Kai ki he mate

Malo e lelei! 

Man this week was a good week! Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to a middle school in Pakilau and speak to the kids there about serving a mission. It's a church owned school and they asked specifically for a Palangi sister so President asked me to go. It was so fun! It's an English speaking school so I spoke English and that kind of felt weird haha. I was able to bare testimony of the power that comes from serving a mission. I was reading in 1 Nephi the other day when Nephi and his brothers are commanded to go back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates from Laban. Leman and Lemuel murmur because they don't believe that there is anyway they will be able to get the plates just the 4 of them. (1Nephi 3:31) . Well Nephi shares powerful testimony in 1 nephi 4:1 that the "Numbers" don't matter when you are working and serving the Lord. His power is so much more. The Lord can do so much through one person. As long as you have the faith that he will help you. As a missionary Im able to testify that that is so true! I love studying the scriptures! Every time I do there is something new I learn. I hope you all continue to read and diligently study your scriptures :) 

One of the wards we cover here in Havelu had their Ward Conference this week and I just have to say ward conference here in Tonga is a BIG deal! hahah. They have been preparing for this week like all year. Each day we had an activity to do. Monday night was a big FHE, Tuesday was family history, Wednesday they went to the temple. Thursday they had an open house and the members all came with some non members and there were stations set up all around the church for people to go to and learn about the different parts of the chapel. Me and companion were in charge of the baptismal font so we spoke on the importance of being baptized by water and the Holy Ghost. Friday they had a big Hulohula which is like a dance. My companion and I did not get to go haha but we could here the music all night!  On Saturday they had a big market in our area and then on Sunday they had the ward conference!  They invited lots of people from the government to come, they invited all the people in prison and they came! Here in Tonga if you are in prison they let you out on the weekends but then you have to come back during the week. Unless you've killed someone. hahah So all of the prisoners came. Everyone wore their best Tongan outfits and the chapel was decorated with flowers. It was so cool! They had a program and lots of speakers and musical numbers. The temple president came from Vavau ( which is one of the outer islands) and he spoke, and also  President and Sister Tuione were there. The theme was the importance of missionary work which was great because this ward has been really struggling with helping us missionaries. They fast for us all the time but thats about it. They don't give us any investigators or referrals. I love all the people in this ward but they needed someone to shoot it to them straight and yesterday lots of people did so hopefully they will start to recognize the importance of missionary work and want to help us! President Tuione shared his testimony and it was SO powerful! Just a great reminder to continually do those things to help strengthen your testimony because you never know who it will impact when you share it! After the meeting we all went to this meeting hall down the road to have a big feast.  I didn't think anything of it but when they said big feast they meant BIG feast hahah! Its a tradition here and each family had a table and they invite people to sit at there table with them to eat. Like non members, less actives, families, and friends. Then they just pile food on top of the table. They don't use plates or anything they just have lots of food, cakes and candy and you just take whatever you want! The theme was "Kai ki he mate" which means eat until you die! hahah and thats what people did. Just eat, eat and eat! They had big pig roasts on each table and it was just a really cool experience! It was like Thanksgiving dinner x1000 haha but i love learning their traditions and things they do!  I also love food so it was nice! :)

Our neighbor was making otai the other day which is like raw fish with coconut milk. You guys know me I'm not a huge fan of fish.... but I've been really open to eating it here. Well my neighbor handed me a raw fish to eat, no coconut milk, just the fish, bones and all and I started to eat it. I probably would have never tried it at home, it tasted just like the ocean! However, I have learned in order to serve these people I have to love them and try and do the things they do. I shared in my last email about the guy who fed us dog and he kept hitting his chest saying "Tonga" well my comp always says that to me now, so while I was eating the fish she was hitting her chest saying " Tonga" hahah. I regretted it later because I got so sick that night, but hey its okay! 

Anyways the work here is good! I love it here! During my scripture study this week I read in John 14:18 "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you."  There's a promise right there from Jesus Christ himself. He will never leave us. He will come to us! I feel like I've shared this a lot but I have such a strong testimony that Christ lives and he loves us. He wants what's best for us and he promises to help us a long the way if we do what he has asked us to do. I love you all and I hope you have a great week :) Ofa lahi atu! 

-- 

Sista Silivesita

Our neighbors Wai, and Apiesa

New zone leaders : Elder Teautau & Vilisoni (Wilson) 

Misiona Havelu.....!

Malo e lelei! 

Fefe hake? Mou sai pe? Kou fiefia he faingamlie ko eni ke tohi atu! 

Last week i shared how our investigator Una accepted our invitation to be baptized, well this past week he told us he could no longer be baptized and he didn't want to be taught anymore. Man we were so sad... I guess his parents told him he's not allowed to be baptized. They are missionaries in the Siasi Tonga and they didn't want him to baptize into a different church. We could tell he really wanted to be baptized but he's scared of his parents. Hopefully down the road he will come in contact with missionaries again and have the opportunity to be baptized. 

On Thursday we had fafanga with the elders at a members house and they brought us out a big dog to eat. Ive had it before but this time it was really hard for me to eat....maybe because i knew it was dog. They had people there visiting from Australia and the guy kept hitting his chest when I would eat the dog and say "Tonga ki ai" haha he was really happy to see a Palangi eat dog and like it. He told me that if I taught him and could speak in perfect Tongan he would be baptized. So, we'll see if he lets me teach him this week and i'll have faith that Heavenly Father will help him look past my imperfect Tongan!  I hope he willhear the important message we are sharing and want to be baptized because of what he feels not because of me. 

Today is transfer day and Im staying another transfer here in Havelu! There must be someone here that I have yet to come in contact with who is waiting for me. Im ready for a new transfer to work hard! 

I want to share a quote from one of my favorite videos called "The Hope of Gods Light"

"Little by little God gives us what we can handle until the day we are humble enough to hear what he has to say. Spiritual light takes an act of faith to open our eyes." 

 We need to always remember we are on the Lords time. He knows us better than anyone! Its our job to humble ourselves and seek for that spiritual light. I love you all! I hope you have a great week :) Ofa lahi atu!

-- 

SISTA SYLVESTER

Me and my companion :)

Our ward mission leader and his daughters little boy vita!

Malo e lelei! Fefe hake?

This week was a good week! Man its been so cold here and raining like crazy! I honestly had no idea it could get this cold. hahah. 

Anyways the work this week was really good! We met with Masi again this week but she's back to how she was before and we haven't been able to teach her again. We visit her a lot but she always has something planned. She was able to find a job last week and she told us she knows she got that job because we have been praying for her. Hopefully this week we will be able to find a time to teach her. We want to ask her to baptized but its not our baptism... its hers :) we are just instruments in the lords hand! Last week I talked about how important member missionary work is and this week we were able to receive two new investigators because we went around explaining to our members the same thing! One of our members his name is Penieli he brought two of his friends to the chapel for us to teach, Kulisi and Una. Una accepted our invitation to be baptized and he will be baptized next week at out ward conference! Penieli later told us that after we contacted Una and gave him a pamphlet on lesson one he could not put the pamphlet down. He read the whole thing and was so excited for us to teach him again! Hopefully we will be able to meet with Kulisi again and invite him to be baptized as well. 

Not much happened this week but it was a  good week! I hope you all have a good week! 

Ofa lahi atu! 

-- 

SISTA SYLVESTER

Passion fruit! 

5 Months!

Malo e lelei!

Well this week was an exciting week! Congrats to my cute sister for having a baby. I’m finally an Aunt! Yay!!  She’s the cutest little peanut I’ve ever seen. 

Also I hit my 5 month mark on Saturday. That’s crazy! I will be coming home at this time next year! Time is going too fast. 

I first want to share a little story. So in one of the wards we cover they have their ward conference this month. Ward conferences here are a BIG deal. Hahah they have stuff planned everyday of the week. Anyways they've been fasting for us missionaries to be able to find someone to baptize for their conference, and this week they invited us to come to the chapel and eat with them. So we were sitting in Bishop’s office with the ward council eating and I was eating this meat and it was sooooo good!  I thought maybe it was pork or something and then I was on my last piece of meat and someone asked me " Oku ke sai'ia kuli?" which means Do you like dog? and I just sat there!  Haha….. I was eating dog!! And what was worse was that I liked it! hahah It was so good. But after I found out it was dog I couldn't really eat it because the thought just  made me sad. Today for p-day our district leader got a member to cook us a dog and I dont know if I'll eat……but we'll see. 

This week the work really progressed here. Sometimes it gets really hard to work in a small village. Knocking on the same doors everyday, but diligently working truly brings miracles. We visit our members everyday and I cant even begin to explain how important member missionary work is. If it wasn’t for our members we wouldn’t have any teachings. We've tracted here a couple of times and we've received some investigator’s but they eventually tell us they don’t want to see us anymore haha. But this week we received some investigators through our members and one ladies name is Masi. Last transfer me and Sister Palenapa tried to teach her but she never gave us the chance. One of the members told us we should go see her again so we did and she told us to come back. Were able to teach her and the lesson ended with all of us crying because the spirit was so strong. Her husband passed away and she has 4 kids. She doesn’t have a job right now so they hardly ever have money for food. We told our ward mission leader about it and they went out to "uta" (the bush) to get her some vegetables which are like ufi and manioke. We also are going to do a service project for her as a district. We haven’t been able to teach her again but we have an appointment with her tonight and we are going to ask her to work towards baptism and so hopefully she will say yes. 

In Alma 17 we read about the sons of Mosiah and their work as missionaries. In verse 2 and 3 we learn the importance of diligently studying the scriptures, and the importance of much fasting and prayer. Because they did these things they were able to teach by the power of God. I have a strong testimony that when we do what we are asked to do in the scriptures you will see blessings from Heavenly Father in your life. This week was a really good week but also one of the hardest weeks. I didn't let it get me down though. Instead I used the hard times to help me strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I know Heavenly Father is SO aware of us. At times it might not feel like it, and trust me there have been days where I feel like he is no where to be found but when I turn to much fasting and prayer and study my scriptures the next thing I know there is some sort of tender mercy or miracle right in front of me. So I hope you all know how much you are loved by your Father in Heaven. He loves you so much!! I love you guys too and I’m so grateful for all of you. Thanks for all of your love and support!

I want to challenge all of you to give a referral to the missionaries this week. Have them over for dinner or something and give them someone to teach. Member missionary work is so important. 

have a good week! Ofa lahi atu!!!

SISTA SYLVESTER

Mate ma'a Tonga!

Malo e lelei! 

 This week was a really good week! Not necessarily with the work but I learned a lot for myself. This week we worked a lot with our less actives. Right now we have a family who is working towards the temple which is so exciting! Thats one thing here in Tonga that I really think we need to focus on. There are a lot of members but most of them have not been through the temple. The temple is so important and so we are really trying to help our less actives get to the temple! 

We've been teaching this lady named Fifita and we were feeling really confident with our lessons, but this week she told us that she will never read any of the pamphlets we give her and she doesn't believe anything we've been saying hahah we were really sad. But she told us she enjoys our visits and wants us to keep coming, so we decided we will just continue to share a spiritual thought with her. We are also teaching this lady named Kalo and she said she wants to be baptized but she also told us how she's joined almost every church here in Tonga! haha So she's willing to join ours. We told her that we want her to join not because she can but because she really wants to. 

On Saturday the Tonga Rugby played Samoa here in Tongatapu and it was the first time ever playing Samoa in Tonga. Everyone was gone Saturday. Haha I think that was the slowest day in the mission so far. But Tonga won! So that was cool! Mate ma'a Tonga!! After the game everyone was driving around honking their horns like alllll night! Hahah Thats something they do here in Tonga. You know someone is getting married because they honk their horn all the way to the temple!

Anyways this week I learned the importance of giving everything you have to the Lord and completely consecrating yourself. The Lord has everything of ours, all he needs is our will. I love my mission and i'm so grateful to be here in Tonga. I love you all! Have a good week! Ofa lahi atu!!

-- 

SISTA SYLVESTER