Dear Family,

This week another sickness hit 'Eua and it seemed to hit only the missionaries except for me and my companion. We spent lots of the week "tauhi mahaki" taking care of the sick and being their nurses running them medicine and drinks. Both of our investigators that had their baptismal dates set for last week were not baptized because for one her mother did not want her to and the other her grandma. It was pretty hard on all of us. It has become more and more vital that we work very close with our members in this ward to hasten the work here. I'm grateful that I work in such a loving ward that focuses on the missionary work and is trying so hard to find people for us to teach. Our area isn't that big and both of the missionaries in the Wesleyan church here in our area have told their members not to accept us into their home and we have been facing lots of rejection and opposition with the non-members in this area. Most people are straight forward about it, some let us in anyways because they live by the belief that we all pray to the same God and they probably just feel bad for us and some run away. We were pretty amused when the 30 year-old investigator we found last week we walked past his house yesterday and caught him running from the table he was laying on outside his house to hide behind his mango tree like only a teenager would do. Although it is hard and a huge test of my faith, the greater the opposition we face the more powerful the testimony it is to me that our message is true and this church is God's church and kingdom on the earth. Just as Jesus Christ told his apostles they will be despised by all nations because of His name, we see it around us today wherever we go. There will be a time for these people where there hearts will be softened and they will accept us or future missionaries into their home to teach them the message of the restoration. We must not give up on anyone. We have lots of work to do to prepare for the 2nd coming. Mate ofa atu!

Sister Petalisi