Matt

Vision 100
Malo e lelei famili,
Mom and Dad, want to see something cool? Get on facebook and search for "DH Maui fine art photography" (I’m not sure if it's a group or if you add it as a friend). There is a lady in my ward who is the ward historian so she takes a lot of pictures. She said she posted a bunch of pictures from our recent one year ward anniversary (amazing Tongan celebration) and I will probably be in some of the pictures. So if you want to see the culture I am now a part of out here, check it out. She said you can also add her personally as a friend (Dannet He) and she will be posting a video of it on her profile soon.

Mom, I finally got the pants sewed up by a lady in the ward so I'm excited to finally wear them.
If you guys have time, I think Elder Kau would enjoy another letter.

We had a Tongan funeral this week (they last all week) so that took up a lot of our time. It was the best funeral I've ever been to, even though I didn't understand everything I felt the spirit really strongly. We went to the cemetery with the whole ward for the burial. It was the most beautiful cemetery I've ever seen. I apologies if I made it sound like Maui is not a pretty place. Pretty much just the place where we live is ugly (Kahului is the biggest city in Maui), but the country is beautiful. When we walked into the cemetery I leaned over to Elder Kau and said "Hey Elder, I'm pretty sure we're in heaven." You could see the beautiful ocean and the green mountains and green rolling hills and there were trees and all of the Tongan guys in our ward were in all white suits and white imitation Air force ones and they sang "God be with you till we meet again" in Tongan. I literally almost cried because I was with all of the people I love here in the most beautiful place on earth and I said to myself, "this is what its going to be like someday".
While I was at the funeral I had a short conversation (in Tongan) with one of the Tongan members from the other Tongan ward in west Maui. He took my hand and rubbed the top of it with his finger and said "This guy, on the outside he is haole (Hawaiian for white), but on the inside he is Tongan". I can’t tell you how happy that made me.

There is some speculation on whether I will be in a Tongan ward my entire mission. There are a lot of new Tongan missionaries coming in (Greg Unga will be here in January). I'll go where the lord wants me to go but I really don't know what I would do with myself if I got transferred to a Palongi (white) ward.

My companion and I have had our rough patches but we have grown so close, and lately have been really tight. Elder Kau knows how hard I try to learn the language and live the culture and I know how hard he tries to be obedient and work hard and we have a respect for each other like we were brothers.

The Baptism of Iolani went great and we are continuing to teach her as well as the rest of her family. Iolani was part of something very special called Vision 100. Ever since I've been in Hawaii our mission has been attempting to do something quite extraordinary: to baptize 100 people in 1 month. Every month we come close but we never quite hit it. This past zone conference our mission president told us he needed to repent because we were going about this all wrong. He told us we needed to purify ourselves before the lord could fully bless us. He stressed repentance and exact obedience (please read 3nephi ch.3) and promised us if we would seek to first sanctify ourselves that we would be more powerful teachers of repentance and in general and God would bless us to achieve vision 100. This morning we got the call: 101 baptisms for the month of November.

We are currently teaching Iolani's Mom and older sister. The Mom (Iris) will get baptized in the next couple weeks so I'm looking forward to a white Christmas!!!!!!!

Today I went to Lahina, the other side of the island. It's pretty much a tourist town. Our members work there carving and selling Tiki's. We went and talked to a good friend, fo'o. While we were there I met two young Jewish guys (about 22) who were selling those things that spin around in the wind that you hang on your porch. For some reason I felt this strong desire to go talk to them, almost like I was already good friends with them. I went right up to them and just started getting to know them. I talked about missionary work and a little bit about the restoration (because the said they came here from New York). They were both originally from Israel and I shared with them my strong desire to visit someday. They told me to quit wishing and just go. I told them a little about our basic beliefs (they knew all the things we couldn't do) but mostly just got to know them and make friends with them. For some reason the whole drive home I couldn't get these two guys off my mind. They were so nice and I had the strangest feeling that I had known them before or that we had a special bond somehow. I hope we go back again next p-day and talk to them more.

Well I guess all I have to say other than that is GCOUGARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'Oku ou ilo'i mo'ui a sisu kalaisi, oku ou ilo'i palofita mo'oni a Thomas s. Monson, 'oku ou ilo'i he Tohi a e Molomona oku he folofola ae Otua, Oku ou ilo'i oku mo'oni a e siasi. Oku ou ofa he ngaue, oku ou ofa he kakai faka Tonga. Oku ou oua fie osi ko eni. Oku ou ofa kimoutolu. Mamata mou i mahina taha fa pe!
Ofa atu.
Much aloha,
Your boy-Elder Prina

P.S. For Christmas:
-ties
-cds, motab, christmas, reverent.
-deposit money into my debit account.

Thanks

Lisa, please ask Mike to send me the story of the boy who gave his life to save the world, that he shared in a talk in sacrament several years ago.