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
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