-Insert subject here-

(pretty good subject eh?)

Talofa Lava mai Samoa!

This week has definitely been a week. It had 7 days and each day had 24 hours. (That weren't  supposed to be profound or nuthin') Anyways, its great to be a missionary! :D

This week I have gained a strong testimony of the power of prayer in missionary work. We have been praying that we will be guided by the holy ghost  in our days and our visits.  We have felt the guiding hand of the Lord in our work.  

On Saturday I had the opportunity to baptize two people. The sister missionaries in our district had two investigators ready to be baptized and they asked me if I would be willing to do it. [Brother and Sister Vauga]. Very good people.

Sorry I'm kind of just writing down all my thoughts of the the week without any order. This week as we have earnestly tried to have the spirit with us we have been able to be guided to the people the Lord has prepared to hear the message of the restored gospel. I look forward to getting to know these people better and helping them receive the blessings of God.

One way that we have been blessed is that people in our ward has really embraced the work and they are helping us a lot. I know that with out the help of members the work would be impossible. Always make sure and help the missionaries, I promise you that they need your help and that you will be blessed as you help them.

Got to break up a fight this week. All kinds of fun.

Alofa atu ia te outou!

-Elder Lamoreaux

A day in the life of a Samoan missionary

Matagofie Samoa

The day starts at 6:30am. It starts with communication with our Father in Heaven. I ask Him to bless us through out the day and guide us with His spirit. Then we exercise. After that we shower, get dressed, comb our hairs, and put on our name tags.

Every day when we put on our name tags we declare that we represent Jesus Christ. Everything we do must be in accordance to what He would do. When ever I put on my name tag I feel the sacred responsibility of the calling as a missionary.

Studies start at 8 am (after a healthy breakfast of Saimini and water.) We do an hour of personal studies, where we study things that help us become better missionaries. Recently I have been studying chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel. This chapter talks about Christlike Attributes and I am studying one of them in depth every week. This week is alofa mama ma alofa, Charity and Love.

After personal studies we do two hours of companion study, one hour of training for me because I am still mosi, and then one hour of preparing for our lessons that day. We look at the needs of all the people we will visit that day and then we plan lessons according to their needs.

After comp study we do an hour of language study. In the language study we...study the language.

We leave the house at 12 and go Tala'i, preach. Before we leave the house we always ask to be guided by the Holy Ghost. In a day we usually teach about 5-7 lessons to investigators and 2-3 to less-actives.

At 6 pm we go to Fafaga. Every night we have a fafaga at a members house. We usually eat Taro, Fish, Bread Fruit, Fried Chicken, some weird soups with lots of leaves in it, and a lot of other stuff. And of course Samoans always cover everything in pe'epe'e or coconut cream, as all you white people call it. ;)

After fafaga we will go continue proselyting till 9 pm when we return to the house. As soon as we get home we plan for the next day, who we will visit, what lessons we will teach, how many lessons, referrals, contacts, new investigators, and lessons taught with a member present we will have during the day. Then we shower. Before we sleep we close our day with an accounting to our Heavenly Father of our actions, thoughts and words during the day. Then we sleep. Wake up, and repeat.

Alofa atu ia te outou!

 Elder Lamoreaux

June 14, 2015

Matagofie Samoa. Seki a Samoa

This week Elder Pearson of the seventy came and spoke in our Stake Conference.

He gave a great talk about agency. He talked about 2nd Nephi chapter 2 where we learn that God created two types of things, things to act and things to be acted upon.

Its up to us to decide if we want to be an object who is acted upon, or an agent to act for ourselves. Do we want to want to be a Child of God who uses their agency? Or do we want to be a tree? A tree doesn't make its own decisions. If it rains, it will get wet. If its hot, it will get hot. If someone tries to offend the tree, it will get offended. If someone tries to make a tree mad, it will get mad. A person who is like a tree reacts to the actions of others.

An agent who uses their agency, or free will, will chose if they want to get wet, hot, offended, or mad. They make their own decisions. This is how our Heavenly Father wants us to be.

Sorry I don't have much time to write any more. Just always remember not to be a tree.

Alofa atu ia te outou!
-Elder Lamoreaux

June 7 2015

Talofa lava mai le nu'u o Faleasi'u!
Well these past 2 weeks have been awesome.  We had two baptisms and set dates for 3 more to be baptized soon.

The people we baptized were Tutogi and Siaso. Tutogi is 21 and really buff. Siaso is 13. He is special needs and he is one of the coolest kids in Faleasi'u. On the day of the baptism we held the service at 12 and everyone showed up on time... except for Tutogi. We waited for him for a while and then my companion and I decided to go look for him. We went to his fale and it turned out he had gone to another village to do something. We ended up chasing him all around this side of Upolu but we never found him. I was dressed in my white clothes so everybody we met looked at me weird. Tutogi's dad said that he would send him over to the chapel as soon as he turned up, so we finally went back to the chapel and did Siaso's baptism. All went well with that. The spirit was strong and it was an amazing experience. After the baptism we went and canceled all of our visits for the rest of the day (by this time it was about 4ish) so that we could wait for Tutogi and baptize him. As soon as we got back from canceling our visits someone told us that Tutogi had come to the chapel and then left because we weren't there. Argh. Haha we went to the other side of our area to his fale to try to find him but he wasn't there. After looking for him for a while we found him at a member's fale right next to the Chapel. We captured him and put him in white clothes and held a baptismal service for him and then.......Baptized him! :D That was an awesome experience as well. He has a strong testimony and we are now re-teaching the lessons to him.

This week we have been working with a lot of people who are trying to overcome addictions. We have been able to help them and see miracles in their lives as they have turned to the Lord instead of their addictions.

I have also had my testimony of fasting strengthened as my companion and I have been fasting. After fasting we always have the spirit with us so strong and we are able to share that spirit with those we teach.

I know that even if I didn't get any baptisms or anything like that for the rest of my mission, I know that the work I have been able to do has already been worth 2 years of my life. But I plan on getting a lot more work done here while I have the opportunity. These 2 years are one of the biggest blessings of my life. I have never been happier in my whole life than I am now.

Alofa atu ia te outou,
-Elder Lamoreaux