Pretty Cool ava ceremony

Malo Soifua Aiga!

A pretty eventful week, and yet not really haha. I guess I should give you an update eh? Here it is:

-On sunday there was only one priest at sacrament. It is Rugby World Cup season, and Manu just happened to be playing that morning…

Anyway they needed someone to bless the sacrament, so I went up and did it. It was a really cool experience because I have never had to do it out here before. Also cool because it was my first time doing it in Samoan :) 

-The Chorister's kids were being ulavale during the hymn. So she was kicking at them and conducting at the same time. She is like 65 and I don't know why but it was so funny to me haha. 

-We were at our fafaga, when all of the sudden, the family brought the phone in front of us, and the grandma of the family was Skype-ing us haha. It was really funny because it was just unexpected and she kept yelling into the phone. My companion and I were so awkward, we didn't know what to do, we just kind of gave it back to the family haha

we were just walking and saw this...pretty cool ava ceremony

-Work is fantastic! we have possibly 4 more bapis next month :) one of which is the husband of TIki Masina! IT would be so cool if they go to the temple next year

All is going well here, and it sounds like you are all doing well. So weird seeing those pictures... The King's kids are soo big! haha and tell Josh Lee Congrats!

I hope you all have a great week!

ALofa Atu,

Elder Hunter

Tsunami Action Plan

Malo Soifua Aiga!

This week just flew by! A lot happened, and yet at the same time it didn't feel like that much haha. Here is the report:

-My companion and I were doing our studies on tuesday morning and we felt our beds start moving…

My companion told me that it was an earthquake, so of course my mind started racing to Tsunami action plan haha But all is good nothing happened. They were after tremors from an earthquake that apparently happened in Chile? I don't know that's just what everyone was saying. I'm sure you area all better informed on it. So that was fun :) 

-One of our recent converts hasn't been reading The Book of Mormon as much as we had hoped for, so we challenged him to start over again and read at least a chapter a day after his prayer. 

We checked up on him later during the week and he was telling us about his reading. He said, " Masta le kama Nifae!" (Nephi is the Master! the man!) hahaha He went on to tell us all about it and it was really funny. 

He also received his Aaronic Priesthood this week and was soo excited because. "O lea ou fa'amanuia le Areto." (I'm gonna bless the bread!) haha it was just funny how excited he was to do it :)

We are teaching two investigators right now. One will be baptized in October and the other may be leaving for New Zealand so we are hoping not.

That's about it for the week. We got a new Mission President, but I haven't met him yet. Hopefully some time this week. I hope you all are doing well.

Alofa Atu Outou!

Elder Hunter

The note for your friends family and anyone who sends you mail and boxes

Malo Soifua Aiga!

Not a very eventful week to be honest. We just did our normal visits and the week went by very quickly.

Well this happened...so yeah...:

Missionaries of Samoa Apia Mission.

First of all Sister Saunders and I are so grateful for the opportunity we have had to work with all of you and we want you to know we love you. You will be getting a new mission President and his wife on Thursday the 17th of September. His name is President Hannemann. Sister Saunders and I will be finished our mission and will fly home on Friday the 18th. So we bid you farewell and God Bless you all. We love you and know you will ALL be awesome missionaries. Stay strong, be obedient and remember which way you face.

Here is the note I want you to forward to your friends, family and anyone who sends you mail and boxes.

From today Sept. 13th we will no longer ship boxes back and forth to American Samoa and we will no longer ship boxes from American Samoa to Apia. The reason is that the Airlines have increased the cost of shipping from $1 per kilogram to $5 per kilogram. This makes the cost of shipping a flat rate box from American Samoa to Apia too expensive for the mission. Your fiends, parents and family members will have to choose from 2 options. 1 - stop sending boxes of goodies or 2 - send the box by international mail to: Samoa Apia Mission, PO Box 1865, Apia Samoa. They will need to check to make sure you are in Apia or Savaii first. If you are in America Samoa they can send the normal flat rate box to you there. If you get transferred from America Samoa to Apia and they have sent the box to American Samoa you may not get it 

Not exactly the news anyone wanted to here but I thought that I would share it with you all. It is easy for me at the moment because I am right in town and so I can buy basically anything and I have an ANZD ATM right next to my house so yeah. 

Somethings I like about my mission:

I like that I can learn about the Samoan Culture from my companion. I like being more generous here in Samoa and I like talking to my recent converts  especially Tiki. She is amazing :)

Other than that all is going well. I hope you all have a great week! 

Alofa Atu Outou!

Elder Hunter

P.S. 

We went to the Commonwealth Games last P-day and I took this picture because it makes it look like I went to teh All Blacks vs Manu Game haha I felt pretty cool :)

It doesn't really get much better than that

Malo Soifua Aiga!

Such an awesome week :) Seriously a had a lot of really cool experiences this week. Here is the update:

- My companion wanted to buy something in a little Chinese store this week. We went in and the lady tried to sell him the entire store…It was the funniest conversation ever because it was so FOB'd hahahaha Just awesome :)

- Our ward had a "Soul Rescue Program." It was really cool because we went through the ward list and marked all of the people who had moved or passed away. It was really neat to see the whole ward working together and I think that they are going to do it again.

-We had two amazing baptisms this week. They names are Fualole Tiki Masina and Fa'atea Masina. Such a cool story. She is a total Golden Investigator. She told me that when she finally read the Book Of Mormon, that she couldn't put it down, and that she finished it in 3 days. She wanted to wait to do her baptism until the 5th of September because it was her Birthday and she wanted to be re-born on her Birthday. Tiki has already read all of the Standard works and is extremely active in all of the activities. Her baptism was another highlight in my mission.

 She is an amputee and she always calls herself "The Flag Carrier" because her Wheelchair has the Church's name on it. When we tried to help her into the font she said that she wanted to do it. She scooted herself into the font, and burst into tears after the ordinance. Everyone at the baptism was really touched by the Spirit. 

After wards, My companion and I bought her a cake for her Birthday and she had the biggest grin on her face. :)

Tiki was waiting for me and my companion and I am so extremely grateful that I was able to be their :) Very similar feeling as the time of Avea's baptism. Just amazing. I will never forget this experience.

It doesn't really get much better than that. I am loving the work as well as my area :) Thank you all so much for the love and support and I hope you all have a great week :)

Alofa Tele Atu,

Elder Hunter

#nothingcangetpasttape

AoAo's baptism.  I'm wearing my new ie faitaga-- haha yeah they are good for baptisms!

Malo Soifua Aiga!

It was kind of a slow week this week, but it ended really well. Here is the update:

-My companion got sick this week so we were in for a couple of days. He seems to be doing better now though so looks like we will have a full week this week.

Samoa's top security system...

We aren't going to get robbed or anything...haha

#nothingcangetpasttape

#weneedaguarddog

naw…its all good no one robs in Samoa haha

-On Tuesday we had a special island conference with all of the missionaries on Upolu. 

Elder Robbins, Elder Halleck, and Elder Fata of the Seventy came. It was a really cool conference and I got to hear some great talks. 

The thing that I really liked from Elder Robbins' talk was about how the words "Do" and "Be" work together. 

He said that Do without Be is wishful thinking. And Be without Do is Hypocrisy. A really awesome talk. :)

-We had AoAo's baptism this week. It was solid :) He is such a stud, and I am really happy for both him an his family. We have two more baptisms planned for this week. Needless to say, I am loving the work!

That's about it. I hope you all have a great week! 

Alofa Tele Atu Outou!

Elder Hunter

PS: Thanks Crosby!

Bravery…the irony….

Malo Soifua Aiga!

A pretty up-and-down week, but it was good over all. First I want to wish a happy belated Birthday to Josiah! I love you man and look forward to seeing you again soon. 

I say soon because the mission is flying by! 

Here is the weekly update:

-We had a giant conference on Thursday and we all said goodbye to the Tolman's. They are going to be dearly missed, and I hope if you get the chance you can go here them speak. They live in Mesa, and they will be talking on August 30th. 

-Elder Saunders is our new Mission President.

-The work is going really well. We have a baptism this next week, and two more planned for the following. :)

Apia Park-This is were they All-Blacks and Manu Samoa played last month. It was a historic game, and we got permission to watch it :)

-We had stake Conference this week and Elder Johansen of the Seventy came. He gave some great talks and was very powerful. On Saturday they asked for the Zone Leaders to prepare a 5 minute talk in Samoan prior to his talk on Sunday. I told them that they were in Falefa (pretty far away) and then they said that because I was the District Leader that I needed to replace them... Needless to say I was freaking out. I prepared the talk the entire night (the topic :bravery…the irony…)  but then I was told Sunday morning that President Jessop, the Temple President, had taken my place.

So I almost opened for a Seventy haha. 

All is going well here.I love the work,and I love you all!

Alofa tele atu,

Elder Hunter 

Thank you so much for everything President and Sister Tolman!

Malo Soifua Aiga!

Well I am a little shell-shocked right now so I will try to get the most information out that I can:

-My health is good, my companionship is great :) we are doing really good work over here, we just still keep trying to get used to the new area and ward members

My area... Downtown Apia

-We were proselyting this week and we tried contacting one of the old investigators. His name is Semi, and he was less than interested to see us. It was funny. He came outside and then went back in side when he saw us. He then tore a shirt to make a make-shift sling and acted like his arm was injured.....The funny thing is that he shook our hands first and he was fine…yeah…Gotta love fake arm injuries haha

My soa is a tama Savaii hahaha 

Yes that is an atualoa on his arm....he's crazy...hahaha

-Bingo is the Devil's game... The Lotu Pope's Bingo goes on right behind our house every night from 8:30-11.... Every night I here, " O Fitu.....O Fitu......" (O-7…O-7)

-We had a baptism this week that went really well. His name is Jakey Iakopo, and he is 10 years old. Great experience.

 -We have another one lined up for the 29th so hopefully it all works out :)

The biggest news is that Our Mission President, President Tolman, will be going home on Friday for good. We found out this morning... He said we will have an interim president until they call a new one. Apparently he has been sick since November, and Samoa doesn't have the Health Care to help him out.  It is going to be way different…

President and Sister Tolman have been amazing, and I have learned so much form them. I would like to model my life after his, and he has really helped me to become the missionary and person that I am today. He lives in Mesa, so please go and contact him.

Thank you so much for everything President and Sister Tolman!

That's it for today, but I hope you all have a great week :)

Alofa Atu Outou!

Elder Hunter