Week 11 on Island of Eua

Hey guys,

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes and for the box! I opened it on my birthday instead of Christmas because they said I had another big box in the office. Thanks so much for all of the cliff bars and beef jerky!!! That made my day. My birthday was pretty good yesterday. Eva Pisope made me a huge feast and lots of cake and ice cream and decorated the walls with balloons for me at our fafanga yesterday. It was really good, there was so much food and I was so full of chicken, but I saved just enough room for a couple pieces of cake.

This weeks been interesting. Lots of cool things have happened and lots of weird

things. I’m doing pretty well though.

Sounds like shyba is going well and you guys are having fun. I miss

playing shyba right now. It seems crazy that a year ago I had just

gotten home from a surprise paintball outing. I can’t believe its

already been a year. Dad said that its prime golf weather, Have you

guys taken advantage of that yet? And Star Wars has been reviewed as

the best of the series so far? That seems kind of crazy. Makes me

excited to go see it when I get back. Man I wish I could see it. I’m

surprised you guys haven’t yet.

Loved how mom suggested I make a trial run of cookies because she

lacks confidence in my cooking abilities and then tries to make it

sound better by saying she’s sure they will turn out fine haha. Thanks mom.

Good to hear that Brinkley is doing a lot better too. Hopefully you

guys get some snow sometime soon. I’m sure Luke’s dying.

All of the pictures that you guys sent were great too. I really

enjoyed looking at em all. I miss Gus.

We went to our fafanga after studies and walked down this long road right next to the beach. The beach was really cool. Two butt naked thirteen year olds came swimming over to us, they weren’t embarrassed about it at all, weren’t afraid to walk right up to us and talk. The beach had white sand and the water looked crystal clear.

The fafanga was at the Eua’s Resort, it was a nice small building with some beach chairs and a path to the beach. It was a nice little place, very peaceful. Here are some pics for you.

Eating eggs for breakfast to the sounds of waves crashing down in the background was nice. After breakfast we headed back to Ohonua where we started our vilo (splits) I was paired up with elder Finau. We went to a members home and talked with a guy for about an hour. After that house went to another members house, but this time we stayed for two hours… It was fun there, lots of stuff was happening. I learned how coconuts are cut open with a machete and got to try it out myself, learned how they get coconuts down from the trees, how Tongan rope is made, how the coconut shell that first comes to mind when people from the states think of a coconut has gotten to and from its housing, and how some Tongans joke around with their kids haha. That was actually pretty funny. It was a cool house.

Anyway my birthday presents were as great as I could have asked for all the way out here from my family. Thanks guys I hung up the stocking above my bed too.

We went to a non members house to teach a lesson with a member, the whole family and others in the house were asleep, we could see them through the windows. Our member friend didn’t care he just kept banging on the door, and then he just decided to open the door and walk into the house and wake them up. So I guess I can check off breaking and entering on my mission. Needless to say the lesson didn’t go so well.

Transfers are going to happen soon but won’t know for another week what is really going to happen.

I love you guys and hope that you have a great christmas this year. I

cant wait to skype all of you and see how you’re all doing in person.

Love Tay