The best week of my mission

Thank you all for your letters and news from literally around the world. That is so cool that KRissy is heading to Romania in September, the stake is really doing a great job of pumping out missionaries, by the time Krissy goes out how many will be in the field all together, the Downey Stake is well represented through out all the world.
This week was amazing, i think i will say the best week of my mission.
Last Friday we had Two baptisms, one in the morning of Maka and another one in the evening of a girl named Heu. We finished teaching them both a while ago but family trouble delayed their baptisms. The Lord does thinks on His own time not ours. having patience is key to this work especially here in TOnga.
Saturday was really cool it was Stake conference here in Tonga and we were able to go to all the meetings. The presiding authority was Elder Nelson who is a 70 and is in the PAcific area presidency , and there was another 70 Elder Thompson. he is an area authority from new Zealand they talked in english and then had it translated into tongan so it was kinda like language study at the same time. we went to the priesthood meeting and then the saturday evening session which everyone goes to here in TOnga, after the saturday evening session there was a luao in honor of the authorities there was a kaipola (fancy dinner for the authorities) and the youth of the stake performed dances and other cool stuff. Kinda funny after it was over and the authorities had all left Elder Tu'avao and I sat down at the table where there was a ton of food left over and started to eat using the same utensils and everything, we hadn't had a fafanga and the food couldn't go to waste, two bishops joined us after they were done cleaning up. The food was really good, i ate octopus which wow was delicious.
Sunday was the best day of my mission, maybe the best day of my life, i will not be able to wirte enough to do it justice but i was the happiest i have ever been in my life on Sunday. I had the most Spiritual experience of my life. It was the Sunday session of stake conference and Tuavao and i sat near the front in row four in the chapel, the first three rows had no one sitting in them. Then a Minister from another church came and sat in front of us. we knew he was not mormon because of the way he was dressed, the other ministers dress a certain way. The choir began singing the most beautiful song in the world, and i noticed that This minister started to shake, like his whole body was trembling and quivering, Elder Tuavao said "look he is feeling something" and i was like this guy is feeling the spirit, the spirit that can only be felt in Heavenly Fathers one true Church on the Earth today. and i started to cry. then a bunch of things started happening all at once, these people started filling in the three empty rows in front of us, and i noticed that these 'people' were all the recent converts in the last few months, and over half of them were taught by me. They had just gotten out of a meeting with Elder NElson, I had no idea that they were going to be there, and then to see them all there and see their smiles and see the glow that comes when someone accepts the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to have the knowledge that i had helped bring it too them, wow, i did every thing io could to hold back the tears but it wasn't enough, seeing them come in, I felt like i had been granted access to the Celestial Kingdom for 5 mins, maybe it was the choir, but that experience was the greatest most amazing experience of my 19 years here on earth so far. thats how i really felt. Im still tearing up when i tell about it. And to top it all off Sione and Ngalu our investigators came in after the recent baptized and sat in the front, that was the cherry on top. I cant really remember what all was said during conference but i can tell you how i felt. All of our investigators where there. okay thats the experience i erally wanted to share with you all love you so much keep up the great work you all Love you all, sorry this is rushed. I Learned from this experience that This work is not about me, it is all about the investigators, you don't study and have to know the language or be obedient for your self, no you have to do those things for the investigators.
okay got to 'alu


'Ofa atu
Eleta Maikolo

I AM STILL IN NUKUNUKU

I am in the same area, Nukunuku and Fatai, both me and Elder Tu'avao
stayed. Im pretty sure that we stayed because Bishope called
President. At first i was kinda sad because i was kinda looking
forward to transferring, not that i dislike Nukunuku i;ve grown really
close to the members here and it was going to be hard enough leaving
after two transfers now im here another one. Its all good though i've
learned that its not about what i want its what the Lord wants for us.
Yesterday I tracted for the first time, we have a new program on
Pday, before the start of Pday we tract every house in a certain
village and give away Tohi 'a Molomonas (Book of Mormons). Yesterday
we tracted in Ha'atafu the fathest west village in Tongatapu, and we
gave away an entire box of Book of Mormons!!! it was really cool!!
Ha'atafu's not in our area so we wont be able to teach any of the
people we found but still it was really cool. We are going to do this
every Pday until we have knocked everydoor in Hihifo (the western area
of Tongatapu) we are just going to go to a different village every
Pday with a box of Tohi 'a Molomona and kamata.
I didn't get a weekly letter from Dad this week and just a note from
Mom with the message from Roshans Dad. I did get that amazing story
about Arrio's benefactor from Dad, WOW what a miracle!!! that is such
a coooooool story!!! I've been telling everyone about it. How is
Elder Hoffman, we just got a new Zone Leader who is an Elder Hoffman
too haha i don't think any relation though. How is Billy on his
Minimission? How is Ellen? i didn't get an email from here either this
week. That is so cool that Russ came down for the weekend i bet that
was a fabulous Memorial
day!
The work is going great we have 8 investigators in this time!! Maka
who we tried to pick a day to be baptized two weeks ago but he didn't
want to be baptized because his family would be mad, well we went and
visited with him and he want to be baptized now!! its awesome how the
Lord is always preparing people, we just have to wait until the time
is right. I baptized an 8 yearold this past saturday, her dad is
inactive and we thought her brother was going to baptize her, but when
the family should up for the papi service they were like "Maikolo, te
ke fai papi Lelani" it was a total surprise so i ran home and got my
papi clothes. it was really cool.
I love you all so much and thanks for all the love and Support.

'Ofa atu
Eleta Maikolo

KAtaki Fakamolemole!

First thing first.
HAPPY BIRHDAY MOM!!!!

I just wrote a huge email and then the computer died. Man, it was a Tika aupito email. well this week was great. We had a baptism on Saturday i performed the baptism which was really cool. We received a surprised on Monday when our ward mission leader showed up at 9 am with a investigator for us. That's how the work works here--the member brings the investigators to us. On Tuesday while we were teaching two kids at a house --we were about done with the lesson and the Grandpa showed up and man he was angry! He yelled at us to leave and so we did. But, we told the kids to meet us at a neighbor's house to talk about their baptismal date. That was kinda a theme for the week-- people 'ita aupito 'i Siasi Mamonga. On Wednesday we checked with a laumalie about his Baptisimal date but he told us he didn't want to be baptized b/c his family would disown him if he got mad. On Thrusday we had Zone Conference we watched a MTC fireside by Elder Holland the same one I saw live in the MTC. It was really Great. Sorry this is so short gots to go
Love you all
--
'Ofa atu
Eleta Maikolo