TONGAN UPDATE 06 OCTOBER 2008 I AM A CHILD OF GOD

Tongan Update, 06 October 2008, I am a Child of God

Once upon a time on the outskirts of Nuku’alofa, there was a small LDS church.

This white with blue trimmed, religious structure was surrounded by a modge-podge of buildings—a Methodist church on the west with its live Sunday band,

the Digitcel store with its red pillars and red awning across

the street,

a Chinese take-away on the north,

and the fish market on the east.

One Sunday a special investigator walked into the chapel of the little church and announced to the congregation that she was there on a specific assignment.

She was to find the “Children of God”, band them, and label them.

The agent’s eyes scoured the audience as she asked, “Where am I going to find the “Children of God?” To her surprise a young girl, who was sitting on the third row, jumped to her feet and boldly proclaimed, “I am a child of God.”

The investigator quickly called her to the pulpit and the child explained why she was a “Child of God.” She had lived with her Heavenly Father as a spirit child, and then she explained the Plan of Salvation. The first child of God had been found and was quickly banded and labeled.

Now….who else? Out of the congregation boys,

then girls, then families,

missionaries, Tongans, Chinese, and Americans came up to the pulpit and expressed their reasons why they were all children of God.

Every person got a wrist bracelet imprinted with “I am a Child of God”, and every person had a glittered sign placed around their necks expressing the same thing. Each group sang songs to further emphasize their reasonings for fitting into the “Child of God” category.

It didn’t take long for the investigator to figure it out…everyone is a child of God. Therefore, the Primary children (who by now were all standing behind the pulpit) went out into the congregation and placed “I am a Child of God” bracelets on the arms of everyone in the chapel, and then in unison we all sang the Primary song “I am a Child of God.”

That was our Primary Sacrament Meeting program.

You can’t have a Primary Sacrament Meeting program without the “big practice” prior to the program. Saturday, the day before the program, we had our “big practice.” It was pretty funny. Our Branch does not have a piano which is OK because we don’t have anyone in our Branch who knows how to play it anyway. But we did arrange for a pianist to play for our program, and she came to our Saturday big practice. We were able to borrow an electronic piano so all was well…until the power company decided to shut off the electricity to our church and the surrounding buildings at the same time as we were holding our practice.

Fear not…the Tongans always have a Plan B because Plan A seldom works. The Branch President rounded up a generator, hooked it up to the battery in his car, strung a cable from his car through the parking lot, across the grass, into the church window, and plugged in into the electronic piano. Now, all of this took about three hours. So what were the Primary children doing all this time? We went through the entire program once, then twice, then three times. By the fourth time, the kids were running up and down and round and round… AND... they had completely lost interest in the program. But the Relief Society saved the day. They brought corn dogs and ice cream for our rowdy, hungry children.

What’s the best thing about a program?.......…it’s over!

‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder T. and Sister T.

TONGAN UPDATE 03 OCTOBER ELDER T--AT IT AGAIN

Tongan Update, 03 Oct 2008, Elder T., At It Again

With its marketing blitz, Digitcel has swept the Kingdom of Tonga. Just in one day the whole island was painted Digitcel red— road signs,

the bus stop,

the market,

the awnings on many stores and take-aways, even some buses were painted red and wore the big Digitcel logo. (The Office Elders wanted to paint the mission van red, but Elder Thompson said, " no.")

Bulletin boards with smiling, happy, laughing people talking on their Digitcel phones were placed in every eye-catching location—the airport, the main intersections of town, many crossroads on the island, and on posts lining the streets of downtown Nuku’alofa. And then came the big sales promotional—“Buy a Digitcel phone for $20 and get a free Digitcel T-shirt!” Digitcel made quite a statement, and the Tongans loved it. Red-shirted people walked the streets with their red cell phone straps hanging out of their pockets or their cell phones dangling from red straps around their necks. It was the “DIGITCEL BONANZA.”

Some of our young missionaries fell into the “Digitcel trap” and purchased the trendy little phones. (Aaaa…excuse me…isn’t that like breaking the mission rules?) These rascal missionaries not only bought the phones, they were calling everyone they knew. So Elder Thompson and our two Office Elders (Elder Karratti and Elder Pasi) went on a “cell phone raid” to find and confiscate the ill-fated contraband! (Da,da,da,da,ta-da!—bugle trumpets)

Our valiant knights of truth and right, armed with their Missionary Handbooks,

drove off in the white mission van

to the house of the newly found abusers of the mission policy. The two missionaries being investigated, in anguish, declared their innocence.

“Ahh…then where did the phone, that is in your possession, come from?” inquired Elder T.

“It belongs to him.” “No, it belongs to him.” “No, I think it belongs to him.” (Fingers were pointing in every direction.)

Elder Thompson, being “part cop” (that’s another story), continued to interrogate the missionaries. Finally it was concluded that the phone belonged to a prospective missionary that lives in the neighboring house (he’ll be coming into the mission in November). The “comrades in arm” decided to follow up on this information and hauled the missionaries over to the house of the accused. After politely knocking on the door, it was opened by a little nonmember Tongan lady, the mother of our prospective missionary. Elder T. introduced himself and asked if he could speak to her. So everyone entered the house, including our two missionaries. The mother and children sat on the mats on the floor,

the prospective missionary sat on the couch next to Elder T.

Pointing to the handbook, Elder T. explained to the mother and her son, that missionaries are to follow certain rules, one of which is not to use cell phones. Further on, they talked about how missionaries are representatives of the Church and are expected to maintain high standards of conduct. After explaining the policy, Elder T. put his arm around the prospective elder and asked him if he understood the policy and informed him that he would be expected to follow the policy when he enters the mission in November. Humbly (perhaps shamefully), he bowed his head and said, "Yes, I didn’t know the policy." Elder T. then looked at the two missionaries and asked them if they had anything to say. They squirmed around then said, “We are sorry that we took your phone and involved you in this matter.”

Eventually, Elder Thompson asked the mother if she would like these repentant young missionaries to teach her about the Church. She agreed…so…Elder T. is at it again…challenging people to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ. The elders went back that very night and started teaching her the lessons. We don’t know what the outcome will be, but she is being taught. Unlike Digitcel and their ‘red’, we’re hoping to paint the town ‘white.’ Furthermore, our brave team of knights is still on the look- out for additional Digitcel phone culprits.

‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister T

TONGAN UPDATE 24 SEPTEMNER 2008, KEEP YOUR SEATBELT BUCKLED

Tongan Update, 24 Sept. 2008, Keep Your Seatbelt Buckled

I hope you haven’t unbuckled your seatbelt yet because the ride still continues.

Sunday, Brother Havea was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.

He wept as the priesthood holders laid their hands upon his head. President Shumway did the confirmation. Again, President Shumway spoke with fluency and conviction.

After the sacrament was passed, the Shumways and the Thompsons were invited to be the speakers for the rest of the Sacrament Meeting. For Elder Thompson and me it was a chance to express our gratitude to our Heavenly Father that we had the opportunity to watch this miracle unwind. Have you heard the Primary song “I Feel My Savior’s Love”? The words go like this:

“I feel my Savior’s love, in all the world around me.

His Spirit warms my soul, through everything I see.”

That’s what we were thinking! That is what we spoke about. In addition, we went over the Sacrament Prayer and discussed how to personalize the prayer so that it relates specifically to each person, individually. Sister Shumway bore her testimony in Tongan, and President Shumway gave his talk in Tongan.

After Sacrament Meeting, people huddled around Havea senior to express congratulations. He was like a magnet drawing people to him. Because of the crowd, we simply left and went to the Havea home for…yes, “the feast.”

After dinner we went to visit the mother and family of one of our returned missionaries, the ngaahi Taufalele. Ex-Elder Taufalele had asked Elder Thompson previously if he would share the gospel with his widowed mother who is a member of the same church that senior Havea (Mataleie) was a member of. The Shumways were more than happy to join us and help with the translating. When we arrived, the entire family (from grandma to the grandchildren) was sitting on one of those beautiful hand-made mats which had been placed on the floor leaving the couch and chair for the ngaahi palangi (plural for white people). Elder Thompson began the discussion but didn’t give a lengthy introduction like he had planned. “We are here at the request of your son, and we’re here to teach you the gospel so that you can be baptized by him.” After sharing some thoughts about the church, Elder Thompson then told her that President Shumway also had a message for her. President Shumway spoke in his perfect Tongan, and we recognized words such as Jesus Christ, church, temple, baptism.

When President Shumway had completed his thoughts, Elder Thompson asked the mother if she knew how her ex-missionary son felt about his two years of service for the Lord. She said, “no.” He then turned to Ex-Elder Taufalele and said, “You are the one who invited us here. Why don’t you share your testimony with your family? Tell your mother how you feel about the gospel. Share your feelings from your heart. Your mother needs to know how you really feel”

We don’t know exactly what was said, but for ten minutes he talked while tears were literally streaming down his face. His family must have felt the spirit also because every member, even the grandkids, was wiping tears away. (President Shumway didn’t translate for us because he didn’t want to interfere with the spirit.)

Following her son’s heartfelt remarks, Taufalele’s mom said she had something to say. This was translated for us: “I am honored that you would come to my house. My son has never talked to me like this before. He has tried, but I would cut him off. I have two sons who have gone on missions for your church. I thought the reason that they could go was because I was so faithful in my own church. But today, I feel something higher. I will pray about this and do what is best for me and my family.”

Later that evening there was a Fireside with President Shumway as the guest speaker. The Church members of ‘Eua filled the chapel, the overflow area, and the outside areas surrounding the chapel. One faithful member, originally from Houma, invited all his neighbors to the Fireside and even paid for the bus to transport them to the Stake House which is in another village. (He was the same gentleman who, with his wife, had traveled from Australia to ‘Eua so they could personally be part of Mataleie Havea’s baptism.)

Amazingly enough, when we arrive at the chapel we noticed Brother Havea and his nonmember wife and daughter sitting on the first row. On the second row was Elder Taufalele’s mother with a friend who she introduced as “an investigator.”

President Havea’s mother hasn’t been favorable to the baptism of her husband. We could tell by her frowning, scowling looks. You can’t blame the cute lady. Big changes are surrounding her, and she needs some time to adjust. Prior to the Fireside, Kalo (the wife and mother), was given a blessing to help her find comfort in the decision that her husband has made to become a member of the Church. When we actually saw her at the Fireside, it was a nice surprise.

The meeting was heading towards the two hour mark, and I got a little restless. (Sitting on an unpadded wooden bench and not having a translator aided to my fidgeting.) I looked around to see if anyone else was thinking that this meeting was getting long, but the people’s eyes were glued onto President Shumway. The members were still intense as they listened to his message. Later, President Shumway said that he knew he had spoken longer than he had intended; but that there were many non-members at the meeting, and he felt impressed to continue speaking strongly about the restoration and keeping the Lord’s commandments.

After the meeting we met at the Hide-a-way for dinner.

We thought President Havea and his wife were the only ones from the Havea family joining us. As we were preparing to sit down, Mataleie, his wife, and daughter walked onto the back deck. Kalo (the mother) was actually smiling. During the course of the dinner, she even laughed with us. Maybe we’re in for another miracle!

Well, we have to get off the rollercoaster and get back to Tongatapu, but… the people of ‘Eua better fasten their seatbelts. They just might be in for the ride of their lives!

‘Ofa ‘atu, John and Diane

p.s. Since leaving the island we have heard that both mothers are listening to the missionaries and meeting as a family to learn more about the gospel. Cross your fingers.

TONGAN UPDATE 21 SEPTEMBER, 2008 'EUA MAAMANGIA

Tongan Update, 21 Sep 2008, ‘Eua, Maamangia

Two weeks ago we were on the miracle rollercoaster. Today we disembarked at ‘Eua again, but it certainly is not the end of the ride.

Back on Tongatapu, we boarded an 8 passenger airplane.

After we all got into the plane they asked all the passengers to get back out. A half hour later we re-boarded the small plane that took President and Sister Shumway (Temple President and Matron), Elder Thompson and me to ‘Eua.

The rainy weather and strong wind caused the delays. Before take-off the pilot said, “If it is too windy or rainy in “Eua, we will simply turn around and come back. Finally, we zipped over the ocean in our "flying mosquito" and landed seven or eight minutes later. We were returning to ‘Eua for the baptism of Mataleie Havea.

Before I explain the events of this weekend, let me tell you about the Shumways.

Brother Shumway was a young missionary in Tonga. He later became the Mission President of Tonga and is now the Nuku’alofa Temple President. He has been the President of BYU Hawaii and the author of several books, mostly about Tonga. He wrote a 760 page book entitled “Intensive Course in Tongan” which every palangi missionary has in their possession (including us.) Needless to say, he speaks Tongan better than the Tongans at all levels of the language from the common, to the noble, to the king’s language. Not only are his credentials incredible, Elder and Sister Shumway are strong people in the gospel. What an example they were for us as they did their scripture study each day, fasted and prayed, and prepared themselves spiritually for whatever work the Lord had in mind for them. It was intimidating when they asked us to join them in scripture study and asked John to lead the discussion.

President Shumway traveled with us because he felt that Brother Havea could use additional support for the conflicts that might surround him due to his baptism and his position on the island. President McMurray didn’t want all the senior missionaries to return to ‘Eua, so we were grateful that President Shumway could come, translate, speak, host a fireside, and help in any other ways. What a support team!

We were invited to Brother Havea’s home before the baptism,

and we were advised not to talk to Havea’s wife. “She’s not interested in the Church, and she is shy.” We were told these things by the young President Havea’s wife. But as President Shumway was discussing principles of the gospel in perfect Tongan with the family, the wife with a frown on her face silently slipped onto a chair to listen.

Later, she actually attended the baptismal services with her husband wearing the leis that the Shumways had provided for them.

It was a tribute to the Haveas to have about 200 people at the baptism.

Brother Havea and his wife sat on the front row surrounded by friends from the Free Tongan Church including the Prime Minister of ‘Eua.

You could pick them out because the men were wearing black shirts and ties and black coat jackets. Some of them had discontented looks, but they were there which is quite amazing considering that two weeks ago they were on the Havea’s porch crying and pleading with Havea not to leave their church. There were also many other friends, family and Church members (still astonished) who were there.

One couple was in Australia when they heard that Brother Havea was going to be baptized. They said they had to see it to believe it, so they hopped on the next available plane to Tongatapu only to be disappointed to hear that all the flights from Tongatapu to ‘Eua were full. The only way they could get to ‘Eua in time for the baptism was to charter the plane…so that’s what they did. (They weren’t even family members, but they felt that Havea senior is such a dominate man on the island that the Church will really grow in ‘Eua, and this good couple wanted to support him by being at his side for his baptism.)

The program began with primary songs being sung by President Havea’s 4 year old daughter. She is a doll.

Elder Thompson spoke about baptism. Because there where so many investigators he tried to be specific with his remarks making sure that people were reminded that baptism is a commandment, preceded by faith and repentance, and is accepted by Heavenly Father when done with the proper authority and in the proper manner.

The elder Havea was baptized by his son, the Stake President. What a wonderful thing to witness, a 33 year old Stake President baptizing his repentant father. Immediately after the baptism the two assigned witnesses quickly shut the folding doors. After most of the people had vacated the room, the doors parted slightly. We could see that the father and son were lingering in the font. They were visibly shaken with emotions (crying).

The program continued with wonderful Tongan singing, and then President Shumway spoke.

He has a way to mesmerize the people with his Tongan. The meeting was summed up with President Havea’s four year old daughter dressed in her white missionary outfit singing “I Love to See the Temple.”

We have learned to love these people. John just hugs the three little girls whenever he sees them.

It is like squeezing Meg or Summer (our granddaughters), he says. It was interesting to watch most of the people congratulate Mataleie. It was like a wedding line for several minutes.

The occasion was concluded by having the inevitable Tongan feast in the High Council room. It was there, before his non-member friends, that Mataleie bore his testimony which was translated to us by President Shumway:

“I am courageous! My courage has come from the covenants I made with God out in my plantation. I have thought about the Church and knew about the Church. But there was no maamangia (light) until Elder Thompson talked to me in the bush. It was maamangia—I was filled with light. Since the love of God fell on me, I made a covenant not to smoke, and I have not smoked since Elder Thompson asked me to stop. I used to sleep out on the veranda so I would not bring the smell of smoke into the house. Now I can sleep inside with my family.

By being baptized, I am a witness of God’s love. No matter what anyone says, family or friends, I want to be a witness.

The next day (Sunday) Mataleie was confirmed a member of the church.Then another feast.

You know, some rides are so thrilling that you don’t want them to end. This has been a spiritually thrilling ride for us, and we have been so blessed that the Lord has allowed us to be a part of this wonderful conversion.

‘Ofa ‘atu, John and Diane