Bribery and Spontaneity

 Iaorana mes amis et ma famille! 


This week I was somehow constantly journaling but also constantly behind on journaling, so we will see if I remember anything. 

We met with Steve this week! Steve is pretty awesome and is the nicest person ever. He is going through a lot right now, so keep him in your prayers! 

I went on exchanges with Sister Mataele! She is pretty awesome and we had a fun fun time! We had an awkward door contact where I accidentally stepped on the foot of this dude's dog. 

We had zone conferences which were soooo good! Not going to lie, but I really hated my first zone conference from about a month ago. I didn't feel like I belonged, I knew nobody, and none of the trainings or talks really helped me. It was frustrating, but this week's conference was so much better. I felt the spirit so strongly and have been able to grow closer to many more missionaries! 

For this zone conference, a "cleanest car competition" was held. We tried our best, but the car was not clean and we didn't have time to make it cleaner. So, we used bribery. (We were told that bribery was not encouraged nor discouraged, which meant that we could do whatever we wanted.) The prize for the competition was a plate of ~chocolate chip cookies~ (too time consuming for us missionaries to make), so we made ~no bake cookies~ (not as time consuming but also not as good). 
We placed the cookies in the car with a kind note and went off on our merry way to the conference. 

Well, my dear friends it turns out that you actually have to have a clean car to win the cleanest car award. 


We did not win. 


It was a shock. 


Anyways, we counted the adventure as an act of kindness for whatever person got our no bakes. We also got a shout out for apparently being the only car to use bribery. We are all winners. 

This transfer, I have been working on trust. Trusting others, trusting Heavenly Father, and trusting myself. 
On Saturday I was having a really grumpy morning. As I studied the scriptures in my bad mood, I decided right then and there that I was going to exercise trust and have some person cut my hair off. 
I put all my trust-studies into practice and told Sister Taylor (my roommate who has never cut anyone's hair) to cut my hair off that night. It was exciting to say the least. 
But, I like it so life goes on. 

Teie mahana, je voudrais partager une petite pensée spirituelle! 
Joseph B. Wirthlin said:
"We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others."
I love this! So often, we talk about how we go through hard things only so that we can learn and grow. While we do learn and grow from our trials, another reason why we have hardship is so that we can help others. Our purpose in mortality- to prepare to meet God- is not a selfish one. We are to help others, listening and uplifting when we can. 
We taught primary. We asked the kids if they would help someone this week. Two boys gave us half thumbs up. We asked them why and they replied "well we'll help people if we get the chance but their might not be anyone to help." 
We told them that there is ALWAYS someone to reach out to. There is always someone to uplift and love and help! 

Nana tout le monde! Ua here au ia outou. Je vous aime, mi laikm you, and ofa atu! 

~~pictures~~

1&2. Sister Mataele and I on exchanges!
3. The fact that this didn't win us cookies is astonishing. 
4. Is that a little European girl? No it's just Sister Hatch with a haircut.






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