Jolly June!!!!

Hi Chika! 

This week has been a big blessing for me. Last night we had the Privilege of having Elder Russel M Ballard come talk with us, to instuct us and encourage us it was such a life changing experience for me. I felt the spirit so strong and Ii knew with all my heart that he truly was an apostle of the Lord. The first great big blessing I felt yesterday was when we had first gotten to the church building (it was at my old ward building in Torrance) I saw a youth named Chris (he's about 16) When I was serving in his ward his family was less active and I had been thinking about them alot! We got to talking and I was so happy to see him there. He explained that he had come to church all on his own without his family because he heard an apostle of the Lord was coming!!! that was a great big blessing for me to see the Faith he had. Then as we listened and was instructed by Elder Ballard and two other General Authorities Elder Swaitzer and Elder Acosta from the Seventies I learnt and felt so much:) I learnt the importance and helping people to change and Repent and how if I am to help them change and repent I need to be able to have a testimony of Repentance myself and be changing and relying on the Lord everyday. I also learnt more about being helpers. He shared the parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 and how the shepherd went all out to find the one and carry him on his shoulders back to the fold. I felt such a renewed desire to find and help each of Heavenly Father's children here all along their way back to their Father in Heaven. I loved it!!!! It was such an amazing lesson for me. Prior to this meeting a couple of weeks ago I was thinking alot about how I'm finding myself just going through the motions of Missionary routine and not really giving it my all. Last Night Elder Ballard counseled us to go out every morning with the Faith that as we talk with people we will find people to teach and we will help them get on their path towards Baptism and eventually towards returning home to their Heavenly Father. I totally recommitted myself to this. I know this was definitely an answer to prayer. He also shared a story about a blind Missionary and the great Faith in the Lord to help him everyday on his Mission. That was such an amazing story of Faith for me. I really am grateful to be here Mama and to be learning all these wonderful truths here at this time. As Elder Ballard concluded he looked at each of us in the eyes and promised us that our Families were being taken care of and that as we give our all we will come to enjoy the time that we have now to fully serve the Lord. I felt the spirit confirm to my heart the truth in those promises, I thought of Harry (my Brother)and I know and have Faith that he'll be ok and you'll all be ok and taken care of because an apostle of the Lord has promised it. I will continue to give this work all that I am and that I have. After Elder Ballard left everyone was quietly pondering all that we had just felt when an Elder suddenly cried out in moan. He was having a seizure.I didn't want to look back at who it was but we heard him.The whole room was quiet and I was feeling so scared. I looked around and I saw other Missionaries with tear filled eyes. I prayed in my heart that Heavenly Father would bless this Elder so that he could feel the comfort and love he needed. We were all praying in our hearts and I just felt such a warm feeling of peace and love. I have never felt such consuming love around me. I knew that as we as a Mission were praying for this one Elder Heavenly Father and his angels were definitely there with us that day. How grateful I am to be here in this mission at this time. That Elder quieted down and there was such a spirit of Unity and love in that chapel. It was such an amazing experience I will never forget. I know that truly a lot of what we get from the Meetings we go to is dependent on the effort we put into preparing for it. I have a testimony of that. 

After the meeting we came home and later that evening we went out to work. I shared with my companion my desires to go out with that Faith to find people to teach and help them on the path back home to Heavenly Father. We've made that our goal to go out with that kind of Faith that he will provide. We visited a couple of people and while going to visit an investigator named Ray, We parked our car and came across this group of Girls (about Young Women YSA age 15-19 yrs) Almost Every time we've gone to that building we've always run into these girls. Their names are Alandra, Alysa, Araia and Nelly. The first time we met them a couple of weeks ago we invited them to check out Mormon.org Alysa was always rude and not really interested in hearing what we had to say, The second and third time we met them we talked abit more and re invited them to check out the website again because they hadn't done it. Then finally last night we met them again and we learnt that Alysa the one who was always rude and cussing was in a car accident yesterday and the car they were in turned over and rolled and was totally wrecked but none of them including her that was in the car got badly hurt. She shared how she felt like she was going to die and she knew that when she got out of the car she was ok and recognized that it was a miracle. We shared with her our Testimonies of God's love for her and protecting her and we immediately recognized that she was more willing to listen and even requested amormon.org card. We learnt more about these 4 girls and we talked about what we do as Missionaries. I just felt so much love for these girls! they definitely special because we always keep running into them. We taught them about God's love and God's plan for them as his daughters and we will be meeting with them again!!!! The whole of yesterday and last week has just been a great big blessing for me and my companion. We found a total of 6 new investigators!!!! How grateful I am for the spirit for always encouraging us "Talk to Everyone" and strive to have meaningful conversations. I know that if didn't make it a goal to do that we would've never found all these new Investigators. The work is going Great!!!!

I know that God is real and that he lives and looks out for all of you! He loves you!!!!

and I love you too!!!

Sister Koroitamana

A Call to Arms! (WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!)

"...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required..."

-Luke 12:48

Now I've never been an asking or a begging man but simply put, we need help! The klaxon is blaring and this is a call to arms! "What the?! What's happening?!?!"

Dear reader, by now you have read a lot about Satan or the adversary or whatever you wish to call him. Sure he has a lot of names, but one thing's for sure, he's not a good guy. You wanna know what's worse? "Goodness, what could be worse than that?"

He owns the internet dear reader...

We (The Royal We) need your help to take back the internet from his evil clutches and it won't be easy, but it CAN be done. "What can you or I or anyone possibly do?" Oh reader... Have you learned nothing? Well first, let me share a scripture.

And it came to pass that he (King Benjamin) began to speak to his people from the tower; and they could not all hear his words because of the greatness of the multitude; therefore he caused that the words which he spake should be written and sent forth among those that were not under the sound of his voice, that they might also receive his words.

                                                                          (Mosiah 2:8) italics added

Now one of the things we (as missionaries) do is help and invite others to come to Christ and that's how we're gonna take back the internet! Much like King Benjamin not being able to have everyone hear his words, we can only do so much, so here's where you come in. 

June 10th is when all of this is going to go down! Here's what you can do.

Most Importantly!
Add the #discoverthebook and the #Calledtoshare hashtag in everything. Also,

Like so.

• Join the Discover the Book and the Called to Share page on Facebook
• Invite everyone and I mean EVERYONE!!! Your neighbor, your friends, your dog to the event and do what it says!
• Share the event on your own Facebook profile and tag people in it OFTEN.
• Message everyone you know and invite THEM to invite everyone THEY know! It's the snowball effect dear reader!!!
• Change your profile picture to one with the Book of Mormon to spread awareness. Don't have one? Click here!
• Share it with a famous person/page or just about anywhere on Facebook, who knows who might see it?!

We can't do this without you reader, if you choose to accept, you will be part of the biggest movement in Facebook! Remember dear reader, we're here to take the internet back from Satan!!!

#TBT: When I Went to Visit the Kansas City Temple

Lets go back a few years to a great weekend trip to Kansas City!



Can I please tell you how amazing my weekend has been?  You guys are gonna get an awesome three post day..cause I have three very important things to talk about!

First I had the amazing pleasure and honor to attend the open house of the Kansas City Missouri Temple.

For those of you who did not know, when our church builds a new temple, the building is open to the public for a few weeks before it is dedicated (then only worthy church members may enter).

I felt so blessed to be able to enter this beautiful building.  We went through at a time when (according to the tour guides) there were more people going on tours than there had been at any other time so far.  And yet it was still quiet and peaceful.  You would think a couple hundred people would make more noise...but nope!  The weather held off too...so that was really nice.

I was not able to take pictures as it was not particularly appropriate in such a sacred and holy place.  But the church has released these pictures..so wanna take a little tour with me???  (all pictures can be found on http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-kansas-city-missouri-temple-open-house.)

See the tour.....

http://sillyswilly.blogspot.com/2014/06/tbtmy-trip-to-kansas-city-temple.html

Google Doodles

(Hey if you can find a quote that Google has said then you are crossing borders I never thought were imaginable!)

Show ALL of  the doodles!

One of the things I really miss about not being a missionary is seeing the cool Google Doodles every so often. I mean, yes, Google is going to eventually own the world and yes, we will be subjected to them as they will become our supreme overlords, but hey! The Doodles are nice to look at! "Everything you said in that sentence is so totally wrong..." Wrong? or right...? "No, wrong..." Oh... Well then. So I'm gonna do something a little different reader, this is gonna a short post but I'm gonna tell it with... PICTURES!!!! But first, a video! Ha! Now you HAVE to watch it! "Or I can skip past it..." Oh... Well I guess there's that... But because I don't know how Trademarking and Copyrights work, I'll take the safe route and say that I own none of these Google related images.

Every one of these doodles were created by someone. Each one of them has a certain
flair that never before existed, and will never again. 

Some are simple.

Some not so much.

But all are unique.

So why is that important? As the video said, "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."
We all want to leave something in this world that was never there. 

Yet, we all have different talents, I can't draw to save my life. How will someone like me ever create?
Perspective is a fickle thing. Some see drawing as creating when there is in fact so much more.

Some however will use the excuse that they are not the creative type. Look around you, go ahead, do it.
Everything you see was put there so you can mold it as you see fit. The world is literally your oyster!

There is a universal truth that we all share, We ARE Children of God, God who created all that we know
and love. So if we are his children, genetics dictate that we MUST have inherited a fraction of that. 

If you can't find something, ANYTHING to create, you aren't trying hard enough. Take this blog for instance,
what started as a funny idea turned into so much more, a chance to share, to create.

You are a dreamer, we all are, but that's how all good ideas started as, an idea, a chance to put a little of
you in a world that lacks it. So what's the next step? To do it!

Many will try to stop you, to tell you "You can't possibly create anything, everything you do will amount to nothing.
I say, balderdash. Look to the person next to you and smile. You just changed something.

Dr. Seuss once said, "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you."
You are because God loves you and knows you can make a difference in this world.

Whoa... this one's trippy... Whoops, sorry. So all that being said, it's time for you to go out and do something,
to show the world what you're made of, to create something that you can call your own.

And I can testify to you, that at the end of the day, there is one person who will look at your creation and say
with a big smile, " My child made that." and that's our Father in Heaven.You are the sum of your parts,
and one of those parts is a spirit child of God, so go create something and remember,
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
-Dr. Seuss (I really like Dr. Seuss)

God's Plan for the Family

this is the visitors center trip we took last Tuesday. we took the Correa family from Puerto Rico, they are really firm in their religion. the other day she texted us after we had dropped her and wanted to know if there is a day that we can go to the visitors center. my companion and I were super excited thinking that perhaps she had a sincere desire to know if our message was true and to give it another try. We had a good time at the visitors center especially the "God's Plan for the Family" part, my compabnion ans I showed her with the computer on how Book of Mormon and the Bible work together,  but she wasn't super eager to learn about what the Book of Mormon had to say although her family was really nice about it and actually wanted to look up scriptures. WE also watched the Mormon messages about the Modern day prophets, but it wasn't something she seemed to not care about. It is sad to see that some people choose not to ask God and to learn and study for themselves before they immediately reject it, but we know and have faith that we planted a seed in her heart and that someday they will want to learn for themselves if this is true. 

On the other hand our investigator Rey Dominguez and his wife to us there, he is already helping us in missionary work and he is so great and sincere. He is getting baptized thiscoming Saturday, a year later him and his R.M wife will be getting sealed in the temple. Yaay I am so excited!!

Hey! Love!

Hey! Love!  How are you? How has your May been?

Mine has been ok. This week has been abit challenging for me. On Friday we were at Correlation Meeting with out Ward Mission Leader and his wife. It was good but I was just not feeling good. I felt so weak and drained physically, Emotionally and Spiritually I just wanted to cry:( Sister Clement ( Our Ward Mission Leader's Wife) saw me and knew that something was wrong. Oh I wanted so badly to just confide in her but I knew that there was no way I could do that without My companion hearing me. So I just had to hold in. We finally got home and every part of my body ached and I just prayed and cried myself to sleep.

On to brighter news. We had 5 investigators that we were actually teaching at church yesterday!!! It was wonderful to see them all. It was a big blessing and a Miracle that they all came the Sunday we were giving talks:) After church we went to visit the daughter of one of our investigators her name is Aura she is 17 and we were able to get to know her more. She is just amazing, She has such great Faith in God. She shared experiences with us that's helped her to know that he's there and it's been so great to learn and grow with her. We asked her why she wanted to come closer to God and she said it was because it makes her happy. What a beautiful response! It's so true the Gospel makes us Happy! She loves reading and loves the smell of Books, We are currently teaching her Mom and Dad too they just need to get married first. So that was a big blessing for me this week- Meeting Aura.
The thing that went through my mind through out all of this was what Lesson is Heavenly Father trying to help me learn. I don't really know exactly what just yet but for now it is alot of patience. Also I was thinking about how when I get married will I have to deal with this too? Oh Man! I thought maybe Heavenly Father put us in a companionship 24/7 because it's good practice for Marriage so that we just have to suck it up! and move on.LOL:)

I Love you!!!

Nadi

Best Miracle in the Whole World

this week has been amazing we were granted permission from our mission President to go out of the boundaries of the mission and teach part member families that the Spanish branch still covered. The family Dominguez has been the new family we've been working with, they are newly weds and the wife is a returned missionary, who served two missions, and her husband is not a member. He has been coming to church consistently for about two months and has not been ready to accept the gospel until he had a dream about us teaching him, so I'm thinking that was a sign, he also  has been pondering a whole lot about how religion brings the family unit more happiness, love, unity and a good values to live by. Which he wants, and plus he has such a great wife that is always teaching the gospel and is so great and kind.  We went over on a Tuesday and we saw him, he immediately started to talk about all the things that he likes about the Church, how he feels a sense of tranquility and happiness when he goes (only for an hour, for he works as a mechanic.) he even committed himself to start keeping the Sabbath day holy and not work anymore on Sundays and just dedicate it to the most important things , which are his family and God. He recognizes the blessings he will receive from keeping certain commandments, even following a prophet.

 After we did " How to Begin Teaching" we got started with teaching him The Restoration. He made it easier for the spirit to dwell because we just felt so much as if he were a family member, because he had so many questions and agreed that man cannot comprehend all the things that God can, so he accepted that we need prophets(even  before we even taught him about prophets!) then scriptures just came pouring on us in order to explain why prophets are the means whereby God reveals truth to earth  that are pertaining to His kingdom and what we must do, feel and be in order to make it back with Him. he loves learning and  although he has never really read the bible or learned about religion, he is so interested. some things he cant wrap his head around, but that is where his faith is required , he will receive a witness after the trial of his faith. His wife didn't want to join is on the lesson because she said that she talks too much and that she wants him to do it for himself.

It has never been so easy on my mission to get people to read and keep their commitments so easily, he just does all his homework which is awesome! My excellent companion extended the baptismal invite, and he agreed, he will be preparing for the 7 of June.

President Sweeney granted us permission to teach via Skype and guess who we got to teach!!!??

My Mom :D it was by far on the top most spiritual lessons I've taught thus far on my mission.  my companion and I were super nervous at first as we prepared for the lesson, but when we went over to a members, Hermana Zazueta's house so she could join in on the lesson it was fine. We were calm. I was so excited and happy. WE started with a prayer and I thanked her for giving us some of her time. We used what we call the angel method of teaching, using pamphlets and having her tell us what she sees in the pictures. WE taught in so much unity and with so much power and LOVE that I felt the spirit so strong and I loved being able to share the part where gospel blesses families and how they can be eternal. WE talked on the importance of prophets and how they let us know God's will and my companion asked her if you had 7 children will you love them all the same or would you like the first more than the last? she said of coarse I will love them all the same.

exactamente that is how He Is and that's why God always calls prophets to guide us and protect us from harms that try to ruin our families in these days and helps us understand and apply t he scriptures, for they Teach what Our loving heavenly father wants us to know. She started to show understanding and realizing how truly important they are. From what she has expressed before, about joseph smith and how she doubts anyone can see God. After we shared his story I told her that this is something that we have to sincerely ask God about and put away our doubts and contradicting ideas and just ask with a sincere heart, to humble yourself before god(she asked me what the word humble meant earlier on in the lesson and I explained it to her as acknowledging that you cant do anything without gods help, he know more than we do and that thanks to him we have everything) so I told her  to humble herself before God and He will give an answer to your honest heart. The spirit of the Lord was tangible it filled that house with so much love, love and peace was very present in that room and her and I started crying, we had such a beautiful moment together, when all of a sudden all 6n elders knocked on the door to come in to join the service project we were going to help her with after the lesson, they walked in and started talking I tried to tell them to shush but it didn't really work, I was trying really hard to focus on what my mom started expressing to me. As she cried she was telling me how she needs to "humble herself before her maker and ask him if this is true. I don't know what I am feeling, I don't know if it is because I am so happy to see you and that you are my daughter and are teaching me this and it makes it more special. I couldn't understand the other sister missionaries but you and your companion know a lot and have done a really good job in motivating me and inspiring me to want to act on your message, no one has ever been able to, and how you said, I need sincerely ask God."

 You have no idea brothers and sisters the joy I felt when hearing my mom say this to us! It helped me rekindle the joy, dear appreciation and love I have for this knowledge that I hold and to testify as to how it blesses my life made me so much stronger.

(well I wish I can give yall more detail but that is all I have time for, love you)

Since Its Sunday: Great Advice

Its been a long while since I have blogged....but I'm starting up again.
Here is an excerpt from my most recent post!



A bit ago I was going through a particularly rough time (no way Stephanie isn't that all the time hahaha) and I was meeting with him regarding my church leadership assignment and he gave me some excellent advice.

For a time when he was a young married man he lived with his wife's grandfather.  This man's name was Gordon B Hinckley.  Those Mormons reading will know he was a Prophet and President of our world wide church.

One Saturday when working in the garden my BP noticed that President Hinckley looked very worn down and troubled.  After talking with him for a while about the things troubling him he said "Grandpa what do you do when things are hard and you are discouraged"

And do you know what his reply was????





Find out at 
sillyswilly.blogspot.com

Dear New BYUI Students: My Top 3 Tip for Academic Success

Dear New Students,

The following three paragraphes are my top 3 tips for academic success. The following topics are listed as the tips: study skills, spiritual prepareness, and being anxiously engaged in a good cause.

I recognize that each of you come with various skills and abilities and your first few semesters may be especially frightening. Study skills are my first recommendation to apply in your lifestyle here at school. They take priority over spiritual prepareness because BYUI specifies several habits that ensures success. A weblink to these skills is http://www.byui.edu/academic-support-centers/study-skills/study-tips. There is a more interactive website that I have seen, but I can’t find it at this time. The presentation of this link is not my preferred one, since it is a mainly bullet pointed list. I personally met with a study skill coach that taught them to me at the study skills center in the second floor of the library near the tutoring centers. There is a class that you can take, but I didn’t take it. A student just taught me them in several meetings in set well-organized lessons.

Faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of life, and his atonement needs to be applied in life to be happy and successful. My bishop taught 5 principles, which he calls the “fab five,” that I would encourage you to continually ponder. The following principles are the “fab five:”

1.       Praying; morning and night - Talk to him about the affections of your heart

2.       Read the scriptures

3.       Attend the temple - make it your North star, your guiding light, seeking to fulfill all your covenants (at least twice a month)

4.       Attend all your meetings - your participation is not hypocritical, when you do.

5.       Pay a full tithing

God is the Father of your spirit, and he desires your success and happiness. He has expressed his love and counsel by the mouths of many prophets; ancient and modern. I exhort you to ponder their words, developing a deep faith in them through prayer; then, act upon in. There is a stability that will be enjoyed in obedience. Ponder what is success and happiness. What does God have prepared for me? The greatest gift of God is eternal life, and the gift of the Holy Ghost is the source of direction to come unto Christ.

The attribute of being anxiously engaged in a good cause will be a greatest asset. There are so many opportunities at Brigham Young University – Idaho. I recommend that you seize as many as you see good. Being anxiously engaged entails problem solving, promptly following the spirit, and creativity.

I hope that your efforts are fruitful here. Thank you for taking your time for considering my advice.

Sincerely,

Alex Hicken

In Awe of You

By Isidro Zapata

The very first time
I laid my eyes on you
In an instant I was so
Much in love with you I could never
Dream of anyone or anything ever hurting
You for my love for you is
Honest and pure without one
Shady spot in my heart for I am
Totally in awe of your beauty
And the love I have is just
Only for you as I held you and
Pulled you close I felt as though
I was in the presence of God because
Of all the love I feel coming from me
To you and you to me I just felt like
It was a, dream come true all the pure
Love I have for you. I watch you fall down
And it hurt me so deeply not too
Go and help you back up but
This is all an, part of what life is all about falling down
And being able to get back up I went and dusted you off
And hugged you and wiped your tears away
Then hold you as tight as I could then look into your eyes
It hurt me so much to see you in pain
So I tell you how much I love you and even
Though I did not pick you up just know that
I am never far away to wipe your tears away
Because I am still so madly in love with you
For in this life you are going to fall and get
A scrape here and there but I will always
Be in awe of you just like a repeat of when I first
Laid my eyes on you. For I am a that child
That fell and God watch me stand up
All by myself and I wonder where did you go
Then God showed up in a blink of an eye
To wipe all my tears away and he is still
In awe of me for his love will never fade away
Or be sway by the mistakes I make every day
For Jesus wiped all my sins
Away and just threw them away
For God is so in awe and his
Love will never go away
For God truly does
Love me for the price
That Jesus paid by the pain
He suffered and died for me
Even after all that I had done but
Gods love is all around and wants
To live in your heart so
Never forget God is never too far away
So repent and walk away from
What this wicked world is all about
So no need to ever worry for
God is in Awe
Of you and me because
Of his amazing love he
Has for you and me

Bula Vinaka Beautiful People!!!!

How are you?

This week has been kinda long and crazy busy. But it's been good. We were one day planning for a lesson with one of our investigators named Walfred. He has been meeting with Missionaries for over a year now. As we were planning to felt impressed to really just listen to him and all the concerns he has that's keeping him from progressing. We went into the lesson and did just that and it was so powerful to just listen to the spirit and really listen to his concerns. We learnt that besides coffee and peer pressure another thing that's been on his mind was that he was kinda worried about the Law of Chastity because he had just recently started talking to his Girl from high School again and he had been thinking about that alot. (Walfred is 44 and is a widower) We were so grateful that he was willing to tell us that and more important I was so grateful that we had listened to the spirit to just listen to him and his concerns. We read from the Book of Mormon with him that day from 1 Nephi 1 and it was so wonderful to feel the spirit present as we read and feel his Faith start to grow as he learnt how the Book of Mormon applies to him. After that lesson Walfred was so grateful that we came over and were able to help him with his concerns. I am so grateful for the Spirit in Planning and Teaching. Walfred shared how he definitely felt more at peace now. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon. I know that it was truly made as a tool to help Heavenly Father's children come closer to him and know the truthfulness of the Gospel. 
Lately we've been really trying and working so hard to have 20 meaningful conversations about the Gospel and it's been so great to see how Heavenly Father has helped us to reach  our goals and the miracles that are coming from it. We've been promised by our Leaders that as we reach this goal consistently for the next 2 weeks straight we will be teaching more and Baptizing more. What a great Promise! 

I love you heaps!

Nadi