Week 2: Baptisms

 

Wassup everybody it's the 3rd week of tonga now. I finally got my hoa (companion) who had been stuck in Vava'u for a little because of some problems with the traveling. I've been waiting for this guy for a minute and now that he's here, we hit it off real quick. We both love music and this guy can even sing opera too. Before my hoa though I was posted up with Elder Holakeituai and Elder Teaupa. Elder Teaupa is the zone leader for his zone which is liahona zone which is also the zone with the most baptisms I think. Me and Elder Holakeituai helped with a few baptisms that the sisters needed help with since the sisters don’t baptize and there's also no other Elders in that zone so we had to do it regardless. It was my first time doing baptisms on the mission and also in Tongan so it was dope to be able to participate in that. My hoa Elder Vaioleti is from Phoenix Arizona and he's been out here on a mission for 6 months and his Tongan is pretty good. He been helping me alot especially with studying and learning the language. We already have one investigator which out her we call "laumalie" or spirits. We teach her the second lesson today and maybe, if she's ready she'll be baptized this Friday. From my first week I was kind of nervous about Tonga just becuase I've never been there also cuz I've never even left the country before.  Now I'm chill.  I understand Tongan more now than I can speak it but I know it will come. We have fafanga which is when people feed the missionaries and the people in my ward feed us really well and feed us alot alot of food. I know in Tonga culture it's rude to deny someone's offering so some of the problems I’m having is language and eating. We eat alot of food in the morning enough food to last me thru the whole day and then we have an afternoon eating and I'm still full but I have to pack in the food. The people I serve are amazing and I love them. I have a love for everyone on the island of Tonga  weather I have met them or not. I have a goal to be able to at least conversate in Tongan by 2 months which, after talking to Palesteni Kaufusi he said it is possible. I remember something my boss man and uncle Jared has told me was that “you never really know who you are until you get out of your environment”.   Before coming out here I wanted to do music, but after being a missionary for about 2 months some other things have also caught my mind. Who knows, I still have 600 something days to go. Which might seem long but after talking to my hoa he said one of the mistakes that missionaries have out here is that they think they have alot of time. He compared it to high school. In high school you have a freshman year, sophomore, junior then senior year. Out here you start as a freshman. But the year after you're already a senior. You have a first birthday on the mission then you have a last birthday in the mission. My parents and my family especially my uncles I've worked with have all taught me how to work. So I won't waste my time while here cuz this isn't only my time but the lords time. Thats all I have for this email I'll have more in my next one. Until then. Ofa atu pea tau tokisio! 

Elder Tuha Vimahi