One Year Older and Wiser Too!

Today in Tonga it is Elder Tulane's birthday.  Tomorrow in America it is Elder Tulane's birthday.

We love you, Elder Tulane!!!

Nukunuku

Elder Tulane served in Nukunuku from July 2009 to October 2009.  Here are a few pictures and some highlights from his e-mails home.

 

August 12, 2009

Thanks for all of the love and support.  I love you guys.  It's been a pretty slow week.  We aren't doing a lot of work, but we are getting along well so I am grateful for that.  My area is good.  I love you.

August 28, 2009

Our mission conference was good.  Elder Hamula of the Seventy came and spoke to use.  He said the Tongan mission is known for being the best singers and he made us sing a couple songs just so his family could hear how beautiful we sound ha ha!

October 1, 2009

Yesterday morning, I was laying in bed and thought I felt a kinda weak earthquake, and then a few minutes later our Zone Leaders came over and told us about the tsunami and were going to come back in a few minutes to take us to mission head quarters.  Well, we went to a store while we were waiting for them to come back and the radio was on, so we heard about Samoa and stuff.  The warning was canceled pretty quickly.  I'm okay, so don't worry.  I love you.

Havelu Pictures

While we're looking back on some of Elder Tulane's old areas, we thought we'd share some of his pictures from Havelu and Nukunuku.  We shared his emails from Havelu before, and thought we'd give you some pictures to go with them.  Yes, Elder Tulane did catch a bat. Yes, Elder Tulane did climb a coconut tree.  Yes, there is a DJ Stan on the island.

It's the Final Countdown! And a Tongan Adventure Rewind.

In less than 100 days we'll get to hang out with Elder Tulane in the flesh!  Don't worry, though.  He'll be working hard right up until the last minute!




Until then, we have to stave our movie-quoting-funny-man craves with videos, pictures, and e-mails.   Recently, we've been having a lot of fun taking a look back on some of Elder Tulane's pictures and videos from earlier areas.  We thought we'd share a few of them with you.  These clips come from Havelu and Nukunuku (May 2009 through October 2009), and they are pretty fun.

For those of you who have experienced an open-air market, you know they can be quite a feast for the senses.  Here's an example of a Tongan open-air market that offers a little bit of everything.

Sometimes it can be very frustrating tracting.  Missionaries try and come up with the best ways possible to get in those doors.

Just kidding.  Elder Tulane and his companion actually got locked out of their place.


Well, you know what they say. . .when it rains, it POURS!

And last, but not least, who can be in a country without a bit of acculturation?

Letters from Kolonga

Elder Tulane certainly had a spiritually uplifting and enriching experience in Kolonga, filled with conferences, insights from the brethren, and even a temple trip!

He was the only missionary who watched General Conference in English:

In May, the missionaries had an area conference. Elder Tulane wrote on May 26:

We had an area conference a couple of Sundays ago. We got to watch a satellite broadcast with President Eyring, Elder Ballard, Elder Condie, and the new sister in the primary presidency. It was really good. The broadcast was for Tonga, Fiji, and Carabus and Elder Condie bore his testimony in all three languages. It was cool!

In June, Elder Tulane got to go to the temple. On June 2, he wrote:

My comp and I went to the temple with one of our wards to do baptisms for the dead and confirmations on Saturday. I got to read the names out loud so the guy doing the confirmations would know how to pronounce them. It was really fun. I also did a comp exchange with my zone leader yesterday. He works in Holonga where I was trained. It was cool going back and seeing my old members.

The work has definitely been going well for Elder Tulane. On June 26, Elder Tulane sent home some exciting news:

Hey, I got another baptism this week. I think that moves me up to 11 now.

At the end of June, Elder Tulane received another transfer. He's been moved to Vaini, right next to his first area in Holonga, where he's currently working hard.

WE LOVE YOU, ELDER TULANE!!!

A Kolonga Time

In April, Elder Tulane got transfered to Kolonga - one of the bigger villages on the north end of Tongatapu.

The missionaries took a trip to visit the Ha'amonga 'a Maui. It's a 12-ton stone trilithon at the north end of Tongatapu.

{click image above to expand}

Like when serving in other areas, Elder Tulane and his companion hit up some pretty beautiful cities to serve the Lord, and search out those interested in hearing about the Gospel. The city in the pictures below is called Navutoka.

{click the image above to expand}

The missionaries also had the opportunity to explore some of the cliffs on the southern coast.

{click the image above to expand}

Missionaries are definitely called to serve. In Ha'afeva, Elder Tulane got to help move a pig. In Kolonga, Elder Tulane was involved in another very interesting service project.

Losing Yourself in the Work

James E. Faust once said, "If you lose yourself in missionary service, you will find indescribable joy" (Ensign, May 1996).

Elder Tulane has certainly been losing himself. Literally! In his last e-mail to the family he let us know he's lost 50 pounds since he left the MTC!

Bring on the joy!