‘Eua…we’ll never forget the island of ‘Eua
and the miracle conversion of Matelie Havea who felt the Light of Christ out in ‘the bush’ and accepted Elder Thompson’s challenge to be baptized.
We, six senior missionaries, felt the “fruit of the Spirit” that weekend. (Galations 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith…) Wow! What an amazing experience! And a few breaching whales spraying under a glorious rainbow added to the experience.
This trip to ‘Eua was much different. Elder Thompson and I were the one lonely senior couple to return to the island this time.
The Embleys have returned to their home in the states, and the senior sisters (Kinikini and Vuki)
were transferred to Niuatoputapu or so we thought. There were no whale sightings. The huge ocean mammals have migrated south, and there were no rainbows spanning across the sky. Our main goal for this visit to ‘Eua, besides a District Meeting
and house inspections,
was to teach Matelie’s wife, Kalo.
Even with the encouragement and testimonies of her husband and family, she has still refused to listen to the gospel lessons from the young Elders. It was hoped that the “goldie oldie dual” might have an impact on her, and the spirit would touch her heart.
Elder T. and I went to the Havea’s home thinking that we would have a personal, one-on-one discussion with Kalo. Instead, the entire extended family (It was New’s Year Day.)
clamored into their living room to hear the plangi missionaries. Elder Thompson gave a wonderful lesson on “the family”, and I bore my testimony. A couple of the women in the crowd were tearful, but NOT KALO. One man, not a member, told her that she needed to listen to the missionaries and to follow her husband and be baptized. Elder Thompson asked her if we could return later that evening and continue to teach her. She said, “No.” What could we say? “ Ohh….wellllll… if you change your mind, give us a phone call.” We waited for some kind of response that evening and the next morning. No call! Finally Elder Thompson gave it the old college try and called the Havea’s home. We were informed Kalo didn’t want to talk to us. Darn it! No miracle…at least not yet!
By now we had completed our other missionary assignments so…we spent some time walking the sandy beaches of ‘Eua.
We said we were not going to gather any more shells, but…we hope all of you who are chilling in the snow and seven degree weather back in Salt Lake like shells because you’re all going to get them for souvenirs from Tonga when we get home.
While we were “slaving” on ‘Eua, our fellow senior missionaries, Sister Kinikini
and Sister Vuki,
were flying towards the equator to the further most Tonga island of Niuatoputapu. (This is Elder Groberg’s island where the movie “The Other Side of Heaven” was filmed.) The Sisters were filled with trepidation when the Mission President asked them to become proselyting missionaries (they had been working in Family History) on this tiny island with no internet, no cell phone usage, and electricity produced by a village generator for only a few hours a day. They were not sure how they were going to survive the heat without air conditioning and the million of mosquitoes for which Niua is famous. (Sister Vuki is 75 years old).
As those sweet sisters were boarding the plane, Sister Kinikini turned around and waved as she yelled, “Hurrah for Israel!” (Sister Kinikini’s family in America was pretty impressed with the fact that their mom was going to Groberg’s island because they all know Elder Groberg. One of her children even named their latest grandchild “Niua” in honor of their valiant and faithful mom's assignment to that island.)
Well, as air travel goes in Tonga, the smaller plane that was to transport them from Vava’u (the half-way mark) to Niua had developed mechanical difficulties, and so the rest of their flight was cancelled—indefinitely! The President didn’t have the heart to send them on the eighteen hour broken-down-Olovaha-boat ride to their destination.
(It turns out that the Olovaha hadn’t even left the wharf yet due to inclimate weather so there really is no way at this point to get the Sisters to Niua.)
FLEXIBILITY IS STILL THE NAME OF THE GAME HERE! These dear sisters are now nestled into a little missionary house on Ha’apai. Their luggage, however, made a trip back to the main island of Tongatapu, but eventually it found its owners in Ha’apai.
We love Tonga! ‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister Thompson
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