Sorry I'm late! Still alive :)

Sorry this is coming a day late. We had Zone conference yesterday, so P-day was moved to today. Zone conference was pretty great, and since we are all pushing to accomplish the mission goal of 100 baptisms per stake before June, we needed to re-evaluate our teaching methods to make more of the lessons result in baptisms- for our new teaching method, we are just supposed to ask a lot of questions that lead into discussing each principle in the lesson. Each question is supposed to be "inspired" so it's a little challenging because i don't know when my questions are inspired or not and at the same time, i want to make sure i know how to clearly express myself in this language... still far from fluent, but it's coming along :). So yeah that's enough about zone conference. Lots of food, lots of missionaries, and lots of opportunities to feel the spirit.

Updates from this past week- hmmm well mom sent me a picture of Ellie (our dog) and I realized this week that I am scared I will return to America with a warped perception of dogs! I got bit by a dog this week! Ahhh! but it didn't even break the skin because i kicked it away real quick... luckily that dog was small... but bad news is, it lives at the home of a potential investigator family and we REALLY want to teach them, so i'll have to get over the fear or get myself a good stick. Oh! one of our old investigators came back from Australia this week and we began teaching him again and we have a baptism date set for him for February when his wife comes to Tonga and maybe we'll teach her too! Today we have a baptism of a little boy who is also from Australia. A lot of his family is active in the church, and he is so smart and interested. Sometimes I am scared for little kids who get baptized without support from a family because most of them end up inactive like 1/2 of Tonga, but I know this one will be okay and I am happy for him :). Little miracle this week- we have been teaching a very inactive family for a while and they keep promising they will come to church, but they never do, but this week we finally had a really good lesson with the wife and she opened up, and the dad took the babies on a walk so that she could have some peace and really ponder the message. I know she felt the spirit and it was one of the first times I have taught a 100% tongan lesson without the help of my trainer and felt like I was really able to express myself and help someone open up. 

Hmmm... funny side note, there is a man in our ward who just retired from teaching at Liahona and he wants to start farming in Uta (the bush) now that he has free time. He REALLY wanted some seeds to start with, so I gave him the seeds mom sent me that Sister McGary wanted me to have :). He was SO excited! 

Spiritual thought- I don't know if i already explained this, but the whole mission is reading the BOM in 30 days right now. We are almost done. It has been a great experience. Towards the end, in 4th Nephi, it describes the begining of the downfall of the nephites about 200 years after Christ came to them. I really realized there that the pattern of apostacy is really the same among all people throughout all of history. The adversary is really smart. If the whole world could deny the OBVIOUS HUGE MIRACLES in just 200 years, what can happen to just one person in 2 years? Human beings are such malleable creatures. We change a little every day. If we are not always seeking for more light and more strength through Jesus Christ, the forces of darkness are undoubtedly working on us. I see that with the people we teach here and I have seen it in my own life. If you are not doing it already, buoy yourself up EVERYDAY. Read your scriptures. pray. and do it with sincerity. Love you all :) Out of sight, but not out of mind. Until next week <3.

-Sista Piva 

A road we walk on a lot...

cute little boys who we pass almost every day on the road! I think they one with the afro is part fijian.

Eating hoosi for the first time! aka... Horse meat... honestly, the flavor is not my favorite.

I asked a lady in our ward to sew collars on my dresses with the extra fabric mom sent! I just got them back :) this one is sooo much cooler than the other dresses!