This week was very good! It was fairly uneventful except that we had a big storm yesterday and only 14 people came to church because of it. It was a really good week for finding and teaching investigators though this week. We had a lot more member present lessons this week too, because we're teaching a lot of people who are from part member families and such. So in total we had 23 lessons this week and with the recent convert and less active lessons we had, we taught 27 lessons this week. I'm tired!
I think this week I will tell a little bit about our 12 investigators that are getting baptized this week, so that you can get a feeling for who we're teaching. They didn't get baptized two weeks ago, contrary to what I accidentally wrote. (reasons why I need to proofread my emails number 10) This week is the big week, hopefully. We're hoping the sea will calm down enough for them to get baptized in the sea, otherwise we'll have to postpone it or think of something else. After the big storm this week, the water is very restless both in the lagoon and outside of the lagoon.
So here they are:
The Tekueia family: There are five in the Tekueia family that are old enough to get baptized. The son Teia began coming to church about two years ago. Then the other two sons went to church too. The mom, Patelli, had just started going to church when Elder Key and his last companion Elder Wall got here. They began teaching the family and they were good, brother Tekueia didn't seem very interested. As the teaching went on, however, Brother Tekueia started to change and became interested. Before Key and Wall left, Brother Tekueia came to church and while we were away he quit smoking and the whole family goes every week (they even came yesterday despite the storm.) They are so excited to be baptized and will probably be sealed in the temple in one year's time.
Meli and Jefasei: These are two little girls whose parents are less active members. Their older brother and sister got baptized when Elder Wall and Elder Key were here and now they want to get baptized. Meli is really smart, but Jefasei is really shy. They have younger twin baby sisters that are always walking around naked, it's hilarious.
Moesi, Kalafaga, and Lala: Moesi and Kalafaga just started coming to church because their parents want them to be good kids. They have an older sister whose name is rosemary who really wants to get baptized but had to go back to school on another island before we had time to baptize her (same with Teia Tekueia), but she will be baptized in April hopefully. Lala is their cousin who started coming to church while Kalafaga stayed with her and her family.
Pukeata: Pukeata is interesting. Her baby girl was really sick with heart problems about 2 years ago and she went to every minister and priest from other churches to heal her baby girl. The only ones that helped were our missionaries. They gave her a priesthood blessing and she was healed. Pukeata's husband is a returned missionary but he is always drunk now. She has come faithfully to church for probably 2 years, but has yet to be baptized into the church. Her husband wants to change his life too.
Sister Famanatu: Her story is tragic. Her son died and she needed to have the funeral somewhere. She knows the Branch President so she asked if they could have the funeral at the chapel (we don't have a real chapel, just a building we rent.) She then started coming to church and she really loves the gospel. We gave her an english book of mormon but she didn't really understand it. So she went to the chapel and got her own Samoan book of mormon (the Book of Mormon is not yet in Tuvaluan). She loves the gospel and she's really nervous about her interview, but she'll pass it really well. She's afraid she'll forget something.
Tilia: Tilia is 10 years old and her Father is the 1st counsellor to president Niko. She just wasn't baptized when she was eight. She already knows what we teach her and she's really smart. Her family always gives us iceblocks and ice cream when we go there. It's really fun!
That's our twelve that are getting baptized. I'm really excited for them. We'll get pictures with them, no worries.
Today I went to our Indian Friend Kris and he cut my hair. He's a really good barber and it only cost 4 dollars. What?!
Good week! No worries here!
Love you,
Elder Paul Hill
No comments:
Post a Comment