day of the week. I walked into an activity for our Samoan youth ward & one of the ladies asked if I could perform a number & i totally freaked out lol. She taught me something quick & it was so much fun. I miss it & I love my culture !! ☆ so. many. activities !! youth activities have started back up so we are busyyy with being with them since our leaders want us with them always !! ☆ we visited SO SO SO many families. we want to meet every single member... and they're 493 . . . in just one of our wards. talk about crazy. busy. !! ☆ i am staying in the ward of zion for another 6 weeks <3 I feel SO BLESSED. God is so so good. No other way to describe Him. This week I have learned so much about how the simple things are God. Sometimes we ...

Sister Leilani Kalona Finlayson