HEY.   Life is good here in Tonga, but a lot of stuff has happened since last week. In the MTC we had a branch devotional before we left where everybody in the district says their First Vision discussion and we sing a song. Our first vision went really well and then we sang Folofola Mai a Sisu which was super spiritual. It was really hard to say goodbye to all the districts. I got really close to the Samoan and Fijian districts.

Then we flew from SLC-LAX-AUCK-TONGA. It was super long and stressful and I'm just glad I made it here.  We stayed in a mission complex that they have right across from temple. I did a session in Tongan which was fun and very confusing. I was a part of the biggest intake and biggest transfer in Tonga mission history. There were 35 of us in the intake, including 15 from America and 16 from New Zealand. There are 180 Missionaries in Tonga. We did some introduction stuff and had a meeting and then we met our companions.

My Companion is Elder Talisa. He is from Auckland, New Zealand and jacked to Mars. He could lift me up with one finger.  He played pro rugby in Australia for a couple of years before he came here. He is way cool, super smart and wants to work. I'm in Pea which is kinda central in Tonga. My ward is super cool, which helps a ton with missionary work.

Some Tonga things:

For missionaries they have what are called, Fafongas, which is when members give you all the food in the world and want you to eat it all. I have probably eaten more in the last 5 days than in 6 weeks in the MTC. I eat at my Fafaonga then I fast until the next one so I can eat it all.

I also have more mosquito bites than Gav had dunks and Jorde has 3's last year. Mosquitoes love white skin, I swear.

While my companion and I were touring our area for the first time, we drove up to this huge Tongan wedding reception where the Bishop was. We were outside this huge tent and the Bishop invited us in where there were probably 15 cooked pigs just sitting on all the tables for the reception. Let me tell you, Tongan receptions are amazing, people throwing money everywhere, somebody always talking into some microphone and so much food. It was a crazy intro to Tonga.

But life is good. I'm just trying to get my Tongan down. I really like my area and I'm excited for the things we can do.

Ofa Atu

Go blazers