An Instrument in His Hands: Tis the Season to HARVEST! :)

Bula Vinaka!

I am just one really really happy girl right now! Because guess what friends? It's time to HARVEST!!! The field is white and truly ready to be Harvested. Our work has absolutely EXPLODED the last week or so. And I am so eternally grateful to be a part of it. We had a killer week. We went from 1 Baptismal date to FIVE! And three of those are new investigators. And they just keep coming. We taught so many lessons this week and we were so exhausted especially with MLC and exchanges and everything. But it feels so good. Every day we get on our knees and tell Heavenly Father that we are ready to work. To really get out and work hard. And we have truly seen the blessings. November is going to be a big month for us! And December too! And hopefully every single month after that. :) I'm so excited to see the new SAINTS start filing through the door!

One family we just started working with have been less active for about 12 years now. And they just showed up for church on Sunday! All by themselves. They just felt like they needed to. Then they prayed about it and fasted and got up the courage to go back. Talk about the Spirit preparing the hearts of the people eh? And their daughter should be baptized at the end of the month as well. We had a first lesson with them yesterday and it was really powerful. We shared Mosiah 2:41 and just testified with our whole hearts of the happiness this Gospel brings. I was in tears because I could feel the strong Love Heavenly Father has for them and how much we need them in our ward. I was so humbled that we are the lucky ones who get to work with them.

This week we also had exchanges with the Naulu sisters and Sister Niumea came here with me! It was so fun to have her back because she used to be our Member Present all the time! We took her out proselyting with us when she was staying at the Temple Patron housing.

Lessons from Lu........This week I also learned quite a bit from my dear friend Lu. One day we were in a lesson going over details about his baptism. Clothes.... program.... form... etc and he just looked up and said....."You no worry sista. I know the church is truce, Joseph Smith truce, everysing truce. I do all da good sing so I can get da long life." It was a real powerful teaching moment for me. Kind of a slap in the face that this work isn't just about getting people into the font. It's so much more. It's helping them stay strong and get "da long life".

Then, in another lesson after his baptism about temples, he was just so happy. There was this fire and spirit about him. And at the end of the lesson, he bore his simple, humble, POWERFUL testimony. With his limited English he kept saying over and over "Sista, I am feeling happy. Very happy. I so happy now. I am feeling very good." and I realized it really is just that simple. The Gospel makes us happy! I love being able to see that! See people change. See the light and happiness flood their lives. I am also "feeling very happy now."

This week was also MLC! Probably my favorite meeting ever. I always leave so motivated and spiritually uplifted and ready to work! And so humbled that I get to work with such incredible missionaries. One of the things they really emphasized this month was the power and importance of OBEDIENCE. And friends I'm here to tell ya, if you want to learn about obedience, study the life of Nephi. Obedience is the definition of who Nephi is. Want proof? Here are some scriptures to get you started...... 1 Nephi 3:7, 1 Nephi 4:18, 1 Nephi 9: 6 ....

and probably my favorite..... 2 Nephi 33:15

15 For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen.

Nephi's last words. "And I must obey." How cool is that? Nephi set that standard for himself. There was no question in his mind. He would obey. I know obedience truly is the price to this work!

I LOVE being a missionary. :)

Loloma Levu,

Sista Matheson :)