Sister Nadira Tupuola Email #35

by JElu - May 07, 2018

Its been an AWESOME week!

MLC (Missionary Leadership Counsel)

I had the opportunity to go to my first MLC meeting this week! Where all of the Zone Leaders (Elder missionary leaders) and STLs (Sister Training Leaders) in the mission gather together at the Mission office to counsel with President Chesnut about the needs of the missionaries in the mission. We also learn how to be better leaders/ examples to the missionaries we serve.

Sister Cluff and I were asked by President Chesnut to give a 30 minute training about adjusting to missionary life. My first MLC and I have to give a training?! The stress was real. haha but hey we did a great job! I'm grateful for the Spirit that was with me helping me.

We taught in our training about how to deal with stress. Which was a perfect topic for me lol. But I learned that stress is actually good! Its a normal part of life and its necessary for growth. Even the greatest missionaries in history struggled. Ammon and his brethren in Alma 17:5 says that they, "had many afflictions: they did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and aslo much labor in Spirit." and it got to the point that they wanted to turn back and go home, "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give you success." (Alma 26:27)

I love these scriptures! Its helped me a lot on my mission. I learned a lot from this training, that whenever I get discouraged, or stressed, to forget about myself and get lost in the work!! Ive noticed that when you lose yourself in the work that you don't feel sad or discouraged anymore! Im grateful for this opportunity to serve as an STL! Ive had to give a training one after another which terrifies me but its good! IM learning so much more from it than anyone else! I will tell you next week how my training for this weeks District Meeting goes! haha

Exchanges!

As a STL, we are to coralate Exchanges with the missionaries that we are over! This week, We went on exchanges with the Lakeside Sisters who serve in Reno. I got to be with Sister Ellis for a day in her area of Reno! It was so fun! We taught one of their investigators named Mathew who is in his 80s and hes from Vietnam. He does not speak very much english. It was so cool to teach him. He wants to get baptized but its been a struggle for the missionaries to teach him because of the language barrier. He is getting baptized this month but we are looking for someone who speaks Vietnamese to translate his confimation. He is awesome!

We also went on exchanges with the Carson City sisters and I got to spend a day with Sister Murdock (who is my trainer)! We had a blast. It was cool to see how much weve both grown from the last time we were companions. We met a guy on the street named Miguel who was building a trailor out of wood. After talking with him for a while he asked about the book of Mormon. He said he had one in his home so we invited him to read it. We had to leave to go to our next appointment but we were able to friend him on FB. We messaged him yesterday and he said we could come back tomorrow to share more with him! It was a cool miracle! I have a strong testimony that God will put people in your path who are ready to hear of the messages of this restored gospel.

BIKING!

The mission once again has cut everyones miles! but for me, thats a good thing! it means more biking! Being able to serve in a biking area in Fallon, Ive grown to LOVE biking! its the best thing ever!! It was a bummer coming here and having to drive again, so this was a miracle for me! So this week, we biked everywhere! We do cover a large area so we usually would park somewhere and then bike.

Richard

We heard back from the first presidency! They told us that his baptism approval is going to take 4 to 6 months instead of 2-3 months. Which is kinda sad. But I look up to Richard for his patience and his faith. He trusts that the Lord has a plan for him. Richard has faith that he will get baptized before he passes on to the next life. He is awesome! He has waited so long! Being able to meet with him has been the best! I have learned so much just by his example.