7 minute plane flight to 'Eua

 

Hey Guys!!

So big news! I’m being transferred to the small island of ‘Eua! It is off the coast of the main island here in Tongatapu! The area I’m serving in is Ha'atu'a. It is a four-hour boat ride through the world’s third deepest trench! But I don’t have to take the boat.  I get to take the plane.  It is exactly a seven-minute plane ride! So, I leave this Wednesday and fly there and that’s where I will be for the next six weeks.  Crazy right? Ok, pertaining to my transfer, DAD, it’s unheard of to go off island like this so quickly! It happens to very few new kids, especially during their 12-week training program! Did you see the rainforest?  It is awesome!!! Groom said that there are actual wild parrots there! MOM, DAD, I’VE NEVER SEEN A WILD PARROT!! We will get to visit those and the screaming cliffs.  Have you seen those yet!?!?! The wind is so powerful that whatever you throw off the side of the cliff will always come back to you!! Cool right? I’m going to buy a crummy pair of flip-flops for 5 pa'anga and throw them off for fun ha-ha.  I’ll video it for you guys!!!

There is one city for such a big island. There are NO people on it! Seriously, the work is wicked slow there! Groom was telling me that we will be doing a lot of just contacting and exploring on our down time! Did you see the rain forest to the side of it! It’s a national park!

But, on the down side, there is little to no internet there and skype will not be available for use.... so I will be calling home this Mother’s Day not skyping. Sorry mom....

 I have not received the package yet... but I come back in 2 or 3 weeks for our huge mission tour. Elder Hamula, our area 70 is coming and since we are part of the zone on the main island, we are flown home and we get to go to it.  So, hopefully it will be there by then.  It usually takes 4 to 5 weeks for a package and letters are always a wild card.  They can be anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months!  ha-ha So,  I should receive the package when I come for that!! And, by the way, watch your phones form the 18th to the 22nd that’s when I come home and if I haven’t emailed you by then, I will then because I will have the opportunity! Oh, and when I email in the office on may 20th or whichever day around that,  I will have fast enough internet to send pictures! The office internet is the fastest internet in all of the islands ha-ha, funny right?

As for my week, it was an awesome week! I baptized 3 people! That was an amazing experience! We were incredibly excited! Also, the other day when I was leaving this house (searching for more investigators) a dog shot out and went for my ankle! And for some reason the dog barely missed my ankle and grazed my leg with his snout! So, of course my immediate thought was angel with a golf club!! It was a truly terrifying experience! ! The language is coming.  I can teach the whole first lesson by myself but I have to stick to things I know.  I’m starting “Ko” sentences and that is super hard!! But, its coming and I understand a ton now!

So let’s see: my week!!

Tuesday-it rained all day so my comp and I had to stay inside all day. So, we sat, talked, read, studied and played monopoly. ha-ha Someone had left Monopoly in our MQ so we played a round or two of Monopoly!

Wednesday- we went out and visited and got a few teachings in that we really needed! It was still raining super hard! But, we couldn’t waste another day, so we ran through it to our teachings. Fortunately, we were able to get a ride from the zone leaders for the last two teachings!

Thursday- we got more teachings in and worked really hard to find more investigators. I was super tired at the end of that day! We do a lot more walking than what most people think here in Tonga.  In fact, we do a ton of walking!

Friday- my companion was sick, so we took him to the mission office and it was bad enough that we actually went to the hospital and he got a check up and he stayed with the zone leaders for the rest of the weekend. I went vilo hoa with Elder Lepa the rest of the weekend and completed our three baptisms!! Yes, we taught all of them in a week and they all had already been to church a few times! I baptized a 12-year-old boy named Skippy and a very old man named Sosefa and an 8-year-old boy for a family.  They just wanted a missionary to do it! And his name was Sione! It was a cool and chilly experience because the water was freezing cold!!

Instead of basketball courts here, they have tennis and volleyball courts and people play rugby and volleyball everyday here at about 5 to 6 until its night time.  The whole village gets together and plays! We are waiting for our district to arrive and play volleyball! I play all the time.  In fact, the Tongans ask me to play now cause my spike is deadly now.  Pop, I can aim it at who ever I want! And they love how I aim it at them instead of hitting it away!  And MOM!  one of them came up to me and said "I love you palangi cause you hard play hit!"

YEAH! Mom if it wasn’t for your teaching me how to play at least a little tennis, I wouldn’t be able to play at all!  So, thank you!  Now, when we play tennis I still win!! Mom, can we play when I come home?  You better heal up your hand and be ready for a smack down in tennis! You will still beat me but I can try!

So, all in all a great week!!!

I hope all is well at home. I LOVE ALL YOU and miss you guys a ton!!!

Elder Sheppard

The First Vision is a lot longer in Tongan!

Hi Mom and Pop,

     This week has been great!! The work here has really picked up!! It’s been incredible!  We usually have about 2 to 4 lessons a day and my Tongan has been immensely increased.   I can teach just about the whole first lesson once I memorize the First Vision! But, the problem is the First Vision is a lot longer in Tongan.  So,  it will take some time but I am determined! 

     Funny story for the week! We are attacked by dogs about 2 times a day! We had Fafanga at this house the other day and we have eaten there once before.  They have these dogs that almost attacked us,  in fact , it was a mommy dog and she took a snap at my ankle. Well, this time on the walk over we decided to get ourselves some sticks to protect ourselves! So, we start walking over and Elder G and I have our sticks and are all ready at 100 ft. away,  the dogs see us and begin to bark! Now, this house is tucked around a corner so you can’t see it but you can see the driveway!! So, we keep walking and when we finally came within about 50 ft the dogs start inching forward! Then, all of a sudden we hear from the driveway,  a war cry , and hauling out of the driveway with a stick raised above her head in defense of the missionaries, is a 5-year-old little Tongan girl! She runs up to the dog and just whacks it in the nose with her stick!! The dogs back off and she walks up and takes my hand (I know her from church she always comes and sits with us in Sacrament meeting) and leads us safely to the house! Ha-ha Greatest moment ever because these dogs were mean!!!

     Mom, you have no idea how much the kids love us!! They come and sit with us during Sacrament meeting.  They are so cute! And they always call our names.  ha-ha I can’t wait to show you over Skype.  Seriously, they are so cute!!!! And time is flying!! The weeks go by so fast! I can’t believe to day is Pday, already!!!
 

     So, this week was incredible!! We had another baptism this last Saturday a 12-year-old boy named Pila and I’m super excited for the coming weeks because we will have a baptism every Saturday for the next 3 weeks! It’s exciting!! We are teaching this family that we haven’t set a single appointment for because they continually invite us over before we ask.  It’s amazing. 

The language is coming slowly but surely its hard though. Everything is backwards compared to English so I need to think of everything backwards but I’m teaching two principles a lesson, which is really helping. 

     My understanding is actually a LOT better than my speaking. In most conversations I can usually catch what they are talking about or who they are talking about so that has increased a TON.

       I get one extra hour every morning to study the language.  The rest I have to do on the run, which makes it incredibly hard. I think the hardest part is vocab because it’s not anything like English.  One word usually means about 6 different words for example... 
 

Fiefia: happy, joy, excitement, peaceful. Now, it sounds easy but you always forget that. 

     There are 30 elders and sisters in my zone. Eight of them are sisters and there are only four white people in my whole zone in the whole mission, 130 missionaries currently, and about 50 are white! 

     There are 6 people in our district and surprisingly Elder L from the MTC is in my district. That’s really nice.  Our district meetings are every Tuesday at 11:00 AM. 

       All of the Elders and sisters except for my companionship are all from either Australia or Tonga. 

     As for the beaches, I wish we had some in our area but unfortunately, we have the harbor. Now, the awesome part is, right along side of the road by our church building are a bunch of benches. So, every time we are given money to eat that night, we go get barbecue, walk to our bench and look at the ocean as we eat.  It’s beautiful! 

     As for the last question,  I am always amazed about where I am! It’s incredible here.  The lifestyle, the people, everything is incredibly unique! It’s awesome! The people here are amazing! They truly help the missionaries at all times,  with food, driving, money,  you name it, they will provide.

OK,  It was an AWESOME week!! Can’t wait to hear from all of you!!!

Love,

Elder Sheppard

Tonga is Beautiful!

 

Hey Guys!

      So another great week has passed here in the humid Kingdom of Tonga!
As usual, a ton of walking has been done and I know for a FACT that I have lost weight! So that is a huge blessing! As I said last week,  the animal gangs are still at it every night like clockwork! Its crazy that they go at it so often.  There are dogs limping around with broken legs and pigs are hurt, too.  It’s getting pretty serious out here...

Ok, onto to the latest update!

      So, we had a teaching this last week on Monday and as we were waiting for the time to go by,  because our previous appt.  had finished early, I saw a couple kids playing catch. So, I wandered over and started to throw the ball around.  I was there for about 20 minutes when the mom came outside smiling! She walked up to Elder G and started talking with him! Her name was Feau and she’s married to a white guy! Turns out,  she was baptized when she was 16 and never returned to the church! She really wants to come back and have her kids come, too! So, we might be having a 3 person baptism in the coming weeks! That’s pretty exciting! Her kids are awesome, too.  There’s Sione, Mo, and a daughter we have not met yet! They are an awesome family! In fact, we have FHE tonight with them!

    Another investigator we have is Pila! In fact we will be baptizing Pila this coming Saturday! He has been an awesome little kid. He is currently 12 years old and we have been teaching him for 2 weeks now!  He came to church yesterday and has kept every commitment we have extended to him! He truly believes and  it has been an awesome experience teaching him!

     So,  basically Tonga is beautiful!  I can’t even describe the feelings I have walking around here. Saturdays are crazy here! On Saturday no one is home all day until the evening! They are all out shopping for food for Sunday! Then when they get home they rake up all of the leaves and put them in their burning pit. Yes, I said burning pit.... ha-ha in fact every Pday we take out trash to our pit throw it in there,  light a match and burn our trash because there is no trash system! So, everyone just burns everything! Then when Sunday comes that’s when ALL of Tonga goes quiet.  The streets are dead, like when you imagine the road in the middle of nowhere with the tumbleweed.. That is Tonga. No one is out side or anything! And if your shop is open then you are fined by the police the next day! The only shop that is open is the bread shop so that you can receive your fresh bread!

      So, it’s been an awesome week! Humidity is actually starting to drop a
bit because "winter" is coming to Tonga! So the nights have gotten a
little colder! I’m so excited to send all of you pictures from Tonga!
It’s beautiful here and nothing compares! I feel so blessed to serve
this people and have the opportunity to speak the language!

Love you all!!!
Elder Sheppard

Parental addition:  We received a letter today with a photo of Connor on the day he arrived with his mission president and his wife.   It is dated March 27, 2013.  He looks tired and pale and slightly disheveled.  The suit is now in a suitcase for two years. We'll see what a few weeks of tropical sunshine will do for him:)

I see Tongan in you!

MOM , DAD
 Ahhhh, I miss you guys!

So,  first I sent a letter today for the twins and Walker! So,  if timing
is correct it should arrive in about 3 to 5 weeks..... short, right?

No, unfortunately, I have not received the letters yet, but every time
the zone leaders come down the road I'm at a full sprint running at
their car,  asking them if they have letters for me! I'm so excited to
receive them!

Now,  the reed thing around my waist is called a ta'ovala and its just
really significant. The people here have always worn them.
To be honest, I don't know why they are so important.  By the way,
that reminds me,  I need everyone's waist sizes, EVERYONE'S because it
takes a long time for them to be made and I'm getting one for each family
member, hand made to wear at my home coming and that will take all 2
years to gather! So, I need waist sizes now!!! Hayley and Kade, too!

Okay,  so onto the questions:)

1. My week was awesome! It went by wicked fast and I absolutely love
the people here.  They amaze me every single day. I experienced my first
Vilohoa this last Wednesday which is basically a Companionship
exchange! And that was really fun.

Now, something funny here that has been occurring lately.
There are now two gangs that have risen in the streets on my areas....
One is called the Ngaahi Puaka and the otheris called the Nghaahi Kuli.
 Now here is the actual scary part: It's actually the animals!  Puaka (pigs) fight the Kuli (dogs)
and its always at night! All of sudden at 2:30 AM, I hear right outside
my window, a symphony of dogs barking and whining and pigs whining and
snorting. Seriously,  I can't help but laugh every time I hear and
see it! The animals go at it outside! They fight with all they
have! It is the greatest thing to watch I about die laughing
every time I witness the dogs and pigs fighting!


Parental comment: My favorite line of the week "Seriously, I can't help but laugh!"

2. This week lesson wise there weren't that many. To be frank here, in
comparison to other missions, the work here is super slow. To have
amount of investigators that we do right now, which is only 3 is an
incredible blessing! We usually have about one teaching a night. Most of
our lessons fall through so,  I had the idea to get a sheet with less
actives names on it from the Bishop. So, hopefully this next week we
will have a lot more teaching to do! The mission president has called
this mission the self revelation mission because we get A LOT of time
to study! My companion and I though are out every night until 9:00 even
if we are just walking and talking to random people on the street.

3. So our area covers two wards. In the Houmakelikau ward there's
about 150 active members who come every Sunday. In our other ward Nukua'lofa 4th Ward there's about 100 active members who come every Sunday!
We have quite a few people that come to both wards!

4. Now the youth! We have basically none... it's pretty much primary
kids! But our neighbors have a little son, he is 2 years old, his name is Mo and is the seriously greatest little kid ever! I was able to watch Sunday conference in English yesterday! During it Mo
stands up and in English starts singing "I Am a Child of God"! The best
moment ever! I'll send a picture of him soon enough!

5. Ok So to answer all the rest of the questions! Walker,  I am really
missing sour patch watermelon.... and you! You should just send
yourself out here and be my new companion and teach with me! I see
Tongan in you!
My shirts are amazing! They hold up beyond nicely!  They are such a
pure white! It's incredible!

Well, I love all of you! and I hope you are all safe and having fun!
You are always in my daily prayers! and I miss you! I always look
forward to PDAY to see how all of you are!

Love,
Elder Sheppard!!!

Week 2 in Tonga

 

Hey Mom, Hey Pop, 

      Ok, so this week was really good. Yes, we did Baptize Lau, in fact, I was   the one who baptized him! I'll send you the picture. In the coming weeks we will have more baptisms.  People have definitely been placed here and they are ready to hear! It's incredible! In fact, the other   day we had a TON of lessons planned and they all fell through! So, we went to Sandra (a lady in our ward) because she had an investigator for us to teach. Her name is Sella and I don't know if God could have   placed a better moment for us. We found her house, walked up she called us in and set up her own date for a lesson! It was AMAZING!! God truly does work in mysterious ways! I have now witnessed it! 

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      All we have is a one-room building. The sink in the bathroom the sink is about 5 to 8 inches wide.  We have no air conditioner, just a fan and we have no water heater, just cold water comes out and the showerhead is just a hole in the wall!  And as for a kitchen, we have a sink and a water filter.  High class living!

        So, before I answer this plethora of questions, I have yet another   funny story! This week in church was Fast and Testimony meeting...   So, it's going well, I got up and bore my testimony (fakemo'oni) and so   did my companion! After we went up an old lady and when I say old, I mean OLD, makes her way to the stand and sits down. She gets  up and begins her testimony, instead of walking to the microphone, she gets right up to the front of the stand sticks her chin up and   starts YELLING her testimony!!!  Ok, now to answer questions... 

1. How is the language coming along? 

    The language is a bit rough. It's hard because all of the Tongans speak slang here.  So it's been hard to understand and it will be a very long time before I do start to understand! But, I'm working on it.  I’m definitely paying attention at church! It's too funny not to! And, I listen intently for anything I can pick up! So, I'm working at it!   

 2. Are you able to understand the locals? 

      I am able to understand the daily questions they ask me but, for the most 

part, no. They speak incredibly fast and with all the(faka's) words seem to 

blend super easily..... ha-ha It makes it really hard but, I hear a lot of words that I know!!!

  

 3.Are you able to understand at church?

      Like I said up above, not really. Also, because they talk right into the microphone and that kind of makes weird noises and you can hear them breathing which makes it super hard to hear them.

     4. Where is your companion from?

     My companion is actually from Murietta, California! It has been super fun to talk to him about surfing and stuff from home cause he isn't that far from us! He is a palangi and he's my height but a bit more chub on him from the Tongan food haha. He told me that.   I'll send a picture of us. 

  

 5. How many lessons do you teach a week?

    We teach quite a few lessons each week. Actually, we probably have   been teaching a steady two a lessons a day or so. This area has picked up a bit again, so it's been super fun. We do a TON of walking everyday!   And we talk to everyone, seriously, everyone!

  

 6. Do you go door to door?

     No, we don't go door to door. And if they had doors on their houses we still wouldn't knock. The people here don't respond to that and they don't like it. So, we only go through members and we get TONS of referrals through that, seriously! We had 13 last week and we   are teaching most of them!!! It's amazing!!! 

   

 7. What is your typical day like?

     Our day usually consists of this schedule: from 6:30 to 12:00 we are studying and preparing for the day. From 12 to 5 really just trying to find something to do because everyone is working or asleep! Then from 5 to 9 we have lessons and dinner.  That is a normal day here in Tonga!!!

  

 I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

 ELDER SHEPPARD  

Tonga at Last!

Hey Mom, Dad, Family!!!

So, where to begin?  This has been one heck of an opening to my mission!!
We arrived in Tonga at about 12:00 pm on Wednesday! We got off the plane walked across the runway.  Seriously, right when you walk out of the plane you're already soaked! No joke!! The humidity is crazy!  Which makes me so happy that I get to wear a tupenu, because if not, missionaries would get sent home all the time just from heat stroke!!  After we went through customs and all that,  we walked out and already standing there is our mission President! He gave us a huge hug and welcomed us to Tonga! It was super exciting.  Then we drove back to the mission home! It was directly across the street from the Temple, which was also super exciting 'cause for a day and a half we could see the Temple! The funny part was the grass was greener around the Temple! Every where else it wasn't nearly as green!

We spent the night at the mission home and the next day we received our trainers! My trainer and Companion is Elder Groom or Elder Kulumu Tonganized! My new name tag now is Elder Sepeti! That was cool to get a whole new name tag! My trainer is awesome.  He is really teaching me a lot about the language and about how the Tongans do things! It has been super fun! We already have a baptism lined up for Saturday! The Tongan's name is Lau.  He is 20 and married and his wife is married! He has decided to be baptized and so we will be baptizing him this Saturday!
(Parental Comment: We think this is so funny and so Connor!)

Now, onto food!  The food here is incredible! It tastes awesome! But, here is the weird part,  OK, so, for all the Elders we have something called Fofonga and that is pretty much when we walk to a members house and they make the food for us.  So, we never cook and the members get angry at us if we do cook? Ha-Ha We have not had to cook and won't need to my whole mission. See?  Now, here is the really awkward part though, when we go to eat.... we eat first and they sit and watch us! Literally watch us! And their family eats after we leave.  So, you can see all the little kids staring at us while we eat and its super sad.

Sunday
  OK, Sundays are hilarious here! First we sing a hymn and the meeting starts when the Bishop feels like starting it.  So it can be 10 minutes early or 30 minutes late! The hymns though are the best part! The whole congregation seriously YELLS the hymns at the top of their lungs so loud! Seriously, it took all my will power not to laugh cause it was so loud.  It was awesome!  They don't watch the conductor, so they go at their own speed. So, basically,  you hear people holding notes too long or too short but, they just keep singing! And the best part is that they let their little kids just run up and down the aisles. They don't even chase them.  It's so great!  They run and yell so, the person speaking just yells louder into the pulpit! and it just gets louder and louder and louder. 

Onto my house.  We'll there's only one room.... It has 2 beds, a sink and a shower and bathroom. That's it. It's tiny.  We walk down a dirt road covered in potholes and other road blocks like rundown cars and such! Oh,
and I have not had a hot shower since I arrived here in Tonga.  They have all been ICE cold, like super, super cold!  So,  shower time is not as enjoyable anymore! It's a very quick in and out shower!!

So that's been my first week here in Tonga! It's been very exciting!!
LOVE YOU ALL!
Elder Sepeti

SLC, LAX, New Zealand, Tonga = 24 hours travel time

Tonga Travels:
     Connor left the MTC yesterday en route to Tonga.  He was able to call us from the airports as he made his way around the world.  As this was our first conversation in six weeks, we had lots of questions.  Here are some of the more memorable excerpts of our conversations:

Connor:  (for some reason all of our children repeat our name twice in addressing us:)
     "Dad, Dad! Are you by your computer?"
Kip: "Yes"
Connor: Okay, look up Tonga on Google Earth.  We could do research on Tonga during our down time.  Okay, once you are there, go to the bottom right corner of the main island, Tongatapu.  See that line?  Zoom in on it.  That is the international airport of Tonga!"

Here is the link to Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Tonga&hl=en&ll=-21.164563,-175.173569&spn=0.230839,0.483913&sll=37.269174,-119.306607&sspn=25.127739,61.940918&oq=Tong&t=h&hnear=Tonga&z=13

Bennett: "Connor, what do you think it will be like in Tonga?"
Connor: "Hot and Happy!"

Mom: "Do you get to ride a bike or walk?"
Connor: "The joke is: Yes, you could ride a bike if you could find somewhere to get it up to speed!"

Jackson: "What about the food?
Connor: "They eat horse, dog, pork, fish and lamb."
Connor: "They eat with their fingers."
Bennett: "I'll send you a fork."

Connor: "I am very excited because it is the start of mango season.  I am bummed because I missed pineapple season."

Mom: "What kind of housing will you have?"
Connor: "You know the huts from "The Other Side of Heaven"? Yeah, well, like that."

Connor: "The island groups of Ha'apai and Vava'u still run on gas lamps.  There is very little electricity.  Some of the islands have big reefs and the large boats cannot get into the harbors, so they bring you as close as they can, then you jump in and swim to the smaller boats that come out to meet you."
Mom: "What happens to your luggage?"
Connor: "It gets wet, too."
Mom: "It's a good thing I sent all those ziploc bags to keep your books and batteries dry!"


Connor: "Dad, Dad, go to the little tiny island almost all the way to Samoa.  It is called Niuatoputapu Island. This is the island that Elder Groberg served on during his mission.  If you zoom in on the bottom left of the island there is a dirt strip.  That is the airport.  If you serve here, you hope you can fly back for zone conference because the ferry from here takes 24 hours, one way!"

Here is the link to Niuatoputapu Island:
 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Niuatoputapu,+Niuas,+Tonga&hl=en&sll=-21.164563,-175.173569&sspn=0.230839,0.483913&oq=Niuatoputapu+&t=h&hnear=Niuatoputapu&z=15

Mom:"What is the plan when you arrive in Nuku'alofa?
Connor:"The AP's will meet us at the airport.  We will go to the mission home for dinner with the President and his wife.  After that, we have rooms at the Liahona High School where we are supposed to go and sleep for the next day.  After our day of sleeping we will get our new companions and be assigned to our areas." ( You can see Liahona High School on the map of Tongatapu, it is in the middle and left of the airport))

Jackson: "What will you be doing?"
Connor: "Most of the area is farming.  We will have knives and be out doing service on the farms.  Apparently, we will need knives to cut open coconuts and fruit."

Connor: "It's going to be an exciting time in Tonga, They are getting a new King, having a royal wedding  and we are getting a new Mission President in July.  So there will be lots of cool ceremonies and events!"

Letters take between 2 and 4 weeks to arrive in Tonga.  Drop him a note if you can because he will most likely only be receiving snail mail.  His P-day is on Monday.  If he has email capability I will post his letters.  If not, I will transcribe his letters as they come in the mail.
Thanks for all your prayers and support.