Saturday, August 29, 2015

Sister Leausa and I exchanged emails this morning for the last time while she is still in the United States.  All is well.

Sister Leausa and Sister Swanson are scheduled to leave the MTC Thursday morning, September 3. They have been packing, saying goodbye to new friends and anxiously preparing for the next part of their journey.

I am so excited for these two sister missionaries and know they will do so well in Quezon City. I am pretty sure they would appreciate your positive thoughts and endless prayers as they venture out into the mission field.

Missionary Monday

Sister Leausa and Sister Swanson at the Provo Temple

Kathleen got a new sister missionary in her district, Sister Kibiamoa from Kitibus (a small island in the South Pacific).  Sister Kibiamoa went through the temple for her very first time this past Saturday. Kathleen was so excited  to be her escort as she and her companion Sister Swanson  have been called as the Sister Training Leaders in their district. 

Have you ever seen a cuter missionary? :)

12 more days at the MTC

Kathleen and I exchanged emails this morning and as usual she sounds so happy and is thoroughly enjoying what she is doing.  She sounds so ready to head out into the mission field. She got her flight plans yesterday and she and her companion Sister Swanson will be leaving on September 3 at 7:15 am. They will fly from Salt Lake City to San Francisco, then San Francisco to Hong Kong and finally Hong Kong to Manila.

"Mom, I can't believe that I have less than two weeks! My last full week here at the MTC is this coming week. So crazy! Sister Swanson is doing great :) I absolutely love her. Heavenly Father knew I would need her to make it through the MTC."

I asked her if she was getting excited to leave for the Philippines and this is what she said, "In all honesty, I'm extremely scared. I've been here for so long that I feel like the MTC is my assigned mission. Hahahaha as it gets closer, I get more scared."

Kathleen also told me that she and her companion  have been called as the "sister training leaders" which means that they are in charge of all the sisters in their district. That's my girl right there!!

Letter dated: August 13, 2015

Hello My Mama :)

Please give a special thank you to my Soifua family and Marcina and Lori for the care packages! I love them! Tell them that I love them too; tell everyone that! HA! I got a letter from Dad last week and it made me cry though because what he said made me miss home.

Mom, I love this "job" so much. It's only been three weeks since I've started, but I don't ever want it to end and I know it will only get better in the Philippines. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of days that I struggle. Right now I'm struggling with learning the language of the spirit. Some mornings it feels impossible to wake up, and some nights my brain won't let me go to sleep because it's too busy trying to make sentences in Tagalog (which by the way is coming along GREAT!).

Being a missionary is hard but it is so extremely joyful. I've never been happier. One of my favorite things about the gospel is that it is for EVERYONE. There is no one on the face of the earth who doesn't need Jesus Christ and his atonement. There isn't a single soul whose life won't be blessed by the gospel.

EVERYONE needs the message us missionaries share. You and I both know I'd be lost without the gospel. I owe my life, my whole entire life to the Lord; without him I am nothing. I love the scriptures, they contain so much truth and strengthen my testimony so much.

I love you, Ma with everything I have in me. I cannot wait to experience the eternities with you. Families are FOREVER. Me, you, and granddad are going to have so much to catch up on. :)

Mahal po ako sa inyo (I love you)

Sis. Leausa

Letter dated: August 8, 2015

Hi Mama,

I can't tell you how much I love getting to "talk" to you on Saturday mornings. I look forward to p-days every week. I am glad that everyone at home is doing well. That kind of news makes my heart smile.  Austin's "dearelder" letters crack me up. I love getting mail from you guys.

My days at the MTC are long/rough because of class, not because I'm having a hard time, because I'm not. We just get hammered with the language. It is amazing how much we've learned but it's so much to take in, too. But, knowing that I've been blessed specifically to "master the language" keeps me in the game.  It keeps me motivated to keep learning and not give up.

I love you. I hope you have a great week at work, school, and home. :)  Muuaahh!!

Sis.  Leausa

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Kathleen and I exchanged a few emails on Saturday morning. She is doing really well and is really enjoying the MTC. She has met so many wonderful people from around the world and "the language is coming along great."

She and her companion, Sister Swanson, are working really well together and get along great. Something kinda cool that I learned from her this weekend is that her companion, Sister Swanson, has a twin sister that is also currently in the MTC and she has been called to serve in the Cavite, Philippines Mission.

Until next P-day.......

Sister Leausa and Sister Swanson

She got to test out her new yellow rain boots last week.

Kathleen's companion is the one on her left. 

" Show Dad this picture and tell him that the elder on the far right is Konelio's wife's nephew.
He is from Upolu. He left to Minnesota on Tuesday."

Quezon City Mission

"The Quezon City Mission is a small but diverse mission of bustling cities and quaint provincial towns. The LDS church is actively growing in Quezon City and the missionaries are a welcome part of any community. Filipinos are a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving people that have high regard for family." (missionhome.com)









Manila Philippines Temple. Image courtesy of MormonNewRoom.ph

Saturday, August 1, 2015

 Hi Mom!

This week has been so good. We finished our lessons with our first investigator. My companion Sister Swanson is doing great! She is such a sweet girl and I love that she is my companion. We are complete opposites, we are constantly laughing throughout the day and we work so well together while learning the language and preaching the gospel.

We're expecting to leave the MTC on September 3. We fly from SLC to Seattle, then to Tokyo, then to Manila. We will spend five days in the Philippines MTC. :) SO EXCITING!! the only bad part ......21 hours of FLYING.  Pray for me. haha!

Okay mama, I've go to get back to "work" the Lord needs me. I love this work and I am so extremely in love with the gospel. Nothing brings me greater joy than sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. And I love it even more when I share it in Tagalog!

I love you so much and I am eternally in debt to my heavenly father for blessing me with you as my Mom. I pray for you every day. I can't wait to email you next week. Keep those letters coming. :) muuuuaaaahhhhh!!!

Sis. Leausa