(Hello! How are you?)
I'm so grateful to be here at the MTC right now! It's only been a couple days, but I have already learned so much!
My companion, Sister Medina, is from San Diego (her dad is one of the Bishop's in one of "the District" videos)! She graduated from BYU in December in Elementary Education. She is so sweet and we get along really well. Sister Bever (track runner from BYU...going to Tonga) and Sister Hosea (her family is Tongan...from Salt Lake...she's going to San Jose Tongan Speaking) share a room with us and they are so wonderful!! I know we're going to get super close and work really hard together to be the best missionaries we can and learn the language.
Our District has seven people--five Elders and my companion and I. Four of the five Elders just barely graduated High School. It's so crazy!
Our Zone consists of all the island languages--Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Tahitian (French), Marshallese (I don't know how to spell that..and the Elders that are speaking that are going to Iowa), and whatever they learn in Kiribati. I love our Zone. The Sisters are so nice (we have like half American and half native Islanders). Taking a shower here is so wonderful because all the Islanders sing while they shower and they have BEAUTIFUL voices!!
All the native Tongans here get SO excited when we tell them we're going to Tonga. I've learned so much from talking to them and they're so happy to teach my companion and I new words! One of the Sisters that ReyLynn teaches at the MTC (Sister Vakameilalo) found me at lunch (because ReyLynn had shown them a picture of me..haha) and she taught me some new words too!
Fakamolemole - sorry/please
Fakatomala' - repent
Nofo'a (N-oh-f-oh-'ah) - goodbye
Tamai Hevani - Heavenly Father
We also learned how to say a simple prayer. Tonight, we teach our first investigator, Fisi'inaua Vanilla (Cool name, huh?), so hopefully that goes well!
President Willis--our Branch/Zone President--is the most loving, caring man! We had our training last night with him and it was wonderful. Alma 13: 2-3 (replace the word Priests with Missionaries)
I'm so grateful to be here and to be with such incredible people. Also, I've seen quite a few people I know these past few days!: Elder Porter Willis, Elder Ben Mitchell, Elder Jacob Wadsworth, Elder Owen Bates, Elder Craig Larsen, Elder Ethan Duncan (he went to Fiji with me), Sister Paige Hamblin, and Sister Hannigan (from my Freshman ward).
Love you all so much!!!! (Ofa Lahi Atu!)
Sister Reid
