6 months out

This week was pretty fun! We were doing stuff with our district all week long and man that is a blast! Monday we went into another area and played billiards at a members house, TUseday we had our Zone meeting and I got to catch up with Elder Fifita and Elder Murray which was super nice. I really love those two elders. Wednesday we went to a missionary house in Malie tai to clean up there house for the sisters that we got added to our district. That house was filthy when we started and a little dirty when we left. THe sisters complained about it but they should have seen all the junk we pulled out of that house for them! It was a pretty fun time just cleaning the crap out that house with all the district. you would have been amazed at the filth though. we were all a bit worried there was mold in the wood that they built the house with, stupid choice for Samoa, but who knows. Plus I found a sweet necklace while cleaning so i was pretty pumped! On htursday we did something that I can't remember because it feels like ages ago... but Thrusday night the ZL's gave us a call and threw on our district a musical fireside that we did last night in faleula tai. So that means that on Friday everyone came over in the morning and we pieced it all together in a couple hours. Plus that day was already going to be busy due to baptismal interviews for us and our district. My soa was pretty burnt out by all the work but we stayed happy because of all the time with the district. Then Saturday we had our baptism of these two little girls who had lost their membership records and a convert baptism in Faleula tai which no one showed up to. We were all so frustrated!!!! The attendance to the turning point of someones life was literally 8 missionaries, a bishop and 2 other members... So my invitation to you and nayone hwo gets to read this is to go and attend baptisms. It makes or breaks someones conversion into the church!!!!! A baptism should never be an empty meeting that no one really cares about. Conversion, well actually preaching the gospel is the whole purpose of the restoration. to gather israel so I may be a naive missionary but I really don't see much of an excuse not to go to a spiritually powerful 2 hour long meeting where someone steps through the door to the road of salvation. Sorry to go off about that but really it was heartbreaking at that baptism... Anyways after the baptism the ZL's came and met us at the house in Faleula tai and we practiced our songs with them for an hour before we all left for pizza with a super nice(super wealthy) member family from that area. It was awesome! That pizza was super good! Then of course Sunday was awesome. It was just a great time for me during the sacrament because this week was spiritually hard for me. I was getting pounding by temptations and had given in too many times this week so I woke up and needed that renewal of my baptism. I just knew i would feel so pure again and boy did i. It was so cool. Nothing overwhelming or emotional but the difference in how I felt from the time I got up till the end of sacrament meeting in our first ward was a dramatic difference that I won't ever forget. The sacrament is so powerful. Then of course that night we did our musical fireside all about eternal families and I felt super ready because of my Experience in the morning. It went so well! For only the 2 days we had in advance to prepare we flipping killed it and I know at least one person felt something while being there. It was meeting for all the nonmembers in the area and their member friends so it was sweet.So ya thats my week for ya! I loved it a lot.

So this week was really cool.

So this week was really cool. I have all the really good details in my print voice so be on the look out. But this week we've been working with a family that I adore. It was the first family I ever visited here in Samoa and it was struggle this last week but we got them baptized despite all the opposition. It's a really sweet week for me. I've been falling in love with these guys my whole mission so far so to see them finally accept the blessings we have been offering was awesome! I wish you guys could see their faces. THey're so happy. WE baptized the Dad, a 14 year daughter, almost 12 year old boy, then a 9 and 8 year old. They're my homies!! I can't really tell them how much I love them yet because of my samoan but I sure don't doubt that they can feel it or see it. WHo knows though maybe I;m just crazy/ ;) Plus because of a big argument the night before the baptism the wife and oldest daughter agreed to start doing lessons. I didn't expect that to happen but hey god sure was mysterious this week. I'm just stoked I got to be a part of it.

Actually too Elder Afuvai had a huge sore on his foot at the beginning of the week so we didn't get to go out at all until Thursday because his whole foot swole up really big. Wish I had pictures for you guys but really mostly for my memory. WE went to the doctors on monday and she gave us a bunch of stuff to do and not do and we sort of obeyed it. He's a ton better though so we're back to work thankfully. 

Plus we got transfer calls last night and I will be killing Elder Afuvai off. I'm pretty pumped. Hes a really fun guy.

I don't really know hwat else to say... actually this week we also did a big service project too. We picked a whole field of Peanuts for a recent convert family in another village in our district. It was pretty sweet and the lady really appreciated it. She was in tears as she thanked us because of how different the preachers, us, are in this church compared to any other over here in Samoa. 

Thats pretty much it though. All is well in Tuana`i. Be safe out there in the big and scary Amerika. ;)

May 22 Email

So this week we had another baptism and it was a lot to work on because a lot of stuff tried to get in the way but it all worked out regardless. I was pretty pumped. The lady was so happy too. So at her actual baptism I was pretty nervous because she's a big lady. So the whole time before I was just saying prayers and planning out in my head how to make sure I wouldn't drop this lady in the water and man it was hilarious to hear my thoughts. I had filled the font up extra full and done all I could think of and then it came time to baptise her and It was so easy.. I couldn't believe it but I guess some or all of what I did worked because she flew in and out of the water. ;) On her way up to the font though everyone was just laughing about it who was there because thats what samoans do. I'm sure someone told a joke and then everyone stated adding on to it. This was all in whispers of course. ;) I really enjoyed it. And actually I had to redo it because her hair floated up out of the water the first time and so I held her under longer than I should of because I was so focused on her hair and forgot I was holding her under... Funny huh? She was just laughing about it the whole time. anyways though it all worked out really well. our whole district came and did a bunch of the program stuff too. This week was busy busy busy.

This week should be even more busy though because we're planning for a baptism with a family of 7 this Saturday and we're trying for another family of 6 some time in the future so we have a lot of work to do. 

Plus I got all of your letters this week too! So I'll be working on replies all week when I get the time to. 

I love ya mommy! It was a great week!

 

All is well in Tuanai

(Thank you so much To Sister Filipo for the photo of Robert. She is an angel ;)

So this last 2 weeks for me has been great too!!! We baptized these 2 11-year olds on Saturday and man do I love them. They've helped me a lot with my Samoan too because kids are very patient and so is my soa. :) Then for this weekend we've got another lady named ma`auga who is pushing for baptism and that's reactivating her husband Nemo. We love those two a ton as well they just have to get there marriage license and they'll be ready to covenant with God and then buy us some pizza. ;) That's a very scarce thing in this side of the world so all you palagis over there better enjoy it any chance you get because one day you might get called to serve  the Lord in the Pacific and guess what, God promises no pizza. He does promise blessing though and sometimes that blessing is a couple of Samoan style pizzas to comfort your pangs of home. ;) Elder Afuvai is a great teacher and super focused. well, we do talk a lot about home but hey, a tree can't live without its roots so we keep all you back at home in mind. Then we stay nice and nurtured and these next few weeks are all about the fruit. Thats probably a little cheesy but oh well deal with it. I really do love Afuvai though I hope president lets me kill him off before He goes home. :) 

Also yesterday we talked with a family Raynold the dad, Talameli the mom. They have 8 kids 6 above baptismal age and last night we discussed it because they're oldest 3 boys and 1 daughter has been coming to church for weeks now. They accepted a baptismal date for the 28th of this month and we're so pumped we love this family. Our last visit over there with Elder Redd I shared about dad when he was going to school and driving a taxi because the spirit put it in my mind. The purpose was to try and get him to come to church and it worked! My dad always showed his faith and was always at church. Raynold is a fisherman on a boat all week. He sleeps on the ocean and comes home Saturday nights FREAKING tired so the story pricked his heart and now he's changing.

Anyways all is well her in Tuanai and we're working hard mommy Jones. Im super glad you had a good mothers day and hope this Email is enough for ya this week. I love ya!

Love Elder Jones

Happy Mother's Day

May 1st

So this week I had my first taste of Samoan grown mangos and dang were they good! A lady named Ola gave them to us as we walked by her house on the way to a teaching appointment. WE were just walking by, waved, said hi and she ran over to stop us so that she could pick a couple mangos for us. I was pretty happy about it! I'd have pictures but Elder Redd has them all and he's gone so I'm still just waiting for an SD card...Also this week I was pretty sick on Thursday the day of our interviews with President and we didn't get to go out all day. I was so bumbed though. What I learned is that The Samoan mats are only comfortable to sleep on at night when I'm actually tired but just lounging around all day resting/ relaxing is no fun. But I do feel awesome sleeping on them! Its so cool!

Those are some pretty sweet stories for this week! I've got some big news for today too. I've got a new soa! His name is Elder Afuvai from washington and he goes home on June 16th. Its crazy the APs called us last night at like 10:45 and Elder Redd ha to start packing. I miss him a ton already but I'm stoked to be with Afuvai. He's a great Elder and I've only got a short few weeks to learn from Him so I'm going to make the most of it. :) 

Other new is that I got the MP3 and a letter from you today! Thanks!!! I'm so pumped!!! Its the new conference right? And music? :) Nice choice of Color too!!!! I love you mommy Jones! :) 

 

Great week in Samoa (week of the cyclone)

I really like these pictures. :) The one is our fancy Taco dinner at Taeipo's house. It was sooo good! Theres no such thing as Mexican food here in Samoa so that meal was very desireable and delicous to the taste. We've been talking about it for months now and it finally happened because we thought we'd get transferred but then we stayed and we're so pumped about it! :)

So the afa! It was basically just fantastic. I really had a great time! That day the hwole island seemed to be in commotion and the Ocean was angry too. You could tell cause of how it is. ;) We were out all day just working and trying our best to love the crap out of these people because we had a bit of a rude awakening at a meeting the day eofre which was actually great because we had been super troubled about it the day before. So we said a prayer about it and it got answered the next mornign at a surprise meeting with the area presidency. It was sooooooo cool!!! ANyways we were just really working on it and striving to stay focused because Elder Redd and I just talk talk talk talk talk talk... Its crazy how muc hwe can talk to eachother thsi will for only talking to eachother for over 3 months. Cool huh! Its a huge blessing! BUt once a gain!! We were focusing really hard on loving these people and I really feel like Heavenly Father gave me a pretty good glimpse of it but then the storm sent us home early. Mandated by the Zone leaders. So then we got home and decided to make a very nice soup and an even better workout. Elder Redd was the chef and I was the personal trainer. Then we just destroyed our entire bodies and even took showers outside in the rain. It was so cool!! Then when we came inside to eat water just started blowing in the window right above my bed. Basically it was just a freaking blast!!!! I'm all in for another one and sorry to cut this short but we have a family history lady waiting on us for the computer soooo I love you! I love you I love you1!!!! 

Be sure you say all your prayers all of the time and focus on loving every one. The key to that is charity so be on the knees for that like all of the time!! Also whenever you see anyone new at church just go and dump buckets of love on them because you'll always always always make the missionaries days and relive al ot of stress for them but more so you'll be bringing one of Gods lost sheep unto the fold. Until next week! 

Love Elder Jones!