Awesome investigators!

Talofa my friends and family!

Another beautiful week has passed in my island paradise of Tuvalu. It seems so slow at times, but then looking back suddenly I realize that yet another month has passed by. There's rumors that something is going to change here in Tuvalu within the next week (meaning transfers) but I don't know if they're true or not.

Our investigators are all progressing well. Those who are getting baptized in the coming month are so prepared! We should baptize them today! Not really, but we practiced the baptismal interviews and they are all so smart in answering the questions. I was especially impressed with Eti's wife Taiga and their daughter Teleia because they both fasted yesterday to help Eti to quit smoking. They are so stalwart! I am so glad that Taiga really prayed about the church to know if it's true. I was thinking about that today, how sometimes people in the church say that they have never questioned if the church is true or not. That isn't good! I was thinking about other people who are blinded by the truths they have believed their whole lives and they too never question. For a lasting testimony, we must question and ask with a sincere heart to God what is truth. That is a really remarkable teaching of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I think. That we encourage people to ask for themselves to God, the giver of all truth.

Yesterday was Fast and Testimony Meeting and I bore my testimony. I don't know if I'll be here for the next one or not. So I thought I would take the chance that I had. By the way, I think that's how we should always be. I noticed that members of the church in Utah are less willing to use the sacred time for bearing testimonies than the saints here in the pacific. We should all burn with such testimonies that we cannot sit down in Fast and Testimony Meeting. Speaking of those who could not sit down, there is this wonderful family that is probably my favorite family in Tuvalu. The mom's name is Ilau and her husband recently came back from over sea. His name is Manumalo. Ilau is a recent convert and Manumalo is a returned missionary that sometimes doesn't feel very strong in the faith. We had family home evening with them on Monday. Well in Fast and Testimony meeting their three oldest children got up and bore their testimonies. I was so proud of their righteous examples to their parents. The best was when little Avonitele who is only six, got up and folded his arms all serious and bore a simple, but pure testimony of the truth. He'll be a missionary someday!

We have started teaching some new people who seem really good. One is Uikilifi and his wife Joyce. Uikilifi is President Niko's brother. He is a humble man who is brilliant in building houses. He recently built a new house for President Niko. His wife Joyce has come to lots of church activities and seems super interested, but we were unable to go to them because they live far from the main village. Luckily, we now have bikes which makes everything possible. President Niko's sister is Ue the wife of Michael and is doing so good too!

Elder Momoisea is a really good companion for me. He keeps me laughing and isn't too judgemental when sometimes I'm not very patient or I'm not very good at some things (like planning). I have learned how hard planning really is! We watch a lot of Preach My Gospel videos and everytime we do I think, man I am not that good at planning. But the missionaries we watched, also had some intense training on how to become better missionaries.

I hope you all are healthy and well! Have a wonderful week!

Much Love

--
Elder Paul Leland Hill
Fiji Suva Mission