Hi Family!
Wow, sounds like exciting things are happening! I am really glad to hear that things with Matt and Jalena are getting better. It has been awhile since the "incident", but some things just take patience. I'm happy that things are working out! And, wow, I still don't believe that Tyson is engaged. I hope that everything goes well with he wedding plans!
So this week was really good! It was great, even though it was one of those weeks were it seemed that almost every appointment that we had cancelled on us. The Polynesian people are a lot more laid back, and appointments seem to cancel a lot more in the Tongan program. Tongans have the attitude of "we get there when we get there." I don't think we've ever been on time to a teaching appointment!
This week we found 2 new amazing investigators! One is from a part member family, and the other is a friend of a recent convert.
We are teaching a man named Sione Tongamao. He is 55 years old, and loves what he is learning. He is the one that me and Elder Neiufi just found by talking to him on the street. (But if you are Tongan and living in the Bay Area, you know every Tongan living here - so pretty much he knows everyone in the ward already.) He has always been around the Mormon church, and known about it. All that it took was him to feel the spirit! He was sick this past week so we weren't able to teach him, but he is doing well.
We are also teaching a young woman in our singles ward. Her name is Brenda Vanisi. She has had a really hard life. Both of her parents have passed away and she feels alone. She is pregnant and is living with her boyfriend right now. Her boyfriend (Leone) is in a Tongan gang, and is always high on something! Brenda loves what she is learning, and the comfort that comes from the plan of salvation. She has some changes to make, but has the faith and willingness to make those changes. I love how the gospel can change our lives! I've seen it time and time again. The atonement is real, and has the power to change our hearts and heal us. This week we set a baptismal date with Brenda for March 12th. She really wants to be baptized, but first needs to move out of her boyfriends house, which is hard, because she has no where else to go. We are praying for a miracle that the Lord will somehow provide a way for her to find a place, so she can be baptized on her date.
So this week, I went on exchanges once again with the assistants in Oakland. I've been a ZL for awhile and always go to Oakland on exchanges, so it almost seems like Oakland is one of my areas! I know a lot of the members and investigators there, and its always fun to go and see how everything has been progressing in there area since that last time I've been there. We always talk crazy people there. They always tell us "do you know where you boys are? You are in one of the most roughest neighborhoods in the United States!" But people really respect the missionaries in the ghettos of Oakland. It is a really fun area to work in! This is not meant to be a racist comment, but it is so hard to find a white person in West Oakland! But I learned a lot on exchanges this week. I've noticed lately how powerful it can be when we teach the simple and basic truths of the gospel in a short, clear way. I've noticed that we don't have to take 10 minutes to deeply explain a principle, but instead bear a short powerful testimony that the spirit can testify to, then invite the individual to act, and to change.
This week we have a 3 day leadership conference in Walnut Creek from 9 am to 4 pm. It will be a crazy week! Bro. Watson (I forgot his first name) is coming to train us. He is the head of proselyting in the missionary department. He is one of the main authors of Preach My Gospel. He is also the one who hired President Wade, when he worked for the church. So it will be a really exciting meeting.
So things are going well. Me and my companion are the only ones that live in our apartment, and it is one of the nicest apartments that I have had so far. I wonder if the way I talk is changing, just because I have to talk in simple terms all the time to my comp, my zone and the ward. I've learned how to count to 10 in Tongan, how to say the alphabet, how to say our church's name, and simple phrases like "what is your name" or "where are you from". I can pick out a few words here and there when people are talking, but overall I'm still lost. I'm getting used to being the only white person in the ward. Yesterday we had a Stake meeting with the Stake Leaders, the Bishops, the Ward Mission Leaders and President Wade. Me and President were the only white people, and the only ones that had no idea what was being said! And the food that Tongans eat is meat! They eat a lot of roots like taro (its like a very starchy potato - its really nasty). The food is pretty nasty, but a lot of the Tongans here eat more Americanized food like steak and stuff.
Well family I love you! I hope that you have a great week!
-Elder Cook
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