Malo e lelei :)

Malo e lelei!

Man its been awhile since I've been able to email and I feel like I have so much to tell you...hahah.  Last week we had the opportunity to go to the Ha'afeva conference with President and Sister Tuione and the office crew. Man it was so fun! Ha'afeva is a smaller island off of Ha'apai and they are yet to be a stake. They are just a little district so President is the one who looks over them so we all got to go last weekend. It was such a cool experience!  Around Ha'afeva there are little islands where people live and they are also part of the district so they all came to Ha'afeva to join the conference. Friday of last week we all got on the boat to go to Ha'afeva. Its a new boat called the Tongiaki and every week it makes its round to all of the outer islands. It was my first time to ever take a boat to the outer islands because we usually fly, but I did pretty good. Everyone was telling me to prepare myself because most people get sick, but I was okay! There was however a lot of people on the boat who got really sick. On our way out to Ha'afeva the water was not very good so it was kind of a rough ride!  Anyway, we stopped by nomuka, another outer island, to pick up the elders serving there so they could come join the conference. When we got to Ha'afeva the boat was not able to pull up to the dock so we stopped in the middle of the ocean and the smaller boat came to pick us up. We had to get off from the big boat and jump off to the smaller boat. And the water was not good so it was a struggle. But we all made it! 

Ha'afeva is this small little island. Theres only one road and the chapel is like right in the middle of it. On one side of the chapel they are mostly members and on the other side they are all non members. Theres really not much to do there other than just sit and hang out, or go swimming. But we cant go swimming so we just spent time hanging out with the members. The conference was Saturday and Sunday and it was a really good conference. It was so cool to see the gospel being taught and shared on this little island in the middle of the ocean. The members there are so faithful and they are trying their best everyday to live the Gospel and share it with others. It was a really humbling experience for me. It was another testimony to me of how great the gospel is. We are so lucky to be members of the church! 

Monday morning it rained like crazy so we didnt think we would make it home but when it was time to get on the boat it was such a clear nice day! We made it home that night and the water was great so no one was sick. SO probably my favorite part of this little trip was Monday morning. Sunday night at midnight some of the members left and got on their boats to go fishing. They went out all night and didnt get back until early Monday morning. Around 8 Monday morning we were told to go down by the beach and eat ota ika (Raw fish). When we got there they were all just sitting in the ocean in their clothes, raw fish in one hand and manioke in the other and they were eating and laughing and just having fun. It was so different to see but it was so cool! All of us missionaries just sat on the side watching them and we just ate on the sand hahah but it was so fun! They also brought this big cooler over and it had dog in it for us to eat. Hahah, it was something ive never experienced before but it was so fun! They also came back with two big turtles and a shark. The Tongan people just know how to have fun, and i love it! 

We also got to experience two baptisms while we were there. The work is going so good! I love being a missionary. I read this week in Alma chapter 32 about faith. I want to ask you all to read Alma chapter 32 talking about the word of God and faith. We can do all things when we have faith in God. I love you all!  Have a good week! 

Ofa lahi atu!

-- 

Sista Silivesita



Okay so Sister Tuioni (Kens Mission presidents wife 😂) actually pushed me in the water  hahaha!  So I sat in the water with all of them even though I was all dressed and ready to go. But im not complaining....It was so fun to be in the ocean!



















The dog they brought over for us to eat.


The Baptism :)