TWELVETH WEEK IN TONGA, PANGAI

Beginning of Transfer #3

Hey everyone sorry it's been a week or two since I've been able to email home, the past couple weeks have had a good amount going on! 'But today is the start of a new transfer and I am getting separated from my two moms (follow up trainers)!  But it's OK because I will still be in Ha'apai! 'I will be working in a village right at the beginning of the island called Hihifo.' It's a pretty big village which I'm really excited about because it's kind of hard to be in a really small area.  My new comp is Elder Despain!  He's been out for a while and has way good Tongan so I am really pumped to learn a ton from him!  Anyways a little bit about t he past couple of weeks! 

We had our Christmas week last week which was a good time! We had our Christmas party that the Mission Presidency came up for and spent a day with us which was fun.  Had some more pineapples from Vava'u...so dang good but we all learned not to eat too many.  Next day we had our Ngaue Ofa (service) which was painting a bathroom by the Warf in Pangai, then a member of our stake presidency showed up with food and drinks for all of us which was so nice because it is getting into the hot season here in Tonga and it is so bad . Especially because our MQs don't have ac and we only have one fan that doesn't rotate and there has been 3 of us in one room so my Sr. comps tend to hog it but that's all right,  I know my place as the greeny. 

We got to meet an All Blacks Rugby player, Malakai Fekitoa which was sick!  He hooked us up with some otai and chicken, what a homie.  Then for a Zone Christmas service kinda thing, we put together these buckets to give to 2 poorer families in each area.  It was really awesome to see it all work out and then take it to all the families, they were all very appreciative and most of them really needed some of the things we gave them.

The week before that though, I had the chance to go to Ha'afeva for a couple of days with the zones for a baptism interview.  Ha'afeva is one of the islands that Kolipoke (Other side of Heaven) served on.  The boat ride there, we fit 17 people on the Nifai (the mission boat) and the waves were pretty dang rough.  Not gonna lie I almost threw up because it was like a 3 hour ride with not a lot of room. It was fun to be there for a couple of days and meet some people there. The boat ride back was a ton better though because we had two boats pick us up instead of one.  Honestly so lucky to be in a mission were I get to ride boats and planes to get to our areas.  I feel very privileged and happy to be working here even through all the ups and downs. 

I hope everyone is having an awesome Christmas today and remembering what the true purpose and meaning of it is!  S/O the family that I got to talk to yesterday, even if it was only a short phone call, I'm so happy that I got to talk to you guys!  Love all you at home and am so thankful for the support!!

Ofa Atu Kimoutolu!

Do you dare me?

 How would this be on my Missionary Plaque?

 #2 choice

 Hanging at the beach

 Love these views

 Name plaque photo

 #3 choice

 Tongan or Monopoly?

 #4 choice

 Always good food

TENTH WEEK IN TONGA, PANGAI

Hey family and friends!

So I've had a pretty dang uneventful week here in the Pacific Ocean.  The work is sometimes very slow out here in motu (islands).  Just to give you guys an idea, there are around 4000 people here in Ha'apai, mabye less, and there have been missionaries here for about 100 years.  So somtimes there's not much to do other than go and spend time with the members or study! 

We have had a ton of Mangos this week, I think that's my favorite fruit now, they are soo good!  We had 64 pineapples dropped off to us from the boat from Vava'u.  Yeah.. 64...  They were from one of the elders families that lives there. I've heard that the pineapples in Tonga mainly Vava'u are better than the ones in Hawaii.  You can eat the whole inside even the middle part its so soft.

One day the water was out for a little bit so we were just like, it's fine we can take a bucket shower, and then we realized our bucket broke so we couldn't take a shower for a little bit.  That's just Tonga for you right there.

This last Sunday we were asked to bare out testimonies super last minute I am still amazed at how laid back and informal stuff is sometimes here.  One of my comps from Tonga, Elder Paongo, bore his testimony with out slippers on and a comb in his hand (I have no idea why).  Speaking about slippers (flip flops) I've gone through 7 pairs already.  They either brake or get stolen by little kids.

Another funny thing about Tonga is it's a law to not do anything on Sundays.  Every single store is closed and nothing happens except for church and then everyone goes home to eat and sleep.  Elder Paongo freaked out when he saw two guys throwing a football in front of their house, he was like, "Do they not know it's Sunday??" But the thing is they could actually get arrested for that.  And yesterday we saw a plane flying over the island and he was so shocked at that.

That's about all I can think of right now! Christmas is coming up and it feels so weird being in this burning hot island.  And it's not really a big holiday here so it's safe to say I've never felt so unchristmasy and it kinda makes me sad sometimes.  But hey, our neighbors have some pretty awesome Christmas lights up they flash and everything.

Hope everyone is happy wherever your at!  Love you all!

-Elder Kalanite

NINTH WEEK IN TONGA, PANGAI

Hey everybody hows it going!?  These past couple weeks have been a little crazy and I don't have much time right now.  So I was on my little island Uiha for about 4 days... and then I got food poisoning. So I got sent back to the main island of Ha'apai, Pangai, and have been with the Zone Leaders over Ha'apai for the past 2 weeks.  I was really kind of bummed out to be sent back from Uiha. I was talking to kids who said they have never seen a Palangi on that Island.. but.. I'm taking that setback as best as I can!  Still smiling! 

So this past week we had the Tonga Mission Tour, which is when President, and our Area 70 come and visit all of the main islands in Tonga. It was way good!  We had like a two hour meeting with the 70 and learned some great things from him!  President asked me to bear my testimony.  Kinda scary with an Area 70 sitting right there, but I was super grateful for the opportunity.  I have noticed that every time I bear my testimony, especially in Tongan, I learn so much and feel the spirit so strong! 

The Sunday that I was in Uiha, 10 min before sacrament meeting started, the branch president came up and asked me and my comp to take up 20 min (10 min each) with our testimonies and thoughts.  I instantly thought about all the times that I heard from RM's that that happens in small wards and branches all the time.  He told me that it was OK if I did it in English but I was like, heck no, I'm going all Tongan.  And then we had to prepare and bless the sacrament so we had no time to really prepare or think of something to say.  We were going 100% spirit on this one.  Or at least I was.  But somehow when I got up there, I took up 10 minutes, bearing my testimony to the branch, in Tongan, which I'm not gonna lie was a total miracle!  I was really grateful and happy I had the opportunity. 

So things are going good though!  Trying to keep happy though all the trials and setbacks and I hope all of you remember to do the same!  Everything happens for a reason and we all have so much to be happy about, we just have to look for it!

'Ofa lahi atu kimoutolu! Oua ngalo ke ongo'i fiefia taimi kotoa pe!!

Sorry for no pictures, next week for shuuree!!

These have got to be, "Wise Men", with a great messege!