Tonga!

Sunday, Nov. 23rd

We didn’t have our Sunday School Class today. The young mother, Peau, won’t be coming to our ward any more. She has left her boy friend and moved home to live with her parents. He has changed completely since his mother arrived from America. He started hitting Peau when she didn’t do what he wanted her to do and thank heaven! she had the good sense to leave him. She will take care of her baby on her own. She will be going to New Zealand to get a job and provide a life for both of them. We will miss her but she has promised to stay close to the church. We think she has learned a powerful lesson and now she knows what kind of a life she wants.

We spent our Sunday School class time talking to one of the members of our ward. He is here as a special agent and he was telling us about his investigations into corruption among some high level government officials here. It was sad to hear. We saw so much corruption in Ukraine, I hate to find it in this island kingdom too.

I called Odean when we got home from church. It is her birthday tomorrow but she will be spending that day with her family. It was so good to talk to her again. I really miss her!! I look forward to our weekly lunches when we get home again. She is a very special friend!

We were also able to Skype some of our kids today --- and it worked!! Yea, the internet is getting better. Of course there are no teachers here anymore and it was Sunday, so it remains to be seen how it works when school is back on. Amberly is still not feeling well and they don’t know what is causing her stomach aches. We are worried about her. Her name is on the prayer roll and we are all praying for her, we know our prayers are heard and will be answered.

There was a Relief Society Fireside tonight. Sister Mitchell and I went. It was all in Tongan so we didn’t understand much, but we could still feel the spirit and the music was amazing. The Tongan Saints are so grateful that we support them and they treat us like royalty. By the end of the meeting we had head sets and a translator. We were the only palangis at the meeting, but everyone came and thanked us for coming.