Post Christmas, Pre New Years Email

Elder Matua, Elder Gaga and cousin Valu Sauvao

As you all know me and Elder Gaga got to spend Christmas Day with my Aunt Dahlia, Uncle Tavi and their family, and I think I gained six pounds. No, literally I have gained about six pounds!!!  Not Good, Dad says I need to watch it or I'll gain seventy pounds in no time...ha ha. Anyway, on Thursday we met a lady who was going to be baptized but her sister passed away and so she put it off. We told her that her sister is still alive in spirit and re-committed her to baptism and she said YES, but we had to refer her to the English Elders to have them teach the lessons. She's a Maori (native New Zealander). I hope we can get an invite to her baptism, but I'm glad we got to meet her. Oh, and I get to baptize Sister Pe'a and Sister Brown's commit this Wednesday, I'm really excited for that.
So I met another of Dad's cousins here in New Zealand at church on Sunday. He (Valu Sauvao) read my name tag and asked who my father was, I told him Eddie and then he embraced me and explained how we are related. His dad and and my dad's mom are cousins (Uta'i side). His brother-in-law is Bishop I'aulualo of the Tamaki 1st (samoan) Ward that we cover. We were invited over to Bishop's house and we had tons of food and koko Samoa and Valu told me some stories of when he stayed with my dad's family in Samoa.

Talking stories

I also met one of dad's school-mates, Tariu Sa'u. I'm sure there will be more people that I meet that my dad and his siblings grew up with and went to school with in Samoa. It's so cool!!!! I feel very blessed. Hoping for more miracles....I have faith that things will turn around for us. Elder Gaga is a great trainer and I'm so glad to be with him and to feel his spirit and love for the work. My dad talked to him in Samoan when I called on Christmas Day, he was surprised and very humbled.
Well, Have a Happy New Years everyone and pray for miracles to happen in your missionary efforts and send some prayers my way too...LOVE YOU ALL!!