Manuai lo'u'aso fanau (from July 4th)

Lo'u aiga,

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!!!

I painted some jumpers for me and my companion that we are going to wear and take pictures at the beach, so yous will get pictures of that next week probably!!! Then we are going to go have a zone basketball game I think!!! Yay!!! My zone leaders and my sister training leader called me and sang happy birthday to me which is impressive because I didn't tell anyone when my birthday was.... someone in my companionship must be leaking information... PUAINA!!!!  All goods... she made me breakfast this morning!!

The baptism was awesome!!! It started island time- 20 minutes late- and had heaps of food afterwards!!! The zone leaders were muttering to each other about how grateful they were for not being in the Samoan program after our members forced us all to get seconds!! LOL!!! 

I finished read the Matthew Cowley book this week!! That was really fun!! In one of his talks he spoke about how he had boils for 7 months of his mission... The very next day I started to get a boil on my side!! Now I have two on my left side and they are HUGE!!! I am really sad I can no longer sleep on that side... but all goods!!! I also have a big lump under my arm (in my armpit but that sounds so gross so I didn't want to say that but there you go) that is also kinda painful!! for a few days I think I probably looked like a duck.. walking around with my arms slightly up so they weren't touching my sides!!! BAHAHAH!!!! My companion told me if they get any worse she is taking me to the doctor... I told her no... We will talk to Sister Cummings tomorrow!!

Which reminds me we are meeting The Cummings tomorrow!!!! So exciting!!! We talked to Sister Cummings on the phone a few days ago and she sure sounded really nice!! I'm excited to meet them!!!

I think that's pretty much it.... 

I love you all so much!!!!!

Thank you for the birthday wishes and presents!! I really appreciate it!!!

Alofa tele atu,

Sista Peo

Pictures to show mom that everything she sent me fit! Thank you so much!!! and the cup a cupa cupa is delicious thanks!!!

 Sister Peo, Silivelia and Sis Puaina

Birthday Girl and her gifts

 Fish for dinner!

Extra photos that have been posted on the mission facebook page

These are from Sister Peo's first moments in New Zealand, 

fresh off the plane where she had asthma troubles almost the entire flight :(

 Everyone kept getting these two mixed up.  The other sister is serving in the visitors center at the temple.

Picture of Sister Peo and Sister Taituuga at the font for Fagamanu's baptism

 After a mission conference--in the van

In December 2015, the New Zealand Hamilton Mission did a mission Haka.  Here they are performing it.  Sister Peo is right behind the last row of Elders in a dress with black and white triangles.  

The Missionary Haka which is called “Tiororangi” meaning the piercing cry from heaven.

   Here are the words and meaning (in Maori and English).    When I asked Sister Peo about hakas in general, here is what she said, "They are used to unify the members and intimidate everyone else. It is disrespectful to smile during a haka. Boys make their eyes big and stick out their tongues, girls make their eyes go wide and do a dramatic frown. We do it in pictures all the time so if i sent you a picture and we were doing that, that's what it is! It is called pukanah (spelled wrong! Sorry!)"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

Here is a youtube link to 2 missionaries performing it for their families on Christmas Day, there is supposed to be a professional video coming out and I'll post that when I find it. 

Elder Egbert and Timu performing the Hamilton Mission Haka 

New Zealand Christmas Day 2015

Preparing for the barbecue at a members house

 Skype photos of our Christmas Day 2015, Sista Peo's Boxing Day

Such a happy time!!

Sister Sogialofa posted this picture on facebook, my favorite surprise of today! Jan 2016

"Love her smile"

 Sister Tuimalatu posted this picture--Jan 2016

The new Trio, Sistas Taituuga, Ulu and Peo

It's December!! WHAAAT!?!?!

Family, Friends, Faifeautalai,

Sister Taituuga is still my companion!! Transfers came and went! *whew*!! Elder Moea'i was transferred though (he was sent to the palagi program. Moment of silence please....thank you ;)) Elder Fametau (our district leader) was also transferred! So Elder Ngungutau (Moea'i's companion) is our new district leader!!

I lost my planner this week! CRY!!! Sister Taituuga Lost her Tusi a Mamona (Book of Mormon in Samoan). They are gone, gone, gone... We have no idea where to find them!!! oh well. life goes on!!

Our mission conference is on December 23rd (Joseph Smith's birthday!!!!)!!!! They wrote a Hamilton mission haka!!! We have been working on learning it so that we will be ready to learn the actions at mission conference!! Also Sista Taituuga and I have been preparing a Christmas song to sing to everyone... :) its tracting in a winter wonderland. We are the coolest...Jacob 6:12 oh be wise... what can I say more? ;)

We have been taking members with us to lessons like crazy this week!! But lots of our lessons drop last minute... so that's interesting. Everyone is getting really busy and forgetting about our appointments!! And I think half of everyone in New Zealand is going to Sa (Samoa) for Christmas!! LOL!! 

OH THE MOST EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!! Sista Taituuga and I got permission to go down and see the temple lights with our ward, recent converts and investigators!! WHOOP WHOOP!! President made an announcement saying only Hamilton missionaries could go see the lights, but our bishop (Bishop Sioli) called and asked for permission for us!! PRESIDENT SAID YES!!! YAY!!! but the Elders aren't allowed to come... shhhhhh don't tell them we're going ;)

I hope everyone has a great week!! Look for people to serve!! They are everywhere!! Heavenly Father will point them out to you if you are willing to listen!!

Alofa Tele Atu!!!

Sista Peo

Got the package and decorated the flat!

 Sista Taituuga and Sista Peo in Santa Hats (not sure how to turn this one, sorry!)

 The flat decorations

 Ute Fans in NZ

 They get fed so much that this is what their fridge and pantry look like after not grocery shopping for 3 weeks!

O'i Aue

Peeps,

Prepare yourselves for a story of a lifetime:

Did I tell you that members complained to Brother Fu's (the ward mission leader) that I wasn't eating anything and it wasn't worth preparing a fafaga? The struggle!! So I have been trying to eat more... and not get fat at the same time... miracles happen right?

I kept telling Sister Taituuga: Soa I'm going to throw up!! And she would laugh as at me!!

Oh man... Friday there was an Aualofa (relief society) activity (side note: everyone goes to activities no matter who its for in Samoan wards) and it was a dance. We invited and got lots of investigators there!! So that was waaaay good!! We got permission to go, and the ward made us sit at the special table of honour with the bishopric and their wives. The YSA came and filled our plates with food! I will attach a picture. I tried to finish my plate and didn't' even come close, no one did. Soa, Moea'i and Ngungutau wicked laughed at me for how much I ate.  They didn't even try to eat very much! But I was worried about being rude!! I felt sick as!! Ya, woke up Saturday morning and threw up all the food. Fa'anoanoa!!! It was palusami too!!! My favorite!! So who knows when I'm going to be able to eat that again. I didn't eat anything for two days.. Sister Taituuga almost made me go to the hospital again. Sister Fu'e is awesome and brought me some medicine though!!! So that was waaaay good!!! 

That was my fun story for the week!! moral of the story: don't over eat! :D

Heavenly Father Loves you!!! 

I love you!!

Alofa tele atu,

Sista Peo

Photos:

My full plate from Aualofa

 The devil palusami i would throw up 10 hours later

Sis Taituuga squishing Sis Peo's head while she was sick

Sis Taituuga, Sis Fu'e (WML's wife) and Sis Peo

Aua le valua

Peeps,

Hows it rolling?

We've had a rocking week in the down under ;) TELE LESONA (many lessons)!!!!

We had 4 progressing investigators this week!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!! Our lesson with Taleleo Fruen fell through last week so we are going to try invite her to papatiso ma lotu (baptism and church) today. If all goes well and she seems keen we will set her for the 28th!!

Have I told you about the Panapa Aiga? they are a couple in their late 50's early 60's. Uileta (Juliet in Samoan) Panapa is a RM, but her husband is a strong Catholic. She is less active. Every time they go to our house they feed us a meal... whether it's meal time or not...

We taught *funny story for later* them a lesson yesterday. We left them lesson 1 pamphlet AND THEY READ IT!!! WOOOHOO!! So we taught lesson 1... it was sad. THE SPIRIT WAS SOOO STRONG!! But his heart was hard and wouldn't accept a copy of the book of mormon. We gave him the second pamphlet and he said he would read it before our next lesson. We are praying for him.

After that lesson they fed us.. ugg... A WHOLE FISH FOR  EACH OF US. The head and tail were chopped off but everything else was still there! There was a mug full of what I thought was milk, but actually was coconut cream and fish oil. You are supposed to take a bite of fish and then drink a little bit of the cream. I had no idea what I was doing BAHAHA!!!! I keep getting bones in my mouth... there are lots of little bones in fish! What the heck!! That was fun.

I am a bit of an alligator now (heh. Alley-Gator. Heh.). I can eat just about anything. I eat chicken, fish, you name it. I have eaten food that has definitely not been cooked enough and not gotten sick. Siste Taituuga has drinken (druken.. drink? drank? drunk? what?) milk that was in our car for 3 hours and was just fine. I think that must be one of the missionary superpowers: Alligator stomachs ;)

What other news? 

I AM COVERED IN BUMPS!!! We don't think we have fleas, their bites look different, but we are covered in itchy bumps. I can't stop scratching so mine are HUGE! Thus my title for the email (it means don't itch).

We referred the Solo Brothers to our elders, hopefully they will be able to teach them lessons since we can't really. There needs to be a women in the house for us to teach them, and their mom still doesn't want us to. So hopefully the elders will have more luck.

.... OH! funny story from earlier

In Samoan teach and learn are the same word: a'oa'o. You know the correct meaning based on context. When My soa wants to say " we taught a lesson to..." what she says "We learned a lesson to.." BAHAHA!!! It cracks me up!! She is so cute!!

UMA! I think that's it!! I love you all!!

Manuia le Vaiaso!!

Alofa atu!!

Sista Peo


Sistas Taituuga and Peo

Sista Taituuga, Auntie Rima (who came to church this week!!!) and Sista Peo

O ai lenei?

Friends, Family, Peeps in general,

Hows it going??

WE HAD A ROCKING WEEK!!! WHAT WHAT??!!!??

We had TONS of lessons and visited SO MANY less active people! We did service for Aunty Rima (less active, her husband is samoan and isn't a member) and for the Fu'e Aiga (aiga means family)(the Fu'e's are our ward mission leaders) But not many new investigators... sad face. We invited 10 people to a fireside on self reliance we had last night and not a single one came. They all bailed last minute. FA'ANOANOA!!!!!!!! (Sad). We are trying to figure out what happened. Our conclusion is that our investigators are too nice to us. They aren't really interested in the gospel, they just want to talk to us. *Sigh*. 

We got Aunty Rima to sacrament meeting yesterday though!! WOOHOO!! I also asked Taleleo Fruen if she would be baptized and she said yes!! Next lesson we will commit her to a day! We are worried about her though... we are worried that she is just being too nice to us... I will keep you updated about that!! JOE SOLO HAS BEEN READING THE BOOK OF MORMON!!!!! YESSSSSSSS!!!

The subject line is "O ai lenei?" which is "who was that?". Whenever we are walking by the road we always get honked at and waved to... But 9 times out of 10 we have no idea who the heck is in the car!! LOL!!! CAR!! THAT REMINDS ME!!!!!!! WE GOT A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...... Guess who's driving...YOURS TRULY!!!!! Sister Taituuga only has to remind me to stay on the left 10 times a day ;) JUST KIDDING!!!! I am a good driver!!

OH!! Transfers were on Thursday! Neither Me or Sister Tai got transferred! I am so happy!! But one of our Elder's (Po Asaua) got transferred. So now we have Elder Moea'i (still) and Nunutau (that's not spelled right. He's togan!!! IN THE SAMOAN PROGRAM!!! Whaaaat!! so because he's tongan there's a g in there somewhere.... eh)

Is there anything else...?

I'M FAT!!!!!! welll not yet... But at this rate i will be!! GUESS HOW MANY MEALS WE WERE FED THIS WEEK!!!! 9!!!! how many were we supposed to be fed? 5!!!! THAT'S ALMOST TWICE THE AMOUNT!!! I'M GOING TO DIE!!!! Sister Fue literally bought us each a triple cheeseburger combo AND a milkshake AND an icecream ONE HOUR BEFORE OUR FAFAGA ON WEDNESDAY!!!! I ABOUT EXPLODED!!!!! Not to mention the fact that because Sister Tai hates ice cream, I have to eat the other half of hers whenever a member gives it to us.... We've had ice cream three times this week... .___. AND KFC!! The KFC count for this week is 4. Have I mentioned that I'm going to die? LOL!!!

I LOVE MY MISSION!!! AND THE PEOPLE ARE AMAZING!!!!! AHHHH!! I AM SO BLESSED!!!

Manuia le Vaiaso!!! ( blessed week... that's a bad translation... eh)

Alofa tele Atu!!!!!

Sista Peo

Service with Rima!! (Rima and Tai)

 My sweet as tan!! ;) be jealous!!