Week 12: Looney Tunes
Malo etau lava famili!
This week has been a good and productive week. Not only productive but hot and tiring.
Since I won't be transferring, which I honestly don't care at all cuz I love this place, we've decided to focus working on Lavengatonga. On about Wednesday we headed to Lavengatonga to input names into our PMG (Preach My Gospel) app. We found one of the other kaingalotu (church congregation members) in a store just talking to the palesteni fkkolo's wife or branch president's wife. We asked her where the other houses were of the other kaingalotu so that we could put their names in the PMG, but she only gave us 3 other houses. We asked if that was it and she said yes. We already knew that the member attendance in Lavengatonga was small but we didn't know it was this small. I heard that there were alot of vaivai siasi or less active members but I wasn't too sure. We did our vilo (rounds) around Lavengatonga and tried to find the houses that she had given us. We came upon a couple of houses but there was one house that she had given us that she said was "next to a store." We came upon a blue house and usually if the house is blue then the people who live inside are often Wesleyan. We went up to the house and called out, then a lady came out and invited us into her house. We introduced ourselves and told her we were looking for the kaingalotu of the Lavengatonga branch so that we could put them into the PMG app. I pulled out my phone so that I could begin recording her info down but she told us, "No, I'm a part of the Wesleyan church." I looked at my hoa with a look as if to say, π "she's what?" and I put my phone back into my pocket. My hoa and I both grabbed our scripture bags as if to leave but then we looked at each other again then just put our bags down. We talked about it after and we both honestly had the same impression. The lady was a part of the Wesleyan church but if she really didn't want to talk to us then she wouldn't have let us come inside her home. Heavenly Father obviously led us to her and allowed her to open her doors for us so there is obviously a reason we were there. While sitting there with the lady who's name is Mele, she told us that her husband was actually baptized to the LDS church but had turned away due to drugs. Her husband has been locked up somewhere (I forgot where I think either Australia or somewhere else) and she also told us that he returns this month on the 21st. She also told us that he's very good at the guitar and the uke so my hoa and I told her that we would love to play with him when he comes back home. This was such a dope experience for me because that wasn't even the right house we were supposed to go to, but we were able to maheni (befriend) with mele. She said she is very strong in her faith, which is okay--we can always be friends with people.
Since I won't be transferring, which I honestly don't care at all cuz I love this place, we've decided to focus working on Lavengatonga. On about Wednesday we headed to Lavengatonga to input names into our PMG (Preach My Gospel) app. We found one of the other kaingalotu (church congregation members) in a store just talking to the palesteni fkkolo's wife or branch president's wife. We asked her where the other houses were of the other kaingalotu so that we could put their names in the PMG, but she only gave us 3 other houses. We asked if that was it and she said yes. We already knew that the member attendance in Lavengatonga was small but we didn't know it was this small. I heard that there were alot of vaivai siasi or less active members but I wasn't too sure. We did our vilo (rounds) around Lavengatonga and tried to find the houses that she had given us. We came upon a couple of houses but there was one house that she had given us that she said was "next to a store." We came upon a blue house and usually if the house is blue then the people who live inside are often Wesleyan. We went up to the house and called out, then a lady came out and invited us into her house. We introduced ourselves and told her we were looking for the kaingalotu of the Lavengatonga branch so that we could put them into the PMG app. I pulled out my phone so that I could begin recording her info down but she told us, "No, I'm a part of the Wesleyan church." I looked at my hoa with a look as if to say, π "she's what?" and I put my phone back into my pocket. My hoa and I both grabbed our scripture bags as if to leave but then we looked at each other again then just put our bags down. We talked about it after and we both honestly had the same impression. The lady was a part of the Wesleyan church but if she really didn't want to talk to us then she wouldn't have let us come inside her home. Heavenly Father obviously led us to her and allowed her to open her doors for us so there is obviously a reason we were there. While sitting there with the lady who's name is Mele, she told us that her husband was actually baptized to the LDS church but had turned away due to drugs. Her husband has been locked up somewhere (I forgot where I think either Australia or somewhere else) and she also told us that he returns this month on the 21st. She also told us that he's very good at the guitar and the uke so my hoa and I told her that we would love to play with him when he comes back home. This was such a dope experience for me because that wasn't even the right house we were supposed to go to, but we were able to maheni (befriend) with mele. She said she is very strong in her faith, which is okay--we can always be friends with people. Later on towards the end of the week on Saturday we were told that there will be a youth activity going on in Lavengatonga so we wanted to go and help out to become more familiar with the kaingalotu. The activity that the youth was doing was walking around the village and inviting all the members to attend church on Sunday. We walked around with the youth and it was fun for me. The youth were all funny kids but also spiritual people. It was also a good activity because I thought there were only about 4 to 6 houses that were apart of the church in this area but while walking around we hit about 8 or 12 houses which after talking with the branch president he said that there were alot of vaivai siasi. Although as missionaries we are to help convert those who are looking for the true church, Palesteni Kaufusi said that we also need to strengthen our branch members so that they can continue to grow their faith. After we finished we headed back to branch President Siale's house and helped them prepare LΕ« (taro leaves) for an umu (underground oven). Honestly I had no idea what I was doing I was just copying the girl next to me but we had a good time with everyone. They asked to take pictures with us and then we headed home. We did a couple of other things this week but these are the two things that stood out to me most.
Love and miss you all until next time! 
Comments
Post a Comment