Happy!

 Isn't Washington beautiful? (Sister Tauala is my personal photographer.)

Hello!

I am just going to relay a story from Monday that was a turn for the better after last week. This week has been the best week ever!

Monday, October 12th, was awesome!
We had a lesson with the Micronesian family that we found, This is the order:  Kilatis is the grandma, Jackie is her daughter-in-law (she is not really interested), Gemsin and Gemlin are Jackie's children. Kilatis's niece is Kantita. Her son is Junior. So Gemsin, Gemlin, and Junior are second cousins or something like that. Gemsin is 10 and reminds me of my little brother Ryon. Junior is the same age. Gemlin is 7.

As we walk up to their apartment complex, and just as we turn the corner Gemsin and Gemlin start yelling, "Hi, Sister Tauala!" They don't remember my name. By the end they call me Sister Fish :) they then say they have bad news. Gemsin explains, "Grandma is moving to Missouri tomorrow." We then tell them we are visiting with them today and that the elders are coming to give grandma a blessing. She had boils all over her stomach and back. We give them pictures of Christ-the one where He has come to the Americas and people are gathered around him.

We walk upstairs to the apartment- number 43. Shoes piled high in front of the door. We take off our shoes and enter. It's clean, warm, leftover food from dinner still on the stove top. In the middle of their living room is a giant mat that we sit on while we teach. Kilatis doesn't speak a lot of English, so Gemsin translates a lot.  Kilatis asks if the elders are coming. She had asked us last week for them to give her a blessing. We tell her yes. 5 minutes later the elders knock on the door. Gemsin answers while we are still seated on the mat. They take off their shoes and come in.

As they walked in, the Holy Ghost was so strong. Gemlin looked excited, she could feel it. The elders read a scripture from the New Testament where Jesus heals a man and it is based off of he man's faith. They ask if she has faith to be healed. She says yes. Sister Tauala set up a chair for her to sit on, and then the elders proceeded with a blessing.

Gemlin sat by Sister Tauala. Gemsin sat by me. Junior sat by Gemsin, all listening to the blessing. It was beautiful.

The elders immediately left once it was over. Kilatis returned to sitting on the mat and said we would probably not be returning. (Because Kilatis was leaving to Missouri) sister Tauala then explains how we love her. We love the children, but most importantly, Heavenly Father loves all of us. Kilatis closed her eyes and started saying, "praise the Lord." She wept. She prayed in Chuckeese. As her weeping turned silent, Sister Tauala started singing. She sang in Samoan a song of gratitude to the Lord. A song only sung at funerals, but a song this Micronesian family from Hawaii would know. As Sister Tauala poured out her heart in this song, my heart filled. I knew it wouldn't be the last time we see this family. Tears slipped from my eyes. The spirit also confirmed this was one reason why Sister Tauala was called to this area and mission.

If there is a reason for the saying, "heart to heart," this was a moment. At the end of the song all was quiet. Everybody was just feeling the spirit and the peace and comfort that comes from it. Without words spoken we knew, that Kilatis knew and gave us permission, to come back.

After a few minutes I broke the silence with asking Gemsin how he felt during the blessing. He said happy. Gemlin said the song made her happy. Junior felt good. Kilatis smiled. I explain that is the spirit also called the Holy Ghost. Gemlin still had her picture of Christ laying on the mat so I asked the children if they would like to read the account portrayed in this picture in the Book of Mormon. Junior is super excited and brings out his English Book of Mormon. Kilatis understands and brings out the Chukeese Book of Mormon. Together Gemsin and Junior turn to 3 Nephi 11- the climax of the Book of Mormon. Junior reads aloud the introduction. Gemsin helps Kilatis turn to 3 Nephi 11 in her Book of Mormon. They mark the chapter with the picture and promise to read it. I ask them to call us once they have read it. Gemsin says he will.

We have to leave so Kilatis chooses Sister Tauala to say the prayer. After prayer we go around hugging and shaking hands. Gemlin asks, "Are we going to see you again?" I reply yes. She gives us each an apple and a water bottle. And we leave. We leave behind Kilatis and the kids. We leave behind the pile of shoes at the door. We leave behind three copies of the Book of Mormon. We leave behind testimonies that Christ lives and that He loves us. And we leave behind a piece of our heart.

But we are going to see them again, because we know, and Kilatis knows, that these children need to be baptized.

We found this cool magnifying glass in our basement.

This is a rambutan.