He WRITES...AGAIN

well i got a new companion yesterday, his name is Elder Cook. He's
Tongan from Tonga; he is the smallest guy in the mission... the complete
opposite of Elder Nai who is the biggest guy in the mission. He entered
the MTC in May this year so i am the senior companion. He wanted to
email today so here we are. I know i don't email for 2 months and now
I'm emailing twice in a week. I wrote you all a 6 page letter
yesterday and gave it to elder Nai to take back to Tonga. Oh
yesterday Elder Cook brought with him from Tonga 18 letters for me,
that's not a typo-- 18 letters. It was pretty sweet. Mom sent one March
14 and it got to Tonga Aug 19 and I ended up reading it on Aug 31st.
I'm really trying to work on my lessons. There is a lot of time to
study here in Niua--we study nearly all day. I'm really focusing on
trying to study PMG and the scriptures. Elder Nai was great at
studying and I learned a lot from him. It was hard to see him leave
on the airplane yesterday.

I read 1 Nifai 3:7 the other day and that
really comforted me to know that Heavenly Father does not give us a
commandment unless there is a way for us to fulfill it. We have to
believe we can do it before we can do it. I remember one thing Sister
English said at the testimony meeting after my own trek
experience some 5 years ago. She was talking about climbing testimony
hill, she said quoting Harry Potter "I knew i could do it because i
had already done it". This life is but a test to prepare us to meet
with God. We have to believe that we can get through and we will
because He has already paid the price for us. Before i read that
scripture i really was thinking i never was going to learn the
language, then i read it and i learned that i had to believe that i
could learn the language. I think I've improved quite a bit since then.
I love you all. Keep me in your prayers. I don't know when I will be
able to net again. Keep emailing me and snail mailing me. I'll get them
in 4 or 5 months!!!

Ko e Siasi ni ko e Siasi 'oe Sisu Kalaisi

'Ofa atu
Eleta Maikolo

Internet here in Niuatoputapu

Malo etau ma'u ki ahoni.

There is Internet here in Niuatoputapu i dont know when ill be able
to net again.
Thanks for not forgetting about me, i had 42 emails today. wow.
I am doing good, i havent held a conversation in English in over 7
weeks, i would say that my language has improved a lot. This past
transfer was probably the hardest of the mission but im doing great now.
we had 2 baptisims last week. A mother and a daughter. It is a really
rare thing to have a baptisim in Niua. there are about 900 people
here, and about 45 members. We usually eat once or twice a day, i've
lost some weight. The ocean is literally 200ft from where our house
is. i thing i told you thing in my snail letter. Elder Nai is getting
transfered tomorrow, my new hoa is Elder Kuki from Tonga. As much as
Tonga is a different mission then any where else in the world, Niua is
a different type of mission from Tonga.

I love you all, i was only
able to read like three of your letters because its so slow here.
send my love to everyone. i will write a snail mail today for Nai to
take to the Office.
mom and dad i love you both so much
Don't forget about me
thats crazy that Ellen has her license

wow i am old haha
Fu'u lahi 'ofa kiate kimoutolu

HE WRITES

We received the following snail mail from Elder Maikolo today. He was transferred to the tiny island 8 July. We haven't had an email from him since he told us he was headed to paradise. The snail mail is dated 15 July, post marked

28 July in Tonga and received in Downey 9 August.

Not as bad as we thought--it took 3 weeks to get here.

So we finally hear from him 4 1/2 weeks after his last email.

Mom and Dad, Siulai 15, 2011

This is going to be a rushed letter b/c the candle is nearly finished. There is no electricity here in Niuatoputapu. We have a KEROSENE lamp and candles. I shower in the dark. I'm so grateful my watch has a light. It is so beautiful here. I can look out my window from where I study and see a mounga (mountain) and then turn around and look out the back window and see the Matatahi (beach), no joke.

Yesterday (P-day) we climbed the mountain, yeah no big deal, hiking a tropical mountain, and then we rode horses to the beach. I bet there are just as many horses here as there are people. I've asked around and there are not 1,000 people here, maybe 700. Niuatoputapu is about 800 kilometers from tonga. I took an hour plane ride in an 8 seater plane from tonga to va vau, then another hour from vavau to Nui, in the same 8 seater plane. I thought of you, Dad.

My hoa, (companion) is Elder Nai, who was my Zone Leader my second transfer. (The candle just died,I just rigged up a ghetto candle-you get creative when your only falekoloa is 3 km away). Elder Nai is 6'4, weighs 260, he played rugby at Liahona. He is buffer then buff.

There were 38 people at church on Sunday. There are two branches here and two Chapels. The Two Branches combined last Sunday b/c one of the Fale lotus is being repaired. There is a District Presidency here so there is a lot of Priesthood Leadership, which is good. The two Niuas are one District. Niuafo'ou (other island) is like 204 kms away from here. There are two missionaries there. They are the closest Elders to us.

I was kinda Ta'elata the first couple days. I really miss the people of NukuNuku and Elder Tu'auao but I've adjusted now. the work is much different here than in tonga with there being so few Kaingalotu and so few people in general. Sorry when I refer to Tonga I mean Tongatapu, the main island.

You can see my house on the google map. If you find the church in Vaipoa and then find the little white house. It's bigger than the one in Nuku but no electricity and sometimes the water dies in the middle of your shower.

Like Aunt Melissa says "ROLL WITH IT!".

I am including a letter to Dominic and Austin. Can you forward them .

I love you all so much and I hope all is well.

Ofa Atu,

Elder Maikolo

PS I ate Sea Turtle today. Pretty good. Have Uncle Rich get your some. Ofa Atu