Cyclone Season

Just saw this on LDS.org pretty awesome  http://www.lds.org/pages/temples-are-a-beacon?lang=eng 


Things are going good, we have two kids booked to be baptized this Sunday, we just had a missionary Fireside on Sunday Night that was really successful, its been raining like crazy today that makes it more difficult to work it gets super muddy.  The Mission Presidents policy for when it rains is to stay home and study because if you go out and walk in the rain you get sick and miss 2 weeks of work instead of just one day.  Its been raining pretty hard for about a week, this is cyclone season right now.  We decided to work to day despite the rain.  we taught three lessons to investigators committed one to be baptized, he said yes but he still needs to be taught all the lessons he really enjoys reading the Book of Mormon, but he and his family are really strong in another church, his brother is a convert though and is preparing to go on a mission to Ventura California, he leaves Feb 28.   After we were at that house we went to another investigator we had planned to baptize this Friday but her Dad came and told her not to be baptized and well now she doesn't want to be baptized, sad ,last week she really wanted to be baptized and we asked her why and she told us because she wants to join the Church of Jesus Christ.  It was sad to hear she doesn't want  to be baptized anymore.  Its like every time we work harder Satan works that much harder to stop what were doing.  I got sad when she told us she doesn't want to be baptized any more, my comp didn't, nothing gets him down, he said if its God's will for them( our investigators) to be baptized they will be, if not them well then not maybe some other Elders will come and sow the seeds we are planting.    I swear he is really re-training me.
          we have been really busy this week and last, teaching a lot, we went on splits last Tuesday with two kids preparing to serve in the states.    We just keep trying to do whats right and bring souls unto Christ.  Mom I have learned that everything depends on you, no matter what your comp is doing, its up to you to be obedient, sometimes it is hard when he''s not being obedient, but he has his Free Agency, and so do you, as does everyone in the world, that is something i have really learned.  Also not to take responsibility and not try to blame others for your mistakes.   I really liked Russ's letter.  I have felt a lot during my time out that if i don't do every thing perfect then i am a failure  but we are going to make mistakes, that's part of the plan, aren't we suppose to trust in the Lord and he will make us perfect. i have really learned that and keep learning that over and over.   


Yeah i did get that package with the brand new Sim card but i gave it away because someone asked for it, in Tonga when someone asks you have to give, i will send back home the other card.  Still haven't gotten the b-day package, did get a groovy Christmas package from the Williams of Lehi haha  and sister Sterling sent me a Mission Apron.Pretty cool, I don't really have an opportunity to use it but  very nice  and thoughtful of her, give her a hug for me.  i met a kid who is preparing to go serve in Corbin's mission in March. when does Rosy come home?  Time is flying bye wow you already know the release date of Hill that is insane!!!!!  OH i met sister Johnson's sister!!! she lives in Tofoa 'ofi ki he Fale Mahaki 'i Vai'ola. "oku ne mali ki ha motu'a siasi 'aho fitu. Na'a ne talamai ke tala atu "ofa lahi atu" kiate koe.  'Oku 'osi papi 'ene kau kiti?  
Send Sister Johnson that message please.  Mom i love you so much and Dad and Russ and Ellen, And Hill.  I'm glad you enjoyed that picture haha, it was really good.  i;m glad you got those pics form Prescott i have a bunch from the same day.  okay gota go 
'Ofa atu
Eleta Maikolo

Missionaries at the Tongan Temple

Elder Michael is in the middle next to Elder Prescott and other missionaries!

WE ARE MISSIONARIES IN TONGA

Tongan Elders at the Temple

All is well here in the Other Side Of Heaven

I am so glad you received  my snail letter.  There was a girl from
Hemet/Oceanside visiting her familiy here in Ha'akame and she left for
the US last Tuesday.  she was very nice to deliver that for me.  Yes
Dad those two bank statments are correct, i went to the bank twice on
wednesday and took out the same amount.  I have been Left Handed this
week. (Don't worry i am completely fine now thats why im telling you
this)  I got some sorty of inferction on the lower part of my right
thumb.  I thought it was a wart but then it got really big, then we
popped it, but my hand swelled up, we went to the hospital on
wednesday, just more for a second oppionion, we were there for like 20
mins and went and got medication. Then we 'eva ki Kolo Thats when i
took the money out.  On Saturday night i got out of the shower and
then started pulling off the dead skin then i pulled our this one inch
pus ball thingy from the epicenter of the infection and then looked at
my thumb and there where i had just pulled this thing out was a 2
milimeter hole.  there was a hole in my thumb! crazy huh, (this is
really a for Ellen only letter)  The mission nurse came over the next
morning and bandanged it up pretty good. She is the best nurse ever,
Sister West from Palos Verdes.  Now my hand is doing good, that might
have been too much information sorry!
On top of all that this was a very busy week, the Lord has really
blessed us tremendusly this week.  If all goes through this week we
should have 3 baptisims this week and maybe 3 next week.  we have been
finding alot of people to teach, both non-members and inactives.  We
recently found a family that lives about a mile and a half out in the
bush where the mom has already been baptized, but something happened
and left the Church, but she is really nice and we are baptizing one
of her sons this week.  We are going to try to reactivate her and
baptize her husband. Her name is Fipe and her Husband is Malakai Fotu,
who is family with Sister Johnson.    We found a  20 year old named
Lepino who went to school together with Eld Lakai.  He is strong in
the catholic church but we taugh him the first lesson about Siosefa
Samita and the Tohi 'a Molomona and told him to read and pray.  and
then on Sunday when we followed up he said he had done it and knows
that it is true. That was pretty cool. we have him booked for baptisim
this Saturday.  The Lord is preparing people to accept the Gospel its
just up to us to 'open our mouth' and find them.

All is well here in the Other Side Of Heaven,  The Lord's Kingdom
Continues to be built up.  I love you all so much.  This is the Lords
Work not mine, not Siosefa Samita's but the Lord's!!
'Ofa atu
Eleta Maikolo

PS Russ Good luck with you training, and seminary.  There is an Elder
Fukofuka coming  to the MTC soon he is serving in Phillidelphia
Pennsylvania Spanish, i will send with him a letter for you and a
memory stick of pictures.

Mom tell sister Johnson i met a Solo Hifo who lives in Ha'akame. she
went to school with Sister Johnson.  Still havent received the Bday
package, Oh did you save the pictures off the memory stick i sent you
from the MTC andthen sent back to me???   I will right you a snail
letter with my testimony.

Dad love you lotts that is great about Bert,

Ellen, Check your email.

Working Hard

Mom & Dad
 Thanks so much for the birthday wishes ,the love, the
prayers and support.  We had two Baptisms planned for Saturday but
it didn't work out.  But, we have another one planned for this
Saturday.  Elder Lakai and I are doing work. We are talking to everyone
we meet and inviting them to come to Church.  It feels though that
when we work harder, Satan works even that much harder to stop the work
from progressing.  I also feel like there is something missing when I
teach. I am trying my best to teach by the Spirit  but often I have
found that I teach stuff way different then the lesson and it doesn't
make sense when we resort back to the lesson.  Maybe that can be
avoided if we plan out our lessons-- something we haven't really done a
good job with, and that we will study this week.  Nevertheless the
Lord is really blessing us with a lot of investigators. Our pool of
potential Investigators is really growing.  We might have to go on
splits with some RMs or kids preparing to enter the MTC soon to get to
all our appointments.  There are two kids from Ha'akame who are going
to be serving in America.  One is going to Philly Penn  Spanish
speaking and the other to Ventura.  Oh I met a girl from Hemet in
Riverside County she goes to Church in Newport.  Her family is from
Ha'akame.  Oh and I finally met Elder Prescott. He is a funny kid. He's
training too.  Oh and there is an Elder Groom from Murietta, he knows
Aunt Judy.  Small World. okay that is great to hear about Uncle Rob,
awesome!!!  I wrote you a long letter about my year mark I will send
it off today.  Still haven't had a chance to study Alma 5 but will try
this week


I love you alllll soooo much !!!!!!!!!!

Elder Michael and Elder Bowman

Happy One Year Elder Michael

Beautiful Nuia

Elder Michael in Nuia

Kou hoko ha tangata eiki

January 2, 2012


Sorry this is going to be really short, we didnt have time yesterday
to write so i am writing today.  Last Tuesday was transfers and my
Comp Elder Bowman got transfered to nomuka-- really small Niua-like
Island in Ha'apai,  My new hoa is Eld Lakai who is straight from the
MTC in New Zealand.  I stayed in Ha'akame which i am happy about.
Well training is definitely a new experience.  It is so cool to be
with someone who has that desire and spirit that a greenie has. I feel
like he is pretrained he already knows the lessons really well and he
has the scriptures memorized.  We are doing work.  i feel this is the
hardest and most obedient i have been like my entire mission, but at
the same time we are really struggling to find people to teach.  We
are going out and Visiting everyone, we have nearly been to every house
in Ha'akame, but i still feel like we are not doing something wrong,
like something is missing. but i dont know what it is  We do have a
baptisim this Saturday of a 8 year old who is family with members in
Ha'akame.  We planned to baptize Lose an  18 year old girl who's
brother is the 2nd counseler in the bishopric but she went back to her
home village for Christmas and hasn't come back yet.  Still
everything is going good we will continue to do what we know to be
right and trust that the Lord is preparing people to hear the Restored
Gospel, we just have to find them.
'Ofa atu
Eleta Maikolo

Writings from Elder Michael

Mom i stared to study Alma 5 i will continue studying it and write to
you about it.

On 1/3/12,
 Oh and Tonga is the place where time begins so that newspaper article
 about Samoa was the first country to greet the new year was wrong.

 On 1/3/12,
 Sorry my new hoa is Elder Lakai

 On 1/2/12,  Martha Michael wrote:
 Dear Jacob,
 Happy New Year!  Dad read in the paper that Samoa was
 the first country to greet the new year--
of course, we believe you were not far from that
 celebration given you are only a few hundred miles from that country. 
WE hope you continue to be safe and happy in your little island of Tonga.
 It was a wonderful time visiting with you on the phone on Christmas and we
 are all so proud of you and the servicie you are giving to Heavenly Father
 and his Son.  Press forward and continue to do all that you can to bring the
 work to pass in your mission. You may have to stand alone sometimes when
 you know what to do and others don't want to but you will be blessed and you
 know you are never alone.
 I wanted to ask you a question.
 You are now approaching the midway point of your mission, 
now don't rebuke me or get mad at me but I will ask you the same question that I asked
 Elder  Hoffman--please give us the top ten lessons you have learned during this
 past year--not in any order, just what have you learned--I know you have
 had amazing experiences and I am sure that they have taught you so if you
can, please share them with us. Then, as you look at that list, think about
 what you want to learn in the next phase of your mission--what are your
 goals?
As always, I ask in love--just curious as to what you have learned for
 yourself.
 I read Alma 5 this morning and came up with 46 questions=did you get to
 study it this week--how many questions do you find?
 We love you and hope you continue to do great things.  Be obedient and
 be  happy--strengthen your companion and let him know that you believe in
 him.
  You can make a big difference in his life just has your companions have
 done for you.
I love you mucho!!!

 xoxo
 Momma


'Ofa atu
 Eleta Maikolo