Tonga Tales

     These are Connor's thoughts as they took a mission tour and heard from a visiting General Authority. His release date is January 14th, 2015.

Today it finally hit home that I'm returning in a month.  Up until the moment I gave my testimony, I was positive this would never end. I want to share with you guys my feelings today as we sat at the feet of a representative of our Savior. The biggest prompting I had was how God shapes us and molds us into the men and women he NEEDS us to be. Today I couldn't stop realizing how much I have grown in the Savior's loving care over the last two years. He has molded me in a way where I can be the best big brother and son I can be and one day in the future, a father and husband. I cannot thank you guys enough for you're example to me. Dad, your priesthood example and Mom, your never ending love and devotion that you have shown to me.
      I want to share with you the 5 things that you have taught us to share in our testimonies, the difference this time being that I have a full testimony of each of these aspects. 
1. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. 
2. I know we have a prophet today and he leads and guides this church.
3. Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God and he restored the gospel in its fullness to the earth.
4. I know the Savior lives. 
5. I know that I will be with my family for eternity and nothing can separate us. 
Mom,  I want to end by saying I love you so much and I want to thank you for your never ending patience with my shortcomings. You have always seen me for who I am and I love you so much for that! I love you mom,  happy birthday!!

Here are some excerpts from our sporadic communications with Connor:

 Connor: Success! Baptizing this family next Saturday!


Yup! Pretty excited! Its going to big!  There will be ice cream and bread and goodies!
They came over to us so they could be taught! Cool right? They came from two villages over so they could listen to the message.
 (Connor and his companion have been house bound until his companion's leg heals.)

Connor: We have a kid he comes over everyday and hangs out with us all day.  His name is Afa.
We sit out in front.  The reason he comes is because his papers go in, I think this week or next so, he's always helping.
Half of the baptisms I've had in this area are because of him.
He is the Greatest fellowshipper ever!!


Kip: That is awesome!! Are you baptizing them or you companion?
Connor: My comp of course, because he's new and all ...  We always let the new guys do it for the most part! Well, we will do it on Friday now because of conference.
 I  love conference here.  It is crazy!

Kip: Why is conference crazy there? Who will confirm them? Is his leg well enough?
Connor: Yup,  and I'll confirm.  He baptizes! And yes, his leg is good. The medicine made his boils pop this morning! 
And conference is crazy because no one has a car so, the ward rents buses and they come from all the different villages to go to the stake center.
Kip: Very cool! That is awesome you get to confirm. Your Tongan must be getting stronger!



Connor:  Dad! I blessed a baby yesterday at church!  They named him after me.
Kip: That is very, very cool!! Did they name him Sepeti?
Connor: Nope,  Connor.  Connor Simavai Kaumatule
They are moving back to their island though. They came for 8 months to watch their daughter get married and to have their baby. Yup, and now on there way back to Fotuhaa. An island with 40 people.
Sam: And a Connor! 

West side Tongatapu

Where I live

How I leave the house

The green sign says "ulumtangata" This is the last place where they cooked and ate someone. Ha ha

Our dog Reggie

Our backyard

Like my volleyball court?

The cement thing on the right is where we collect rain for our drinking water

The bed with about 8 springs that poke me in the back.

The reason we can't go out.  He was bitten by a centipede that crawls into our bed and bites us when we are sleeping.

Forgot to take the trash out and burned it instead like the rest of Tonga.

Elder Vea was in our tripanioship and now it is just back to Elder Tuikolovatu and I.

"Hi Mom,  I got your package with a new tie!"

Elder Sepeti and President Tupou

Tongan Rainbow

Mom, I got a new haircut!

Baptism Day!

After Baptism refreshments

Tongan sisters

Ward members

Cleaning the Bishop's turtles

Flying turtles:)

Bishop's son and family pet.

Tongan sunset

Connor on the beach

Hey Family!!

Well..... its definitely been a while, hasn't it? You know,  it's funny working in Tonga. Especially when you go to the church to use the internet and the only website that doesn't work is myldsmail.net and then irony kicks in and Facebook does work on the computer but, its against the rules!!!  I have 2 more lessons tonight and institute with 2 of our investigators, VOLLEYBALL!  Mom,  Dad,  I am so good at volleyball now....... so good!!

So, let me tell you what has happened! I have been moved to a new area called Fo'ui and it is incredible! The first transfer here was rough and hard to settle into but, everything is amazing now!!! We have about 6 investigators and 3 of them are confirmed for baptism next Saturday!  One of the new and interesting facts of my new area is that there is an incredibly surprising amount of deportees (people who went to jail served their time and then returned to Tonga after their sentence) I have about 25 in total here! Most of them have told me their life stories! The cool part is how almost every single one of them finishes their stories, "o pehe" "God really does work in mysterious ways. " It just makes me think of all the things that I didn't understand at first, then recognize God's hand in it later! Of course, their stories are much more dramatic and quite frankly, terrifying!  They needed that to happen to help them return to church!

Other than that, work here is incredible! The members literally drop investigators off at our house in the morning and tell us to teach them, then walk them home.  ha-ha This isn't a joke either!  That actually happens!  It's incredible how different missionary work is here compared to that of the states and other missions. This mission requires alot of getting close with the members and with the people of the small village you work in.  That's about 80% of the work here! Then, after you do that, they begin to give you people you can teach!

Thanks mom and dad! I have to go.  Unfortunately,  I knew this would be short! I love you both send my love to Jackson and tell him to get some strength back because I'll be home soon to teach him how to really play rugby;) The Tongans have been my masters and now I will be their master! Love you both!  Enjoy my email. Hopefully, I will have another opportunity soon!!!

I love you all!!!

Elder Sepeti!

Guys,
 I got moved to the most awesome area ever called Foui!  The members said they are so excited to have their white missionary and the missionary as their District Leader.  A lot of them are deporties (not sure if this is a Tongan word or just terribly misspelled?) So,  they are loving me there! But, I don't have time, maybe next week.  I love you all! I have 8 teachings today so no pday:) LOVE YOU!!!

HEY MOM!!! did you see the food!!!


Sorry,  instead I'm sending pictures today.  Unfortunately, when you send
pictures the internet isn't fast enough to keep up with emailing. But, all you guys missed was just ward conference and me getting called out in church for being white! hahahaha

Connor's companion and the Bishopric

WOOOOOOOOO TUNU PUAKA AT THE BEACH!!! By the way,  I need you guys to check something.  I want to tunu pigs for all of you when I get home and apparently they sell pigs in Pomona !! Take a look at that,  yeah?



Now, I may not be a big seafood lover but,  3 fresh crawfish with melted butter and salt and caught only 45 mins before eaten and cooked is a good way to end the day!!


Hey Mom and Dad,  got to go!!!
 I LOVE YOU! HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PICTURES.  SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!

Our contact with Connor was very short and sweet this week:

I'm on someone' s phone!! The net is dead!!  

 IN TONGA WE FEAST!!!!





I don't think its enough food! That was right in front of me and if you carefully look through that picture there's a roasted pig in the middle, under all of it!

Hey Everyone,

Sorry, I couldn't email yesterday. We were with the zone leaders all day and meetings!

So, let's see,  my mission is steadily moving forward, and as usual a little too fast for me.  But, it can't slow down! Its hard to believe I've been in Fatumu for the last 4 months!  To be completely honest,  never once have I wished I was in another area.  I love it here and could definitely stay here for the rest of my mission!

As for new news,  Elder Tafea and I have been working hard out here! Both of our wards have doubled in attendance!! It has been so cool to see the growth we have had from when we had just gotten here until now! We have 2 investigators now and both girls Alilia and Saune! They are both 16 years old and they will be getting baptized this week on Saturday,  actually! Tafea will be performing both of the ordinances! I'm super stoked! It's been a while for this ward to have had a baptism, too! About a year!! And, we will be having two in one week! Work here has definitely progressed since we started! Honestly,  its probably because of all the walking we have done! haha That walk in between Lavengatonga and Fatumu is not fun and most of the time with very little shade.... blessings come from walking, I am living proof of that!

Mom,  I thought I got your package yesterday but,  I got one from Grandma Sheppard out of nowhere.  Oh, and it was perfect to because we were trying these new chicken subs and there were 2 boxes of chicken in a biscuit in it and I was wishing for crackers. Heavenly Father does answer prayers!! haha

Other than that work has been just moving along we are still working a ton with the mamalohis and they are slowly but steadily showing back up to church!!! I always feel so incredibly grateful for the opportunity I have received to work here! I have never wished once I could be any where else and I have never met a more loving people than here!!

Ofa lahi atu!!!

Elder Sepeti!

 Hi everyone!

So,  this week was pretty good.  It was spent pretty much just talking to the members and doing our thing!!

On the bright side,  we have officially received 2 more investigators in our other village!! And we will begin teaching them next week! The reason behind us teaching them next week is that the ward wants a zone baptism date for their ward conference!! We will be teaching them for the next 2 weeks.  Both have already committed to baptism they just need to be taught . I'm pretty excited for that!!  I'm staying in Fatumu with my Son Elder TAFEA!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I'm so stoked for this.  Seriously!


Recently Neil L. Anderson came and spoke to us and that was an incredible. He came and spoke to us about the Doctrine of Christ and it was an incredible talk and very spiritually uplifting!! We sat with him for about 3 hours and listened to him speak and Elder Hamula spoke to us to:) All in all,  a relatively calm week!!

  Here is what happened.  I ran out of money.  The money I recently pulled out went to getting ice cream for a family in my area because it was another guy's birthday, too!! We celebrated together and they made me a pig and Lu.  I supplied ice cream and cookies but, they went way over board with the food for me.  So, I have no money and on  Wednesday I gave my slippers (flip flops) to a homeless kid and I have been walking barefoot since.  Well, I had no choice but to go to the meeting with the apostle barefoot.... So, as we all got in line, I was the last person to shake the apostle's hand and as I was going down the aisle,  an elderly couple stopped me and shook my hand giving enough space for between me and Elder Anderson for him to see that I didn't have any shoes. As I shook his hand he pulled me close and said, "Where are your shoes?" and I looked down sheepishly and said they were stolen earlier in the week.( Both my tafea (the woven cloth they wear over their tupenu) and my slippers were stolen.  So, I gave my companion my old pair because he's my son in the mission and he should always have the best of all of it.  I'm here to serve him.)  Elder Anderson asked,  "Why didn't you buy a new pair?" and I told him I had no money.  Then he asked,  "Why didn't you get some?" and I told him I live in a small village on the way far side of the island.  He just looked and me and said,  Well, I hope you can find some soon."  But Neil L Anderson chuckled a bit and patted me on the shoulder!! 
I still don't have shoes.  I have to wait until the first of this month so we can get some money. Pretty much the closest atm is about a 2 hour to 3 hour walk.....:) I'm just going a few more days with out them. It's all good.  In Vava'u I went 2 weeks with no slippers!!  Misiona Tonga, eh????

Connor lives in the little village on the far right.  Notice that the roads are outlined in yellow. Everything else is a path. The single line in the lower right is the Tonga International Airport. For reference the island is 21 miles at the widest point.

Ofa lahi atu iate Kimoutolu!!

Elder Sepeti!

Hey Everyone,

Sorry it's been so long everyone but, the net is FINALLY fixed!

 It's kind of funny though, due to the fact that transfers are this week and I don't know if I will be staying or not!!

 So, let's see.  To catch all of you up on progress here: it has really picked up and we are now teaching at least a lesson a night and we had our first baptism here. Not to mention its the first baptism here in the last 2 years! So, it has been a real honor and pleasure to help the members and the work here hasten and begin to grow!!

 This last Saturday I had one of the most surreal moments on my mission so far! I was able to baptize our investigator in the OCEAN!!! Woooo!! I got to go kaukau tauhi!! It was awesome we did the whole program on the beach and ate ice cream and bread afterwards!!! It was so cool!  I got to go out deeper than my waist to preform the ouau!! Seriously, one of the GREATEST PARTS of my mission so far!!  And the best part is: if I stay here another transfer my comp will get to baptize our other investigator in the ocean, too!! It was the coolest experience ever..... no joke!!!! Best part of my mission hands down!  The best part is that she's our investigator.  We found her,  We did the teaching and I baptized her!!!!


Everything here has been amazing!! The people, the members, the love that I feel everyday from all of them just amazes me and helps my testimony grow. Every single day I feel honored and blessed to serve here.  We're killing IT!!!! Man,  dad,  we did a role play at the district meeting and president was so impressed with my comp! It was coolest thing ever!!! We taught the first lesson and killed it!!! It's been way fun with him.  He's going to be the first comp I'm bummed to leave.....


Mom, would you send me another tide watch? I use the tide look out all the time.  The watch broke because I kind of had an accident with a machete cutting open coconuts.  Let's just say,  if it wasn't for the watch I'd be short handed!  Ha Ha

 
 OFA LAHI ATU IATE KIMOUTOLU!!!

 Elder Sepeti!

Well family,  it was a very eventful week!!!

So,  that cyclone did come and it was not as bad if you were right on Tongatapu but, something bad did happen to us.  The tree next to my house is wicked old and it fell and broke up our water tank and the water came crashing through the window and flooded the house! We are all good!! Nothing hurt or anything.  I cut my foot a bit on some glass when the window broke but that's it.  The storm had broken up a ton before it got to us but, it was still way gnarly and crazy.  We couldn't walk outside and the zone leaders were already over so,  they just stayed the night. They couldn't leave because trees had crashed on the road!! Fun right!! That's my first experience with a cyclone!



Yes,  Ha'apai is next to destroyed! There's not much left and one confirmed death.  The mission president is sending missionaries out for 2 weeks at a time to work and to be in the clean up crew!!! I really hope that I get that opportunity!!!

As for last week's work,  we just worked with the less actives as usual but that was a normal thing! Volleyball has now kicked up a lot due to the fact that rugby season is over!!  So, they have invited us there quite often!! We haven't worn missionary clothes since the rain storm because it has continued to rain since.  They are drying finally on this lovely, blazing hot day!! We will finally be all dried out, sort of.  

Family,  I love you guys so much and hope all is well!!!

Ofa lahi atu!!

Elder Sepeti!!