Week 32 on Island of Eua

Hey Mom and Dad,

     I'm doing well. Not sick anymore, wasnt really super sick though. The weather is mostly just rainy and cloudy now, still humid but less scorching sun, which is nice. We got to ride some bikes this week. The usual hour and a half uphill walk to Houma took us about 15 minutes on the bikes. We had a couple of appointments and then rode back to kolo it was lots of fun. Four or five miles downhill the whole way. No hands! Almost hit a car because I forgot that they drive on the opposite side of the road. Lesson learned quickly. Didn't help that my brakes didn't really work anymore at that point either. We road then to Tufu to see if Ofeina was home. There was an awesome sunset there. 

 

Tafoya got a flat and we walked to the Deep Resort to see if Siope had a pump. He ended up taking us back to kolo with our bikes in his trailer because he's a nice guy.  

     We got a bunch of new investigators at the Hango agricultural college. The place was really cool, the trees and shrub paths made me feel like I was in a really rich private boarding school someplace in Europe. We set up a couple more appointments with some students and then headed to Alifileti Havilis across the street. We had started teaching him a couple day's earlier. Our visit with him was awesome, He had kept our commitment and had read the Book of Mormon and had questions for us. He told us he wanted us to keep teaching him and that he would keep reading. Before we left he insisted on feeding us. He's a really nice guy. We left there and decided to walk through the Kings palace in Eua to get back to the Ovava tree lodge. The view from there was really cool. 

 

While at the resort we saw a sign that advertised pizza night for Fathers Sunday. We asked Taufa how much it cost and she told us to come and eat free of charge. Pizza ki ai!!! We are pumped about pizza that! Later in the week we went to all of the houses surrounding Eua Highschool and set up about 7 or 8 appointments. Hoping at least half are solid for teaching next week.

     We had an awesome lesson on Saturday teaching a tongan priest. The guy's name is Toia, a priest in the seventh day Adventist church. We had lots of great discussion about the bible/law of Moses. We taught him about how the law of Moses was fulfilled in the coming of Christ, and explained how the law of Moses was designed to strengthen the people's faith in Christ, as it was a type of his coming. We taught the first vision and he was very receptive to it all. He agreed with everything we were teaching. He accepted the Book of Mormon and the commitment to read and set up another day to come and talk with him. Great lesson, he was very sincere. I feel like the first lesson is very hard to argue against. Anyone familiar with the bible logically agrees and understands everything that happens up until the apostasy. Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon is the curveball that throws most people. Anyway that was great. I love teaching. I felt goosebumps reciting the first vision to him the spirit was so strong. Cool stuff.  That same day we taught a acting priest in the Tufu's Tongan church, he had so many questions and was hanging on to my every word, I was able to answer with an appeal to the scriptures and so many things. It was truly an awesome lesson. We covered a lot of doctrine, it was the best. I was able to answer all of his questions and open his mind so much. My favorite teaching/conversation ever. It was beyond clear to me that he had felt the spirit so strongly, and knew everything we had taught was true. He wants us to come back and teach him more about The church Christ had set up and where it is now after Christ death and so many things. He told us that he wants to learn more and have us come here again soon, but he told us to do it quietly and as unnoticeably as possible because he didn't want his church members to see that he was learning from us. Haha! It was the best. 

     That night we walked back to kolo for Pizza Night!! We took off our flip flops and walked along the sandy beach the whole way back. It was nice. We got to big Ovava tree resort and ate real non-Tongan, real American delicious wood fire burning oven pizza. It was delicious. The crust was perfect too. Pineapple and bacon pizza, mushrooms, chicken and tomato pizza, fish pizza, extra cheesy sausage pizza, a bunch. It was so awesome. They laid it all out buffet style. Despite how amazing the pizza was, my favorite part of the night was watching a old man sitting at the table by the doorway. His grandchildren were running around playing with a balloon and every time that something happened that caused the kids to be surprised or something out of the ordinary a subtle smile would creep out on the old mans face. It made me think back to all of the pictures Grandma Polly captures of Grandpa Jim smiling at Wren or the boys, and also memories of my Grandpa Jack with his mustache always smiling at us. It was a great feeling. That old mans smile made me really happy. 

     As we left the resort that night Taufa gave us two Tongan pies. We were able to give one to Pipi and Tau and their family. They always take care of the neighbors kids and  when we got there they called all the kids in with their friends so we could share a spiritual thought with them. Tau had one of the little girls say the opening prayer. She knew both of our names and blessed us individually. I shared with them an experience we had at one of our lessons and how the field is white and ready to harvest, we just need to find who's prepared to listen. Tau and Pipi are great. Leaving there I felt super grateful that I was called here and able to work with these members and these people. They're great. I love them. 

     We left there and took the other pie and gave it to Paki since he will be all by himself on Fathers Sunday tomorrow. He was happy about that. Love these people. 

-Glad that Grandma and Grandpa get to be in town. I saw the fourwheeling Grandma did haha. Golf sounds fun. Miss golfing with all of you guys. It was nice to skype last week too. 

Love y'all,  Tay