Just Pics This Week

Here are some pics.  Sorry I didn’t get to write you today. I had a lot of reports to fill out for a meeting tomorrow! Love you tons! Talk next week about Mother’s Day plans and all! Love you :)

My Tongan CTR ring, FKT, which is Fili Ki he Totonu.

My three names here in Tonga haha Mani, Hanisimani, and Huntsman.

A turtle shell I wanted to go home with but it's against the law.....

We had another meeting with President Pearson, who just spoke in Conference.

These are a bunch of the guys I came in with and go home with.

We prepped a baptism for another companionship.

Neat Experience

This week was slow..... my comp didn’t want to do anything but stay at home and sleep, except for on P day last week... He didn’t want to stay in our area which I was annoyed with and we got caught by President. We interviewed on Wednesday and talked about how I can’t control my comp, and Pres knew because this is how this guy has been his whole mission. President said if he didn’t change by Friday, to let him know. It seemed to have only gotten worse so when President asked on Friday about how things were I just told him the truth. Saturday the AP's picked him up and took him home.... So I got a new comp and he is getting sent home sometime this week too..... So Transfers were Last night and I get another new companion. He is from this area and I have known him since I was in Vava'u. He is a good missionary. His name is Elder Manu. So now it’s Elder Mani and Elder Manu haha. It’s kind of confusing when people call out to one of us...... but I am happy to finally not have to be with the other guy. That was crazy and so depressing..............but the first day I actually got in and visited members was once I got this new companion, just on saturday...... So still not too aquainted with the members but getting there! It will be good with this new companion because this is his ward so he can help me get to know the members fast.

We taught our first lesson here yesterday, which was really spiritual. I have never felt the spirit guide my thoughts so much. Even though my language wasn’t 100%, I still felt the spirit super strong. The lady we taught has already been taught all the lessons, so we didn’t really know where to go with the discussion. So we just invited here to baptism again and she shared a lot with us. Since my old companion had been here, they stopped teaching her for some reason. She said since then, she stopped keeping the commitments, she was feeling the adversary so strong and couldn’t resist it. She doesn’t feel she can be baptized, because even though she knows it’s all true and what she needs, she doesn’t like how when her life gets better, Satan works that much harder to bring her down. So when she was done sharing, I just had a thought pop into my head.... I shared a little story about a room with no light visible at all, completely dark. If someone shines even the littlest light, the darkness cannot consume the light. If we focus on the light, we gain the urge to find the source and start moving towards the light. When we recognize and try to find that source, the light will begin to get bigger and bigger until eventually it consumes the once dark filled room. I shared how that light is the light of Christ in each and every one of us and that even though we live in this dark world, His light will always shine. The way we get closer to that source isn’t by doing or not doing big things, but just the simples, reading scriptures, praying, simple things will increase the light within us. She than shared to us that she felt the urge that she needed to leave her husband, who didn’t want to come to the appointment, on the other side of the island and come by herself and talk with us. My companion committed her at the end to again stop drinking and smoking then in closing I just asked her if we could do a little change to that commitment. I asked her to this week just focus on the light, and not on the darkness and sorrows she feels. I told her just to focus on the good, and to do the simple stuff, to pray for help and to read the scriptures to increase the light within her because when that happens, the urges to smoke or drink will disappear. She liked that idea better so we are teaching her again on Wednesday to talk about the commitment and everything. She just felt like she has no help, no one to guide her so I told her that I am staying here until July, and I will not give up on her and her husband. I will visit them all the time and just make sure she is doing ok. I don’t know, it was just a way spiritual experience and I am excited to see what happens next with her.

So that’s the story for the week! It’s starting to get better haha hopefully continues like this! These wards are awesome, focus a lot on missionary work, mostly because our area is 95% LDS haha. I am loving it! Write again next week :)

Elder Huntsman

Man is it hot here............

Transferred and Trunky

SO this week was crazy! I got transferred a week before the transfer again because of something that happened on Wednesday with the bishop again so now I am in the Liahona Stake in an area covering two villages, Mapelu and Matangiake. I stay across the street from the Mission President and the mission offices haha. It’s different being so close to everything! Our area is probably 95% LDS so all of our baptisms are people coming from outside the stake. It’s a great area and they pay a lot of attention to the missionary work, but like I said everyone we teach comes from outside the stake so they pretty much control our time teaching and everything like that.

So Wednesday after a companion exchange in Kolonga the zone leaders picked us up and took me and my comp home. We were sitting outside in the car and the Bishop pulled up. He asked to talk to us so we all got out and started talking to him. He was mad that I had asked the zone leaders for help with what happened in the Ward Council meeting because it got to the Stake President and our Mission President. He kept telling me that I was the one that kept misunderstanding them and stuff like that but I just kept trying to explain to him that I knew what he was talking about, because we had been talking about it for about 5 months straight in all the meetings with our president. He kept getting frustrated than burst out and said, "Kei toe si'i pea teu ta'i koe keke mahaki Mani." meaning “There is only a small time before I hit you til you are injured!” (somewhat like that, not a perfect translator.) And so obviously us talking wasn’t helping at all. After a little time we finished talking and I talked with the zone leaders about what I should do now and they just said well we have to tell president because he just threatened to hit a missionary. So they called President the next day and 5 minutes later the AP's texted and said that I was getting moved to here! My new comp is Elder Toki, from Tonga. The problem with this area is that people only come here as a punishment haha so if I stay here everyone I will be with I am pretty sure will only be moved here because of that reason. My old comp was scared because he felt he didn’t know the members in Niutoua but then I just heard that he got his Visa so he is leaving today. I am just trying to figure it all out........ my comp now is a real troublemaker and isn’t very obedient, so we never do any of our program..... so it sucks and is hard to not get trunky right now...... but I can only keep trying!!!! But ya nothing you can do about it right?

Friday night’s fafanga, all I ate was octopus haha! Surprising right????

Man was General Conference good! I took a bunch of notes and learned so much. A few of my favorites were by Wilford W. Anderson about not just doing the dance, but feeling the music of the gospel. Dale G. Renlund's talk about how a Saint is just a sinner who keeps on trying. I really liked how he talked about the phrase, "Twas I, But Tis not I" how we can learn from the past but understand that it was the past, it’s not us anymore. We need to become as he said a Latter Day Saint, not a Latter Day Quitter or a Latter Day Hypocrite. It was a great session and I was glad I got to watch it here in ENGLISH so that I was able to just understand the fullness of all that they talked about.

So this week ya it was kinda hard... Everything with the bishop, and then last night I just kept thinking about the wedding and how much I wanted to be there.... I had our zone leaders come give me a blessing so that was good, really helped a lot. One thing I have learned here is to honor and trust in the power of a priesthood blessing. They always make everything so much better.

Keegan and Kenzie, I am super proud of you two and send you my love! Can’t wait to see you two when I get back. (Keegan, start running again, starting to put some weight on over there hahahahahahaha)

Thanks for everything guys! Love you all tons! Don’t worry mom :) write you next week!

Elder Kamden McKay Huntsman

I got the real tie today.  I thought that the tie that you had sent in the other package
was the one you were talking about haha. Thanks though!

Frustrated

This week started to pick up! We have a new investigator who fit right in with the ward and he is even out with the ward on a picnic to a beach right now! So I am happy we finally got someone here! His name is Epeli. He's a way nice, humble guy. I am excited to see his progression because he is so willing to just accept the messages and commitments we extend to him.

Yesterday was an Invitation Sunday here so we combined both wards. One of our ward missionaries asked us to sing a song, us missionaries and all the ward missionaries. We showed up to practice Friday and only me my comp and the girl playing the piano showed up so we did a small musical number in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. She messed up on the piano some.... my comp was like yelling..... haha but it was fun. I like singing :)

We had a Ward Council meeting yesterday that didn’t go good... We gave a great report and helped the ward see the numbers in a better way then all of a sudden our Ward Mission Leader starts asking and telling me and my comp that he and bishop hold the keys to the mission work in their area and everything and that they can do whatever they want. So we argued a bit about how our mission president has the keys and that they can’t confirm someone right after baptism, converts have to be confirmed in Sacrament meeting. Then bishop just kept saying how I don’t understand what keys he has cuz I’m just a kid. But every single meeting we have had with our mission president since October we have talked about who has what keys and what responsibilities in the church, just stuff like that and the Preach My Gospel as well as the Bishop’s handbook explain everything, but when I tried explaining it he just said that I don’t know and that I just need to sit and see him exercise his authority..... so I couldn’t sleep very well last night... I just feel like I can’t do anything to help the ward! I am trying to figure out what I need to do to get them to understand but like I said, he says I am just a kid and I don’t understand..... I just explained that what my president has taught me is what I have told you and then just sat at didn’t talk the rest of the meeting. The annoying thing was that he kept playing the victim card saying he was so hurt that I would say he has no keys for the mission work and that I don’t know what I am talking about cuz I am just a kid and that I don’t understand cuz of the language barrier. I just sat and let them do what they wanted…..so ya it’s hard right now! Enduring to the end and the end is a lot closer than it used to be so I don’t really care when things like this come up, just try and fix it and move on kind of thing.

Karissa, how is Rugby going? What position do you play? I wanna get good and hopefully join the club up in Rexburg.

Keegan and Kenzie, How’s all the wedding planning going? So proud of both of you! Sucks I can’t be there..... but I will definitely be thinking of you two! Love you both.

Mom and Dad, Thanks so much for everything you guys are awesome! Mom, can you just let Brother Denton, Bishop Johnson and Lesa Hong know how grateful I am for them always writing to me! Thanks :)

Kayleigh, Randy, and the BOYS, Love you guys tons! Hope everything is going well in Texas! :)

Everyone else, Thanks for the prayers and the support! Love you all!

 A couple pictures of me and some member kids that my comp knows.
They just moved from the village he is from to here.

The Struggle- Finding People to Teach

Again a slow week.... my comp was sick Tuesday and Wednesday.  Thursday and Friday was full of meetings, and Saturday everyone seemed to be gone.... No teachings at all...... I fasted though and hopefully I can just try and push even harder to know what I need to do and how we can find people to teach..... That’s our real struggle right now is just finding people to teach. We have two kids we are teaching but have just had the struggle of getting to meet with them when they are both open and here in Niutoua.  But ya not much again this week.  Just praying and fasting to know what to do and how to change the way we are working. Nothing planned for p-day at all, just got your package though thanks :) Just waiting here to see if any guys come over to play volleyball.

Elder Huntsman

This girls birthday was the same day as our
fafanga so we ate the B-Day feast with them!

Poem/Rap in Progress

I started writing a little poem, cuz there is just so much down time haha The reason I started writing it is cuz here in this mission a lot of missionaries make songs for our mission and one Tongan Elder asked me to do it for a song which I was like- I can’t rap- but then he moved and it never got anywhere so I just kept going haha.

Filling out my papers just not knowing where I’ll go,

Nuku'alofa Tonga is the Lord's finangalo

Learning a new language, meet new people every day,

Leaving family for two years, call home Christmas and Mother’s Day

People ask us why we do this, why we put our life on hold

It's cuz we've gained a testimony. We just be doin what we're told

Livin the island life, most times there ain’t a thing to do

Just sit back enjoy the breeze, count your referalls maybe 2?

Wearing these slippers and a skirt, not the suit my parents bought

Always moving here and there, it’s just nothing like I thought

But it's the Misiona Tonga. I wouldn't trade it for a thing,

Day by day, door by door His plan of happiness we bring

This is something we've been planning since we were all just little kids,

Playing around in nursery classes eating crackers, throwing fits

We all remember those primary days, our decisions to follow Christ

Being baptized at age 8, becoming clean just felt so nice.

President Tupou- that guy’s the bomb. He tells us where we need to go

He says become a master planner, then our numbers start to grow

This mission thing it’s not so easy getting shut down from day to day

So he found something that works, he says "Members will be the way."

And that’s all I got for now.......

End of Mission Book of Mormon Challenge

The library we have helped the Peace Corps organize.

All my tupenus that I have right now.  (6)

Something the Zones drew.

Sunset

Elder Taumoepeau, Lasi (1st counselor to our Bishop),
Timote (Ward Mission Leader), Elder Mahina, Elder Fonokalafi,
and me after eating toopai last night. It's like a sweet coconut dumpling.

This week was again really slow.... I don't know what has been happening haha but I hope this week we can try pushing harder and not rely on the members so much to bring us work but instead, to go out ourselves and find work.  It was way stormy here over the weekend, just really windy and rainy. Our papaya tree behind our house got knocked down and my bed got wet so I slept on the ground on Friday night. My new comp is from Vava'u and he is just waiting for his Visa to Australia so I am just with him til he gets it then I don’t know what happens. 

 So I am reading the BOM up until I leave and I set one out just for this purpose. The mission always does a challenge and right now it’s a 150 day "ASSURANCE" challenge. So when we read, we need to find the things that ASSURE our testimony to the truthfulness of this gospel.  (I’m reading it in English cuz I don’t like reading in Tongan.  I don’t get the fullness of what I am reading and it’s hard to apply it to myself.)

I wrote a little "testimony" in the front...

Malo e lelei,

     This Book of Mormon, or BOM as I call it, is dedicated and set out for the last year of my mission. Well not exactly the last year, but from today, February 26th 2015 to July 13th 2015, and I am reading every day from here on. There have been times of non-reading and times of disappointments, but today I am committing myself to the dedicated study of this book. Without this book, this church here would be without existence. The power behind reading this book over and over and always praying about it can increase the happiness and joy in one’s life that there is no way to deny it. This church is true! Oku mo'oni aupito ia. Oku ikai ke iai ha me'a hala i ai. Kou 'ilo fakapapau na'e ha'ele mai a Sisu Kalaisi pea pehe foki ki etau Tamai Hevani ki he tamasi'i ko Siosefa Samita i he ta'u 1820 i he taimi na'a ne lotu ke ne ilo pe ko fe he siasi na'e mo'oni pea na'e totonu ke ne kau ki ai. Na'a na faka'aonga'i ia hange ko ha me'a-ngaue ke fakafoko mai he ongoongolelei ki he mamani. The only way to know all of this is to read and pray. To work, or read, and then ask for our Father's guidance/assurance to tell us whether or not any of it is true. 

     There have been times of doubt in my mind, just because me as a person I tend to focus on the things of the world, ngaahi me'a fakaemamani, and not on the promptings of the Spirit, pe koe ngaahi ue'i mei he Laumalie Ma'oni'oni. I guess that is really my purpose for reading it this time and hopefully many times in the future. To strengthen and build up the testimony that has started within me.  I have times where I honestly really do struggle and I ask myself, "Is this worth it? Being away from EVERYTHING I know for two years to share with people of a different land, different language, different attitude, different traditions, about a little book.... A book that was translated by a boy of no learning, no worldly knowledge, a typical unlearned farmer..... Is it all worth it???" I don’t even know how many times that this thought has gone through my head. But there is always that something, that feeling that one can't just shake off. It is what makes me always fall back to this. I guess it is just God helping me stick through it all. He sends the Holy Ghost to be that guide, that companion that always knows what is best. I know for a fact that this is what guided me to Alma 26:27: "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success."

     Without this scripture being read at the EXACT right minute, I know for a fact that I would already be home right now, chilling in America.  But this gave me the encouragement, the confidence that I can do ALL, because my older brother Jesus Christ has already felt all that pain and all that sorrow, and He is there to help. Like it says in Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean no to thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." He is there!!! You just gotta believe in him :) TRUST with all your heart, might, mind and strength and He will help you and guide you through all struggles, all heartaches, and all difficulties that we come across not just here in a mission but just life in general! I know for a fact that if you pray with a sincere heart and with real intent, that the Spirit can and will guide you to the exact scripture you need at that exact moment of difficulty and strife. God knows our pains, He knows our struggles, and all He asks is for our faith and to act upon that faith in prayer, Read and Pray! Prove to Him that you believe and want to follow the footsteps of Christ our Savior.

      That is pretty much the reason why I am setting out the BOM just for this special time. So that afterwards, I will be able to fall back on it no matter what. It will be like my binding testimony to it all. I will cover this thing with markings, colors, quotes, symbols, writings, names; just everything that I feel develops my faith and knowledge about this book. Because that’s what this is.... My Assurance BOM..... not only to the book, but to everything that there is in this gospel. And it’s what I challenge everyone to do. Set out a special BOM to this exact purpose, to assure their testimony and their knowledge about this wonderful gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Elder Mani :)