Transferred to Ha'alaufuli/Ta'anea

How was  your trip to Maine and the funeral?  I wish I could have been there with you.  I miss Maine.  

This week has been great! We had a zone meeting and interviews with President and I got transferred to the village over-- Ha'alaufuli/Ta'anea!! I love this area! I am working with Elder Tu'akalau! Remember, my roommate from the MTC! I am senior companion! Haha! We have our first baptism Wednesday! It feels good to actually work.

The kaingalotu (members) are starting to trust us because they see us working!!! We have our first baptism Wednesday!!! We have taught this girl every day since Saturday and hope to baptize her!!! And tonight for Family Home Evening we have had 3 families invite us over and they said they will have people/families for us to teach! It has been hard because I am Senior Companion now but we work really well because we stayed in the same room in the MTC haha! His language has progressed really well so it’s good!

I love everything here right now! So I guess in March Elder Neil L. Anderson is coming to do a mission tour in Tonga!!! Hopefully I can see him. We saw him in the MTC! Anyways I am just happy to be working so well with my companion and getting the work going here! The Fale Siana (Chinese Store) is right down the road from our house so we sit out there at night cuz so many people come there to get food for the next day! That is how we have our baptism this week is from asking people we see walk by haha I love it! Anyways I love you all! Sorry my letters are always so short. Just know that I love you all and everything is great here!

Ofa Lahi Atu Kimoutolu! <3

Elder Hanisimani

Grampy Pete Passed Away

We didn't have the mission conference this week because of everything happening on Ha'apai. There is nothing that is needed service wise here from the cyclone.  It’s just hot as heck and the mosquitos are crazy! Thirty missionaries from Tonga are going to Ha'apai to help and I heard 3 boats got sent here by the Church so there is lots of help going on!

I still haven't been to the temple here, mostly because I am on a completely different island. But I keep hearing that sometime they are going to bring us all in to go to the temple but I don't think that that will ever happen.

Sorry to hear about Grampy Pete.... Now you have some temple work to do mom! Get his stuff done so that he can have the same happiness as us! I probably won’t see the new temple video til I return so I will have to wait.

This week we taught a lot more than usual! We stayed away from our house and found new people to teach!  But our two new investigators that are progressing the best return to Tonga this week so that isn't any fun... But the Peace Corp Kate is returning this week so we will see if she read the Book of Mormon I gave her. Mom, do you remember where I guessed I’d serve If I got a call in America???? Wisconsin, the place where she is from haha! God put me here for a reason and I found it! haha I hope she decides to get baptized!

So in our lessons we teach in Tongan and my comp hasn't been letting me do anything but my testimony so that sucks... I talked to him and not much changed.... we will see how this week goes and if I get to talk to president or not!

Anyways I love you all! Hope all is well! Sorry no pictures. Nothing happens.... I never take pictures anymore!  Tell Karissa to write me! Once every 4 months is good ;) Love you all talk next week!

Elder Huntsman

Cyclone Ian's Destruction in Ha'apai

The Ha'apai Island Group is just south of Kamden's Vava'u Islands.  Amazingly there were few injuries or deaths reported.  We're so grateful that Kamden was kept out of harm's way.  I spent the day in prayer and temple worship and felt at peace.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Tonga now.  These photos were taken by Digicel Tonga employees.  As always, click on photo to enlarge. ~Stephanie

Major destruction!

Roofs torn off!

Homes and other buildings flattened!

Belongings scattered.

Still smiling!

This courthouse was lifted right off its foundation and set back down.
Notice where the steps to the door are!

Families and pets displaced!

Get to work, Elders!

Cyclone Ian Strikes Tonga

So the cyclone.... to me, it just felt like a bad Idaho storm! haha I didn't feel like it was really that bad here! It knocked out power but there was no destruction in my village.  I don’t know about the other villages here in Vava’u or the other islands. The kids were out playing rugby in it so they must not have felt it was that bad either!   I haven't heard anything about the other islands or anything they might have gotten it worse but here it wasn't anything.  It just kept us in for a day. Right now our house is the only one without power but I don’t mind it.  I have running water and fresh water.  The stores are open. 

Other than that we have been trying to find someone to teach. It sucks not being able to say much in Tongan still cuz I never know if what I think about saying is what I should say.  When I try and talk with people they don't seem to understand.... ha but it is getting better! I love studying the Book of Mormon and other church books! I love the history and stuff like that, not so much a fan of the war chapters and such though. I always tend to get bored reading those.

So this morning after doing laundry I think I heard a mouse in our attic running around above my head..... so that's just great right haha! When it rains it drips out of our light sockets and plugs and holes in our ceiling. I duct taped one hole and baby geckos got stuck in it and died so that's pretty gross haha. I am here in Tu'anekivale for another 6 weeks so that will be 5 months here.  Fun I know!

Anyways love you all hope all is well!  I just heard Ha'apai got hit hard…80% destroyed! The church is sending 3 boats from the States to help out (so I hear).

-Elder Huntsman

(After sharing with us some trials and frustrations he is having, he stated- I know I haven't been perfect on this mission because it’s the "Misiona Tonga" and everything is "ok" here so I just followed the examples of everyone else but I realize that those things bring instant happiness and instant happiness doesn't last. The happiness that lasts is obedience, work, and seeing that person grow closer to Christ and take those steps into the water to become a member of the church, But the Tongan elders don't understand that. This is their home so it seems they act as if at home, not as missionaries.) The struggles of the palangi (white boy)!!

Can you pick out the palangi?

Playing piano.

Wearing my comp's pink slippers.  Mine broke again!

Studying!

Nothing happening...

It was another slow week.  Not much happens here. Our areas are too small. My area is one of the smallest ones. All the others have two or three villages.  We have talked to everyone at least twice. It’s hard to stay busy.  We just walk around and never get any new investigators. The ones we have have already been taught for years!!! And the Peace Corp lady we only teach every other week or so.  I don’t know how into it she is!  As far as doing service goes, they don’t like accepting service. Too stubborn ha! It’s hard but I try and do something always! I read the Book of Mormon a lot!

New Years was no big deal. They didn’t really celebrate here. Transfers are next Monday! They are every 6 weeks. I will probably stay in this area because I am still in follow up training for the next 7 weeks.

Did you get the pens I said to put in the package?  The metal ones… I forgot what they are called and the name wore off but I have used it this whole time and it still works so send a couple more.... Oh, they are called Zebra 130 or something like that. Please send like 3 black and 2 blue ha!

No I don’t need new slippers (flip flops). I buy them when my other ones break. I like going without them some days ha! I scrub my feet like crazy every night they’re so covered in dirt and mud.  My stash of medicine is fine... I still haven’t had a solid poop since the MTC ha!  I found some deodorant here.   They have American and Chinese stores here!  You can send any candy or American food.  It is much appreciated!  :)

Merry Christmas!

This week was good especially being able to talk with you guys! I miss snow! I always have liked the cold just not the bad roads! It sucks cuz it’s always so hot here and you can’t really take anything off haha but when it is cold you can always put more on!

So we taught a few lessons this week and they went pretty well! I taught another lesson to the Peace Corp lady in English so it was pretty much me talking the WHOLE time. My comp just gave me scriptures to share haha but hey now he knows how it feels when I teach in Tongan! I gave her my BOM in English to read because we couldn't find an English one to give her on this island ha but then after we returned home after Church I found one that an Elder had left!! So that was great. I hope to switch her today so that she can have this one and be able to keep it (plus get mine back haha)

Yesterday morning I felt an Earthquake! Or at least a tremor haha! It was cool! For Christmas we went with the family that was our fafanga and played ping pong at the peach and drank otai. It was a great day! The family that lives across the street from me had a HUGE family reunion so we went there a couple times last week to eat and they gave me and my companion shirts! Palefau Family Reunion 2013 haha! Part of the family now I guess! 

It was weird no one really showed up to church til 20 after 9 which wasn't good because our investigator showed up before 3/4 of our congregation here ha so hopefully that doesn't happen again! Nothing really to complain about. Everything here is going good! Me and my companion get along great because he can be just as immature as me haha but he's just like an older brother! So I am going to try and send you guys pictures tonight! It’s not working again but I will try my other adapter! Love you all and hope you had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year's!

Ofa Lahi Atu,  Elder Huntsman

Milk and cookies.

Bees on our roof.

Elder Neiufi and Elder Huntsman

Me and Neiufi

Doing my laundry!

Mom & Dad were happy to see
this face on Christmas Eve!

No Christmas Package

12/23/13

So this week was another typical week. We taught a girl that has been taught a lot and believes the BOM is true and everything but doesn’t believe Jesus was more than a Prophet so that is her stumbling block and we haven’t taught her since but I have found some scriptures to share with here so hopefully we teach her again soon. Other than that not much happened this week! We haven’t taught the Peace Corps lady again but hopefully we will see her around so that we can try and teach her again. This computer is the same I have been using so no pictures again this week sorry! But hey you get to Skype me so you will be fine!

The weather has been pretty rainy this week so I just pretend it’s like snow in Idaho! Just not as cold... haha but no I am not getting the Christmas package..... Next year send it EARLY!!  haha It gets to the office but if I am not in Tonga it just sits there til they get enough stuff to send all together! So next couple months maybe haha but it’s all good :) Vika comes next month maybe she can pick it up! Tell her to email me sometime with some info about her plans.

How is everything at home? Christmas is DEFINATELY going to be different than any other that I have had but hey it’s worth it right?  I will be fed well! I have already talked a lot with the family who is feeding us on Christmas and they plan to have some good food so hey that will be my present this year. Sorry not a lot to write here. I didn’t do much this week! We are still just trying to find a new investigator or as they call them here "Laumalie" which means spirit. So just trying to find another spirit to bring back to our Heavenly Father! Can’t wait to Skype! Don’t worry my Tongan still sucks so don’t expect me to say much!!! haha Love you all see you soon! Oh and I finished the BOM for the second time and have read D&C once!  Now to read in Tongan!

Elder Huntsman