Tuvalu - Week 14

Isalei it was sad to leave Fiji last Thursday.  

We had to get up at 4:30 to go to the airport with the APs, and Elder Gregory, my previous zone leader in the North islands, said "Look, Fiji's blowing you a kiss."  And we looked out and it was a pretty epic sunrise out over Suva.  So Fiji loves Elder Paki and I apparently!  But it was great to come back to Tuvalu!  I missed this place for a week and I felt like I was coming home when I stepped off the plane into that blanket of heat (Elder Paki wasn't quite as excited about that).  It's good to be back:)

Actually rewind a bit before that we had zone conference last Tuesday which I was way excited about because I missed the last one being in Tuvalu.  So they held one almost a month early this time so Tuvalu and Kadavu Elders could make it.  It was really good.  All about finding investigators and keeping our recent converts active after they are baptized.  I learned a ton and hopefully will be able to use a lot of it here in Tuvalu.

Here in Tuvalu our investigators are doing really well!  S_____ is still smoke free for almost 4 weeks!  We wanted to have her baptism pretty soon, but her husband is coming to church now, so we might wait so they can be baptized together.....it's all up in the air still and stressing me out but the good thing is that S_____ is wayyyy happy now that she has overcome her addiction.  I can see how much joy it gives her just by talking to her.  It has definitely been a miracle.  

Also we are working with T____ who is still doing really good!  Unfortunately her grandfather passed away recently so she has been busy with the funeral (Tuvaluans go all out on funerals), so it has been hard to see her lately.  But all is going good here and we should be sorting out everything pretty soon!

Another way big thing happened while we were gone.  Our Returned Missionary/Elders Quorum President Tofikai got married!  Apparently it was like one of the biggest weddings Tuvalu has ever seen.  Tofikai is a pretty sharp looking guy and popular with all the ladies and his new wife is really rich so it turned out to be huge!  His wife took lessons with Elder Pomate and his previous companion, but then she moved to another island to teach school.  But now she is back so we are going to start teaching her again!

Anyways, it's pretty fun being here.  Elder Paki is doing really good with Tuvaluan so far, but he's at the same level I was when I first got here so I've been doing all the talking lately.  But it came for me so I know it'll come for him too!  

Toe fetaui tatou ite sua vaiaso!

Alofa atu,

Elder Harris

The plane through my fogged up camera