E-mail from Blake on Halloween 10/31/2013

We were having Chili over at the Fleming home tonight when all of the sudden we get an e-mail from Blake.  He is in Neiafu for a zone conference and had a few minutes to e-mail us.  Here are some excerpts from his update.  He sounds really good!
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After getting to finish emailing you last time, I was able to have my first interview with my Mission President! It was very good I was able to express my goals and share my love about the people. He was very loving and comforted me with a lot of insight and things I needed to hear. We were able to have a zone conference and able to talk about chapter six in Preach My Gospel which is about Christlike attributes!!! It was amazing and I felt the spirit so strong. That night we went back to Nuapapu (our little island).  It is a good 40 minutes from Vava'u and the boat travels at a good 50mph..... so its a little bit out there!

When we arrived on our island, we got to meet a few new people that had been in Tonga Tapu (the main island Tonga where I originally arrived).  They found out we didn't have light in our home, so they provided us with one of their solar panel lights!!!!  The next day, they came and fixed our roof so no longer does the water seep through our roof!!!!

The first week being back in Nuapapu was busy!  We had told the members and our bishop that if we didn't start finding people to teach, the Mission President was going to move us!!! SO the members started sending us people like crazy! Hahaha! We are teaching one of the girls consistently now -- hoping she will start to have enough faith not to worry about what others think, but trust in her testimony and start coming to church and making covenants.

We are also teaching 2 investigators that are 18 and 19 years old, they seem intrested and I have felt the spirit so strong when teaching them!!!! I hope that they will keep progressing!!!!

I have a lady in the ward ( branch ) that made me a bag out of leafs, it is so beautiful!  It has my name in it and everything!!! It is awesome to have so many looking after the missionaries!!!

Also I finished the Book of Mormon on Nuapapu on 10-26-13!
The Book of Mormon is True! I love this gospel, and I love the people of Nuapapu!!!! So many little things have happened I just dont have time to mention them all! But we go to lots of little feasts and eat a lot hahaha its pretty great hahaha.

Oh, we also had our primary program the other day! It was beautiful!  The kid's testimonies are so so strong and their voices stand strong and bright for others to see! I know I am here for a reason!!!!
I love you all and would love to hear from all of you~!!!!!!

Hand Written Letter (Dated 10/28/2013) [#6 from Tonga]

Hey Family!

Wow, where do I even start!  This week has been amazing for me!  I have officially finished the Book of Mormon!  Dad and I were joking about it on email, but who can say that they have finished the Book of Mormon for the first time on a tiny island!  But what an honestly amazing experience, and now for myself my testimony is so much stronger and now with every piece of my heart, I can tell people the Book of Mormon is the true word of God and that it is another testimony that Christ lives!

Also, I love my members in Nuapapu.  I have come so close to the kids and to our bishop's family!  We had the primary program in our ward this week & it was so incredible!  The kids sang all of their songs in English!  (loved that)  Their testimonies are so strong and the have sch a desire to do good!

We taught a lesson every day this week, only two of them to investigators but the others were to girls that have been baptized, but have never been to church.  I have been able to start each lesson, but my Tongan is not very good, but I think the teaching is helping me learn it better.

A lady for the past 6 weeks has been making me a bag for my scriptures and stuff, and she finished this week.  You would be so impressed, its made out of leaves & stuff and it is beautiful.  She has kind of turned into me and my companions grandma!  She is always taking care of us!

I haven't really eaten anything too crazy since I last wrote.  I had pig on a stick again, lots of raw fish, lots of top ram-an.

My companion and I are still getting along well so things are good here on Nuapapu!  The work is picking up!  We are also teaching a temple preparation class.  It is cool that there are members getting ready to go get sealed to their spouses in the temple!

Everything is good.  I don't know if anyone is going to come visit us in between the next 5 weeks, but hopefully they do so these last 2 letters can be sent off!  If not, you will hear from me first on email!

Mom and Dad, I just want to thank you for the person that you raised me to be.  I would like to thank you for the examples that you have always been.  All I want to be when I come home is someone that honors his priesthood like my dad had done.  And also been the example my whole life on how a man should be & for showing me what a true man of God is.  I want to marry someone that has mom's love and cares for people the way that my mom does.  I don't think that you completely understand the impact you have had on me!  So I want you to know that you have not raised a quitter & you have not raised a failure.  You ahve raised someone that never quits, and when he feels like quitting, he turns to the his Savior & he never fails because he has the Savior on his side.  Mom, Dad thank you for raising me in this gospel.  Thank you for your love for Heavenly Father and for His son Jesus Christ.  I love you to pieces!  You are my heros!

I love you family!

Hand Written Letter (Dated 10/21/2013) [#5 from Tonga]

Today we really had a tender mercy.  It has been several weeks since we received a letter from Blake. Shannon was really feeling the need to get a letter.  She went to the mailbox, and did not find one letter, but rather found FOUR letters.  Blake is writing faithfully every week, but nobody picks up his letters except once a month from the island.

So, I am going to post his letters in the next four blog posts.  I always edit the letters a little bit to remove names, etc, but you can get a good idea with how he is really growing with this experience.

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Letter Dated 10/21/2013

Hey Family!

So let me tell you a few things that have been going on  and things that have happened.

Right after I got done emailing you last Monday about not really knowing my purpose here in Tonga, I ran into one of the Elders that I knew in the MTC.  He is struggling with being obedient and he is losing sight of his purpose.  So after talking to him for a while, I decided to talk to him about it.  It was hard for me to be so blunt and straight forward with one of my best friends, but I know it was not me who wanted him to hear these things, but his Heavenly Father.  I got to express my love to him and he was so grateful that I talked to him.  We were able to promise each other that we would always do our own personal best to be amazing and hard working missionaries.  So even if at this point in my mission I haven't gotten to teach a lot of lessons, I have been able to be there for missionaries that I know need me!  I know that I am here for many reasons.

Me and my companion, while we were in town, got to go help teach a lesson to a family.  It was a very good heart arming experience!  It's always amazing to teach about eternal families to a family that doesn't know that it is possible!

So I was able to have my first interview with my mission president and it was a very good conversation.

We also had a big Zone Conference....they are very long...but good too!

So someone borough us a solar powered light bulb out here in Nuapapu!  It is pretty amazing, I am not going to lie!  And we taped up our ceiling so it hasn't leaked since (cross our fingers).

I have had the opportunity to eat Crab!  That was so so good!  And we have attended a few kai pola's (feasts).

But I am half way through 3rd Nephi and I am loving it, I don't know if if you remember buy my patriarchal blessing says some cool things about my future & knowing about the future through scripture study!  So I have loved it!

But, I am doing well.  We are going to be on Nuapapu for another 6 weeks, by then you will get this letter!  I love you all so much!

Your Missionary

Hand Written Letter (Dated: 10/13/2013) [#4 from Tonga]

Yea! Blake's First E-mail from Vava'u 10/11/2013

Tonight we were just getting ready to go to bed when all of the sudden we received an e-mail from Blake telling us that he was online.  He went to Neiafu for a zone conference and while there had the opportunity to send us a quick couple of notes.  Here are a few summary statements from his letter today that were so great to hear.

"So the boat ride to Vava'u took us 30hrs and it was a tough 30hrs hahahaha. It was amazing to see all of my friends from the MTC though!!!! I threw up a lot on the boat hahaha. When we finally got to Vava'u I met my companion!!! He is awesome!!!! He is very obedient and wants to work all the time!!!! Our islands are tiny!!! There are like 11 houses in each of my towns!!! 

At church I give a talk every week ( in Tongan) hahahah it is very interesting.  There are like 8 people in each of our branches (wards). Our bishop is awesome!!!! We know absolutely everyone on the island, by name.  Most the kids live on the main island and go to school there during the week and then come home on the weekends.  The dads go to the bush ( where they get food) during the day! It is hard because we go to house to house and there is just not a lot of work to be done during the week..... so we go to the bush a lot and work with the men......... My language understanding is a lot better.... I usually can understand what is being said!!! But my speaking is still coming along! We have no electricity and we have a ceiling that leaks so we don't sleep well!!!! Its okay we are doing well! I know that I am on motu (small island) for a reason! Even if its just to learn patience and becoming more familiar with the doctrines and the Book of Mormon!!!! I love reading now! It is so so weird!!!!  I am so blessed to have a obedient companion!!! We are always striving to make use of our time even when there is not a lot of people to teach!!!!

We met a couple that is here with the Peace Corps.  They are white.  One person is from California and the other is from Colorado.  They are amazing people.  They gave two years of their life to come out here and be school teachers for a service.  They respect us a lot and are stunned to see 18 and 19 year olds out here serving.  We have made it a goal to baptize them.  Maybe that is the reason we were there..... I have promised myself that I will always strive to be my best and make use of the Lords time! Blake Hoyt's words repeat in my head everyday! Exact obedience is the key!!!! He also said to be the missionary that your mom thinks you are!!!"

We asked Blake what the island was like because all we can see is what we find on Google images or Google Earth.  He said: 
"YEAH IT IS WAY CRAZY, ITS NOT ANYTHING LIKE GOOGLE EARTH HAHAHA. its paradise on the beaches but in the town, its quite empty without much going on ... actually reminds me of the movie "the other side of heaven" in some ways."

Blake said that when he does his jump roping exercises, he has a bunch of children on the island that like to watch him.

Blake on the boat to Vava'u

Blake with his companion Elder Price

Elder Berry and Elder Harmon

Nuapapu Village.  We believe that this is where Blake is living.  It is
the bigger village on the island.

Matamaka Village

Matamaka Village

We think this is a resort on the Island of Nuapapu.  It is on the Southwest
tip of the island.

Hand Written Letter (Dated: 10/7/2013) [#3 from Tonga]

Hand Written Letter (Dated: 9/30/2013) [#2 from Tonga]

Boarding the Boat to Vava'u

Today we were hoping to hear from Blake because we heard that every island has internet access, but apparently not just yet.  Before Blake left he told us that it might be several weeks before we are able to hear from him.  Today I went out on Sister Hamblin's blog and saw that there were some pictures posted of the Elders getting on the boat.  You can see Blake in each of these pictures.  If you read Sister Hamblin's blog, oh my goodness, they have had plenty of trials.  Sounds like they were on the boat for 24 hours to make the voyage to Vava'u.

The cool thing we heard today is that Blake will be getting around the island on a horse.  I then asked him how he was going to do that with his Tupenu.  I asked him if he would need to ride side saddle.  He laughed in his e-mail and said, "Ha Ha, Never thought about that!"

Parent Letter from Mission President (Dated: 9/25/2013)

Hand Written Letter (Dated: 9/21/2013) [#1 from Tonga]

First Pictures in Tonga

Today I (Dean) received a call from Sister Hamblin from the mission office. She helped us better understand where Blake is going (Nuapapu), and it was wonderful to hear that on the island, there is both a ward and a branch. The ward is in Nuapapu, and the branch is in Matamaka.  She also told me about a blog that they are keeping, and there is a picture of Blake on that Blog with the other missionaries.  I pasted it here below, but the link to the blog is: Garth and Sandy Hamblin Blog  There are some beautiful pictures on that blog!

Blake's First Area in Tonga

9/15/13 - We heard from Blake today just before he is leaving to his first assignment.  He is headed to an area called Vava'u Islands.  The specific assignment he has is Nuapapu.  Blake said that there are only about 10 members there.

Today has been an eye opener for all of us as we realize the changes that Blake is having to go through with the culture and the unique challenges of the area, and he is not even on the island yet.  We know that Blake is strong and has great faith.  These will be some tremendous times for growth.  We also found out that after today, we probably won't hear from him for at least 6 weeks, since he will be more on a remote island. From what we can tell, he has been sent to the most northern part of the mission.  He is half way to Samoa.

Here are some pictures.

Vava'u Islands

Nuapapu - Part of Vava'u Islands

Nuapapu Island

Nuapapu Village

Nuapapu Island

Matamaka Village, Nuapapu Island

Matamaka Village, Nuapapu Island

Blake Speaking Tongan

We had a chance to hear Blake speak some Tongan over the phone when he was traveling to Tonga. We were able to talk to him for several hours.  Thought it would be fun to capture this first experience.

Here is an audio clip of Blake doing an introduction of himself and his companion.

Here is an audio clip of Blake bearing his testimony in Tongan.

Flying to Tonga

Arrived in Tonga at 8:38PM on September 10th

Blake departed from Salt Lake City.  His plane broke down though so he and the other missionaries did not leave for hours.  They thought they were going to spend the night in the airport.  Finally, the crew said that they would try one more time to repair the plane (something about the main door not working right).  Finally, they were on their way.  Once they arrived in LAX, they were met by most of the Tongan missionary families.  There was lots of love and food to go around.  Then six of the missionaries realized that they only had tickets to LAX but not all the way to Tonga.  Also, they were getting questioned about not having VISAs yet.  Not much we could do but hope they worked it out.  When they finally left LAX, the first stop was FIJI.

After FIJI, it was on to Tonga.  They finally arrived about 28 hours after leaving the MTC!  Dean was able to watch the final count down of the flight into Tonga.  Checked it once it was at 5 minutes, then 4, then 3, then 2, then 1, then n/a.  Touchdown!

MTC Pictures & Videos

Here are links to picture from each week in the MTC.

MTC - Week 1
MTC - Week 2
MTC - Week 3
MTC - Week 4
MTC - Week 5

Here are links to some video clips that Blake sent home while in the MTC.

Missionary Rap!

Missionary Harmony!

District Singing Hymn in Tongan

First Vision in Symbols

Sister Katoa Singing Abide with Me

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy Birthday Mom in Harmony

Happy Birthday Mom

Hand Written Letter (Dated: 9/5/2013)

Elder Harmon on the Plane to Tonga

Elder Harmon and Elder Berry - Arrived in Tonga

Hand Written Letter (Dated: 8/31/2013)

Sporting Brooklin's Blanket

Elder Harmon and Elder Lao

Elder Boone and Elder Harmon - Saying Goodbye for Two Years!

My District

My District

Elder Berry, Elder Harmon, Elder Tuitavake

Elder Harmon and Elder Lao

Elder Harmon and Elder Fafita

My District 

Including the Sisters

Elder Harmon and the Sisters!

Elder Lotulelei, Elder Lao, Elder Harmon

Elder Harmon and Elder Swan

Elder Harmon and Elder Freer

Elder Harmon and Elder Cruser

Elder Harmon and Elder Dehl

Elder Harmon with AF Home Boyes

Elder Swan, Elder Harmon, Elder Freer - Getting Ready to Head to Tonga

Last Day at the MTC