Hello family and friends,

Well transfers have once again rolled around but this time I am not staying. Tomorrow I'll be transferring to Eua! Which is a smaller island south of Tongatapu. Unfortunately, the past two weeks were the last two weeks for me to work in Pea and after how many months of working in this place and I'll be missing our ward conference by 1 week. Everyday this week there will be a different activity during the week starting with one for the Relief Society, and then the youth, and then a dance and so on...up until Sunday which will be the conference, kai pola (lots and lots of food) and a fireside. Timing not so on point but that's okay it just means great things are waiting in Eua. 

The past couple weeks we haven't had as much success working with our investigators and finding times to teach them and finding new investigators but we have been working lots with less-actives and have found a few more families to start working towards! Overcoming drinking seems to be the reoccurring problem with all of them and we have been doing a lot of visiting and goal-setting to help them stop drinking. One of them is 29 year-old Vine who comes from a part-member family and has been drinking since she was a teenager. After getting jumped pretty bad, she was ready to make a change in her life. We stepped in and started making her a focus for the past couple weeks to help her stop. She made it 2 weeks without drinking! We were also able to go to the Relief Society birthday party with her on Thursday which was super fun. Consisted of beautiful songs from each of the wards that started out very nice and spiritual and then turned into women getting up on their chairs and singing for the crowd. Of course, because there was cake being served, there were TONS of women from our ward that went and sang. I've actually never seen that many women in our ward in attendance at any church gathering. 

Two of the other families that we have started working are both in a similar boat. Young couple with kids. Dad converted to the church in his teens and less-active now and struggles with the word of wisdom. Mom grew up in the church but is also struggling to come to church. Both of these families are so happy that we came to them and really really want the strength and help to come back to church. I am going to miss working with them but I know that they are in the Lord's hands. Excited to see what comes of it as Sister Brown and her new companion continue to work with them!

xoxo

Sister Petalisi

Annoying goat interrupting our lesson.

Last vilo with Piola :-(

Diana Mataele at the Fine'ofa Birthday Party