Hello everyone!
I hope all is well, I have been doing good. The language is coming slowly, but I learn more each day!
This week started out kind of bad. All four of the baptisms we had lined up fell through. All the parents of the kids we teach will not allow us to baptize their kids. It is pretty frustrating, but we don’t give up. There is a right time for everything!
This week I got to eat shark and an electric eel! They were okay, not my favorite Tongan food. One of the members made us fried chicken and she had a bottle of ketchup!! It was a miracle! Haha We mainly eat meat all day long. Tongans love meat! Meals usually just consist of a drink, tapioca, and lots of meat!
The other day we were walking next to the ocean on the road. The sun was setting, and the biggest bat I have ever seen swooped in front of us! This bat had a wing span of probably like three feet! In Tonga, they call them Peka. You can always see them flying in tops of trees around sunset, they look like dinosaurs!
One of the members in our ward passed away this week. Tongans sure do know how to morn. She died on Wednesday, so they hold a service every night until they buried her. Everyone wears black and really big mats to show respect. The services are held in the person’s house; everyone just sits on the floor and sings lots of hymns. One person gives a talk every night, but they talk in noble Tongan, Tongan has three different forms, Royal, Noble, and Peasant. Each form uses different words but the structure is similar. SO, I didn’t understand a word! Haha
When they buried her, the service started at 6AM and ended at 3PM! There were a lot of speakers and hymns! They don’t bury people in Tonga; they just put them in concrete boxes that are a little bit buried. They put the casket in and then put concrete slabs on top and seal it up. Then they put dirt on top so they can plant flowers! All the gravesites are always decorated, it is very cool!
This week I was talking to man about what he does for a living. He goes to the Bush (jungle) every day to find and farm food for his family. I asked him how he knows he will find food. He told me some days he doesn’t know if he will find food. But he goes anyway. I just am amazed at the amount of faith he has. Every day he travels to find food, not knowing exactly where it is to feed his family. Yet somehow, he always comes home with food. I really feel this applies to all of us. If we are willing to go to the bush so to say every day, despite our trials, despite our imperfections, as long as we just do our part, life has a way of working itself out.
Missionary work is difficult, some days you want nothing to do with it. Learning a new language is hard, but I know as long as I just keep trying, giving my best effort, the Lord will be able to use me to bless his children. There is no other blessing better than knowing that you were able to bless the life of someone else. Everyone has discouragement. Everyone has hard times, But I promise if we don’t give up, with whatever we are trying to accomplish, and put our faith in Him, we will be able to accomplish more than we ever thought we could do by ourselves.
I love all of you and pray for all of your safety and happiness!
Ofa Lahi Atu!!
Elder Hami
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