Senior companion!

 Hey guys!

So this week was super fun!! To be honest not much work got done! But that iss because President came to town for interviews! Which had an interesting turn of events! During the interview with president he explained to me something that I wasn't quite ready for! As a missionary who has only been in Tonga for about 5 months and, as you all know, my language still isnt quite there yet.  And as I was sitting in the interview,  the president looked at me and said "Hey,  I like you. You're going to be a senior companion next transfer and train a new palangi"...... Yeah,  I'm terrified right now! I have been studying like crazy on the language and lessons! It has been crazy the last couple days! I have been working super hard to get up to par on it!


Other than that,  the week went by way fast.  As missionaries serving in town we usually help the zone leaders with everything since we are by the wharf and right in the middle of everything! So, the president changed a few things! There are offcially no more missionaries on Niua! He's going to make traveling AP's who go out to the small islands for a week to 2 weeks at a time and teach then return and go to a different group! Crazy right? So that's new with this week.  We didn't get to teach to much due to the fact that we were helping the zone leaders the whole time and it didn't allow us much time to work. That' s my news for the week.  It will be a lot better next week because things are rolling back to normal!

I LOVE YOU,

Elder Sepeti

A leaky boat and Tongan ice cream sandwiches

HEY EVERYONE!!!

This week has been awesome and super fun!! SO,  two out of the four people we were able to baptize and that was a really good week for us!!

So,  basically this week just consisted of preparing our investigators for baptism by visiting them frequently!!! That was our week plus the two baptisms. But now for the really cool part of this week!

SO yesterday I had the opportunity of going out to Motu (Small Islands) Which was way fun!! I went with Elder Uakona and basically this is how the day went! WE started off early and got to the dock at about 8:00 and then we waited for the boat for about an hour! When the boat finally arrived it was this little wooden dingy! I kid you not!! This boat looked like it was made of drift wood!  haha So we jumped in and started on our 40 minute to an hour boat ride to the small island of Ofu.  Which is beautiful by the way,  I have a ton of cool pictures from it! But the whole time on the little boat the guy who was driving was wringing out a sponge because there was a hole in the bottom of the boat! ha-hah The whole time we were sinking on the way out but luckily it was a small hole so it didn't let in too much water but still! haha it was crazy! So after the we finally arrived at the little island of Ofu where the church is literally on the beach! We went in had the baptism.  Elder Uakona,  finally after 23 months of serving did his first and final baptism in the ocean! How cool is that! We got some cool pictures! Then right after the baptism we went to Sacrament meeting with a massive ward of 15 people.... wait,  wait,  sorry,  now 17 people! That was awesome! We stayed and they finished their meeting! Church was only an hour! Right after we had ourselves some Tongan ice cream sandwiches and those are pretty much a loaf of bread hollowed out and a scoop of ice cream in it! haha They are way good.  When I get home we have to have that!

The whole week was way good though we retuned form OFu and then finished out our other wards!!!

SO all in all  good week!

LOVE YOU ALL!

Elder Sheppard!

Rain, rain, go away!

Hey guys!!

Well, I wish I could tell you this was a very long and productive week! But, unfortunately it rained just about every day except for the first two.... so to say this week was kind of a waste but that's all right! See, in this mission we don't exactly get raincoats and cars to keep our stuff nice and dry.  Most missionaries here lack that generally! So, usually it is just sit inside and do nothing but study and that usually turns it into a pretty long day! But! My companion and I still made it into a way good week and finished it with two baptisms! That was way exciting! and super fun!

So. let's see:  the week went like this:

Monday was p-day so we played volleyball!

Tuesday- walked around and went to all of our lessons. We had four that day so that was a really, really good day! We taught all of our investigators and they all were good! That's always a blessing!

Wednesday-rain

Thursday-rain

Friday- rain

Saturday!! Bright and sunny and able to do our baptisms! You know one thing that I love about baptisms here,  is how short they are! I have not been to a baptism that has been longer than 30 minutes! It is so awesome! Someone shares a spiritual thought, then they are baptized! Then bishop welcomes them! Then we pick up the chairs because all of the fonts are outside! Then ice-cream! ha-hah How great is that? It is so fun! I love it! It makes it so fun and then play with the little kids right after! It is way awesome!!! that's probably my favorite thing!

Other than that,  the work has been awesome here.  I'm pretty sure my companion and I are leading the mission in baptisms at the moment.  We have had 8 together! It has been an awesome transfer with him and I'm staying same area with the same companion.  It should be a pretty incredible transfer again!!

Well, I LOVE YOU ALL I HOPE EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT!

Elder Sepeti!

Baptisms and Bank Robbers

Hey Guys!!

So, unfortunately only one of the baptisms made it through this week! But not for the reason that you think that they dropped out, but because it was pouring rain so they just moved to this week! Tthat’s fun but we have four  now this Saturday.... so that’s exciting and I will be performing every single one!

This week we also got to do something very rare and very cool.  The zone leaders were approached by the Saineha school,  which is a branch of Liahona High school out here in Vava'u and they asked for all the English speaking missionaries and for us to administer the Fluency English tests..... It was a riot! haha Now I know how I must have sounded when I first started speaking Tongan! One of the little stories we had to do was talk about a bank robber and his car and the kids had to make up what they were wearing.  I was talking to this little 12-year-old boy and I asked him "Sione, what was the bank robber wearing?" His reply " "a black shirt" my answer "good.  Is black your favorite color?" His answer "yes" and then immediately after he said “ yes”,  I quickly asked him "Were you the bank robber?" Then he quietly answers '”yes.. wait ! NO! NO! NO! I WASNT!" ahahahah it was soooo funny! He was reeling in his chair in fright because he thought he failed but he did a really good job!! haha We did that the whole day there were some really stinking funny answers to the questions!! So we each interviewed about 30 kids each and we started at 8 and ended at 4:00 right when school got out! So that was pretty much the day! And it was way super fun! Hopefully, I’ll be here for another transfer and I’ll get to do it again next month! 

That was my week though it was incredible! We had so many teachings and at the moment we have another two progressing investigators! So, this week has been awesome! I love you all! Hope you’ re safe and everything is all right!!! 

Love 

Elder Sepeti

A Little boy named 8

So this week in Vava'u was awesome!!! We had two baptisms,  a girl who was 16 years old that we have been teaching for the last two weeks and a 10-year old boy named Valu which in Tongan means 8.... so we baptized a little boy named Eight!

That was the most exciting part of the week! We have been having a lot of fun here and I have been loving Pouono! The people here are incredible! And one of the coolest parts about being out here is the fact that this place is a major tourist site!! So, a bunch of people come from New Zealand and park their yachts in the bay by the wharf! There are some way, way, way nice yachts out there. Right now, in fact, I think there is one that's at least 100 ft long,  big blue and shiny and it looks way nice!

Ok, on to new things.  As to the funny moment of the week:  I found out something nice and new about the Tongan people.... They are the most ticklish people in the world and they can’t help it! So, as you have seen by the picture of my Tongan companion he is MASSIVE! Elder Uakona and I tag teamed him and started tickling him and about 15 seconds into the attack he picked us both up!  Me on his left arm and Uakona on his right and he literally threw both of us across the room
ha-ha it was crazy! Then he just ran I was  was so shocked he just picked me up!  I am 180 pounds and Uakona who is 190 and he threw us across the room at the same time! Me on the left arm and Uakona on the right! It was incredible!  Never attempting that again or next time I’m probably going through the wall!!


Other than that funny note,  the work has been incredible and picking up.  Next week we are going to have 3 baptisms! They are all confirmed and happening. One on Tuesday and two on Saturday. So we are way excited for that to happen! It will be an awesome experience and im the one baptizing tomorrow! So I am way stoked for that! Seriously serving in Tonga is truly a unique experience.  You will never ever find a more loving people who will share absolutely everything they have with you! They have a love that is unconditional and unyielding especially for the missionaries! I have loved every minute here and I’m so excited for the next while I’m here!

I love you all so much!!!

Elder Sepeti

New Mission President

 Hey guys!!

So, the work this week was really slow unfortunately but not because we couldn’t find anyone or anything.  But, because our house turned into the passing through house for all the elders! Because of the fact that we live in town, all the Elders take advantage of the fact and go and get shopping done for deodorant and soap and things like that! We had a few lessons this week due to the help of the Ward Missionary! So that was nice and our investigators are picking up quite a bit! It was still a successful week! 

The highlight of the week though was yesterday was the first day Vava'u that all the kau faifekau met the new mission president! And its going to be very interesting how he decides to run the mission.  But he is doing something very new! He’s giving all the missionary companionships a new galaxy phone with internet on it!  Because he doesn't want us to miss any more weeks of emailing our families and friends! Now,  I’m just surprised because the power in my house goes out once a day for a couple hours and my shower is literally a hole in the wall no pipe just a hole.... So, how we are going to keep these phones in pristine condition baffles me... but hey I’m not arguing! Now we never have to miss a pday! He is a very cool mission president though! His views are going to take the mission into a very modern direction! So hopefully it will work! It’s going to be incredible to see where it goes! 

Other than that life has been fun on Vava'u. Tthe other day we finally caught the rascal who has been waking us up at 2:00 in the morning every morning! It was a pig! So, last night we ran out side with an egg and hit the pig with it.  So, hopefully it won’t come back! But for the last 2 weeks straight it has come at 2:00 in the morning and scratched it self on the posts of our house shaking the whole house! It would wake us up! Ahhh so annoying! But that’s alright! 

Other than that life has been fun here this next week is going to be awesome we should have another 2 baptisms!

Ofa Lahi atu!

Elder Sepeti!

The Language Train

Hey Everyone!!!!

I’m having a great time out here in Vava'u! The language seems to have jumped on a train and sped up ever since I arrived here! I comprehend a lot more than I did in Eua and speaking even more! I think though, it just has to do with the fact that my new companion Elder Tukuafu doesn't speak a lick of English so that has helped immensely!!!!

The area here is amazing! It’s been so fun!!! The people here are super fun and amazing to be around!! They always are helping the missionaries.  Without their help I’m pretty sure there would be no work here! We always have a fellowshipper  at every single lesson. It’s absolutely amazing!!

So, as to the house and the area: Yes, I’m still sleeping on the floor!! Fun right?  I’m just sleeping on a mat! It’ s not that comfortable but, hey? It’s better to have a mat then the dirt floor!!! So, I’ll take the mat personally!

At the moment we are teaching a few kids and the work is really going to pick up this week!!! OH YEAH! Our new Mission President came 3 days ago so he’s coming out to Vava'u soon to meet us!  So that’s really exciting and I’m super stoked to meet him next week! It’s going to be way cool and exciting! 

Other than that my companion is amazing.  Tukuafu is probably the best comp I have had so far.  He is way considerate and always helping me in the lessons!! I couldn’t be more blessed having him around!!!

Well, everyone sorry for the short email it was the first week here there will be way more next week!!!!

Love you all

Elder Sepeti!