I'm a Rock

Jacob's baptism

Elder Ward and Jacob

Dearest Family,

Mom, are you kidding?! I’m a rock! Nothing gets me down! haha But in all seriousness, it sure is making me tired not being able to work as effectively as I have in the past... Elder Tafiti and I have really come to love and respect each other. That’s good because he still has another transfer after this one which is on September 5^th. He goes home the same time as Trevor...

A funny thing too is that I realized Elder Tafiti is Futi's Cousin!!! Like BYU volleyball legend FUTI!!! haha Except he is 5'8” so I don’t know what happened there... I really have to say that I've come to love him and that there is a lot of good in him. But that is enough about that. MOM, DAD, family, I will have you know even though I’m a little more tired than usual I still am happy and am still trying to do my best to keep going strong...

Brother Armstrong... he is the man!!! Definitely go find his boy and give him heaps of Rolo cookies. Brother Armstrong is a champion at helping us with the recent converts in the ward and getting other members involved with activities and such. You might have to come stay with him if you make plans to come pick me up when I'm done :) but that’s still forever away so we won’t have to worry about that for now.

Well, this week we baptized Jacob Papuni!!! Jacob asked me to perform the baptism and man I chucked him in the water!!! and then threw him right out! I didn't mean to be irreverent in any way but I seriously just got so excited I couldn't restrain myself (oh and he is a little bit of a feather weight). haha It was a good program though.

This week let’s see, oh yeah, I will give you more deets on Micaella Wilson. She is 17 almost 18 and she is keen to be baptized on September 8th! She wrote President Leikas asking if some of her previous missionaries could come back for the baptism and the next day he gave her a call saying that they could come and that he will be attending himself... I challenged her to read the Book of Mormon all the way through before she gets baptized to make it more meaningful and that we would make it a race too! She had a little bit of a head start in Jacob two weeks ago but she has made it all the way to 3rd Nephi. That’s like 300 pages!!! I’m only at the end of Alma!!! She asked me to do her confirmation so I'm pretty stoked about that! Oh yeah, she also said that she found me on Facebook along with Elder Manewell. You should have Collin go find them both.

What else happened this week??? hmmm I learned how to break into my flat courtesy of my Zone Leader Elder Barney... I forgot my white tie and extra garments for the baptism... whoops and then we got there and I realized I didn't have a key. It turns out you just have to lift the door a certain way. It’s pretty easy... haha. Funny thing is I ended up forgetting an extra white shirt too for after the baptism, so my sleeves were a little wet after. J

Good news I’m sending the package today!!! In it I should have.... ah never mind. I will keep it a surprise. J

Also I forgot to mention about good husbands. haha I remembered the time Dad busted Jared’s shoulder and he almost got least-favorite uncle status. Uncle Spencer could break my shoulder and he still wouldn't sink lower. J But yeah, this week we had dinner at a member’s house and the husband was terrible to his wife... It made me mad. Don’t worry, Mom, I’m reading about the stripling warriors and I bet you anything they had mad hot wives... Jokes jokes. But seriously, I've been thinking about it and you and Dad both have taught me, Trevor and Collin to respect girls really well. Like for example the only time we really got hurt/spanked/maimed by Dad was because we were nasty to MOM.

Dad, I just read your letter. Sweet miracles! Angels definitely caught that boy. Little children are so special to Heavenly Father... I just watched “On the Lord’s Errand,” the video on Thomas S. Monson. There is a story about kids in Samoa who were told that if they prayed hard enough they would be able to shake the apostle’s hand. While President Monson was there he felt prompted to do it regardless of his lack of time and he shook each child’s hand... Heavenly Father is so quick to answer children’s prayers it’s unbelievable!

Go Collin and Jared!!! Karaoke at Costco!!! That definitely sounds like them. They will make great missionaries. NO FEAR. Oh, and good job Collin talkin’ to the ladies for young women’s. That was the opportunity of a lifetime!!!

Arohanui,

 

Elder Ward

p.s. Thanks for the DVD. It has helped out heaps!!!

Jacob and his family with Elder Ward and Elder Tafiti