Elder Huntsman: No Thanksgiving in Tonga

Sorry I am getting rushed with this letter so I am going to just write what I can remember and I promise to get you lots of pics and other stuff next week or if I am able to get on later in the week a little

This week is transfers but they are happening later in the week because half of our zone leaders here on Vava'u are going home. My comp is going to be a zone leader and they leave by plane tomorrow for a meeting. So last Tuesday we had a baptism of an old man whose family is all members. It was awesome seeing him get baptized! When we were teaching him he already knew everything we were teaching him so we pretty much just went over all of the lessons. So these past couple weeks we have actually had rain! But last week every other day the families weren't able to do fafanga so we had to find food, which wasn't too hard because there are a couple families always willing to feed us. The rain just makes everything more humid so that sucks! I don't know if I am losing weight or gaining it! haha hopefully losing.... And then gaining it back in muscle ;) haha I work out a little bit, not much but hey I am getting solid pecks for the first time in my life :) hahahaha we will see what happens in two years! So ya this week we are having transfers but I hope to stay here. Well I gotta go I am getting rushed off the computer! Love you all! Hope all is good! Elder Huntsman

Hi again. I am at a family’s house and the guy who we baptized daughter was skyping to him but I am back and will continue… So I have blessed the sacrament the past two weeks and the guy who leads the music says I do better than the last missionary who was here who has been here for 10 months so hey I guess the language is coming along! I have been doing a lot of studying here! I finished the Book of Mormon in October during conference and started again on November 20th! Already in Alma chapter 18 haha so yes I do read a lot here and I am actually enjoying it! So this past Thursday was the birthday of a man whose house we live behind! He is an old patriarch, the first on Vava'u, and he turned 96!!! He isn't able to move around so just lays in his bed but they had PLATES of food even though it was just like 10 of us there! But the lady who lives there is the guy’s daughter and she makes the SWEETEST/MOST AMAZING Otai everrrrrr! It is so good haha I love otai here! Especially this lady's haha!

So mom my package should get to me this week. I told Elder Finau, my comp who is going to be the zone leader who flies to Tonga tomorrow, to bring it with him! o ya and with the package for Vika to bring add some size large Hanes shirts, different plain colors, just cuz they are shirts I can wear anywhere, to paint and other service and not worry about them getting dirty! Malo!!! Haha so I heard the song “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel and it reminded me of when we went to the concert! So our Bishop’s name is Bishop 'Auaea! All vowels ha it’s cool. ummm mom send me a list of the stuff I have told you and I will tell you what I can find here! I went to kolo (town) and saw things I might have told you so you wouldn't need to send them. Anyways love you all! Hope all is AMAZING there! Loving it here!

To answer your questions: (Are there many cars on Vava’u?) There are lots of cars here! (Are you sleeping?) Yes, I sleep well! Always seem to wake up at least once though! Woke up to a cockroach in my shirt a couple weeks ago haha! (How are the cold showers?) The cold showers I am getting used to! (What was fun this week?) It’s always fun seeing the elders that I came in with! (What was hard?) The difficult thing for me is knowing what to study! What book, what topic, gospel or language this or that haha I have learned so much! (Do you have a church debit card? How do you get your monthly allotment?) They come around and bring 90 bucks cash to us each week. (Christmas in the Summer?) It will be weird! Especially no tree or anything! Kaylee sent me with a present to open for Christmas and my birthday so I have that! Ha and I will have a late Christmas when Vika gets here! I might get to Skype you if I stay here! If I do I will talk to president and see.

Ryker is a cutie! There is a family here and their baby was born in April and he reminds me of Ryker, just cuz of the age haha he’s my Ryker for now! Ryker has tons of hair now!!!!!!!!!

No thanksgiving here haha but I did have a big meal that day! How are the Clippers doing? Jazz? Buckeyes football and basketball? 49ers? Who’s doing good in the NFL, NBA and all that? Anyways gotta go… love you!!!