Everyone Says I'm Fat.....

So this week was full of us walking and working hard and visiting a bunch of people. But for some reason this week everyone has asked me about my weight. So now everyone is telling Elder Redd that he has a REALLY fat companion.... So yeah I guess I'm fat.

This week has been awesome and full of very amazing moments. I was finally able to extend my first baptismal invitation and he said yes! Ken has been going to church for about 8 years and he has started lessons so many times and we have just recently restarted his lessons and now he is on date! I'm so excited to see him finally be able to see the blessings of the gospel in his life!

This week was sooo awesome! Elder Redd and I have just been searching and praying for new investigators so that we can open our teaching pool. We were walking one day however and we had been praying for new investigators. We ended up stopping because Elder Redd really wanted a Coke. So we stopped and it just so happened that a young man was there and we started to talk. He was super interested in what we have to say so he took a BoM and now he wants us to come back tomorrow!

I was so happy and grateful for the blessing of a new investigator but then we saw another young man sitting down so we went over and talked to him. He said he was super interested so we kept talking, we asked if his family would like to hear about our message and he said yes and took us to his house! His mom was super interested and wanted us to come back on Wednesday! IT WAS SO AWESOME! I loved how Heavenly Father was able to bless according to our obedience and faithful prayers!

Continually working and praying works! I have loved working so hard that when I come home I literally can't stand! I love the blessings our ward and our investigators have received from living the gospel! I love this work so much and I love feeling your love from across the ocean! I love you all and pray for you!

P.S. Thanksgiving was awesome over here and I ate way to much.....

Alofa Atu

Elder Bethea

Ballerina Bethea

The dogs were closing in, their eyes beating down on me. I knew that I had to get out of there fast or I would wet myself. So I did the one thing I knew would scare them away, and that was to dance. So in reality some dogs ran after us and I pulled off my bag and did a swinging leap to get out of their way! Elder Redd told me that it looked like I was a ballerina. Gisele you better sign me up to dance with you;)

This week was quite simply amazing! We had a lesson with one of our investigators Sophia. We decided to teach about the restoration. We showed her the a short video of the restoration, and by the end she was in tears. The spirit was so strong, and right after she told us that she knew for sure that she had to pray to know if this is the true church. I knew for sure that she had felt the spirit testify to her of the truthfulness of this gospel. She is still on date but her and her fiance moved their wedding to the 24 of December so we had to move her baptism back to that day as well...Christmas present!!!!!!

We also got another baptism this week! We didn't teach him the Elders in the Tongan ward taught him but his father wanted him to be baptized in our ward. So yeah we got to be baptize him but not really haha. It was an awesome experience to see how spiritually prepared he was.

This week was really hard on me. I wasn't as super prepared as I should've been. It helped so much when we went into some lessons and Elder Redd asked me to help teach and I couldn't teach what I wanted too. It was so amazing to see how much I truly need to be spiritually prepared I need to be going into lessons. It truly helped me realize how I need to become spiritually stronger if i want to become the missionary I want to be.

Thank you all for your love and support. I pray for you all every night!

Alofa Atu

Elder Bethea

Fun pictures found on FB from other missionaries.

A sister in the ward took these pictures and tagged mom on FB with them.... thanks Sister 

         Paia N Claire Sagapolutele-Toeava from Pavaiai 2nd ward

"My name is Tina!"

Oh my goodness this week has been a testimony builder! The quote as stated above was given by our recent convert Ilalio. We were teaching him about the Plan of Salvation and we got to the kingdoms and were trying to help him remember Celestial. So he was trying as hard as he could then he said, "oh its like saying My name is Tina." I couldn't stop laughing because he said "My name is Tina" in English! I couldn't help but laugh! It was so funny because he speaks very broken English so for him to say that was halarious!

Anyways this week has been awesome! Last P-day we had the chance to cut our own hair and Elder Redd decided that he was just going to buzz his! Don't worry I didnt but he has been hearing nonstop about how he looks so different without his hair! So funny!

On Friday we went out to do our visits and went to a members house who had just moved in. She is very strong and has a daughter in law who is not a member. So we went over and started to talk. Soon enough the daughter walks out and the mother says oh yeah she wants to be baptized! Right Sofia? And next thing you know we have a new investigator! We just happened to be at the right place at the right time! We are truly tools in the hands of our Heavenly Father.

Saturday came around and we had met with some girls earlier in the week. They had been baptized and now were in another church. We went over again because they had some questions about our church. It was crazy about all this anti-mormon stuff that had been drilled into her head! I was sooooo surprised! I felt like it was getting to be pretty intense but then Elder Redd bore his testimony about the Book of Mormon, and how if we need any answers to our questions, if we need anything that if we just will read the book then we WILL get an answer! I had never felt the spirit so strongly before in my life than in that moment! It was amazing! She then told us she would read and let us know about any other questions she had.

Lastly this week was Stake Conference. We walked in and were asked as Full Time Missionaries to sit up on the stand. You have no idea how stressed I was. I thought for sure he is going to make us bare our testimonies to all of these people! I was freaking out but then President Reed went up at told us that he just wanted us there to be recognized for being missionaries. But then he gave one of the most amazing talks about faith. I only have a little quote from him and it is this, "Faith can move mountains, spit seas, and do the most amazing miracles. But sometimes our faith can't even move us." That hit me so hard to realize how little my faith was to not even move me! I decided right then and there that I was going to do anything that I needed to make sure that My faith is the faith that can move mountains.

Scriptures that I loved this week!
1Nephi 19:9
2Nephi 1:15
Ezekial 2:6

Thank you everyone for all of the love and support! I truly know this work is true! And that I am doing an amazing work! But it all starts with members finding the people who want to be taught! Keep fighting the good Fight.

Alofa Atu

Elder Bethea

You can call me Firefighter Bethea

This week was full of rainy weather but sunny emotions! But one morning I awoke to my feet being wet. I got up and saw a hole in our roof and it was pouring right on me so I jumped out of bed and started running around the room and patching it up and getting everything clean. Keep in mind this is 3am and Elder Redd is half awake. In the morning he told me that I looked like a firefighter so that is where the title is from. I don't have a lot of time to email but this week we have been fasting and praying to get new investigators and we have found them!!!! We met one young girl who has had a desire to take lessons and just recently got permission to take lessons! She is now on date for the 2nd of December! We also will be having a baptism this Saturday only because in the Tongan ward they had a investigator ready for baptism but his dad wanted him to be baptized in our ward so we will be doing his baptism. I love you all and sorry for the short Email! I am staying in Pavaiai for another transfer so keep that in mind.

Alofa Atu

Elder Elder Mason Derek Bethea

Lessons from People who cant speak

This week was pretty hard just because we haven't been able to find very many people who would like to listen to us. Most of our area is either members or they have no interest in what we have to say. But this week we ran into a family we haven't talked to yet. As we approached the house the woman started to mumble something and then went to find someone else. I didn't quite understand why she wasn't talking to us. But then later on as we were talking Elder Redd had told me that she couldn't talk. I didn't understand but then her sister told us that she really couldn't speak.

I realized right after that how great of a blessing it is that I can speak. That I have the chance to speak ANOTHER LANGUAGE! I was so crazy that I was so selfish that I wasn't able to see the blessings that my Heavenly Father has given me! My outlook on this language completely changed. It was no longer a burden on me but was more of an amazing opportunity to be able to share the gospel in another language!

Other than that this week has been slow not very many people allowing us to share the gospel with them. But our investigator Sophia is now on date for the 10th of December! It's so awesome to see her progress every single day!

I have had no questions this week so if you have any please let me know so I can help you understand! Thank you all for the love and support!

Alofa Atu

Elder Bethea