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

Pushin Through!

TALOFFFAAA! it was a pretty alright week. I was really ran down into the ground aka exhausted from the week prior. My body really gave out on me & I got sick for a few days so I was out of the work for a second. But I'm back, lively as ever lol! This week was really hard honestly. On top of being sick, I found out one of the families I am close with from Long Beach, the dad is on his death bed. I struggled knowing this but God really pulled me thru. It was everything to me to be reminded of His wonderful plan of salvation. I feel so blessed to be in this gospel ! Some things that happened this week ☆ i got called up last minute to speak in stake conference . . . it went well lol ! I am a fan of public speaking so :) but I was very stressed. The spirit was telling me to go thru my study journal the entire meeting & I just KNEW I was going up to bear testimony but it wasn't until last minute the stake president had announced my name lol. ☆ we had a talent night w...

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...

Saviors light

Hi everyone ! This is such a late email, but I just wanted to send a quick letter home !! This week was, as always, full of miracles. I witnessed God's hand & promises unfold as this week we really dedicated ourselves to His work. Well, we had no choice BUT to do His work this week lol. I am in the best ward ever !! They are all so missionary minded && keep us very, very accountable. I am stressed, anxious, exhausted, but never has time felt so fast & joyful. Every night I'd get about 4 hours ( IF I WAS LUCKY ) of sleep. One day I was up for 21 hours just doing work & it was the most energized I felt all week. I look back on this week truly shocked. Because no way could I have done what we did without the Lord strengthening & enabling me !! Our Samoan ward has 522 members plus our Tongan ward has 200 - 300 ish members. SO, we made it a goal to meet everybody in both wards. In addition to that, the stake president asked if we could invite members on ever...

Sister Leilani Kalona Finlayson