Dear Family and Friends,
This last week has been absolutely crazy and I'm super happy I'm able to net. I'll write it out a little different. It's just my journal entries summarized and everything is out of whack. It's about 12 at night. We slept most of the day and I'll explain why the emails so late at night. I have permission.
Monday:
It was P-day, didn't find out till really late I was transferring. I had no idea who my companion would be, just that I was training and that I was moving to Houma 3rd ward.
It was P-day, didn't find out till really late I was transferring. I had no idea who my companion would be, just that I was training and that I was moving to Houma 3rd ward.
Tuesday:
Mahe and I stayed up till 2 am packing because we had a super busy day and we had to get his bag down to 50 pounds so he could fly to Vava'u.
Mahe and I stayed up till 2 am packing because we had a super busy day and we had to get his bag down to 50 pounds so he could fly to Vava'u.
Wednesday:
I was picked up at about 9:30 and was in a meeting till around 4. Then things started getting crazy. My new companion is 21 and straight from Tonga. I met him before his mission and jokingly said maybe I'll get to train you! Anyway, didn't think I'd be training this early in my mission. We got driven to our MQ and then realized we had no phone or key. The zones brought our key and let us in but we still had no phone. No one has lived in the MQ for a while and it was pretty obvious. Spiders, cockroaches and mosquitos everywhere. There are barely any windows, no fan, and it's super hot. Oh and no water. That one really got me. I didn't realize that meant to going to the bathroom until my companion made the sad mistake. We shut the door and haven't opened it since.
I was picked up at about 9:30 and was in a meeting till around 4. Then things started getting crazy. My new companion is 21 and straight from Tonga. I met him before his mission and jokingly said maybe I'll get to train you! Anyway, didn't think I'd be training this early in my mission. We got driven to our MQ and then realized we had no phone or key. The zones brought our key and let us in but we still had no phone. No one has lived in the MQ for a while and it was pretty obvious. Spiders, cockroaches and mosquitos everywhere. There are barely any windows, no fan, and it's super hot. Oh and no water. That one really got me. I didn't realize that meant to going to the bathroom until my companion made the sad mistake. We shut the door and haven't opened it since.
Thursday:
It's been so nice being the senior companion. I have made sure to do exactly what I'm supposed to and I think my companion really likes me. He's awesome. Despite our difficult living circumstances it's been a blast already being companions. Thursday we met ten new people and there is a lot of work to do over here.
It's been so nice being the senior companion. I have made sure to do exactly what I'm supposed to and I think my companion really likes me. He's awesome. Despite our difficult living circumstances it's been a blast already being companions. Thursday we met ten new people and there is a lot of work to do over here.
Friday:
Met a guy named Limihai. He was a drug lord on California and lost his leg. He was deported for robbing $285,000 from a safe. He is 70 with some crazy stories.
Met a guy named Limihai. He was a drug lord on California and lost his leg. He was deported for robbing $285,000 from a safe. He is 70 with some crazy stories.
Saturday:
We got a fan this morning. A really nice one. Then It all went wrong. Our house caved in on us the rain and storm was so bad. Our house was basically a swimming pool. We called and president told us we had 5 minutes to pack and be ready for pick up. This was at 11 PM. He picked us up soon after. We stayed the night at the nicest place ever with A/C and couches and even a washer.
We got a fan this morning. A really nice one. Then It all went wrong. Our house caved in on us the rain and storm was so bad. Our house was basically a swimming pool. We called and president told us we had 5 minutes to pack and be ready for pick up. This was at 11 PM. He picked us up soon after. We stayed the night at the nicest place ever with A/C and couches and even a washer.
Sunday:
After the nights mishaps we slept in for the first time we were so tired. I was awoken at 7:00 to the sound of the phone ringing and the adrenaline realizing it was president and that I was probably in trouble for sleeping in. He told me to pack my bags and get them under 50 pounds because me and my new comp are going to be emergency transfered to Vava'u and to be ready to go back to church in Houma in an hour. We got ready and went to church. We told the ward we were leaving and spoke for the first and last time at that ward. They were amazing. After we went to the blowholes in our area. We were taking final pictures in a little cove when a huge wave from no where hit me and my companion. We were thrown back up the coast by it and got soaking wet. It was the first bath we've had in a week. (We are allowed in the water to bathe because of lack of water as long as we don't dive and don't go more than 20 feet from the coast) We went back to eat and to our nice house. We took our nice fan from the house and tried to fit it in my bag. We'll see how that goes. We leave in a couple hours and got permission to net because of the transfer. We are on a 8 seat plane I think and will be working in Tu'anuku Vava'u. We have a lake in out area and mountains. I'll try to get pictures and stuff but this may be the last time I net for a couple months. I'll try to email later today if we are able to.
After the nights mishaps we slept in for the first time we were so tired. I was awoken at 7:00 to the sound of the phone ringing and the adrenaline realizing it was president and that I was probably in trouble for sleeping in. He told me to pack my bags and get them under 50 pounds because me and my new comp are going to be emergency transfered to Vava'u and to be ready to go back to church in Houma in an hour. We got ready and went to church. We told the ward we were leaving and spoke for the first and last time at that ward. They were amazing. After we went to the blowholes in our area. We were taking final pictures in a little cove when a huge wave from no where hit me and my companion. We were thrown back up the coast by it and got soaking wet. It was the first bath we've had in a week. (We are allowed in the water to bathe because of lack of water as long as we don't dive and don't go more than 20 feet from the coast) We went back to eat and to our nice house. We took our nice fan from the house and tried to fit it in my bag. We'll see how that goes. We leave in a couple hours and got permission to net because of the transfer. We are on a 8 seat plane I think and will be working in Tu'anuku Vava'u. We have a lake in out area and mountains. I'll try to get pictures and stuff but this may be the last time I net for a couple months. I'll try to email later today if we are able to.
Personal:
Can't even tell you how much better things are. I'm a little nervous to train and stuff but I think it'll be okay and my Tongan is progressing a lot faster. I don't know anyone who's trained a Tongan after only being in Tonga for 4.5 months so I hope I can do a good job.
Can't even tell you how much better things are. I'm a little nervous to train and stuff but I think it'll be okay and my Tongan is progressing a lot faster. I don't know anyone who's trained a Tongan after only being in Tonga for 4.5 months so I hope I can do a good job.
Companionship:
He's awesome. He only has one eye and is super excited to be out on a mission. I asked why he came out and he said he was scared if he did something wrong in his other eye would get taken away! He loves to workout with me. He jokes around a lot but will work as hard as I can make myself move. It's definitely hard training and we have a lot of awkward moments with me learning a language and a brand new missionary.
He's awesome. He only has one eye and is super excited to be out on a mission. I asked why he came out and he said he was scared if he did something wrong in his other eye would get taken away! He loves to workout with me. He jokes around a lot but will work as hard as I can make myself move. It's definitely hard training and we have a lot of awkward moments with me learning a language and a brand new missionary.
Area: (outdated and about Houma)
Area is very different. It's one of the poorest towns in Tonga. My bishop is awesome and always puts the missionaries first. He's very humble and loving. He's been the bishop of this ward for the full 3 years it's been a ward. We don't have many stores, no restaurants and the area is very small compared to Longolongo. I sold my bike to one of the senior couples, kinda sad to see it go but we don't really need it. I buy mainly water which costs around 10 pa'anga a day. ($5 US) Which will start to add up but it seems to be a need at the current moment. Oh, almost forgot, we have the Tongan Blowholes in our area. They're pretty cool and sometimes shoot fish and crabs up on the reef where we can catch them.
Area is very different. It's one of the poorest towns in Tonga. My bishop is awesome and always puts the missionaries first. He's very humble and loving. He's been the bishop of this ward for the full 3 years it's been a ward. We don't have many stores, no restaurants and the area is very small compared to Longolongo. I sold my bike to one of the senior couples, kinda sad to see it go but we don't really need it. I buy mainly water which costs around 10 pa'anga a day. ($5 US) Which will start to add up but it seems to be a need at the current moment. Oh, almost forgot, we have the Tongan Blowholes in our area. They're pretty cool and sometimes shoot fish and crabs up on the reef where we can catch them.
That's all for now,
Love, Elder Sikoki
Love, Elder Sikoki
Remind me to tell you about Limihai and my comp and to send pictures. Love you
