ELDER MAIKOLO

I got all your dearelder letters. Thanks a lot for that; they helped me get through the hard days. It has been a roller coaster ride here in the MTC, ups and downs.

The Tongan is coming along well. we have learned a lot in a short amount of time. I can pray, tell people I am a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and bear my testimony. We sometimes get to talk to the Native Tongans here at the MTC and that is scary because they don't speak English very well and we don't speak Tongan very well.

Sorry that my email wasn't too good. They only give us like 30 minutes to read everything and respond. Next week will be better.

The Elders in my district are Elders Pau'u, Martinez, Howell, Chandler from Utah, Elder Hetig from New Zealand (really cool accent), Elder Unga from San Mateo, California and Elder Trower who is 23 and a really awesome guy. He is the Zone Leader and he reminds me of Will Lumsden.

I love my teachers, Brother Williams, Brother Payne and Brother Yates. They are each different but are very smart and know the Tongan language very well. Brother Yates just got back from Tonga in September and he has told us alot of what it is like over there. He says that mail takes about 2 weeks to get there and back. He also said that he never wore a suit over there and that the food is really, really good. I've eaten some gross stuff here in the MTC. I felt like I was going to throw up on occasion, like during Elder Holland's talk.

It was a really awesome talk and the spirit was so strong. I know that I am in the right place and I am where the Lord wants me to be. I know that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died for me so that I could be forgiven and return to live with my Heavenly Father again.

One thing that Elder Holland mentioned in his talk was that we as missionaries, like Peter of old, can never go back to the lives we had before our missions. That really struck me. I can't go back to that life I had in high School or Freshman year at BYU where I put hanging out and partying above studying, both school and the Gospel. I don't have any regrets, but that time of my life is over. Elder Holland said that we need to feed HIS, (the Savior's) sheep forever. We need to be Missionaries forever. I am so grateful I have the opportunity to share the gospel with the people of Tonga and invite them to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and by enduring to the end.

I know these things to be true and I testify of them in the Name of Jesus Christ.

I love you all...

Ofa 'atu (love you)

Elder Maikolo (my Tongan name)