Lo'u imaili mulimuli

Lo'u aiga,

This is my last email home from New Zealand.

I have had lots of requests of things to write home about for my last email... 

But first things first, Jackie decided last week that she wanted to get baptized.

Jackie, Vavau and Jaymis are all getting baptized on the 4th and recieving the gift of the Holy ghost on the 5th. We have a very busy week this week with exchanges and getting everything sorted out for the baptism. I am so late emailing today because I was typing up the program. 

I don't have words to describe how grateful I am...

So grateful that I got to serve here. So grateful for my companions, investigators, the peopleIi got to help, the people that helped me, the language I get to learn, the challenges that I have overcome, and am yet to overcome.

I would say the most important thing I have learned, or at least one of the most important things I have learned from my mission is how key the spirit is to everything we do in life. If we have the spirit with us, we have purpose, guidance and direction, if not we have darkness and confusion. When I have the spirit with me I am preparing for heaven, and I can feel my Savior standing beside me. Nothing is too hard with the Savior by my side. Every challenge and opposition becomes an opportunity to become more like Him. The very jaws of hell can gape open after me and It will not matter because I know that my Savior is with me every step of the way and if I will just give my self to Him, He will take me back to my Father in Heaven.

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the Son of God. God is our loving Heavenly Father. He wants everyone to return to live with Him. That is His work and His glory, and I will do everything I can to align my will with His.

Alofa tele atu mo outou!

Toe feloa'i.

Sista Peo

Me and Sister Seiuli

sunset

Jaymis

Vavau

Jackie

Me and my soa, Sister Taugaele

This roundabout is the corner of all the areas I've had on my mission!! :)

Photos from Sis Taugaele:

2nd to last email

Sista Péo's Homecoming Talk will be Feb 12th at 11am, .  You are invited to come back to our house following Sacrament Meeting to visit with Sister Péo.  A light luncheon will be served.  As an FYI, next week will be her last email home.  If you would like to send her a quick email this week, her address is alley.peo@myldsmail.net  Thank you for your love, prayers and support for both Sister Péo and her family.  We certainly have felt the blessings of having a missionary. --Delise

Lo'u aiga peleina,

This week was absolutely bonkers!!!

Monday- our family home evening fell through so we just went to see Jackie!! MIRACLE!!! We were able to talk to her about her commitment and read the Book of Mormon with her!! We had a great conversation about preparing for baptism and the importance of knowing the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon!!! BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY TIME WE GOT TO TALK TO HER THIS WEEK!!! NOOO!!!!

Tuesday- MLC (Mission Leadership Council), Sister Taugaele stayed with the Samoan Sisters in Papakura and I drove down to Hamilton with Sister Lewis and Sister Clegg! SISTER LEWIS MY SISTER TRAINING LEADER FROM MAUREWA 2ND!!! YAY!!! Elder Cardon from the 70 spoke to us and it was amazing!!!! After MLC, we picked up my companion and then they dropped us back off to our car. I opened the boot, put the car keys inside and my companion's bag with the phone in it and slammed the trunk shut. I realized as I was slamming it what I was doing but it was to late, I locked our keys and phone in the boot!!!! NO!!! And we were stuck in Papakura!!! THE ONLY AREA IN SOUTH AUCKLAND I'VE NEVER COVERED!!!!! Yup, so we went door knocking and borrowed someone's phone, luckily Sister Taugaele remembered Sister Ulu's number. So we called them, and got the Zone leader's number, and called them to call Sister Lewis and Sister Clegg to come back!! There is so much more that happened to this story but to make a long story a little bit shorter, we got help and about 3 hours later a towing company came and unlocked the car for us in about 10 seconds. It made me question the security system on cars... hahaha!!!

Wednesday- We had splits with some missionaries in the English as a second language program in the MTC. We took them out with us for about 6 hours!! They chose us thinking they would be Samoan sisters... they were all from Taiwan... that was very interesting... but it was fun!!! I was able to share my testimony with them that Our God is a God of miracles and if he asks us to learn a new language he makes it possible!!

Thursday- Zone conference in Hamilton again!! We drove down early and came back around 4, this time I didn't lock my keys in the car!! It was so inspired!!! I got some great insights from President and Sister Cummings and also Elder and Sister Cardon!! I feel so much love and peace!!

Friday- Business as usual, planning and trying to catch up from the 2 days of not working in our area!!

Saturday- Business as usual but we also got 2 new investigators which is so exciting!!!!

Sunday- We had the program for Sacrament Meeting about goals!! So I spoke about the ward mission plan for this year in Alema!! But right after Sacrament Meeting, I got really really sick and I made us go home. My companion was worried about me and called Sister Cummings. She told us to cancel all of our plans and rest. I passed out for about 6 hours. I was so sick!! But luckily I'm doing much better now!! :)

Today- we are going to drop by Jackie again, and also James!!!! VAVAU IS FOR SURE GETTING BAPTIZED ON THE 4th!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!! We will see him on Wednesday!!!!

I used to get really nervous and upset when I thought about the end of my mission. But President Cummings advised me to think of it as another transfer, I am just getting transferred to an area I've served in before and I don't know who my companion is. Ever since I've started thinking about it like that, I have felt so much peace. I am no longer worried. The Lord needs me to serve and do his work in Utah next transfer... but that doesn't mean I slacken my pace now. It also doesn't mean I speed up and try and squish more in. It means I just keep doing what I always do: try my best to do the will of the Lord, nothing less, nothing more. I am in such peace and happiness right now. I am on the brink of some big changes in my life as i know it, but I find strength in just doing the will of the Lord right now, whatever that may be.

Alofa tele atu mo otou!!

Sista Peo

Pili

Lo'u aiga peleina,

This week was awesome!! So busy and fun!!! Hang on let me check my planner so I can actually remember details...

Yesterday was bonkers!! We had two family home evenings after church!!

1) Gese and her family! We shared about how families can be together forever! I showed the picture of Mom and Padre in front of the temple and talked about how my parents living worthily and being sealed in the temple has blessed me!! We also found out Gese's concern. Her dad who is lotu kaiki (sorry I don't know what religion that is in English) advised her that she should support her husband in his calling in his church. That is her concern. She still knows the Church is true and loves it with all her heart but she is following the counsel of her father and supporting her husband! The Stake President and the old bishop used to visit with her all the time and told her that it was okay as long as she kept her testimony!! Always praying for her and her family!! I love them so much!!

2) Tamala family!! Their nephew has come to stay live with them from Austraillia! He was baptized when he was 8 but they cant find his record! Anywhere! It is gone!! So he needs to be rebaptized! So we shared lesson one again with them and set him for the 4th of February my last Saturday in the mission, and his confirmation on the 5th, my last Sunday!! Should be awesome!!

Randomly this week we popped in to try and see Jackie. She and her family are always crazy busy!! So it's way lucky if we catch them at the house!! Another reason why its been tricky to start her lessons!! We have been waiting on her to text us a time she is free but she is just always busy!! Anyway we randomly popped in on Saturday night and they were home!!! We got chatting a little bit and I felt prompted just to be really bold and straight forward... yay!! That's my favorite thing to do!!

Me- "What's going on, are we going to start your lessons? We don't force, just invite but if you want, we'd really like to share the lessons with you."

Jackie- "Oh ya! Of course! Do you want to do it right now?"

Yesssssssssssssssssssss!! We didn't do it right then because we had another appointment, instead we did it during second hour of church the next day!! It was so awesome!! She shared that she already believes in everything from the first lesson... she just needs to find out if Joseph Smith is actually a prophet or not!! So we gave her a couple of chapters of the Book of Mormon to read!! She is so awesome!! I love Jackie!!! I think we are going to go try and watch Prophet of the Restoration with her today at her house for pday!!

Whew. Long one! Are yous tired? I'm tired!! So busy!!

This week will be crazy too but I'll save that for next weeks letter aye??

Alofa tele atu!!

Sista Peo

us and Jackie

a lizard that was trapped in the chapel that I took outside

Sister Taugaele and the lizard

 

 

Lo'u aiga peleina,

We are so tired this week!!!

Lots and lots and lots and lots of door knocking in the hot sun!!!

We would go home for lunch and not end up eating... just taking a shower and a baby nap and then going back out again!!! YAY FOR MISSIONARY WORK!!!!! Haha!!! I am so dark right now... I don't know if yous can tell because I'm always around Samoans and they just make me look pink!! HAHA!! But we have been working so hard, both in the area and for the other sisters I cover!!! It feels like we have been running around like crazy this week!!

Exciting update!!! Vavau is soooo close to getting baptized we are just waiting on the confirmation paper for their marriage license!! So they should get it sometime this week!!! Which means Vavau's baptism we are aiming for the 21st!!! WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR HIM!!!

So big week this week preparing Vavau for his interview and trying to visit Jackie daily until she is ready to start lessons!! Jackie is soooo cute, I love her!!! I don't know when she will be ready for lessons but I know she will love the teaching of the gospel and the feeling of the spirit that come from it!!  (From Mom: I asked her who Jackie is and this is what she said, "Jackie is the secretary for Relief Society's daughter!! I thought I mentioned her before??

She came from Samoa while Sister Seiuli was here!! They are a super busy and active family so we have been trying to set a time with her for lessons!! But we had an FHE earlier this week and we did a fun game with the 10 commandments!! It was way fun!!! She is catholic but loves church and loves YSA!! She is awesome!!!")

I love you all so much!! I hope everyone is staying warm over there... it sounds like everyone is basically just living in igloos right now!! Have fun with that while me and Sister Taugaele sweat to death over here ;)

I've been doing lots of thinking this week, and I just wanted to share how grateful I am for my mission. If nothing else, I have learned that if you trust in the Lord everything else will work out. And that is the most remarkable thing. How lucky we are to have someone so trust worthy, someone of perfect character to love us so much and be so willing to help us at every point in our lives. All we have to do is accept him. Accept his atonement and then everything else falls into place! How blessed are we to have challenges and struggles thrown at us, so that we can learn what really matters!!

Alofa tele atu!

Manuia le vaiaso!!

Sista Peo

Also elder Reid from the MTC is serving in Sister Taituuga's (my trainer) ward in Samoa!!!

WHAAAAAAAAT!!!!

 Our District

 Seuili and Taugaele

 Taking a "short cut"

One of us was tired and one of us was a spaz!

Look who got her ears pierced...hahahaha

 

 ...........hahahahaha

There they are!  Look so cute!!  <3 She said it didn't hurt but the lady who did it for her was laughing because Sista Peo kept asking if it was going to hurt so much!

Manuia le tausaga fou!!!!!!!!

Lo'u aiga peleina,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sorry I neglected to send a big email last week!!! One job Peo!!!

I will just start with Christmas!!!! Sister Seiuli and I spent it with the Tui's (our ward mission leader), The Frost's (our Bishop), GESE and Manuia (I baptized Gese last year), and we went around sticky noting peoples houses!!! It was a blast!!!!!!!! And so fun to talk to my cute family on Christmas!!!! :)

Sister Green  and Sister Hazelet finished their missions!!!! So I was the only sister training leader in South Auckland for a few days, which made things really interesting!!! I picked up Sister Namerial and Lualua on Tuesday!! They stayed with us for a night and then we took them to the airport on Wednesday!!! Which was quite the process!!!

Tuesday night our Zone Leader didn't call to give us the news, but the Sisters I cover called and told us. Sister Taugaele is my new companion and Sister Seiuli is going to Sister Moli in Papakura! Which means Sister Ulu is follow up training Sister Sherer. I think it was a very smart transfer for President to make but it made both Sister Seiuli and I very sad.... we wanted to be together until we finished...we didn't really sleep that night. Mostly we cried.

Thursday was transfers and I was running around all day, which was good, it kept me busy!!! Friday I certified Sister Sherer for driving in New Zealand... that was fun!! There were a couple of times where I was convinced I wouldn't make it home after all and really would die on my mission but all is well!! And now she is used to driving on the left side ;)

Saturday and Sunday, Sister Taugaele and I were really able to buckle down and introduce her to the ward and to our investigators!!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve with Sister Taugaele again!!! I love her so much and she has grown heaps since when I trained her!! She is such a spiritually strong and powerful missionary and I am so proud of her!!!

Alofa tele atu mo outou!!!! 

Manuia le tausaga fou!!

Sista Peo

Me and Sister Seiuli's last picture

dropping Sisters to the airport

goodbye Sister Lualua

Taugaele, me and Gese

Sticky note Christmas!!!

 

 

 

Sister Taugaele and Sister Peo; Together again!

Koekiki Kirismasi

Lo'u aiga peleina,

It's almost Christmas!!!

We have still been doing lots of finding with the Light the World pass a long cards but everyone just gets busier and busier in this Christmas season and that always makes things tricky!! It's like Satan know this time of the year everyone is more spiritually awake, so he tries to combat that by make everyone busy, busy, busy!!! :)

We had a service project on Saturday that was.... awesome? scary?

Elder Van Theil called and asked if we could come join them for his service project (Saturday) and said that it would probably be from 8-12 and they needed as much help as possible, we were just cleaning a house. We thought that sounded good!!

Saturday was the day we all decided last week would be the day for our zone car fast- we all go 24 hours without using our cars. So naturally we biked there!! HALF WAY to the service project the zone leader drives by in their car..... we got there and EVERY SINGLE COMPANIONSHIP in our zone drove their car. BAHAHA!!!! Sister Seiuli was so mad at me!!! It was crack up as!!! Obedience points!!!!

Okay so the service itself.... There was HEAPS of stuff in this house!!!.... There were boxes of stuff piled up to the ceiling. We made a line and just passed everything outside so the family could sort through it and we could clean the rooms. We were only going to do 3 rooms that day Bathroom, Toilet (toilet is a separate room in almost all New Zealand houses), and the kitchen. So as soon as one room was cleared of stuff people would jump in and clean it.... I was in charge of the toilet and I spent the whole 4 hours in there... "when ye are in the service of your fellow men ye are only in the service of your God" ;)

That is mainly what happened this week!!!~ I hope everyone is gearing up for Christmas!!! Look for miracles in this beautiful season!! Love you all so much!!

Alofa tele atu!!

Sista Peo

alley.peo@myldsmail.net

We wore our Samoan dresses to church yesterday :)

Sorry no pictures of the service!!! :(

 

Photos from Sisters Ulu and Taugaele (exchanges):

 Kopai from Sis Taugaele

Pictures with Sis Ulu

That awkward moment when you almost forget to write the big email...

Note from Mom: Alley comes home on Feb 7th and her homecoming talk is on Feb 12th at 11am in the church near the Draper Temple.  I know she would love to see any of you who are able to come hear her speak about her mission experiences. Thank you all for your support and love to Alley and also her family!  We are blessed and you are appreciated beyond measure!


Lo'u Aiga peleina,

Busy as week!!!!

We did exchanges with Sister Ulu and Sister Taugaele!!! This time I was with Sister Taugaele in Manurewa 1st!! Members were very excited to see us so that was fun!! I also got to see Beverly and Napolean for a minute and we visited Povalu, an old investigator!!! Taua has been reset for baptism on Christmas Day, hopefully her paper will come through! But exciting things are happening in that area!!

We also did exchanges with Sister Moli and Sister Sheerer!!! Sister Sheerer came with me into Alema!! She is doing a great job with the language!! She has a very solid foundation and is keeping a little notebook of words every time she doesn't understand!! She will catch Samoan really fast with all her hard work!!

Mariah is MOVING TO AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!! Nooooooooooooooooooooo! She leaves on Wednesday!! But she is doing good!! She is reading the Book of Mormon and praying but she says she isn't getting an answer. But she said the reason she's not getting her answer is because she is too worried about moving... there ya go! She answered her own concern!! I think it will be good for her to go there... the Lord will send missionaries to her because she is ready for them!!!

Other exciting news: VAVAU and UAINA recieved Uaina's divorce paper!!!! SO THEY CAN GET MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO VAVAU CAN GET BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have seriously been working with them for almost a year now!!!! We just found out yesterday so hopefully we can get everything all sorted out this week!!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

I love you all so much!!! I loved the talks from the Christmas devotional.. especially elder Holmes's talk about how ridiculous it would be if we were to look at our Christmas presents and excitedly talk about them but never end up opening them... and how we do that sometimes with the gifts our Heavenly Father gives us!!! I love the light the world program this Christmastime because it helps me recognize gifts that I have been given, that way I can open them this Christmas Season!!!!

Alofa tele atu!!!!

Sista Peo

Other fun things:

We rode bikes a lot this week~!!

Sister Seiuli flooded the laundry room at like 10pm last night and then took pictures of me cleaning it up hahah!!! Thant punk!!! ;)

 Soa Seuili and Peo

 Sisters Peo and Taugaele

 Sisters Peo and Taugaele

 Sisters Peo and Seuili