Another Tongan Week

Word, yo.

So here's the skinny. There's still not a whole lot going on. It's not from the lack of trying, but there just aren't that many non-member Tongans within the boundaries of the Cucamonga Ward.

One interesting thing that happened is that I went to a Tongan funeral. I didn't understand a single word, but it was neat. Just randomly the people would start singing hymns. I really enjoyed that. Something cool is that they dedicate a whole week to their funerals. So even though I only went to a part of the service there were dinners and other things all week long.

Some missionary work that I did actually yielded results! There's this less active family that we have visited on splits a handful of times and on Wednesday we visited them again. I straight up committed them to come to church and they were there yesterday! It was cool to see them there. I was glad that they followed-through on their commitments.

So the really AWESOME thing that happened this week is that a recent convert from Phelan and her husband went through the temple on Saturday. They also invited all of the missionaries that helped them out to attend. So me, Elders Smith and Pettegrew, and a few others were all there. It was amazing to see quite a few of my good friends from the Phelan ward there. Being at the temple was awesome, then afterward nearly everyone there went to Cafe Rio. I sat and talked with the Chaffees for a while. I missed those people. There were also the awesome Turners there. It was one of the better days I've had in quite a while.

Unfortunately our investigators really haven't been progressing. It's been hard to meet with them and neither of them came to church yesterday. Hopefully we can change that this week.

Transfer calls are this Saturday! Maybe I'll get transferred, maybe I'll stay. Who knows? You sure will in a week from today!

Keep it real.

--
Now go, and be Golden,
Elder R. Sage Taylor

Here I'm with are the Ericksons. Rob and Kim. Lovely people

This group is everyone that went to the temple, minus a few of them.

Elder Allen has been drawn on by Elder Paget,

And Vice Versa.

It's Getting Better All the Time

Hey Minions.

Sorry it's been 2 weeks. I'm a bum. Please forgive me.

So here is a little update!

First, we still have the same two investigators, Alex and Alena. Both are pretty solid and hopefully be baptized soon. Alex is probably going to be baptized in April and right now Alena in June. Let's hope that the best happens.

On Thursday I was able to go on exchanges into the Terra Vista ward with my district leader, Elder Browning. He and I were in the same district when I was in Phelan, so I've been on exchanges with him before. What was really cool is we met with this less-active guy who I've actually met before. I helped him move his family into a house in Phelan, so it was pretty cool seeing him because we'd met before.

Saturday was kind of a cool day. These guys in our ward who are twins and almost 18 took us to a sushi place. I found out that I don't really like sushi. Plus I've been feeling kind sick ever since we ate there. I'm not sure if there's a connection, but it might be.

After the sushi we went to a Rugby game, which was approved by our Zone Leaders. Quite a few people in our ward play on the team and so we went to this little place called Colton and watched them play. Rugby is a pretty sweet sport. I don't understand a lot of it, but I liked to watch it, nonetheless.

Yesterday was pretty awesome as well. There was this Fireside for the Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana Tongan Wards. The guy name Nela Otuafi spoke. He's a song writer and composer. He wrote this song called "How Can I Be?" You should check it out. Anyway, it was one of the coolest Firesides I've ever been to. He was having all of us sing and he was just really spiritual and made it really great for the youth. I'm glad that I could go to that. (Check out the following post if you want to hear the song)

Something else that was neat about yesterday is that I ate dinner with a family! That brings my dinners total to 2. There were these three boys at the house ages 9, 10 and 11. They were super funny and they were just fascinated by me and my companion. It was cool to be around people for a little while and just talk with them.

I love you guys! Keep being the cool people I know you are. 

Now Go, and Be Golden,

Elder R. Sage Taylor

Just some good old pictures.

Some silly putty that was falling through a funnel hung on a lamp for about 10 days

Me. Wearing a duct tape tie

Elder Allen looking fly in the wind of a fan

A scrum in the rugby game

 

How Can I Be? Composed & Sung by Nela Otuafi

How Can I Be?

How can I be like my brother Nephi?
And my father Lehi of old?
How can I be like Captain Moroni
In the wars that were told?

How can I see forever
Like the promise to the three Nephites?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinadi
Oh tell me how can I be like them?

How can I be like Alma the Younger,
Strong servant of the Lord?
How can I be like Mighty Ammon,
Whose heart was his sword?

How can I be a stripling warrior,
And learn to fight by faith?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinadi
Oh tell me how can I be like them?

How can I be like my brother Joseph,
When he prayed in the grove of trees?
How can I have the strength that he had
And the love he had for God?

How can I be courageous
And strive to choose the right?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinadi
I wanna be like Jesus Christ
Oh tell me how can I be like Him?
Oh tell me how can I be like Him?

Ain't No Time Like Picture Time

Here are some beautiful pictures for you!

Two of them are of my Before and After haircut pictures. My hair was looking kinda shaggy.

Two are of our hike last week. One with Elder Allen (the short guy) and one with Elder Browning (the tall guy)

 

Before

After

With Elder Allen

With Elder Browning

A Pretty Slow Week

This isn't going to be a very long email. There really isn't that much that goes on here in this ward. I still haven't had dinner with any members, so I don't really know any of them. Elder Allen and I taught our other investigator, Alena. She's been investigating for over a year and will probably be getting baptized in June. That's quite while away.

The only people I've really met in this ward is our ward mission leader, Brother Ikahihifo, and Bishop Latu. They are also brothers-in-law. Everybody in the Tongan ward is related somehow. Brother Ikahihifo is really cool. He totally wants to help us out. He also gave me a pretty sweet tie.

We went to a party for a 1 year old. That's a pretty big celebration in Tongan culture, I guess. There was tons of food, dancing and music. Tongan food is okay. I wasn't super impressed with anything, but I ate a little bit.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this last week, but church on Sundays is pretty different. Yesterday Elder Allen and I taught both Elder's Quorum and Sunday School. Then in Sacrament Meeting I can only understand half of what anybody says because all the adults speak in Tongan. I think that's a pretty cool part of being here.

See ya, mateys!

Now go, and be Golden,

Elder R. Sage Taylor