Emily's Tales from Tonga: telinga veli (itchy ear)

We had lots of ups and downs this week... ran out of time to write about it all, but highlight: we started teaching a new family and they actually LOVE listening to us! This is very new for me... we'll see. I'm all suspicious of them because they are just too willing!! we will figure out what their motivation is this week. :) Here is what i spent my time writing this week- an answer to a question from dad-

In case you didn't already figure it out, in Tonga, church is LIFE for everyone... in the USA, Mormons are some of the more committed people as far as living your religion goes. Here, every church is like that. Many tongan missionaries spend a lot of time trying to convert people from other faiths using all these different bible verses to prove some doctrine right or wrong... kinda the same as bible bashing?? but they probably do it because thats what they grew up seeing other faifekaus (ministers/ missionaries) and even members doing. Lots of people even get baptized because of that, but their conversion is not true. They really only need the plain and precious truths and it really doesn't matter all that much what someone's interpretation of revelations is if they have that.

The truths are...

God is our Heavenly Father

Jesus Christ is his only begotten son, our Savior and Redeemer

The Book of Mormon is a true and powerful testimony of him

Joseph Smith was a true prophet who restored the fullness of the gospel to the earth

We have a living prophet today-- Thomas S. Monson
All these things can only be known FOR SURE through a personal witness from the Holy Ghost. When someone receives that witness, nothing else matters and they know this church really is God's Kingdom on earth.

I personally don't spend much time memorized bible verses to combat people's attacks with. I just do whatever I can to have to spirit with me in abundance to testify of truths.

Quick experience from a week or two ago-- we came out of a lesson with a less active and these old ladies were sitting outside by the road, so i started talking to them and it turns out they were Jehovah's Witness faifekaus... but too late, I already asked them if they knew anyone in the area who we could go visit... oops. Sooo this lady proceeds to open up her bible and without me saying anything else, goes on and on and how we believe in 3 gods and there is only 1 God and all this other stuff... (the language for explaining the Godhead in Tongan is always confusing to me, but yeah they just understand it as 3 gods). I just stood there for like 10 minutes with my comp smiling at her and she reads all these bible verses, but i did nothing... partly because i was a little shaky on my understanding of her tongan and the conversation was pointless. Every conversion that I have seen has happened without any proof from this verse or that. It has happened through a PERSONAL, POWERFUL WITNESS from this spirit to the heart of the investigator. I don't care who they are or where they come from. The only sure knowledge is the kind that only God can give.

Challenge- think this week about what your testimony is built on... search for a confirmation from the spirit if you really want to know for sure. D&C 8:2-3.

Ofa LAHI Atu Ka Moutolu.

Sister Emily Bever

Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission