my lea faka-tonga gonna fakalakalaka

This week was one of GREAT learning experiences. Tuesday- thursday were slow and I hate coming home after not talking to very many people and feeling like I could have done more.... so I was kinda down on myself and everyone keeps saying how my comps tongan is so good and mine will be good "next year" haha... I don't really care, but it gets annoying when you hear they same thing all day. So, because Heavenly Father knows me and loves me and knows what I need, we were blessed with an AMAZING opportunity on friday to go to Liahona for a mission meeting (at least all missionaries on Tongatapu) to meet with Elder Pearson of the Seventy-- yep the same guy who came to our stake conf a few years back. He is in charge of the pacific now. Anyway, he is a VERY powerful speaker. Especially to the missionaries. He said the things I needed to hear, or maybe I just felt the spirit a lot... anyway, it was just the spiritual boost I needed. THEN on top of that, we had a zone temple trip on Sat. Morning which was great because after walking out of that beautiful place, I was 100% committed to be hit the ground running with all the new things I learned from the spirit and from Elder Pearson. So yeah. BUT that's not all-- on Saturday we had scheduled to Vilohoa (take a member around with us) with a girl named Nia from the next village over. She just returned from her mission in Hong Kong last month. She is a ROCK SOLID missionary. I guess her whole mission was just super solid because its sooo hard to work there. Anyway, she gave us some really good new ideas of how to see more miracles in the work and she really encourage me that we are doing well and that we can be really successful. I mean holy cow. This isn't Hong Kong. I am so thankful to be learning Tongan instead of Cantonese. Hey, but I gave a talk yesterday in Church and I am actually almost confident talking to people in tongan! That's a pretty big "almost."

From now on, we will be praying before we go into each lesson and we will be saying a "gratitude only" prayer when we come out of lessons. 

Oh yeah, and a lot of you wished me Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you :) That is not a holiday here, but we did have some hot dogs that day. I am just thankful every day though, so it's okay if everyone didn't try to give me even more food... haha :) 

My spiritual thought this week comes from the words of Elder Pearson:

We are AGENTS, not objects. We act and should NEVER be acted upon. You and I ALWAYS have a choice in every single thought or action. No matter what anyone else says or does to you, your reaction is always a choice. The companionship of the Holy ghost leaves us when we CHOOSE to feel angry, annoyed, sad, or frustrasted. My new goal is to think to myself: "Wow. what you are doing is annoying, but i CHOOSE not to be annoyed." The spirit's companionship is too important. How can you change to become an AGENT all the time, instead of a, object? 

I love you all. I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior. I am so blessed to know that the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in only found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I only know all of those things through the spirit. through prayer. If you want to know too, the invitation is always open. 

OFA LAHI ATU MOUTOLU <3

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Sister Emily Bever

Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission

This is a picture of Emily at the temple and shows one of the elders who fell...it was funny :)