Week 25 on the Island of Eua

Little bits of Taylors journal:


3/22/16

I listened to President Monsons last conference talk about keeping the commandments while eating breakfast. Then I saw the biggest lizard I've ever seen outside of a zoo, run into the bathroom. This lizards body was as thick as a half dollar and probably 7 inches long. We found the momma. It's kinda freaky that those pretty much own the place. The last half of personal study I read chapter 22 in Jesus the Christ. I'm almost halfway through now. It was really sunny, really humid and freaking hot, we placed our sweat rags over our heads to keep our heads out of the sun. Sweat was dripping off of my fingers. We walked all the way to the Stake Center. On our way we walked by Pakalani's store and she gave us 2 corn dogs and some water bottles. It was about a 40 minute walk, we got to meet the new sister missionaries. Sister Beterich and Sister Pouhauhau. The meetings went well. The AC was turned on really high, it felt really good until all of our sweaty clothes made us cold. After the meetings we waited out a downpour and headed back to our MQ where we got changed to do some service work in Houma. We then walked to Sione Kauvakas to get a ride. The whole back of the truck was filled to the brim with wood,so there was nowhere to sit except for on top of the truck roof itself, and then it started to rain again, hard. The truck ride was way fun. I don't think I'd be doing this anywhere else but here. Going 40 miles per hour on top of a truck roof, it was flipping fun. 

We got to Houma and found out that no store on Eua had any nails. So all we did was unload the wood. Alisona ordered some nails and we are going to come back Thursday and build the fence. When we got back to our MQ I found that massive lizard above my bed. So we went on a lizard hunt, he's a big one. 

3/23/16

We had another lesson with Mele, we sat down under the pavilion and she got up and made us some fresh squeezed orange water. I asked her how her prayers went and she told me she sometime feels like she should read the Book of Mormon but doesn't because she doesn't want to replace the bible. So we explained to her that it's not a replacement. We then read some scriptures and she said she liked everything we read. We taught  her for a while reading scriptures, explaining repentance, forgiveness, baptism, and the Holy Ghost and how she can have its companionship after baptism. She was really excited and felt so good about all of it. That she said she would definitely read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. It was a really great lesson, I could feel the spirit and I could tell she could also.
Later on we had a meeting with the stake president, he had us load a bunch of wood into the back of his truck, and we took it and dropped it off in Kalamas back yard. We're going to build a fence with it for their new pig farm (Sunia is going to give them two pigs to start out). We almost died at Sesililis, 4 dogs came sprinting at us with the straight devil in their eyes. I wouldn't be surprised if those things were possessed. They are freaking terrible. Sesililis wasn't even home. We left there, and went to teach Ma'ata's to teach Isi. That appointment fell through.

Later on we went to Filia Vave's and Mele told me to come in so I could get my new Ta'ovala they had made me. It's awesome, way nice, I wore it the rest of the day. (the ta'ovala is what he wraps around his waist, on top of the skirt or tupenu)

Then we went to the church activity but not many of the less actives or invitees showed up. That was our reason for being there. So we left to try and go and visit some of them. On the way there the sunset was awesome. The picture really doesn't do it justice at all. The clouds in Tonga are really cool.

3/26/16

Our Fafanga was at Vili Puafisi's house. He lives on the way to Houma. We got there and Vili and two other guys were roasting two tunu puakas on a spit. That was awesome. I figured out how to take night pictures with my camera. A bunch of kids were there jumping on top of a mattress on top of a van and joking to throw each other off. We found out that it was Vili's daughters 1 yr old birthday. That's a big deal in Tonga, and that's why they switched our Fafanga for that night so we could be there. They brought out a big cake. They asked me to bless the food and the girl when I said the prayer. Then they sang "happy birthday" and then "happy long life to you". Haha a little different than I've heard before. Food was great afterwards Vili gave us a ride and set up an appointment with his neighbor for us to teach him on Wednesday. Then we helped him get his car rolling down the hill so he could jump start it in reverse.

My other flip flop broke. Here is the latest fix with duct tape. Starting to think these may not last my whole mission.