Elder Michael and the Ita'aihou family

Hope of the Gospel

Yeah that is sad about the election but it is what it is. Romney did his very best and maybe he will try again in another 4 years,  all the members over here have been talking about it, even nonmembers too, they all wanted Romney to win because he is a man of Religion, they all wanted someone who trusts in God to be the President of America, but God has another plan in store       this week was not nearly as busy as the past 3 weeks, no transfers, no going to different islands, and no zone conferences. so my new comp(Elder Williams from Centerville Utah  and i decided that we were going to park the car at the house and go visit people on foot. we had some pretty neat experiences  we visited one inactive family who hasn't been to church in a long time, we show up at the house and  a big buff guy wearing a black tank top and tattoos allover his arms answers the door with a smile and lets us in, we didn't say a word for the next 30 mins as this man, Tauhola, shared with us that it has been 2 years since the missionaries have last visited him and his family and that he has been feeling guilty because he hasn't been going to church in a very long time, then all of a sudden he starts crying as he shares with us that his wife and him have been sealed to the temple but they haven't been back to the temple in over a year and that they really want to come back to church.  he shared all this to us with out us saying a single word. he knew that us visiting him was a sign from God telling him it is time to come back to Church.       he also said that he has some one for us to teach, we were rejoiced that we decided to g visit him, than later that same day we go and visit a family that was baptized last year. no body was there but the oldest daughter who hasn't been going to church in a while she is about 32 years old, we sat down and talked with her for a while and asked where the rest of her family was and she said that they had all gone to the temple and we asked why she didn't go, and then she opens up and starts crying as she explained to us that she has started drinking again, and how she feels that her family hates her and doesn't talk to her any more, and that she has been considering suicide, we immediately teach her about repentance and the atonement of Jesus Christ, and how she can be forgiven of her sins we read with her Alma 7:11 and committed her to go to church this Sunday and discuss her problems with the Bishop, she said she would do that.  It was as if she had lost hope and Satan had told her the only way out is to take her life, but that is the point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to bring Hope to a Miserable hopeless world. i am grateful i was able to be a tool in the hand of the Lord in helping His daughter find again the hope of the Gospel.

That is pretty much everything that has been going on this week, president got back from NZ last night and next week we have zone council with all the zone leaders   i am glad i am where i am! wouldn't want to be any where else!

Thank you for all your prayers for me and all the other missionaries out there in the world!!

Thanks mom and dad for sending me out here on a mission to Discover Who i Really am and who i can become.  Alma 29:9

Ofa lahi atu
Elder Michael

PS mom and dad kinda random but what are your christmas plans for this year??

Tongan Missionaries

Tongan Sunset with Love

New Companion, More Zone Conferences,Real Growth,Retention, KIDS in Charge,ELECTION

November 2, 2012
okay awesome i really want to see what she looks like, i remember
faces a lot better than names.

Well this week has been another busy one with very little sleep. i
did not have a new companion until Tuesday afternoon when Elder
Williams from Centerville Utah flew in from Ha'apai where he had been
a zone leader for just over 2 weeks to be my new companion.  He is a
really great guy, a perfect fit for the job, truly a humble kid who has
a real desire to serve the Lord.d everyday. As soon as he got here, we hit the
ground running with He is a lot like Elder Fisher and
makes me want to work Zone Conferences here on the Main Island,
Wednesday was the west zone, then Thursday was the east zone than the
Town Zone was on Friday. They were all really good and focused on the
doctrine and not on the rules or the white handbook, President's new
thing is that if every missionary understands his purpose and has a
testimony of the Doctrine of Christ, then they will want to be
obedient. I am a big believer in that as well .Another thing we
talked about was Real Growth something that the Brethren have been
stressing throughout the whole year especially here in the Pacific.
i taught about how we need to hold onto the fruits of the Work, which
is Retention, something that is really important and a bit of a
problem here in Tonga. Over 50%+ of the country is baptized
statistically speaking but only about  36% of that 50% is active. so
there is still a lot of work to do.     One moment that was rather
special to me during the zone conferences was when President was
giving the closing remarks at the East Zone,  In that zone there are 4
people who i came in with, plus me who was there at the meeting,
President mentioned that two months from now all 17 of us will be done
(14 of whom i was in the MTC with, we have all become best friends
during our missions and all of us have been trainers multiple times
and have been Zone leader and AP) and President said as he started to
cry that he doesn't know what kind of gift he could give us or if
there has ever been a group like us before. We have always been such a
close nit group with one goal in mind to serve with all our might mind
and strength.  President is not one to often tear up and so when he
did that we(everyone of my group) started tearing up, it also made me
realize just how blessed I have been during my mission, and just how
little time i have left, got to make every moment count!

Speaking of President, he is in New Zealand for a week so we (williams
and I) are in charge for a week, should be pretty fun haha

Thats pretty much everything that has been going on. One elder who i
was in the MTC, Elder Chandler, from Hurricane ut is going home on
Monday because he has been pretty sick for a number of months we will
really miss him, he has been one of the hardest working missionaries
in the mission. it is always hard to say good bye to people, but hey i
told him every time i drive on the I-15 ill be dropping by to say hi.

Hope all is well at home,I didn't get a letter from dad this week. Sorry
for the disjointed email, keep me up dated on the election!!
Ofalahi atu

South Bend, Zone Conference, Flights (alone) Kokipoki

Oct. 26, 2012

Malo e lelei!

Sounds like dad and the kau Pule tapu (priesthood holders) all had a really  fun weekend in South Bend IN, that is exciting also that Hillary is a Ordinance worker and Maegan is pregnant, dad is going to be a Grandpa wow that is way cool.    

Out here in Tongan we have had a very insanely crazy week. Last  Sunday President Tukuafu pulled Elder Fisher into his Office and explained that the two zone leaders out in Vava'u were coming back to the main Island, one because he was done with his mission, Elder Fainu, my old comp up there, and Elder Chandler

 ( who i was in the MTC with) was sick and needed to come back to the main Island, so President decided that one of us would leave the office to go be the zone leader out in Vava'u to keep the missionaries out there in line and he felt that Fisher was the right choice, so Fisher flew out to vava'u on Monday, Pres, his wife and I flew out on Tuesday for Zone conference that was held on Wednesday, then Pres and Sister flew to Ha'apai, i Flew back to Tongatapu, then flew to Ha'apai Thursday morning, We had Zone conference there yesterday, and i just barely flew back from Ha'apai a few hours ago this morning, i have been doing alll this flying by my self, I'm staying right now with the office elders, Pres is still praying to know who should be my new companion  and by Monday i should have one.    

 It was a ton of fun to go up to Vava'u and see the people i knew when i was there. I saw a few people i baptized and they are all still strong in the church, that has really been a great blessing being a missionary, to meet so many wonderful people that i hope to staying contact for the rest of my life. Zone conference was really good both in Ha'apai and in Vava'u.

It was really fun to stay in Ha'apai for a few days, it has the prettiest sunsets. while we were there a freak storm hit the island and there was a mini tornado that hit the part of town where we were. we were out side taking pictures in the mission boat when it all of a sudden the wind picked up and started going crazy we quickly ran to shelter, it only lasted maybe 2 min but did some damage. there were a few houses that were damaged and a bunch of  little trees got broken, and it tore down a few signs. i can say i survived a wicked storm, like kolipoki haha

Next week we have zone conference here on the main island which is going to be really busy.
Despite being busy, I have a baptism today, a little 9 year old that we have been teaching for a little while, the work of the lord goes forth!!

Okay

Can't believe that it is already Nov. next weekend!! 

OFa lahi atu

Elder Maikolo

PS Mom Elder  Prescott is standing right next to me here at the office and he says hi!!