Here we go!

Dearest family and friends,

Today as I write to you my heart is a little heavy with loneliness and homesickness, but I have come to realize that my homesickness is a deep longing to return to the presence of my Heavenly Father and Mother.  Oh how my spirit longs to be with them again. But for now I must go forward with faith relying on my Savior Jesus Christ to strengthen me and continue to walk the path that He walked.

As hard as it can be at times, I am so humbled and eternally blessed and grateful to be wearing  a missionary badge again and to be serving the Lord here in Samoa. I love the ward which I'm serving in, the Pesaga 5th ward.  It's also a blessing for me to have President and Sister Tolman there as well. It helps me to have them close by. I have come to love them very much.

 I got to spend my first week with Sister Kamerath. She has been the nurse serving here in Samoa fot he last 20 months. She has such a gentle heart and wonderful gift of healing.  When I introduce myself to the missionaries, they ask me, "and what about Sister Kamerath? Is she finished?"

When I tell them, "yes", tears fill their eyes and then I start crying with them. So many missionaries out here in the islands have ahd vvery hard lives. Either they've lost their mothers or grandmothers at a very young age or never knew them at all. So it's not at all uncommon for them to become very attached to senior missionaries and especially their nurse.

Having experienced some of my own challenges in life I can succor them in their times of need. I have a wonderful mother who did this so well and taught me how to serve others. We are both wounded healers.  She is serving on the other side of the veil as I serve here on earth. How blessed I am to call her mother. I miss her very much but am so grateful for her example to me and my children. I love you Mom!

Samoa is so beautiful! I spent one of my P-Day's touring the island with two dear friends in my ward, Va and Angie, (Mother and daughter in the photo with Sister Kamerath above)

We stopped and fed the turtles. I loved it. 

click here to watch this video

Then we drove and ended up at the top of some mountain. When I asked them where we were they didn't know and then they asked me where we were... I said, "I don't live here... you do." So we laughed and I said, "Well, enjoy it! It's beautiful and we are on an island so... eventually we will end up back where we started!"

I have a two bedroom home so I can help out with the new sister intakes that come.

They spend their first night at my home and then are taken to their assigned areas the next day after intake training. This is Sister Davies and Sister Aspinall. I actually met them when I was in the MTC and told them that I would be their nurse. They are wonderful missionaries!

 I live on the temple grounds and it's so amazing to walk outside everyday to go to my office and see this beautiful temple.

 I had a nice surprise my first week here. Sister Kamerath took me to lunch and when I opened the door to the restaurant and walked in, there was one of my dear friends, Lita, from Kiribati. 




She came to Samoa with some of her family for the marriage of her daughter. It was such nice surprise. Lita is the principle at Moroni High School in Kiribati.

 

I was able to fly to American Samoa.

 The Samoan Islands are all volcanic, but on this one, the terrain is so steep, that everyone has to live around the perimeter.

I went there to teach Sister Saunders how to use the church's web page for charting on the missionaries. She is a retired nurse but she and Elder Saunder were

called to be over the CES missionaries, but have been asked to also run the Apia Mission office in American Samoa. They are from Calgary, Alberta Canada and are so awesome at alllllllllllllllll they do! 

We had an earthquake here yesterday that woke me up around 6:20am and I nearly fell off the bed because I was sleeping so close to the side. I think I like my alarm clock more than an earthquake waking me up, though.  It's the 14th one so far this year!

Thank you to all who have sent me emails. It really helps and if your ever bored please feel free to write or send me photos. I love hearing what's happening in your lives.

The missionaries are so awesome here and they really love serving the Lord.  I know that we are each called of God and that He lives. I know the Book of Mormon is specifically for us in our day and that it is true. It has strengthened my testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I love the Lord with all my heart.

Love,

Sister Cassita

Catching Up...MTC to Arrival!

Oh my goodness!

I'm trying to catch up on everything that has happened...

So on my P-Day I went to the Aquarium in Draper with with some of my children, friends and my grand daughter McKenzie.

It was amazing to see all the different kinds of sea life. We had fun walking across the rope bridge;

and I think that my grand daughter McKenzie loved it the most! She was so excited to be there and I was loving being with her.

We stopped by Liberty Park for some mother-daughter time while McKenzie enjoyed playing on the slides and swings.

I sure do wish that I had had  better communication skills when my children were younger and especially when they were teenagers.(sorry kids)But oh how I love to talk with them now. I love you my dearest children!

Farewell talk! I was so nervous! When I walked into the chapel I gave my older brother Bryan a hug and said to him, "What am I doing"? He replied, "I don't know, I've been asking that your whole life".

Well I'm sure he's not alone in that question. But what I do know is that I don't fit a typical mold. I live by the spirit and sometimes not. I haven't mastered hearing His voice in all things but I'm for sure getting better and oh, how I dearly love my Savior with all of my heart.

 















 I want to especially thank my children, Zachary, Houston, Maddison and Taylor for all your love and support and for making the sacrifice to come into town. I cherish the times we spent together. I love each one of you more than my words can express. 

Our Heavenly Father is a God of miracles! Sister Johnson was a young missionary serving in Kiribati with me. She was very ill at one point on her mission. She had developed Septicemia. That's an infection in the bloodstream. We traveled to Fiji for more intensive care where she was admitted to the Suva Private Hospital. By the power of the priesthood blessings, fasting and the great care from her doctor she fully recovered. Most importantly was the faith of this young sister missionary. I love you Sister Johnson!  Her and her mother Robin and sister Sara came too.

Week two was spent downtown with the senior mission medical team. They are awesome!

The Drakes spent so much time teaching us and making sure that all of us were equipped with the tools that we would need to see to the medical needs of the missionaries that would be in our care in our individual missions. Thank you, thank you! Elder and Sister Drake. I loved their enthusiasm and their love of serving gave me a spiritual charge every day that we met.

Well, with my training finished I was blessed to have a couple of more days to spend with some more family and friends.

Farewell dinner with some of my family. Oh how I dearly love you all! Thank  you!!

I'm indebted to my best friend Marci, Thank you for showing me how to be the best I can through the power of true discipleship! Putting God first and for always telling me that I can do hard things. I love her so much! Saying goodbye is so dang hard!

 





















Thank you to my cousin Rebecca and my Aunt Joy for letting me stay in her home. I love you!

Next stop on my way to the airport, lunch with my darling daughter Maddison and one last hug, I didn't want to let go of her!

Well, here I am bags and all, off to care for the wounded warriors of God's Army.

 How humbled I am to be a servant and disciple of our Savior Jesus Christ. I testify that He lives and that ALL things are possible to the one who believes in Him.

He is my Savior, my King, and my Redeemer. I love you Him with everything and all that I am!

May He bless each on of your lives as you turn to Him for your needs. Thank you to everyone who has helped me to fulfill this mission. I know that I have not made this journey alone. 

To all who have or will continue to help support me in this mission I graciously and humbly say thank you and pray that the blessing of Heaven will be poured down upon you and your families for your sacrifice to help me serve this mission.

I love you and I love my Savior!

Love,

Sister Cassita

Samoa Apia Mission
P.O. Box 608
Pago Pago, American Samoa
96799

Week One - MTC

Dear Family and Friends,

Oh what a week it has been. The second time around confirmed to me that the MTC is the greatest schooling on earth. God's house is truly a house of order. Thank you to my best friend Marci for taking me down and seeing me receive my missionary badge

and for your endless hours and days in helping me to prepare, not only for the MTC but for when I get home and in preparing for the Second Coming of Christ! God truly is a God of miracles!!!!

My first day when I walked into the cafeteria I heard someone yell out,
 

"Sister Cassita". I turned to see Elder Kaiatia, from Kiribati.

He was grinning from ear to ear and my heart jumped for joy. He was a student living in the dorms on Moroni Campus where I lived on my last mission and I had treated him for an injury that was completely healed over some time.

Sister Eneri is also from Kiribati and I learned she had broken her foot and will be staying longer at the MTC  while she awaits complete healing of her foot. It made me homesick for my Kiribati friends and family, oh how I love all my brother's and sister's everywhere!

I was thrilled to see President and Sister Burgess also in the cafeteria that first day. The second time around was harder because I know how homesick I get. They both gave me a big hug and welcomed me to the MTC.  

 

They told me that President Dalquist had called them earlier that morning to tell them that I would be arriving. How grateful I am to both President and Sister Dalquist for all there love and support. President Burgess was a counselor to  Pres. Dalquist. in our stake and now serves with his wife as the president at the MTC.  

 

I testify that God knows our needs and is in the details of our lives. I have come to recognize his hand more and more as I get out of the way and allow Him to guide and direct my life. Oh how I love Him with all my heart! 

We were placed into districts, this was my mini family and I came to love these missionaries.

At our Tuesday devotional we were blessed to hear from Elder Zwick and receive profound and great instruction on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. At one point the Spirit was so strong and I was overcome with emotion, as I put my head in my lap I could feel the love of my Savior and I knew that He knew how hard this sacrifice was for me to leave my children again but that I was not alone and that He would ALWAYS, be with me.

 

Thank you to my son Taylor for the ride from the MTC. He surprised me on our way to Sandy, he told me that he needed to pick something up. When we got to the place there was my other son Houston.

Oh my goodness! He had flown in from Missouri. I was so happy to be with two of my four children for the weekend before I started week two of training in Salt Lake City.

 

Love ,

Sister Cassita

Farewell Dear Friends and Family!

Dear family and friends,

I'm starting to get butterflies!!!

Here I come MTC, April 13th. I will spend 5 days there and then finish my training with medical personnel downtown Salt Lake City. Then I fly out April 27!

In between the two trainings I will be speaking in Sacrament meeting on April 19th at 2:45.

The address for that is:
10310 Ashley Park Drive, Sandy, Utah 84092

All are invited to gather with me and my children after the meeting at my friends house:

Marci Nilsson

9866 S. Eastdell Dr. (2300 E.)

If you have any questions before April 13th feel free to call me at 385-888-6098; or you may call Marci at 801-654-0360 after that, as I will be busy at the MTC:)

 

I look forward to serving the Lord in this capacity again as a mission nurse. It will be even harder to leave my children behind again but I know and believe the Lord's promises to those who sacrifice for His sake. I love my children with all of my heart and I know that they will be in the Lord's hands while I'm gone. However I would love it, for any who feel so inspired, to step in and help them with any needs while I am away serving...

 

I want to thank each of you for all your love and support. I could not do this alone as I venture out again "without purse or script". The one sure thing I do know is that the Lord provides and my faith in Him has strengthened my testimony of the miracles that come to those that trust Him. He is my Redeemer and King. I look forward to the day when all of us are united in one heart and mind and witness His magnificent return. I long for that day; I live for that day. I love being a missionary!

 

Tofa soifua, Ou te alofa ia te oe
Sister Cassita

 

Here is the address, for those of you that requested it for any donations:

Bishop Michael Baum

Ashley Park Ward
10045 Ridegate Circle
Sandy, Utah 84092

 

 

Here We Go Again!!!!

My dear family and friends,

 After, what I thought would be my last blog and 2 weeks home from my mission I received a call from Church Head Quarters asking me when I would be willing to serve another mission. I told them, "Right now; I belong to the Lord."

However I did share with them that I was broke the first time I went out and that I am still broke, but that I am willing and I have no doubt that the Lord will provide a way.

With that being said, I was instructed to meet with my bishop right away and get the paper work done so that they could start the process for my visa.

Well, Here I go again!

I have been called to serve in the Samoa Apia Mission. 

I will enter the MTC  on April 13th.

I learned so many wonderful things while serving my last mission, but the one thing that pulls at my heart, even as a little girl, is my deep love for others and the way I feel when I am serving them. It's like oxygen to my brain.

"When ye are in the service or your fellowmen, ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17)

I know where that yummy feeling comes from... He is the source of all truth and light! He is our Heavenly Father, I love Him with all my heart.

I am truly humbled and honored to serve my Heavenly Father again in this capacity as the mission nurse. I could never have imagined that I would be doing this back when I was in nursing school, a single mother, struggling to make ends meet. 

"And all these things shall give thee experience"

For those of you who have offered to help me on this mission here is the information for your contributions.
(mark donation slip: "Sister Cassita-missionary donation)

Bishop Michael T. Baum
Ashley Park Ward

10045 S. Ridgegate Circle

Sandy , Utah  84092

We know that the Lord is hastening His work. We all have a part in this. I love you all my dear brothers and sisters. 

May we all feel His love as we serve the needy, the widowed, and the heavy laden.

I wish you all a Happy 2015!

Thank you for all your love and support. 

Love,

Sister Cassita