HEY YALL!!

Well again this past week just flew by!! Which is unusual because not to much went on.. Tuesday Morning we had district meeting! We got to view the new Easter initiative that the Church has released, a great video about Jesus Christ helives.mormon.org. Watch it if you haven't already! 

We had a discussion about the book of mormon and I kinda stole some of Elder Kanenwisher's ideas for the meeting;) (Thanks Beau) We talked about how important the Book of Mormon is, and some great Testimonies of it were shared! 

Wednesday to thursday we had an exchange with the some elders in our district! Elder Rodriguez and I were in our area. We taught our friend Garrett! Hes progressing slowly but surely. He came to church on sunday after telling us he was going to come the past 2 weeks and not showing up! So we were super pumped about that! Unlike our other Homie Sadrac who cant stop talking, Garrett is a shy Guy so he didnt really say much during the meetings. Fast and Testimony Meeting was Awesome! I love it when our Investigators are there to here Members Bare their Testimonies about the Gospel! After sacrament meeting i asked Garrett how he felt about the meeting and he said "Im Kinda Hungry...Y'all Got Food After?" Haha I took that as he hadn't been Spiritually fed yet so i pushed him into Gospel Principles class! We then Had a Combined Priesthood & Relief Society Meeting for third hour and a Brother from the Short hills ward who comes every sunday to help out with he young men Named: Chester Elton, gave the lesson. Dad will Probably recognize his name because hes #11 on the list of 30 top Leadership Gurus from 2014. Brother Elton Gave a Lesson on: How living the Gospel can help us succeed. it was a Great lesson that i could feel really motivated our Branch to continue to work hard to Succeed in the Lords Worl! Really motivated me to work even harder as well. 

Well thats pretty much it for this week! 

Love You All!! Thank You for all that you do!!

-Elder Fotu     

MISSION

Hi Everyone!! Real quick update on this past week!

Started off the week with another great District meeting!! I had a Brother from our Branch (Brother David Sims) Come and share his conversion story with the District! Its was awesome! Our focus that meeting was on " the Role of the Spirit in Conversion". Elder Laceste and i have been really trying to focus on having the spirit more strong in our lessons. And Ive been really studying the section " How do recognize and understand the spirit" in Preach My Gospel.

Sadrac is still hanging in there! We met with him twice this past week, and one of the 2 times we met at our senior couples house for dinner and he told us he wanted to be baptized in a private setting with not a lot of people there... kinda random haha but then Elder Vause said "well we can fill up the bathtub real wick if you wanna do it now?" hahaha Super funny! But next week is our Unit Conference and the sunday and saturday after that is General Conference so i told him after that theirs a chance a could get transferred so he better hurry up!! 

Garrett was supposed to come to church yesterday but the ride we set up for him said he said he wasnt going to church so.. we havent met with him talk about it yet but other than that and smoking (2 pretty big things) hes progressing good! Reading and Praying.

We are really trying to focus on our Branch mission leader Brother Martinez and his wife! They are our favorite!! We call them Mom and Dad. They have us over every monday night for dinner and FHE! But... Sister Martinez is not a member.. She knows our church is true and loves it but she is really involved in her own church. Shes been taught by the missionaries for a long time but lately we have been focusing on the Temple and Eternal Marriage, and Brother Martinez tells us that she really likes the Idea so we excited for her! 

Well these are pretty much the main people in our teaching pool but we are always working hard on Expanding! I have faith that that your Fast and Prayers truly Help these people and the work. 

Thank you all so much for the support!

Until Next Week! Lots Of Love!!

-Elder Fotu 

Missionary Service Is The Best Service

Another week in Jersey!

Had zone meeting on Tuesday, our new zone leaders are elders Wilcox & Fairbanks! 

Elder Wilcox is an ex-assistant to the President and he was the one who interviewed me when i came into the mission! So we're Homies:) 

We talked about Getting back to the basics and always having the end in mind. we also did a workshop on keeping the area book (which im horrible at) so i really needed it! Twas a Great Meeting!

Wednesday a Mission-wide Specialized training was held. Elder Stroud (a senior missionary and a deep doctrine maniac) gave a training on Baptism, by water and by fire. It was AMAZING! Ill attache the pdf so you can read it. Truly helped me see where i am at as fare as teaching and being converted!

Thursday we met with one of our new investigators named Garrett! I actually met and taught him awhile ago and we just got back in contact with him! We have met with him everyday now since Thursday! He has a past of drugs and alcohol but he wants to change for the better. Hes been going to a program to help him cope with his past drug life. but other than that he doesn't have much else to do so he loves having us over! The best thing about meeting with him are his prayers though! He is so sincere and after he prays he always says "I feel good". We always remind him that hes feeling the spirit. Its always a touching experience seeing people recognize the spirit for the first time! The only thing that kinda holds him back is that he smokes and he doesnt want to quit.. H says he smokes to "relief stress". So please Pray for him that he will realize how bad it is for him.   

We are still working on Sadrac.. President Taggart invited him to came to Specialized Training. He came but didn't have to much interest in it even though it was all about baptism. But after the meeting President Talked to him and asked him why he didnt get baptized and he said "well i got cold feet.." and president replied " well why did you get cold feet?" and Sadrac being the Really outgoing never gets embarrassed guy he is had nothing to say so he did like a little nervous dance right in front of President Taggart! hahah super funny but i could tell it got rid of his foot situation. President then said "You know what your supposed to do and why your doing it, so just do it!" Bold statement but you could tell it was out of love for Sadrac. Were trying not to push him to much but i told him he only has about three more weeks before the end of the transfer which means i might go and he really wants me to baptism him, so i told him he better hurry up!

Well thats about it for this week.. Thank you all so much for your Prayers and Letters!!

Love You All!!

-Elder Fotu 

Rise to the Occasion

What up Y'all!? So this past week had its ups and downs.. But im only gonna talk about the ups!

Had a pretty good first District Meeting on Tuesday to start off the week.

Our District name is District OFA (Love in Tongan).

In the meeting started by talking about our studies and had the missionaries share some principles that they had studied and had questions about. Then as a district we discussed and answered their questions.     

I had had Elder Vause (senior missionary in our area) Give an Awesome training on Diligence!

He really brought in the spirit to help me with the training that i gave on Love. Love For our Selves, Others, and God. Then Tied it into our success as missionaries. Talked about how our success is truly measured by how much we Love God.

Yesterday we had an amazing service at church. Elder Laceste gave a great talk on missionary work. Then i got the opportunity to teach Gospel Principles class! I love teaching this class because its got all the recent converts/Investigators in it and there always so exited to learn. The lesson was on The Life Of Jesus Christ. In between talking i would play one of the short Bible videos produced by the church (which i love to watch so i was pumped to teach this lesson). Spiritual and super funny because a lot of the recent converts come from a baptist background and every time they hear something in sacrament they like, they'll say "Amen" Or "Hallelujah"! hahaha and so during the class Sister Boon (Big Black Lady) Every time she would hear Jesus talking she would quote the scripture and then say "MMMHHMM AMEN!" Then to make it even better Sister Funmi who's from Nigeria and used to be Pentecostal started speaking in "Tongues"! hahahaha I could not stop laughing! I looked over at the other missionaries and they were just busting up! I had no idea what to do after that.. So I just bore my testimony to try and end on a spiritual note.

Anyways The Work Continues to Move Forward hear in Jersey! In District Leader Council we talked about Being The Example as leaders. A lot of missionaries even myself Rationalize by saying "I can break this rule because Elder so and so breaks it and hes a District or Zone leader". So Being the Example of Hard Work and Exact Obedience is one of our Leadership focuses this month! (which should be all the time I know..)

Well Thank you all for your Prayers and emails! They really do mean a lot to me!

Love You All!

-Elder Fotu

HOORAH FOR ISREAL!!!!                  

       

Staying!!

Im Staying in East Orange/Newark!!!! WOOOOOHOOOO!! I knew i would anyways but im just excited to be the only missionary in the zone to be here for 5 transfers!! Im Grateful for yet another opportunity God has given me to work to strengthen this area!! President Taggart Sent me this in his latest weekly letter.

President Taggart

There are so many blessings that come from being here and sharing in all the experiences that we do. Our lives and the lives of all who we touch will forever be different as a result of your service. 

Change one life and you change the world. We begin with ourselves.

I am so grateful for all you are doing.
Way to go.

Love you.

PT

I PUMPED for this new transfer! 

This past week was kinda slow.. didnt meet all of our goals.. but just like all of the other weeks theres a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is Church! Its was fast and testimony meeting and the branch members shared there amazing testimonies, they brought a strong spirit into the room! Two Brothers from Africa Stood up and shared there conversion stories and stories about there missions. Its amazing to hear about modern day pioneers and how much they go through for what they believe!

I got to give a Training in Elders Quorum on "The Invite" an Intuitive from President Taggart to help Members Bring In-active Members of the church Back. It was awesome to see the Brethren of the Branch in groups doing role-plays and hearing them Extend the Invitation to come Back to church. The Spirit was Thriving!

I know that a lot of our success here is result of your many prayers! Thank you so much! Love you all!! Until next week!

-Elder Fotu