Family,
Wow, this week has definitely been a roller coaster and a week full of both tender mercies and experiences where I was truly able to feel the Lord's hand in my life. I know that he hears and cares about each one of our cries.
Well, it will all make sense when I start writing. I know you might hear some of this over e-mail before you get this letter, but I want you to hear the details.
So, I got a phone call from Elder Swan about two days ago and he asked me, "Harmon, are you so pumped or what?" I honestly didn't know what he was talking about . . . I responded with, "I honestly don't know what you are talking about." He then told me that his new companion is my current companion, Tu'itavuki and that he took my place as the District Leader here in Pangai. That left me totally confused. I was thinking to myself, "Where do I go???" Hahaha, he told me that he knew but wasn't permitted to tell me. So, he told me to wait for a call from the President's Assistants. So, about 10-20 minutes later I got a call that went like this. "Hey Harmon, have you talked to the President yet?" My response was, "no?" He then said, "Well, you need to take Elder Hafaka to the airport tomorrow at 8 o'clock and at 9 o'clock, you need to pick up Elder Bunting." I was so excited to hear my good friend's name! He then told me that Swan is coming in on our Tuesday and I need to pick him up also! I was excited out of my mind! Still, I did not have the answer to the question about what is happening to me? I asked and they said, "You will see!"
The next day, I picked up Bunting. It was amazing to see him again and to reunite! We all went to the church to wait for President Topou because he said that he was coming with food....so we all waited. He finally showed up. We ate and had some good conversations with him. I'ts amazing to feel kind of close now to my mission president because before I felt like there was such a distance between us. We were all outside. He and his wife were inside the church. So, I went inside to talk to him about our companionship exchange comping up with Freer and Berry. I started by asking how it was going to happen when the date of the zone meeting overlapped the companionship exchange. Then he says to me, "You don't do exchanges w/Ha'afeva. That would be a $2500 exchange.......hehehe!" I then told him that I was sorry for not knowing because his wife every month sends me the text messages for each group so I was just trying to do what the schedule said, haha. He then starts laughing . . .he even got a little sarcastic with me as he said to his wife, "Honey, that is like me and you and I taking a vilo hoa (companionship exchange) to Niua (farthest island away), haha." Then suddenly, he changes the subject. He said, "Oh, Harmon, I was supposed to call you . . . You are now the new Zone Leader with Elder Latai in Koulo.
I was stunned....and eventually said, "okay". Then he said, "and Latai is in Tonga waiting for a plane to come back (he had gone to the zone leader's meeting and there wasn't enough room for him on the plane). So, then he proceeded to tell me, "You will be conduting the Zone Meeting yourself." Again, I said, "okay". Haha, then he said one other thing, "Oh, Elder...the car is messy so you are going to want to wash it before you will be able to have the spirit in it . . . Haha, I responded with, "Well, that's one thing I got good at before the mission:)"
I have honestly never been so anxious/nervous for such responsibility. At the same time, I am also excited for teh opportunity because it is a chance to grow. Here in Tonga, we don't get called to positions because we are great missionaries, but rather, we get called so that we can learn to become a great missionary and to learn to lead with exactness and with love. I'm honored to have the opportunity and at the same time, so excited to work with so many that I love so dearly in the mission.
We now have five people here from my MTC intake. They are Berry, Freer, Bunting, Swan, Harmon. What a true blessing of the Lord. Can you believe the many blessings from the Lord. Coming into a Christmas holiday, I look at this opportunity as the greatest gift. Mom, I know you must feel some of the excitement!
Tonight the boat arrived from America. All of the Tongan stake presidents are here from Utah and one is my companion's (Tuitavuki) stake president! He just so happens to be Bubba Tausinga's (from my football team) uncle! He is really close to Bubba and said that Bubba finishes his mission in February. Such a tender mercy to see people that can connect with me!
On Monday, I was standing at the boat dock watching them unload the boat and waiting for a package for an elder in my district when I heard someone yelling my name, "Harmoni! Harmoni!" I finally realized that it was Exxxxxx Fxxxxxxx, my investigator from Sopu and her uncle (first counselor in the bishopric) Sxxx Fxxxxxx! It was like being at home to see them! I was so excited! I started freaking out, haha! They literally treated me like they had not seen me in years! They are still working w/Exxxxxx to join the church, but she still comes to church every week. It was hard to hear that they miss me back in Sopu. Made me a little homesick for my old area, but work is bound to be like that when you are a missionary.
Right after that, I heard someone else call my name. It was a man that I was close to in Vava'u. Maybe I mentioned his name before? Gxxx? He was a little hesitant to say anything to me because he didn't know if I could talk in Tongan yet, haha. When we started talking, he told me how bad I was at Tongan when I was in Noapapu. Haha, the comment did not hurt/bother me at all. I just realized the miracle it truly is to just be able to have what I have now and to be able to understand and respond to people that speak in another tongue. Truly incredible! Couldn't do this on my own, it is the Lord that has gotten me to where I am and He is the only reason I can even now understand.
Well, as you can see, tons of miracles have been seen here. But tomorrow, I only expect to see the hand of the Lord yet again touch the lives of so many as we begin to pass out the stuff that was shipped from America. We are going to be able to touch so many lives because of the sacrifices of the people in America who made this happen. I am excited to write about it to you next week!
Know I love you!
Know that this is God's work!
Know that I pray for you every day!
Your Brother/Son
Elder Blake Harmon
Our Family is Eternal
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