TALOFA From the Future!!! :)
Family and friends, I love you all so much!!! Today i have a
little bit longer to email and have planned better to hopefully get to emails
you have sent to me. If I do not get to you I hope you know I still love,
think, and pray for you.. Thank you all so much for the love and support you
have given to me! Your love and prayers I know are helping me so much. I think
it would be a good idea to explain what "Talofa" means. My companion
Elder Tauti is from Samoa as are many of the Elders here in the NZ MTC. "Talofa"
is hello in Samoan. Talofa Lava is a formal greeting. Elder Tauti has been
teaching me as much Samoan as I can remember. However, I am very what they call
in Samoa, "Plagi" (plangi) or white. So the words are hard to
pronounce for me at times! I am conning to a better understanding however! They
pronounce every single vowel in their words while in English we are more
reluctant to do so. Elder Tauti even gave me an "ie lavalava" which
they wear in Samoa. Not going to lie... I do have the best white legs for it!
:D
We have about 20 different nations represented here in the
NZ MTC. There are very few of us who come from the US. Many are from Samoa,
Tonga, and Australia. Others come from France Switzerland, Italy, Fiji, New
Zealand, Vanuatu, and we have one sister from Tasmania! We love to talk about
and share one another's cultures/traditions. We love to sing hymns in different
languages while we iron and do laundry. I hope the pictures I sent were able to
work! Elder Hales and I have introduced the beauty of Hackie Sack to many
Elders here and our circle is growing larger and larger! One Elder who I have
become really good friends with is Elder Tom from Vanuatu. He is so good at
soccer! He makes the rest of us look pretty bad! Another Elder in our Hackie
sack group is Elder Mills! He is such a great guy! I meet Elder Mills in the
San Francisco airport. He is learning French because he got a French call to
Vanuatu. He is from Laguna Beach, California and he know Grandma Wilkinson!
WOW! Small world huh?!
I know a few of you
were interested to know what kind of food we have been having while here in the
NZ MTC! Breakfast ranges from pancakes with corn in peas in them, French toast,
Ham with eggs, and may other things! Lunch has been hamburgers, pastas, what
they call "fish and chips" here, and many more tasty things. One of
the best Dinners has got be the fish we had last night! Wow! Shout out to
Grandpa Wilkinson who told me New Zealand fish was amazing! I do love New
Zealand! I love the people here! The teachers here i n the MT C are absolutely
incredible. My favorite teacher's name is Brother Vuljion (fillyouin) as in he
is going to fill you in!! :D He is the best religious teacher I have ever had
in my life. One thing he said powerfully during class was if we listen to our
investigators with true love and concern for them we won't have to worry about
what to say because the Holy Ghost will fill or mouths. I love this promise so
much! I testify of the truth of my teacher's words. The Holy Ghost does fill the
mouths of his missionaries who are worth and working hard. Alma 13:24 tells us
angels go forth to "prepare the hears of the children of men to receive
his word at the time of his coming in his glory." I know the Lord is
preparing hearts in Vanuatu for us missionaries to go and serve. This scripture
comforts me, excites my whole heart and soul, and fills me with determination.
I have loved my MTC stay but the fact that I am leaving next Wednesday for
Vanuatu makes me the happiest human alive. I have never been more excited! I am
still determined to give my whole heart and soul to God and these beautiful
people of Vanuatu I can't wait to meet and serve! We were able to go to the
temple last week and yesterday. I love the New Zealand temple so much. The beauty
and spirit which surrounds every part of it will leave you with pure joy! Since
there is not a temple in Vanuatu I was very grateful for the time I had to go.
I will be eager to go to the temple when I get back home! I hope you get my
pictures and are able to see the beauty of it! I know temples are Houses of our
Heavenly Father. I encourage all who can to go to the temple and partake of the
great blessings we receive there!
I have a funny story for you all as well as something The
Lord taught me this week! I headed into class one day and dropped my pencil
underneath the desk as soon as I sat down. As I went to retrieve my pencil my
shirt pocket caught the end of the desk and ripped a little bit. I was really
upset at myself and did not have the most positive of thoughts afterwards. I
calmed down and even asked God through prayer if He would help me fix my
pocket. Elder Tauti reminded me everything would be okay and it was just a
little rip in the pocket. Later into the day Elder Tauti and I were dancing, goofing
off in the hallway of the MTC, and making the sister missionaries laugh like
always. Suddenly elder Tauti hit a Michael Jackson hit/squatting dance move..
and his pants ripped from the top of his crouch to almost his pant leg. Elder
Tauti's efforts to hide what had now become reviled to the outside world were
in vain. The best he could do was use his little water bottle to try and hide
the massive hole. We ran back to our room laughing our heads off! We laughed so
hard we had tears in our eyes. We could still hear the sister laughing from the
hallway. Poor Elder Tauti! He is a good sport. I was able to sew my shirt
pocket as good as new as I perfectly remembered my Momma's sew lesson to me
while watching Back To the Future. The Lord will answer any prayer through
faith, His own desires, and through hard work on our part. The Lord taught me
that day if you have a ripped pocket someone else might have ripped pants. It
could always be worse! Someone always has it worse than you. So, we should look
to serve others when we feel like our trials or ripped pockets our too much.
Chances are someone has ripped pants who needs our help. Let us be more
determined to thik of others like our Savior Jesus Christ. I testify as we do
we will be helped with our trials and be filled with true joy and love for
others. I love all of you so much.I love being a missionary!
My dear parents, I couldn't thank you enough for allowing me
and sacrificing so much so I can be here. I feel of your love every day. My
backpack, pencils pens, shoes and so much more of what you have provided me are
amazing. Thank you. I hope you know Mom that I ham praying for you especially.
I know the lord will help you accomplish your school work, calling, and all
other desires of your heart. I love you.
Stay strong and be safe my family and friends. Remember The
Lord loves and knows each of you personally. I don’t know when my next email
will be as I leave this coming Wednesday but
I will do my best to email as soon as I can.
Much love,
Elder LaMont/ Shark bait/ Your Alekken Ty
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