As incredible as it seems-Jake will be returning on Dec. 2nd!!!! His Welcome Home will be Dec. 12th, so please plan to join us at 10:45 at our church on Cherry Lane.
This week was awesome! We didn't get too many lessons but we had nine baptisms, so I cannot complain about that. The baptism was so so much fun! We rented out a party house on the far end of the island where it is very beautiful, so it was really cool. We had the baptisms and then a big BBQ and played volley ball. We were also supposed to watch conference but just my luck, technical difficulties-- no conference. One for four of conferences missed on my mission. I think I jinxed myself by going riding instead of watching conference in October before I left cause "I was going to have 2 years of church I gotta take a break now while I still can". Now I want to see conference so bad but I can't. Dang it, I suck. But the baptism was incredible; they were all so happy and ready! They all bore testimony after and it was incredible. Not many dry eyes but I was able to choke back my tears, which was a good thing cause I was conducting and had to give closing remarks. I was so happy to see the change that all of them made. They each had challenges and trials they had to overcome to get to the waters of baptism and I was so proud of them and happy for them for accomplishing their goals.
Autoa got a scholarship to go to Taiwan and go to school, so this week she has been really torn up cause she is excited for the opportunity to get an education but has never left home and doesn't want to leave. Her parents are also still not supportive of her decision to get baptize, so she had a really hard week. She said that she was not happy when she went into the water but that when she came up out of the water, all her cares were swept away and she was left with such a strong peace and happiness. I am so happy for her. They are all so awesome!
Tofikai is already looking forward to serving a mission. He told me that he is going to pray to go to Utah so he can come see me. His friends and family have started calling him Pastor because before he never talked about religion but now all he wants to talk about is the gospel. He is such a great guy. I love him. I went on splits with him for home teaching yesterday and he said he was so proud to be my companion and glad that he could help. Such a great guy with HUGE potential for a future church leader here in Tuvalu!
During the sharing of the testimonies, I was pondering and thought about how this is most likely my last baptism of my mission. I then thought back to my first one and compared the difference. My first baptism, I was so focused on myself. I was excited cause I thought getting baptisms meant I was a successful missionary and that when they were baptized I would be so happy. I was so excited to get to write home and say that I got my first baptism. Honestly though when it was all over, I was really disappointed because I didn't have this intense happy experience. I didn't feel this happy feeling because I wanted it for me, not for them. However this time, I was so happy for the converts; so happy for their progress and the wonderful change that I had seen and been a part of as they changed their lives; so happy for the future they have in the church; so happy for the wonderful things they will learn and experience through the church. As a result, during their testimonies, I was overcome with joy. I was so happy for each and every one of them. I just loved them all so much and was so proud of them. It was a wonderful experience and a wonderful contrast from my first baptism. My first baptism was awesome and something I will never forget. But it could have been better if I would have thought less about myself and more about them. So that is my message this week. Think more about others.
I am so sad to be leaving Tuvalu. On my mission, my family circle has grown to include people in Fiji and now includes people in Tuvalu. I love them so much. I am so proud of the great progress they have made as individuals and as a branch in my two short months here. I know the church is going to continue to boom here because these people just have so much heart and spirit about them. I am truly blessed to have been able to take part in the Lord's work here. I don't know what I have ever done to deserve it but I will just say thank you and be forever grateful to my father in heaven. As you may guess, I am on cloud nine right now. What a great way to leave Tuvalu!
I love you all very much. See you in a month and have a great week. The church is true and being a missionary is freaking awesome.
Love,
Elder Wall
Blog Description
A collection of letters from our favorite missionary. This blog is compiled by his sister and is made up of pictures and images sent to the fam.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
October 25, 2010 - An Amazing Week
This week was awesome. I will start with the bad news first though. So we tried to have an Elder come and do the baptismal interviews but the plane was booked clear till November 23. So I got authorization from President Ostler for me to do them and it went great. All nine passed. But bad news is on November 2nd, we go to Suva for the mission tour with Elder Hamula from the area presidency and then there are no seats back until the 23rd. So I would only be in Tuvalu a few more days then have to fly back to Suva to go home. So Elder Key will come back to Tuvalu with his new companion and I will stay in Suva and do something (not sure what) until I go home. I am really bummed about having to leave Tuvalu when it is on fire and when things have just begun really firing on all cylinders. But I guess that is what is gonna happen. Oh well nothing I can do. I will really miss the people and really miss the work here. As for this week, things were awesome.
We had 91 people at church yesterday. I don't know how but more and more and more people just keep coming out to church and it is awesome. Our family home evening was awesome and turned out so fun. Everyone had a great time and I think they all learned some things as well. It was a blast and was definitely a huge success.
The interviews went great this week as well. At the end of every interview I like to ask people to bear me their testimonies and tell how they know the church is true and why they decided to be baptized. I got some great answers. One girl said that when she did all the things we asked her to, she repented and felt a peace in her heart and knew she had been forgiven of her sins. She said she then knew the next step was- baptism. What a great young woman!
One girl's mother said that if she is baptized she won't love her anymore, so that has been really hard on her. She is 19 and in Polynesian culture until your 21, you are under your parents' rule. So it is a hard decision for her but since she is 19, she can be baptized without parental consent by the church's rules. She is deciding this week, but I am pretty sure she is going to be baptized. Her testimony and knowledge of the doctrine are great.
Another guy said that he went to the Church of Tuvalu for a long long time and never learned anything but he learns and understands the gospel in this church. It was a great opportunity to get to teach these people from beginning to end and get to interview them for baptism. They have all changed so much and have really enlightened their lives with the gospel.
We had an awesome couple of lessons with the Teikauea family this week and I challenged them to baptism. They accepted, unfortunately they still need some more time to prepare so I will not be able to be here for their baptism. I am really disappointed with that. I love that family so much. Bro Teikauea (a 350 lb.+ Tuvaluan man) cried like a baby when we talked about families and being together forever. He really has changed from a big hard hearted man to a big softy who wants so bad to stop smoking and change his life but is just dragged down by the process. I know he will overcome and make a great member of the church someday. His wife and kids are incredible. It has been amazing to see how much the Lord has prepared this place and the people; things just keep falling into place. We just keep finding more and more golden investigators and we're not even trying. Right now we're just trying to juggle all the awesome investigators we have got. The Lord just keeps throwing more and more in our path.
Things with the branch are really taking off as well. The leaders are great and do what they are supposed to they just need a little bit of encouragement. This week me and my home teaching companion Bro Maumau went home teaching and had an awesome experience. We went and visited a man who lives far on the other side of the island. He is an old member of the church who was really strong in the church in Kiribati. He was a high council man and a 1st councilor to the bishop, but came to Tuvalu and got discouraged over time with the small, weak branch and fell away. Yesterday we told him about the nine baptisms this week and the 91 attendance on Sunday and he cried and said he is so happy the church is getting strong in his own country now. I challenged him to come back and help us build up the church here and he said, "I will be there. I am coming for sure." So it was an awesome testimony of the importance of home teaching. He was so touched and happy that we would come home teach him, just thrilled that there was actually home teaching happening in Tuvalu.
Well it was a great week and this week will be great as well. Saturday we are having the baptisms and then a picnic and games after as well as watching general conference, which finally got to us. So it is going to be a great last week for me here in Tuvalu. I love you all and pray for you constantly. Have a great week.
Love,
Elder Wall
We had 91 people at church yesterday. I don't know how but more and more and more people just keep coming out to church and it is awesome. Our family home evening was awesome and turned out so fun. Everyone had a great time and I think they all learned some things as well. It was a blast and was definitely a huge success.
The interviews went great this week as well. At the end of every interview I like to ask people to bear me their testimonies and tell how they know the church is true and why they decided to be baptized. I got some great answers. One girl said that when she did all the things we asked her to, she repented and felt a peace in her heart and knew she had been forgiven of her sins. She said she then knew the next step was- baptism. What a great young woman!
One girl's mother said that if she is baptized she won't love her anymore, so that has been really hard on her. She is 19 and in Polynesian culture until your 21, you are under your parents' rule. So it is a hard decision for her but since she is 19, she can be baptized without parental consent by the church's rules. She is deciding this week, but I am pretty sure she is going to be baptized. Her testimony and knowledge of the doctrine are great.
Another guy said that he went to the Church of Tuvalu for a long long time and never learned anything but he learns and understands the gospel in this church. It was a great opportunity to get to teach these people from beginning to end and get to interview them for baptism. They have all changed so much and have really enlightened their lives with the gospel.
We had an awesome couple of lessons with the Teikauea family this week and I challenged them to baptism. They accepted, unfortunately they still need some more time to prepare so I will not be able to be here for their baptism. I am really disappointed with that. I love that family so much. Bro Teikauea (a 350 lb.+ Tuvaluan man) cried like a baby when we talked about families and being together forever. He really has changed from a big hard hearted man to a big softy who wants so bad to stop smoking and change his life but is just dragged down by the process. I know he will overcome and make a great member of the church someday. His wife and kids are incredible. It has been amazing to see how much the Lord has prepared this place and the people; things just keep falling into place. We just keep finding more and more golden investigators and we're not even trying. Right now we're just trying to juggle all the awesome investigators we have got. The Lord just keeps throwing more and more in our path.
Things with the branch are really taking off as well. The leaders are great and do what they are supposed to they just need a little bit of encouragement. This week me and my home teaching companion Bro Maumau went home teaching and had an awesome experience. We went and visited a man who lives far on the other side of the island. He is an old member of the church who was really strong in the church in Kiribati. He was a high council man and a 1st councilor to the bishop, but came to Tuvalu and got discouraged over time with the small, weak branch and fell away. Yesterday we told him about the nine baptisms this week and the 91 attendance on Sunday and he cried and said he is so happy the church is getting strong in his own country now. I challenged him to come back and help us build up the church here and he said, "I will be there. I am coming for sure." So it was an awesome testimony of the importance of home teaching. He was so touched and happy that we would come home teach him, just thrilled that there was actually home teaching happening in Tuvalu.
Well it was a great week and this week will be great as well. Saturday we are having the baptisms and then a picnic and games after as well as watching general conference, which finally got to us. So it is going to be a great last week for me here in Tuvalu. I love you all and pray for you constantly. Have a great week.
Love,
Elder Wall
October 17, 2010 - Another week bites the dust
Well it was a great week and we had some awesome things happen. The language is coming and I think we made some strides in the language. We taught a couple of really basic lessons in only Tuvaluan, so hopefully we can continue to progress. My companion has really picked up a lot and has found the differences between Tuvaluan and Samoan and can speak pretty well; myself, not so much. My understanding keeps improving, but speaking is coming slowly; I am just not sure how to form sentences so I just slaughtering the grammar-- I just guess and say the words I know. But they nod their heads and say yes, so I think that is a good thing.
The best thing we had happen this week was when another investigator commited to be baptized. She had committed before, then changed her mind and we were going to drop her because she was not interested. Then she talked with Autoa and Tofikai, the best investigators ever, and now she is full onboard with a 180' attitude change and is awesome and ready to be baptized. In Polynessian culture, until you are twenty-one, you are under your parents' rule and have to do what they say. Then at twenty one you get a key that represents freedom and then they are on their own. Metzi is only nineteen, but she is afraid to tell her parents (who live on another island), so she said she is going to get baptized and then tell them. She can sign her own baptismal form cause she is over eighteen, so that is fine by me. It is really funny though cause usually that wouldn't happen. I am really excited for her though.
The rest of the investigators are doing awesome as well. We have 9 people who will be interviewed for baptism this week. That is a new high for my mission. I am way happy! We also keep getting more and more awesome investigators. About the time I go, there should be about 10 more ready for baptism. I cannot believe how on fire this island is! EVERYONE is ready to accept the gospel. We had 15 investigators at church and an attendance of 86. Those numbers are through the roof; it is incredible!
Our elders qurom president is really motivated about home teaching and gave out assignments on Sunday. We have had some great meetings with the Branch President as well. They are just very humble church leaders who want to do what is right but aren't really that sure how to go about doing it. I am really excited as well for the combined family home evening that we will be having tonight; it is going to be a good time.
I was also really happy with the Teikauea family. They all came to church...except Bro Teikauea, but I am not worried. We will keep working with him and he will come. Eve took the fruit first and then persuaded Adam, so Sis Teikauea is really gonna help us out. Sis Teikauea cried a lot at church. I am not sure if it was cause she felt the spirit or cause she wished her husband was with her. But either way, she said she loved it and will be coming back.
We went to the 30th anniversary of the National Bank of Tuvalu this week too, which was fun. We are like famous around here cause we wear shirts and ties and walk around in the heat everyday. So we are considered like "high standing" members of the community. They brought us an official anouncement and invitation. It was a lot of fun. The amount of food at this party was unreal, three whole pigs just sitting on the table and everyone goes and tears off their own piece, chicken, beef, crab, lobster, sausage, and endless amounts of fish and rice. There was so much food we could have fed all of India three times over. But as islanders usually do, they finished it all off. They also had some traditional dances and live band with Traditional Tuvaluan music. It was great.
Well that was my week this week. I hope this week goes just as well. All is well in Tuvalu.
Love,
Elder Wall
The best thing we had happen this week was when another investigator commited to be baptized. She had committed before, then changed her mind and we were going to drop her because she was not interested. Then she talked with Autoa and Tofikai, the best investigators ever, and now she is full onboard with a 180' attitude change and is awesome and ready to be baptized. In Polynessian culture, until you are twenty-one, you are under your parents' rule and have to do what they say. Then at twenty one you get a key that represents freedom and then they are on their own. Metzi is only nineteen, but she is afraid to tell her parents (who live on another island), so she said she is going to get baptized and then tell them. She can sign her own baptismal form cause she is over eighteen, so that is fine by me. It is really funny though cause usually that wouldn't happen. I am really excited for her though.
The rest of the investigators are doing awesome as well. We have 9 people who will be interviewed for baptism this week. That is a new high for my mission. I am way happy! We also keep getting more and more awesome investigators. About the time I go, there should be about 10 more ready for baptism. I cannot believe how on fire this island is! EVERYONE is ready to accept the gospel. We had 15 investigators at church and an attendance of 86. Those numbers are through the roof; it is incredible!
Our elders qurom president is really motivated about home teaching and gave out assignments on Sunday. We have had some great meetings with the Branch President as well. They are just very humble church leaders who want to do what is right but aren't really that sure how to go about doing it. I am really excited as well for the combined family home evening that we will be having tonight; it is going to be a good time.
I was also really happy with the Teikauea family. They all came to church...except Bro Teikauea, but I am not worried. We will keep working with him and he will come. Eve took the fruit first and then persuaded Adam, so Sis Teikauea is really gonna help us out. Sis Teikauea cried a lot at church. I am not sure if it was cause she felt the spirit or cause she wished her husband was with her. But either way, she said she loved it and will be coming back.
We went to the 30th anniversary of the National Bank of Tuvalu this week too, which was fun. We are like famous around here cause we wear shirts and ties and walk around in the heat everyday. So we are considered like "high standing" members of the community. They brought us an official anouncement and invitation. It was a lot of fun. The amount of food at this party was unreal, three whole pigs just sitting on the table and everyone goes and tears off their own piece, chicken, beef, crab, lobster, sausage, and endless amounts of fish and rice. There was so much food we could have fed all of India three times over. But as islanders usually do, they finished it all off. They also had some traditional dances and live band with Traditional Tuvaluan music. It was great.
Well that was my week this week. I hope this week goes just as well. All is well in Tuvalu.
Love,
Elder Wall
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