Black beetle in my shower!

3/15/15
Hey mom!! Yeah that stuff was pretty gnarley haha.  And i ate some mei right after but that did not even come close to drowning out the taste of that horrible witches brew haha. After eating that all i really wanted was a good ol slice of pizza... :( hahahaha!! But not much happened this week due to a ton of heavy rain and a putu which meant we couldnt really do any work for like 3 days... kinda sucks but gotta respect the family and the culture. The upside is i got to read my scriptures a ton and i love the scripture so much more the more that i read them!!! Being in the mission field puts an entire new perspective on the idea of reading about missionary work in the Book of Mormon.  The best example is the story of Ammon and King Lamoni.  I have learned that the best way to teach and even to learn is by easy and simple truths as nephi said he rejoiced in.  In the Book of Alma, Ammon teaches King Lamoni in such a simple, yet true way, that there is no denying its truthfulness because of its simplicity and truth.  It also helped that Ammon used words and concepts that King Lamoni would understand and could refer to for a more clear picture.  I just love that story of Ammon even more now!!!! 
I forgot to mention another bug experience that i had this week though haha! So this past week, i cant remember specifically on which day, i got up in the morning and i was moving like a zombie hung over (on the spirit of course haha). My comp was still asleep and i decided to hop in the shower before i did my morning program. So here in Tonga, we have to turn on a pump to get the water to flow through the pipes.  So i walked sluggishly dragged my weighted feet into the bathroom and i turned on the pump to let the water kind of work its way to the shower head haha.  So while thats happening i brushed my teeth and waited for like a min.  (Sing this next part to "popcorn popping on the apricot tree") I move the shower curtain and what do i see... a fat black beetle staring back at me!! haha! Ya know some people have a hard time waking up in the morning, like myself, and i think i found a very effective way to jump start you morning.  It has a horn looking thing, is black, has six legs, and a stare like death....yeah that'll getcha hahaha!! So i tried to just wash it down the drain but it was being such a punk! Its like it didnt want to be in the drain or something hahaha! Anyways finally it goes down and i hop in the shower thinkin alls good right?.....WRONG!!! As soon as i close the shower curtain i see something scurry over my foot and hop on to the wall next to me.  Now it could have been the friendly neighborhood spiderman...but probly not...i look over and a cockroach the size of door knob is just chillin on the wall...did i mention it scurried across my foot....ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! In the span of about a half of a second i tried to scream but remembered that my companion was still asleep so i tried to muffle it...didnt work out to well... it sound like this sheep video:http://www.wimp.com/screamingsheep/    Now that you have the sound, i screamed like a sheep and hoppped out the shower like i was running the hurdles in track haha!! So the next fifteen minutes of my morning were spent trying to build up the courage to even go back in to the bathroom and what i was going to do when i went back haha.  So i tried the drain idea again but guess what?  The thing was too darn big for the drain!!!! So plan B) squash the sucker!! muahahaha! jk, it was more like this guy/girl video: http://bestofvine.org/v/109134/ghetto-girls-reaction-to-seeing-dead-animal-oldvine   I cannot explain how many times i had to smack this thing to kill it or at least get it to stop moving its legs so much.  Because even after i hit it and it couldnt run anymore it still flailed its antennae around like it was at a led zepplin concert!!  Yeah...gross!!!!!!!!! So that was pretty much the best alarm clock i have ever experienced!!! Two enthusiastic thumbs up!!! haha jk!!!! Any that was my week.

Love you mom!! Always and forever!!!

Ofa Lahi Atu!!

Elder Tavake

Ofa Lahi Atu!!

Elder Tavake

Did Anyone Grab the Ice cream?

Hi mom! Long time no talk! haha sorry.  In kolonga, the internet was literally broken and i had no way of writing home... but a few things have happened in the past few weeks since i last spoke to you.  So I had my first real transfer where i moved areas. I moved much closer to the city in a village called Fanga.  It is so different compared to being in kolonga haha!  It made me realize that i really was in the bush when i got here to fanga haha! In kolonga there werent many people driving around or even walking around really.  But then over here there are always cars going places and people walking up and down the streets!  And there are tons of lights!! In kolonga we had one street light haha! But here in Fanga there are lights everywhere1 It was almost like being back in america haha. Anyways, my new comp is Elder Lolohea. He is from Glendale, UItah..go figure right?  He has been out for 9 months and he sounds really good when he speaks to the ward members. I sure hope mine will be as good as his in 7 months haha.  The work over here is going good we just need to keep pushing forward with faith and strive ever harder to be obedient.  I love my area though!! The kainga lotu (ward members) are super friendly and are helping a lot with my tongan.  My zones are also really cool and the first few days i was here they took me and my hoa (companion) out for ice cream!! That took me back haha!  Funny story though. So we went to the beach at like 8 and just chilled on the dock eating out dinner with the zones and we were just finishing our dinnner and about to tear into the ice cream when the zones got a call from their kainga lotu for a fai ngaue (priesthood blessing) so we all gathered up our food and packed it into the car.  As we were driving along, laughing and having a good time, i heard something hit the side of the car...i stopped the laughter and asked a horrifying question..."Did anyone grab the ice cream off the top of the car?" Elder Freer (one of the zones) was like "Thats not funny man. I know you have it." I responded that i didnt.  Once again Freer said "I know you have it." and added "I know you hav it man. Stop playing around." Thats when we all started busting out laughing and stopped the car.  We got out of the car and what do we see...?  Four sad missionaries... hahaha!! So we didnt actually get to eat ice cream that night haha. Sucks though huh? What a waste...well i am sure the dogs enjoyed it. And they better cuz if i get hungry anytime soon i am gonna tap one of the dogs on the head with a stick...gently of course...hahahahahaha!!! Well i dont have a ton of time but i just wanted to let you all know that i am doing good and i will most likely be in better contact k=now that i am in the city haha.  On another note, general conference was simply beautiful and exactly the reminder i needed to look at the goal ahead in this great and marvelous work!!!  I encourage any who are struggling in any way to listen to the talks that were given and pay attention to the feelings and thoughts you have as they speak, rather than trying to write down everything we hear.  I promise you will receive strength and wise counseling from our heavenly father as you hearken to the words of these inspired men and women!!

I love you mom!! Always and forever!!!!

Ofa Lahi Atu!!!

Elder Tavake

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

I

Ikuna Tavake

1st one is me and my new comp

I

Ikuna Tavake

This is grandpa vics old house in which he does not live... i missed him by that much haha. But i will keep looking.

M

Maile Tavake

YAY!!! So happy to hear from you!! It's only been a week since I last wrote but it's been a full week of work and play! All the kids were out of school for Spring break so I had them go to work with me for half a day and then w...

M

Maile Tavake

Awww.... wow :( Thanks for sharing. Love you!

I

Ikuna Tavake

to me
Apr 12

Details

Thats really funny!! hahaha i miss that guy! but thats even funnier that he had your number and the prank flipped backwards haha!! Well i love you mom and i love hearing from you and that you are doing ok. I pray for you all every day and i hope all is well.  Thanks for checking up ion me and writing even when i cant.  But it sounds like everyone is good. I am also happy for noa and amber because i personally think those to just need to stop procrastinating and get married already!! hahaha jk!! kinda.... haha. But i will talk to you next week! I love you mom!!!1 Always and forever!!!!

Boomshakalaka mount wannahakaloogie leafakapalangi!

3/8/15
Hey mom!! I love the pictures you sent!!  Man they make me quite homesick but ill be good haha! I will admit that it can be hard to lose yourself in the work.  Even though i am as excited as ever to serve the Lord in the mission field, we are actually very limited to what we can do.  For example, we cant tract or proselyte so we can only work with the members to find investigators or less actives.  I guess that its due to the idea that people dont like if you just come and knock and their door and say "Would you like to hear about Jesus Christ?". But i dont know. On top of that we are serving in one of the smallest villages. We are all the way out in the bush right next to Fatumu haha! So there are only about 15 or so houses to go to and after that we just study for the next hours of the day. And sometimes my mind just wonders and i end up thinking about home...not always fun but i sure do miss everyone...Dont worry though, i know why i am out here and i know that the Lord is helping me every step of the way.  Anyways how are you doing mom? How is work? Dad taking you on enough date nights? haha! If not, you should bring up Leatherbys or something haha! I hope you are doing ok and i pray for you all everyday.  This week for me was fun but uncomfortable, but hey thats the usual for the mission field right? So I had to give my first talk in church on Sunday and it was really funny.  So some background information is that everyone in the village knows me as the palangi kid who cant speak tongan haha.  So on Sunday our Bishop came up to us to tell us when we would be talking and then he looked at me and was like, "I assume you are going to be giving your talk in English?". Well he actually said it in Tongan so it more accurately sounded like "boomshakalaka mount one hakaloogie leafakapalangi?" hahaha! He was really shocked when i told him i would be giving my talk in Tongan.  So in sacrament i got and it was funny to see some peoples face because I dont think they think I practice my Tongan haha. I just read what i had written down and the gist of my talk was talking about enduring to the end.  After my comp and i had both spoken, we took our sits down in the congregation and listened.  Bishop got up after one other speaker and paused for a moment.  Then he expressed his words of appreciation towards me and my talk.  He said that I had reminded him of a palangi companion he had in his mission who was also learning to speak Tongan.  He said that he knew how hard his comp had worked so he appreciated my same effort for giving my talk in Tongan even though i was not very skilled.  I really appreciated this. It gave me this sense of comfort that even though i am not perfect the language is coming and it just takes time and effort and a lot of prayer and relying on the Lord.  There is one other experience I think you would like to hear. So this week i had a great opportunity to taste what the Tongans call Lomu.  I guess its a delicacy...If i had to describe what it looked like, it looked somthing like chopped up octopus legs mixed with troll snot and wet witch hair...so it looked delicious if i were golem from Lord of the Rings...haha.  At first i said i was ok and i really didnt want to try it because even the scent was making me sick.  But then i felt bad because this family had prepared a ton of food for us and they wanted me to try it and my companions were just egging it on...so...i ended up trying it...now let me explain what i really is.  Lomu is the chopped up intestines of a sea cucumber that is left in the ocean salt water and then eaten raw....ummmm...blah!!...Honestly i just wanted to blurt out "Why of all things on earth would you eat that!?" But i just sucked it up and prepared myself.  I took a good look at what could be the cause of my next trip to the hospital, and I just closed my eyes and hoped for the best...at first it didnt taste that bad,..then i could REALLY taste it!...I almost threw up!! I really just wanted to spit it out but i didnt want to be rude so i just kept myself composed and pretended like it was a normal mcdouble with cheese...yeah...then i tries to bite it...that could not have been a worse idea!! As I bit down, first it was squishy and i could taste the salt water coming out of the nasty tentacle thangs...the I got to the center...and it was hard as a bone...except it moved around!!  It moved from one side to another like when you are handling a bar of soap in the shower and cant quite catch it. Except it was in my mouth and it tasted like salt water mixed with death!!! Ewwwwwww!!!! Ahhhh!!!! After that i totally lost it. I just swallowed the sucker and then I covered my mouth and tried not to hurl...everyone started laughing and then the lady of the house was like "How is it?"...I just looked at her and in my head i was like "How does it look like it is!?" But i just quickly said "Ifo aupito"  Which means "It was very delicious"...yeah i know...i lied...hahaha, but hey it was funny because they all started dying with laughter!! But this week was a great week!! We are supposed to get 4 more contacts so we are hoping and praying for it.  Thats all for this week!