Wednesday, October 21, 2015

I love being here...



This week has been amazing!

So Marcia--- she is the one who committed to be baptized on the 31st of October -- we took her on a Temple tour on Saturday and we had a lesson with her yesterday.  She said she wants to be baptized sooner! It makes me soooo happy to see the light of Christ shine through her eyes! 

She had been prepared.



I am so thankful for what Our Heavenly Father and our Savior does for us each day. 



We have another investigator- Ercia and we invited her to be baptized and she is thinking about it more. While she talks about what she knows and feels -- we know she wants to say yes but does´t because she is afraid to be labeled "Mormon". 


I love member work and I really love it when we go to a Family Home Evening and they have a referral for us --- I love that!!


I almost ran over a dog yesterday- but in my defense it it ran right in front of the car... it is alive.

I also am getting really good at touch rugby.  

My Tongan is coming along slowly -- but surely!

I love being here -- serving Heavenly Father, seeing my testimony grow and being able to see those around me grow. I know my Savior lives and that our Heavenly Father loves us. 

Taking up the challenge...

Sister Shealyn Hyde took up the "PONDERIZE" challenge.  
"I am trying to memorize this..."
Shealyn's mom comment insert -- 
"Looking at it just made me want to cry -- OH how my prayers will be filled with pleadings for the Lord to help her!"

District Photo

Shealyn's District 
(09/2015 thru 10/20/2015)


Thursday, October 15, 2015

Parrrrrtay!

Hey Dad!!

My companion is scarring me! Since it is Halloween month she is funny
but loves to scare me. Love her so much.

I hope you can see the video.
 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By_zyE036gGqdlBSMHZWUzdNQVZZeXZlaHI1WlIyaEdFQUFN/view?usp=sharing

Watching the Native American dancing reminds me of when we went to Little Big Horn -- you did a rain dance 
AND THEN a few minutes later it poured down rain. 
That is one memory that I can not forget!

Some of the bishopric found out that I liked the Bulldogs and they
have been making comments about how they are doing and the Braves,  They are having fun. 

My Tongan is getting better too.



This is what I have almost every weekend at a members home... They

can't wait to feed me horse?! This was at a missionary return party
--- AND PARTY MEANS PARRRRRTaY. 
There were 16 pigs, a lot of crabs, huge lobsters, and tons of traditional food. 
(guess I don't have to worry about her being fed)
They had my favorite Oi Tai-mango -etc.




The power of a song...

So we are trying to reactivate members and trying to strengthen members
too and have them become familiar with our investigators.. So we are
setting appointments with everyone for family home evenings through out the
week and it has been amazing. We are gaining so much trust with them!!
Member work is so important!!

This clip of the video is just a taste of what this one family can do.





I am trying to memorize it! Love At Home! 
Being there,  with this huge family, 
made me remember mine and reminds me that I know families can be
together forever because of the knowledge restored through the Gospel.





We have a brand new investigator! She is a single mom of six and such an amazing lady. 
Her husband past away last year and she said that even though she is going
 through this trail she knows that our Heavenly Father loves her- 
that why we were sent to her!  Hearing her say that meant a lot and reconfirmed
why I came out here.  To share the happiness I have in my life from the Gospel to 
those who don't!  I love it. 


General Conference was amazing, I keep reading and thinking about
Elder Utchdorf's talk "It Works Wonderfully".  The gospel really does... work  -- 
I don't know who I would have been without it in my life.




I have been reading about our Savior's life in the New Testament and a
few days ago I read in Matthew 26 how before Jesus Christ went into
the the garden of Gethsemane he and the apostles sang a hymn.
I love singing hymns it really does bring the spirit. We were out trying to 
find this former investigator, they weren't home and we do not get back 
in to the car unless we get a referral or we talk to someone. So we went 
to a house couple a doors down were thee two teen girls were playing 
volleyball- we beat them.  They wanted us to sing, and so we sang a 
song that Sister Lavea remixed and they loved it! Then we sang a hymn 
and that really brought in the Spirit. We have a appointment this Wednesday 
... and we came to find out that that former investigator we had been looking
for... he is their grandpa!



We were in this one part of town  -- trying to see someone -- and there
were tons of high school students all around.  We couldn't drive

on the street! A man and a women told us to get out of the area -- 
They said there was a drive by shooting just a few hours earlier
and all the gangs are out fighting.  
(an answer to numberless prayers for her safety)
They said we looked really nice and
had seen our tags so they told us to go. 
They watched as we turned around and seemed
nice so... We are going back to their house on Thursday
 Its a small world --
He is from GA and used to live off of Stone Mtn Blvd! So Cool.



We had a ward missionary fireside yesterday and it was soooooooo gooooood!!!!
This Ward is going to do great for missionary work. The spirit was so
strong when we were teaching the Restoration. I love serving a mission
here in Sacrament California. It still is hot here but the night is
cooling off. I love reading about our Savior and what he did for us!!



Thank you everyone that emailed me this week it was super busy and
tiring- sepia ally Tuesday and Wednesday because last Monday, P-day I
got hit in the head three times- a football, basketball and a rugby ball. 
It was hard to read and stay awake 
(Rebecca insert) Can you say concussion?  
Again, I guess this is another reason why we pray for her safety.) 
but with the strength of Lord and words form home I feel tons better. 
So thank you! Hope you'all have a blessed week!

Love, Sister Hyde

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Doing Great!

I am doing great!!

It rained this week and it was general conference!!!!
(Shealyn singing in the rain -- click below to see)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By_zyE036gGqVzU2QWNSeExwRVpFaXpvSHVhczFuZkNPU1k4/view?usp=sharing


I am starting, ... well.. Sister Lavea is having me lead and start discussions and everything. We have this amazing investigator, Erica, and she is awesome and wants to learn more, making and keeping
commitments but we felt like we needed to pass her off because she isn't Tongan but is dating one... 
(Shealyn speaking Tongan -- click link below)
 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwupY-_Ncq41Sl80bDBKUkx6QVYyV21ZbnliVlZLLThWUFRz/view?usp=sharing


We have been having a lot of Family Home Evenings with members.  They are going great.  A lot of them are about the gifts that we are given (Matthew 25) and the greatest gift he gave us was being grace. We related it to the piano story  -- read the talk His Grace is Sufficient https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brad-wilcox_his-grace-is-sufficient/

I love that talk. 

How can we say we're thankful our Savior for providing our gifts?  I thought about this a lot.  

I am getting so much from this talk as well as reading about our Savior's life in the New Testament. 

For some P-day fun, we bowled today.  It was soon much fun!!! 
(Twinkle Toes -- Getting her Flinestone on -- click below)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By_zyE036gGqaUJmM1FvUHNLLU5iTUlXbjVOd0pLT1dVbVBN/view?usp=sharing

We found another investigator!!

Love ya'all and hope you all the best.
Oh by the way,  the Tongans give us a lot of food to eat.   I love Sapa Sui,

 Otai!!

 I am sorry that I have been goofing around sorry, my emails will be
better. The week has gone by so fast we are trying to meet or see all
the investagors that the elders haven't seen in along time and it is
sad when we knock on their door and we hear people in the house but
telling people to quite down or when less actives tell us their
baptized and want to to come back so we check up on them and their
doing bad things. My heart drops. I want to share this winderful
gospel but all they wan to do is do their thing and just play games
with us because that is what the elders were doing. Dad I love working
with the Tongan and Samoan people they are the friendliest.
 I had my first whole roasted pig yesterday 
and they said just wait till you try
horse.....???? (Say WHAT?)

We have been working hard to to have less active families come back,
it is taking a lot and we just wonder what is making them not to
come.... Some the Lovedays say oh we're just lazy and it's too early
to get ready to go to church.... Church starts at 2 and ends at 5...
We are also trying to visit part-member families and try to have them
all come to church and deactivate them. Sometimes during the day it
can get long, and not hard but on a level like that but when Sunday
comes I feel that it wasn't too hard and that I can get through
anything with the Lords help.

Through teaching these families and our investigators I am able to see
how the Holy Ghost and the Gospel can change lives for the better. I
tried to imagine my life without it and all I could feel was confusion
and being lost. Knowing that I came here for a purpose with a family
who loves me and knowing that I am a child of God makes me fueled
loved and definitely not lost or confused ...Oh my Tongan is getting
better. All I really know introduction sentences, Heavenly Father,
beginning and ending in prayer. It is really hard but my spelling is
getting better and my pronunciation when I read out loud. The Bishop
asked me to memorized 2 Nephi 31:20 in Tongan.

Send me pics I would love too everyone!!!!!
Oh so since we are in a car we can listen to music and I got a ok to
have some of the songs from Jospeh and the tecni- coat of many colors.
And efy songs, mo-tab,the modish, instrumental ( cello would be nice,
piano.... Etc)  can you put a cd together for me. Or a flash drive...
There isn't a lot of music to listen to.
I live you all and I want to know what you're favorite talks were on
General Conference. 
I'll tell you mine next week because I am out of time.
Nofa ( goodbye) love, Sisita Hyde

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Thanks Dad!

Dad 

THANKS for all the emails I love reading them each day!!

Oh,  thanks for the Joseph Smith email.  It helped alot because those were some of the questions that our investigator had and thanks! 

We helped move some families into their homes.  I love service  -- THANK YOU for teaching us to be hard workers. 
(Shealyn, John and Jarom -- Hard Work... lay'n sod [06/2014])
  Check out the smile on that girl's face!

DIVINE BY NATURE

Ok,  this week was amazing!!! 

I had a new missionary meeting on Tuesday and it was mostly on planning and how we need to study.   Sister Lavea and I got some things that we needed to change or start doing like keeping our shoes on, etc. So after the meeting we went home and planned more correctly and man.. the day was.... IT was a blessed day. 

Sister Lavea and I were blessed. For the past weeks we have been trying to meet with these potential Investigators and less actives and they haven't been home or didn't want to meet at that time but that day we caught them being home and wanting to listen or coming home or leaving home. We were soo blessed and it changed by just doing some things differently in planning!! 

On last Monday Sister Lavea taught our zone to play touch rugby and I love this sport it!  It is soo much fun and I'll have to teach you when I get home or email a video. And Dad we played three on three for football  -- I know I need to be humble... but pro!! Thanks for playing catch with me all those times. 

Went on exchanges on Friday and Saturday and we rode our bikes!!!! The day was hot  -- porbabbably (Cindyann) 101F. I loved it though. 

I loved the Womens' Broadcast!!! I loved how it was all based on that WE ARE ALL BORN WITH A DIVINE NATURE and we need to RECOGNIZE it and STRENGTHEN it. I learned a whole lot more but that is about it. I loved all the talks and the song Dearest Children God is Near You. Can't wait for General Conference!!!

On Sunday as a district and as a companionship we fasted to know a part member family for us to help them complete their family for the Eternities. Its only one day and we don't know yet but the week is coming and I know that it will come. But miracles happened that day! Our investigator came to church- Erica and her daughters! YES! Then this one YSA girl came and brought a friend who after talking to her- wants to become converted and she is from Seattle WA,- Thanks Elder Hyde( Hope all is Well)!!! This whole week has allowed me to see that this is the Lord's work and we're simply nothing but instruments to grow ourselves and to help others, and to share the happiness that the Gospel brings to our lives. I see his hand more often everyday in his work. Crazy Uhh? I also was going to day my testimony in Tongan on Sunday but I guess the nerves got to me and I didn't but next Fast Sunday is looking good.

Na'e 'omi kitartolu 'e he Otua ke he mamani ke tau ako mo tupulaki. I know we are all children of God and that we came here to learn and Grow so we can realize our divine nature and become closer to him. I love our Savior and all he did for us!!

 'ofa, 
       Sister Hyde