Study with a pen in your hand

Hi!

I have had a great week.  The Holy Ghost gave me another piece of my puzzle. But i'm not ready to share yet.  But I love how he gives me a little piece at a time.  its awesome.

I gained a testimony of writing as a tool to communicate with the holy ghost while doing the 12 steps, and I started a new way of studying the book of mormon in October, (https://mormonlifehacker.com/the-scripture-study-habit-that-changed-my-life-part-1-the-method/)  but it has evolved since I got here. I have known the power of journalling and writing for some time.  It is a very therapeutic activity.  and then when I did the 12 steps the importance of journalling was again highlighted.  not in the kind of what-did-you-do-today journalling, but in the writing-what-is-in-your-heart kind.  

From the 12 steps: 
Writing is a powerful tool... it will give you time to reflect, it will help you focus your thinking, it will help you see and understand the issues, thoughts, and behaviours [in your life].   ...As you write your thoughts you will receive additional impressions from the spirit. Study prayerfully and the Lord will give you answers to your questions and needs.

Since coming on my missing I have started writing more.   Now whenever Im studying the book of mormon or preach my gospel, i have a pen and paper and write something.  anything.  and as I write about what I think and feel, the holy ghost testifies of truth and leads me to the next level.  Sometimes it is about the scripture i am reading, but sometimes the spirit takes me on a tangent to something else i need to know.

And it was Caylah's idea to write things that come to me while i pray and that has been amazing! 

I wanted to share this discovery with you in case one of you is looking for what to do next.  how to take the next step forward.  I tell you, this has been a huge leap forward for me.  

Who wants to try it?  I'd love to know how it goes!

It has been cold this week.  One day i actually had to close the louvre windows and put on a cardigan!  And the high for the day was only 23.  I am not teasing you winter people.  Im fascinated by how relative the temperature is.  even though the weather has cooled a lot they still pump the Aircon to freezing.  I think i will use my cardigan more than i thought!  but it wasn't cold enough to stop us going snorkelling again!  I saw a whole family of clown fish this time.  and it seems they are quite protective.  I wanted to touch the anemone, but whenever I reached out the biggest clown came swimming towards me.  I have not seen any other fish even acknowledging our presence.  turns out they are quite territorial, or perhap protective.  maybe that is why they chose a clownfish to be Nemo!

I met Kolipoki (Elder Groberg, from The Other Side of Heaven) who is here for the filming of the sequel to the movie.  We were lucky to be invited to a meeting with him and all the missionaries on Tongatapu.  He spoke Tongan still very comfortably and had the young missionaries (who could understand him...) laughing a lot!  His english part wasn't nearly as funny!


Our mission tour is coming up this month too and we get a visit by (drum roll please) Elder Ardern.  I shouldn't be disappointed... but you know, I already know him!  hahaha.  For those who don't know mission tours happen quite often, maybe annually?.  I'm not really sure how often.  I'm not really sure about much - just that a general authority comes and i think they speak to all the missionaries.  hmm i better find out more about this!  I am looking forward to it, but before the mission tour i have a trip...

I have a trip coming up to Vava'u, the northernmost Island, kind of.  Tongatapu is where I am.  there is quite a large island right next to Tongatapu called 'Eua, and then further north is Ha'apai, and then further north still (with the red pointer) is Vava'u.  We (Family Services) are going there at the end of the month (by plane) for 4 days.  Exciting!
But there is talk of a trip to 'the Niuas'  which i am told is a 16 hour boat trip each way.  to be honest it seems further than 16 hours looking at the map!!  A whole lot of people from the mission and the service centre, I think, will be going.  It is here at the red spot.  See how it is closer to Samoa than Tonga!!!  if you cant tell very well, go to google maps yourself and type in niuas (even though its real name is niuatoputapu)

They are finding out info about cost and details and we are invited to go if we want.  Someone asked me if I was considering it.  I said "do you know me at all???"    Of course I want to go! but the whole 'what will i eat for 4 days away from home?', scares me a bit.  Watch this space!


Interesting Tonga facts:
  • Kape (Ga-pay)  is a large vegetable and all of this week there were big stacks of it in the carpark at our office.  And then men came to peel it.  it is to be stored in the refrigerated container to feed the people later. Here is the conversation I had with my tongan co-workers:
  • "Whats it like?"
  • "its white, but it turns kind of grey when its cooked"
  • "what does it taste like?"
  • "You know... like the other vegetables, but.... um... its like... How do you say that in english?"
  • (Speak to each other in Tongan)
  • "It makes your tongue... itchy.  Yeah thats probably the best way to say it"
  • "The old people like it but the young ones don't" (really?  Thats a surprise!)

 
 


  • the word for Wednesday is pulelulu.  how cute is that?  the other days are almost english, Monite, Tusite, Pulelulu... hahahaha
  • someone said they wanted a Cone of ice cream.  It was just so wrong.  the english language is crazy.
  • side note, did you notice the Tshirt as headgear thing in the photos.  this is surprisingly common - and not usually tied like these ones are.  So many people just have a tshirt draped over their head.  Any time of the day, not just in the hottest part.  mostly men but I have seen women too.  I am pretty sure it is to keep the sun off.  Tongans hate being in the sun.  It makes them black and they don't like that.  A lot of people use umbrellas to protect them from the sun.  or just a tshirt...
  • ingenuity !!! trimming the tree
 Sunrise!


That's all from me this week. 
Love to all
Sis D

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