September 20, 2015

Haha hello, everyone! I guess I have some explaining to do. On our P-days, we wake up at 5am and fakamalosino (thank your body- exercise) to the church, where we email our parents before the sun comes up. then we use the computer as part of our study time, and we don't really typically leave until around noon. I figured you probably wouldnt've sent me an email yet, so I shot you a short one early, and I knew that sometime before we left you would remember! haha but yeah. I figure this is the standard time that we'll be able to write you. At least until my companion or I gets transferred.

WHICH might be happening very soon. The APs came to our district meeting this last week, and they kept on saying stuff like "you're getting a new companion soon" and "are you ready to train?" and dumb stuff like that. They were teasing but I'm actually pretty sure either sister Vaa'i or I will be leaving each other this next transfer. I'll miss her, she's been an amazing trainer to me, and she's so spunky. We have a lot of fun every day. Life is never boring around her! But anyways the next fehikitaki is in the first week of October, so I guess we'll see soon!

YES. I got the package! Literally five minutes after I finished emailing last monday the zone leaders came and gave us the package at the church. We were trying to walk quickly and hurry home and kind of trying to hide it because literally if someone asks you for it you have to give it to them. So I didn't even open it until I returned, but there were tons of people on the street that were like "OOH sister wunderlich! American candies, huh?" Because everyone knows that if ANYONE gets a package from america there's candy in it. Technically when they ask that I'm supposed to offer them the package, but I play the palangi card (meaning the "she doesn't understand your culture" card)  and my companion and i booked it home.(yeah, I'm selfish.) But I loved it! Packages are literally the best thing ever! My companion and I loved the m&ms and I've already begun to give out coloring pages to kids when we teach their moms and dads, and even when we just pass them on the street! I'll have to be careful though, because sometimes kids just hang around me and ask me for stuff until I give it to them. 

When you receive stuff as gifts from people, you have to hide it in whatever sort of bag you have. Especially if it's food, because you're obligated to offer some to other people. So when we go to dinner and stuff and they give us food to take home for the next day, we must hide it or else we won't have any food for the next day! The most recent experience with this is when I shoved a whole cake in my bag from a birthday party. That's an experience for the journal. 

Also. LUKE! HAPPY BIRHTDAY! I was just thinking the other day, about how weird it will be because when I come home, Luke will be eighteen. That is SO weird. SO SO SO weird. but also cool. but mostly weird. Just a little dissapointed about the dance thing, but it's ok, as long as he asks someone! He's just got to ask someone out! he's a cutie.

Well I love you muchly, and I'm glad that everyone is doing well! I'll pray for grandma and grandpa. Let them know that I love them, alright? And if you see Clytie wish her HAPPY BIRTHDAY because it's her birthday this week, too! WOO! 

September 6, 2015

It's beginning to get unbelievably hot. You just walk around and you're just sticky all day! At night we don't sleep with blankets on, anymore. Too hot! Suddenly we're thankful for cold showers. 

Here's something new you've never heard before.... 

I've been poked in the eye by a devil.

Haha, not really, but there is a thing around here the tongans call "puke tevolo" (not pronounced how it looks) which is when unkind spirits that have passed on Haunt the living by slapping them, hitting them, and posessing their bodies. This is a very real belief in Tonga. When somebody is supposed to be "puke tevolo" Everybody has to hold you down and put special leaves on your face until the devil leaves you. Most every tongan I've met believes in "puke tevolo" and ironically the only ones who don't are doctors. Just one more awesome quirk I love about the tongan people!

Anyways, one of my eyes has become really red and irritated, probably because of the sun and the large amounts of wind we walk in everyday, plus dirt, dust, etc. But the members I visit tell me that an unkind spirit came up to me and poked me in the eye! In Tongan this is called "mata kovi" Which basically means "Unattractive face." Yikes. I have some eye drops from the mission nurse and if it doesn't go away soon we'll go to the doctor!

Slowly, I think the language is finally coming. My biggest challenge is understanding people when they speak, But I know that will get better, too! I still speak in very simple, VERY simple sentences, but we're told that we must preach the gospel in a simple way, so that even a child can understand it. 

This week is PACKED with meetings. We have mission leadership council (6hrs) Mission conference (6hrs) and a district meeting with the APs and the Mission President! (2hrs) We will barely get to spend any time in our own area, but this week will be filled with a lot of learning. I hope that we learn a lot, so we can improve a lot!

I love you all so much, and I love hearing from you all every week! Please, help the missionaries!

In your ward, in your stake, wherever, but make sure you help them out! Feed, them, and ESPECIALLY find people for them to teach! They cannot do this without you. They need your help!

Ofa atu,

Sister Wunderlich.

 Eating at a members house.  So. Much. Food.

 A coconut bowl full of heu heu.

August 30,2015

Hello Everyone! I'm sorry there isn't a specific time that I get on each week, P-days are always up in the air, because of weather and time it takes to walk here, and we have to get the key from the stake president for the office and so forth. Sorry!

I was so happy to see those pictures of the boys on their first day of school! Luke, You look flipping handsome. You'd better go on a lot of dates!

Tate looks as innocent as ever, (even younger than Cohen? Don't tell him that) And Cohen looks cool as usual.

I felt a surprising sadness when you told me you sold the bug. That thing was a pain in the butt, but it was my pain in the butt. That little car and I had a lot of memories together. Hot summers, cool nights, colorguard practices, trips to clytie's, dang. May or may not have cried a little bit.

I'm simultaneously surprised and disgusted by how long I've been here. I can't believe it's been four months, it feels like it goes by so very fast, but I also feel like I've already spent eternity here. Misiona Tonga is pretty chill. ... Uh, we currently have no progressing investigators. Duh duh duh dah! We have TONS of people who are members of this church here, but less active. The majority work done in this area is reactivation. So very many members here have joined the church, just to fall away. The majority of these members have gone through the temple, too! Our numbers to our mission president are really bad, as far as non member investigators. We do have some investigators, but currently they are not progressing, because they do not yet keep the commitments we give them.

Something I've learned about Tongans. They will always say yes. They will always say what they think will please you, and not what they really feel. So, when we ask people to do things, they always say yes. When we ask them If they've had certain experiences, (ex. feeling the holy ghost) they always say they have. They will tell you a time to come to their house for a visit, and then run when we come. It's hard to trust them! People even lie to us when we ask what their names are! Sometimes it's frustrating. (A lot?) But I trust that the people who really want to hear the truth, who really want to accept it, will be led to us in time, if we keep looking.

Mission Tour is coming up, and the member of the seventy in charge of the south pacific will be there. I'll have to get ready! Meetings with our mission president and general authorities are always REALLY intense. Like, make you want to puke intense. There's just a lot of pressure. But there is also a lot learned! I will have to be ready!

OK! time to go! I love all of you, and I'm so grateful for all your support.

CLYTIE ROBINETTE good luck with school! It'll be ok, don't worry! Much more next week.

So sorry there isn't a personal email for you this week.

All of you are in my prayers, and I wish you the best of weeks this week! Good luck in all your endeavors, everyone!

With more love than you can even handle,

Sister Wunderlich

"PALANGI, E?"

August 23, 2015

Hello Family! just checking up! How is everyone! Are we all ok? Good? Is school underway! GOOD LUCK! MWAH!

Turns out, neither me nor my companion got transferred. We'll stay in Navutoka for the next six weeks. 

I'm sorry I don't have much time. I love you all so much, words can't even express. I sent a rather long letter to tina this week. 

I hope all is well!

Sister Wunderlich

P.S. A rather prominent game in our day to day life is a game me and my companion call "Self Torture"  It's when we come up with all sorts of yummy food from home in our heads, and torture ourselves with the memory of familiar food. It makes us laugh so hard, even if it makes us hungry! 

Today's Self torture  is a hamburger (from the grill at home) and some fries. Goodness! I'm going to fafanga now, where I will eat corned beef and crackers. I'll pretend!

August 16, 2015

Malo E Lelei, Hoku famili!

I've been getting a lot of emails asking about living conditions here, and culture. So, here you go! I hope this answers a lot of questions.

Laundry: If you're lucky, you have an open-top washing machine. You fill this up only once, for all of your clothes, to save on water. Then you rinse all of the clothes with clean, un-soapy water, and hang them on the line. If you're like us, you grab a five gallon bucket, and fill it with water and some laundry soap. Then you take a big long plastic pipe, and just push the pipe up and down in the bucket to wash your clothes. You rinse your clothes with clean water, and hang them on the line. 

Then you hope it doesn't rain!

Kids: Kids run around free a lot here, no parents with them. Tonga is pretty safe as far as kidnapping goes, so you'll just see five and three year-olds just toddling down the street in their diapers! This is actually a great way to find people to teach, through kids. And, you can tell a lot about people by the way they treat children. The children are my absolute favorite.

Food: We are only fed by the members. We rely on them everyday to be able to eat, because we are not allowed to cook food! When they make food, they make a LOT. Tongan food is VERY different from American food, but I think I'm finally getting used to it. As part of tradition, you sit on a mat, indian style, when you eat. Guests eat first, (so, the missionaries,) and the family doesn't eat with you. They will often talk to us about the work, but sometimes they just sit there silently.

Main dishes include Ufi, and Moa (chicken), but recently I've had Topai (Look it up, SO yummy), And ota ika (raw fish with onions and peppers) and feka (octopus) I'm actually still working up the guts to eat that last one. Wimpy? Probably.

My training is one week from being finished. Ah! Should I know more of the language by now? I don't know. Our mission president told my companion she might be moving to eoa! (another island in Tonga) There haven't been sisters in Eoa for a very long time, So I'm very excited for her! Plus, her family is originally from Eoa. So she'll get to meet them! 

Alright, sorry this email wasn't very spectacular. So little time, so much to say! I love all of you, and my heart sings to you all from this beautiful tiny corner of the world.

Ofa atu!

Sister Wunderlich

August 9 2015

Dad. I'm ashamed to tell you I screamed out loud when you told me about comicon. Actually, I didn't read ahead, and I truly pondered on the 3 big Chris possibilities, (out loud) and then told my companion Captain America was coming to comicon and she just turned her head at me, and then turned back. 

Even in Tonga, I'm still a dork.

Which brings me to my next point, Mom, I absolutely love the pillowcase you made me! I love the fabric and I know none of the sisters will want to take it from me, because the nerd part of me is totally unique here! Also, It smells really reeeeaaalllly clean. The kind of clean I haven't smelled in two and 1/2 months. I contemplated not even using it so it would stay smelling so good, but then I put it on my pillow and was happy through the night.

Dad, actually the Tongan singing here is worse than it was in Utah! Or maybe I'm just biased. They don't sing with a piano, they just have a chorister that stands up and starts. All of the Tongans harmonize, but some of them really aren't so good! And I don't know why, but all of the hymns they sing, they sing suuuuuuper slllloooooowww. It's literally a death march. I'm sure I'll miss it when I leave, but even up beat songs like called to serve are like "cccccaaaaaalllleeed. Tooooooooo Seeeeeeerrrvve hiiiiiiiiiim" (in tongan, of course.) But, singing is singing! You can kind of just sing whatever in whatever hymn you want, because there's so many different parts you can't tell the difference! 

New foods I've eaten: Just today I had Lesi mo Niu. (papaya with coconut on it.) it's pretty good! A couple weeks ago I had something called Tapanima, which I have never seen before, and I don't know what the fruit is called in English. It's got five points like a star, but it's at the ends like a football. If I have it again I'll take a photo. We actually ate it unripe, but it was super good! I could eat that all day. I've also had something called ota ika, which is ligit just chopped onions, peppers, and straight raw fish. And you know what? It was ok. The tastiest thing I've had here I just got to eat yesterday. It's called Topai. It is SO GOOD. It's really just flour, sugar, and coconut, but man oh man is it tasty.People don't like to make it for us, because it's considered "poor people food" by everyone. Look it up on google, and make it. I know it's on there somewhere.

The best food I've had here is poor people food. The simplest cooked dishes tend to be the tastiest. Of course, there's actually a lot of times the food is not good at all, but you just hold your breath and eat it anyways. And, ketchup helps. I eat everything with ketchup. I feel like a maniac, but seriously, if you don't like the taste of something, drown it in ketchup.

I hope I will get used to the bug bights soon. They tell me that after a few months in Tonga, the mosquito bights stop itching. I use bug spray (on my face and neck, I'm trying to conserve) but my feet and legs are always covered with pink bumps. but when I put aloe on them they stop itching. I didn't even know you could do that but I read the bottle and it says it's for bug bights, too. 

Two more weeks and my training will be over! (uh oh, I feel like my Tongan isn't any better?) And then we'll see how much longer I stay in Navutoka. This is my Trainer's second area. She was in her first area for nine months! 

Anyways, It's time to go. I love you all so much and I wish I could hug you! *virtual email hug* I'll send some photos of my goings-about. Love you!

Sister Wunderlich