March 21

So uh the first pictures is me and my best friend named Pouono. He's the cutest little fart ever and his mommy and daddy and uncle and aunty and cousin will be baptized this Saturday
so we get to hang out a lot with him. Him and his little sister are just so flipping cute and their laughs are adorable. I love them so much mommy Jones. Sometimes I wished I lived in Samoa so that after the mission it would only be 5 dollars to travel to see all my best friends like Pouono whenever I wanted... But that's okay. I'll be patient and be really careful with my money because God needs me to stay in contact with all these people. Oh yeah he's wearing the top to an umbrella he found while playing near the river. :) I love him. Diana is his sisters name. :) 

The other one is the 1st counselors wife who gave birth to that baby the first few days we were here and since her husband was working really far away the morning she gave birth she got her son to run down to the chapel to have us come and give her a blessing at like 5am. Then like a week later when they fed us she had me write my name down on a piece of paper and said it was for the birth certificate of her son that just got borne... So yeah that's Robert Viiga Jones... weird huh? Especially the part where his last name is my last name... Silly Samoans... I hear they're going to change it it to Robert Jones Viiga though so that'll be good so no one thinks He's mine or anything crazy like that. ;) 

Oh my goodness do I miss all those people in those pictures you sent. I wanna go and be a part of all that stuff again! Its the best! All of them seem so growed up and big. Why did you let them do that. Halliday is getting to be quite the lady killer huh? The bus looks a lot like the plane I rode from new Zealand to here... That's so funny they got a little broken.. ;) So up to now We're still waiting to get transfer calls... Its been so long... They should have gotten out on Sunday night or Monday at some point but now Wednesday is half way over and nothing... Crazy! Tell the girls to email me about the trek and how it went. I wanna hear lots of stories about it all pretty pretty please!! :) 

This week went really well for us. We have 3 families being baptized this week along with 3 couples who we helped get married last Sunday so they can live the law of chastity and then be baptized. So yeah its been pretty crazy fun just teaching heaps of lessons and finding lots of new people. The only problem is we don't know when and if transfers are happening.... Crazy huh? But yeah we're staying happy and keeping the work moving along. :)

March 14

The first picture is of me and Allen after our service project planting banana trees and taro with the elders quorom for a widow. We were pretty pooped but it was a blast. Then the other one is a man and his niece when they came to church on Sunday they'll be baptized next Saturday. along with heaps of other people. God is showing us heaps of miracles over here and I'm learning tons thanks to humility patience and exact obedience. God is the best.

We had a great week. Super busy teaching heaps of lessons and working on getting people to baptismal dates be ready to accept salvation and endure forever. 

Do you have any questions for me this week I don't kow what to write about nothing too crazy happened just a lot of teaching and getting the work done. 

 Yes we were with Muaimalae Levale today and he's our ward mission leader. His birthday was yesterday so we're spending our day together today to celebrate for him because he didn't tell us beforehand. Hes a stud. Super Grateful for him because of the help he gives us in this work. :) No those pictures are from yesterday he showed us a short cut on the way to fafaga. It's soooooooo much faster. That's the importance of using members folks. :) Yes I haven't moved yet but the transfer calls should be here after Sunday so Next week I'll let you know but transfers get done on Wednesdays now so if I'm transferred I most likely won't get to email on P-day. :/ 

ummmm This week I really had trouble with being unified with my companion. He's a great guy but very childish. So this week I really learned a lot about how to keep us working together with the spirit. It only came by prayer and a lot of revelation through prayer and mission leaders. Now we seem to have a beat going... My companion is a stud though, he is very playful and not careful with his words a lot of times but his mind, and heart always refer back to the purpose and as I focus on those small and simple moments I see all the greatness he is doing for each of the individuals God has blessed us with and He is blessing us with even more and more every day because He knows he can trust us with them. We are one so we are his. :) Does that count as a story? 

We live in a mission house inside the fale sa and its the best house yet. Its on a hill with a nice breeze all the time and the house is set up really well. I love this area. :)

March 7

Holy moses do I love hearing from all of you guys but I always just breeze throuhg all the emails and then type to you. well not always but ya know I'm always thinking about what I should right you but first, DO you really get curious about all of those things? THats funny mommy Jones but I like it because Its all pretty normal now so I don't even know what to tell you thats a funny story. We're doing good though here with elder allen and He's turning into a man step by step... He's got a long was to go and president almost sent him home and still thinks it may be better for him to go home because he is childish os once he's a man then come on back... I think thats a crazy but correct idea in a lot of ways but for now I think God is just trying to teach me how to be a powerful man and teaching me a lot about patience and a whole bunch of other things so I'm happy...Just like Nelson says you know Russel, "Saint can be joyful in any circumstance" THats because we focus on the one who promises that joy. So thats what I'm doing also thats why I want all that christmas music and pictures and stuff because they make me full of joy.

Hey I liked your letter it was long and cute and lots of very interesting things happeneed in itbut Its hard to reply to all the things that happened due to thetime. its short... I love you for sending me goofy stuff like that. you're right though presidents trust is a pressure at times but a joyful pressure. Plus I've always seemed to do better under pressure anyways so I like it. But yeah people ask me about your name all the time, if I tell them e faapea; o le igoa o lo'u tina o leilani" then they say "o se samoa!?!?!? ANd their voices raise and eys get big and excited until I say no but then they get a little more happy when Isay that my grandma servedin hawaii. :) So yeah... Thats my story. We're on the lookout for a family over here in samoa. well moe specifically in letogo. We always are but I can feel like theres one two or seven families that are just waiting to hear how they can be eternal.... So if you see any families waiting just let us know but they have to be in letogo okay? :) RIght now we do have 2 families prepping for salvation on the 25th so we're pretty stoked and also the mommy of a family next week on the 18th. :) I really do love this work, I love it when we teach and they understand and they get hooked and just want to know more and then before ya know it they're converted! :) Its great! Then you just say YEP this one's ready put them on the conveyor belt wach them and then cleanse them the day after and stamp them for processing to the bishop for a place to work and a place to learn. So yeah thats the business I'm into. Its a great business because there are literally no distractions its just Christ, peace joy and conveyor belts to heaven ;) Except for sometimes the belts get jammed by the little tools we pick up and then drop on the belt with us they fall in the cracks and then boom the whole thing is jammed until we call in the conveyor belt jammed doctor guy. 

Thats a little too silly I'm supposed to be serious but I just wanna go home and be goofy with you guys already but in order to have that joy I dream of I've gotta share it with all these sould that are waiting for me. I love you mommy. Ps did I say I love faausi. Its amazing but super long process to make thats why its 3 tala. Love ya

Once upon a time....2/28

This week I decided to write Robert a story and this is what he wrote back. It made me cry.

Once upon a time there was a little boy who lived in a family that he thought was a very big family, at least until he had to leave that family to help others who need him. That boy was very sad he had to leave his big family but he just hugged them all goodbye and thought, I cannot do this but then someone with a really soft voice told him he can and so he is but he always thinks of his big family. especially in all those times when he meets new families full of mommies and daddies and chillins. He thinks they are funnny but he loves them even when they hate him and he tries to tell them how to be as happy as his family is even though they don't listen because he remembers that little sweet voice that told him he can do it. Sometimes that little boy misses his big family a lot but then he doesn't worry because that voice promises that they'll have plenty of time to do all the goofy stuff they did before and he will be happy and all the other families he helped in that far away place will be a blessing for his family.

Okay so I'm not as good at this as you are but what the heck mommy jones!!!!!! You maked me cry. 2 whole tears!!! That was intense! But man that was a fun story to read. Thanks for the little update on them chillins and everyone else. I cannot wait to show you all an FHE Samoan style. They're so fun a little stiff but we'll loosen it up to our own style. How does that sound? I'm so stoked. So guess what mom. I counted yesterday and realized I only have  like 8 months left. isn't that crazy. This thing is a bout to be over and I'm gonna cry because man its the coolest thing ever to b here serving these people working miracles but I'll cry also when I get to see you guys again. Theres a lot of emotion inside me and I get really scatter brained when I think about that last dinner with president and then the million year long plane ride back to America. It'll be insane...


 Our little talk helped me a ton to know how to better assist my companion and I feel like this week we've made a lot of progress even though it was a difficult week. Yvette did't get baptized this last satuday because her mother in law died on thursday nght and now their family is super busy preparing her burrial services which are a crazy big deal here in smaoa so the family is tigaina in prepping the services. THey're super burdened and busy trying to get itall ready is what I mean by tigaina... So that was bummer but this month on the 25th there are 2 families ready to be baptized so we've been working with them and I'm loving it plus our ward mission leasers have been a blast to teach with because they are pros at teaching its so cool .:) it really was a great week. busy, and fun. Learning alot about p[atients and the importance of always discussing things with your companion esecially when it comes to obedience. if something hapens say a prayer talk about it work it out close with a prayer and then go back to work. Its been fun. Really though I'm jsut getting super concerned lately about the mission ending before I've accomplished all that God needs me to. its a weird kind of stress... I like it htough. The mission is the best! : )

Right now I don't know if I really have a favorite area, if i did I think it would be Nuumau or Matautu but then again Lalovi is unforgettable... I just can't choose I'm still waiting to see more of Samoa though everyone is amazed when I tell them I haven't been anywhere but front side Upolu, no Savaii or Tutuila or even backside... I'll just hang in for the long run though.

 SO this is Sosaiete and Lagi who were baptized on Saturday and then another one of them gorgeous flowers and the other picture is the ginger bread house we made over in Nuumau. It was package that got sent to Elder Johnson he didn't take when he got transferred so then Mendenhall and I used it with the kids at the house we stayed at one night. It was a blast! :) But there's some more pictures for ya. :)

        I'm so down to plant that sucker next to the taro just be sure we get enough water to it otherwise it will die. Siolly mom. THere is no such thing as a bad area, did you know that? Every field is white and already to harvest its just sometimes theres so much other junk going on and it takes our eyes off all the fruit ready to harvest. I say this and I'm laughing at how blind I really am in this area right now to all the people we're missing it seems. ;) I really do like all thareas, even Tuanai was a blast and then super powerful with afuvai

Feb.14, 2017

Man it looks like you crazies had fun this week!!! I got dibs on the next trip to delta with mommy Jones and then you can remember that we're still close and maybe even remind me about all the people whos names I've forgotten and things I did that I don't remember anymore... THat would be fun. How is Grandpa doing? is he goping to reply to the letter I sent him? Just curious because I'm not expecting it. I love all the pictures they seem like you had a blast! :) Yeah we had a good time over here in Letogo we've got 2 people set up for a baptism this saturday and then another lady next week and a whole family for the end of next month and God blessed us with a handful of new people as well so I'm super happy and super blessed!!!!!!!! :) I love this wrok mommy jones even though i get so frustrated that I can't do it exactly the way that Christ did it yet but all I've gotta do is just keep learning how he did it and then pick one thing a day to be just a little bit more like him. Its all about the power and authority. My language abilities are blowing me away and I feel so comfortable talking with people nowadays as if it were in english a lot of times. I just can't explain myself as well as I want to some times but I can get my point across and I'm just doing lots of vocab and lots ofreading and God is fillingi nthe gaps so that none of his children fall thorugh them. :) I lvoe it! Everyone always tells me how I should marry a samoan girl, and how afterwards I need to go home and teach you all how to speak samoan, and a whole bunch of other jokes about the food and all these sweet little joys and blessings of being in samoa that I won't have anymore after I'm all done here but I've been thinking about the peacecorp. Because they basically serve a mission here as well but they jsut teach school or a bunch of other things! SO I'm thinking about maybe coming back afterwards and serving even longer while I'm here in samoa but I'm not sure if I can do that to you guys again for another year or 2 I might do it once I find my wife thoughbut we'll see because these things are all supposed to become clearer to me afterwards so I'm just doing all I can and focusing on the purpose not hte reward just like the  steke president told his stake here on sunday focus on the purpose not the reward. So I'll be staying focused on my master and savior Jesus CHrist because he did something that none of us could and now so many of us waste his work but not me, He needs me and so many others to stand as a witness for him so that all of us his brothers and sisters, not one of us will b lost. :) THis wrok is the best thing ever mommy Jones! I'm just terrified at how fast it goes by no matter how hard I try not to focus on the time and remind myself I have to go home. BUt I am super stoke to go home too, so I can learn how to live a consecrated life in the real world

 

Heres some pictures finally. I just get so lazy and never wnat to send them anymore.... Plus I always give the excuse that you guys already have more of them than I do so yeah sorry about that. THe flower is for CYdney. THis is the aute I have no clue what its called in english but these suckers are all over the place and in all kinds of different colors. They're gorgeous. GIrls around here and even some guys will take them and tuck them in their hair or behind their ears because theres usually always a color that fits with their outfits. I love them. :) 

THe other one is me and my comapnion on top of a hill on a new road we found this week which is shady so we're stoked to be using that one other than the onethat is just a blazing path of doom. ;) Just kidding its not that bad, I'm actually super grateful that My body isn't reacting like a fish out of water in the weather here even with sickensses too I've been so blessed. So yeah we're pumped about that new road. :) 

THese two little girls are pretty cheeky as the samoans would say and they just go on and on about taking pictures every time they see me. THey're cute though so I usually whip it out and we make faces and have a laugh and then we talk to their families about how to be saved and they're usually pretty receptive. :)

P-days are on Wednesday now.

The area is going alright so far I miss Nuumau a lot because the leaders in the area were super easy to work with. Here its been a lot easier. WE got here and got tons of referrals to a lot of people who will be baptized soon but the hard part of the area is that a lot of the people in the ward and the village don't really like the bishops... It makes things pretty hard.... Its pretty lame. But all these little problems I've learned finally, to not believe in there. My little saying nowadays is I don't believe in problems I believe in Christ, because when we believe in Christ and are faced with problems then miracles happen like all the BOM stories we read. Every problem turned out as a miracle that we all read and love so its all going pretty well just trying to get things working.

 Oh yeah by the way P-day got moved to Wednesday so do Tuesedays work well for you guys or no??? ;) I like it so far.

No that's all my heart is content and I'm filled with mommy and dads love that should last me another week or two. Ya see I store this stuff pretty well and ration it just in case a Monday doesn't work out I still have left over email love from my mommy and dad. :) love ya!