Talofa!

It is so good to be back in Tuvalu! I didn't feel really good in Fiji, but as soon as I got back to my beautiful island and the wonderful Tuvalu air and sun, I felt better. I still like Fiji, but it's awkward to be there because we just get put lots of different places and it doesn't feel like we belong. I really love the people in Tuvalu, and surprise I can actually speak quite a bit of Tuvaluan. I didn't know that or believe that before because my companion would do most of the talking, but I learned a lot more than I thought.

Elder Whipple, my new companion here, is from Ephraim, UT. He is twenty years old and turn twenty one on the seventh of May. He goes home really close to my year mark. He goes home on June the 16th. He is the only boy and the youngest of 5. He is a good cook, and he is quick at learning Tuvaluan, because he is really fearless.

We have had an adventurous first few days in Tuvalu. When we got on the plane to come to Tuvalu, the co pilot came on the intercom and told us that some people's bags would be delayed because they had to put fuel on the plane. Delayed like by 5 days. I was stressed that it was going to be me, but didn't think about it too much as we rode over the 2 and a half hour journey to Tuvalu. When we got to the Funafuti, my fears were confirmed and it turned out a lot of people's bags were delayed and that they were leaving by the time the bags would get there. Luckily, they gave me 100$ compensation to pay for the delayed bag. That was pretty cool!

We have been walking around the whole island like crazy trying to set up appointments in the last week. It has been tiring but rewarding. We hopefully will have 6 baptisms by the end of April. We had one person that we had been teaching before named Penitala. When we came back, other people told us he wanted to be baptized. When we went to the appointment, we invited him to be baptized and he just started crying and told us he knew that the Book of Mormon was true and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. It was awesome! He is joining the church not because of us being awesome as missionaries, but because the branch president here is a good man who tries to magnify his calling as a branch president and as a priesthood holder.

Well, it sounds like things are changing back at home. I'm quite sad about it actually, even though I'm thousands of miles away, but I know that the Lord puts us where we are supposed to be and that change is inevitable. We just have to pray that our Heavenly Father will lend us the strength to bear change with patience.

I love you all,
--
Elder Paul Leland Hill
Fiji Suva Mission