Y'all it's bittersweet this week,
LOL. I'm sad my time at the MTC is coming to an end. I was low-key hating it at first because of how uncomfortable I was to be pushed so far out of my comfort zone, but now I love it. ❤️ I was with such a good group of missionaries here.
Teaching and roleplay scenarios are what we have been doing the most, since this Friday all of us will be traveling to our missions and out in the field. THAT'S BRAZY to me. I don't feel ready and I don't think I'll ever feel ready, but I feel like I just need to be out there. So, HEAWIKO LOL.
To keep things short, I bear witness that this church is the true church on this Earth today. Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and restored His gospel and church in these Latter-Days. I know that Heavenly Father loves and knows us each individually. I know Jesus Christ is His beloved son who paid the ultimate price for all of us that we will never be able to repay. He loves us that much. Through everything I lack and fall short on, I know the Lord is mindful of us and never leaves us even when we have left Him. I know the Holy Ghost is vital in our every day life. He is our best comfortor and teacher. If we strive to be worthy of, and always have the Holy Ghost be with us, I know that every day will be a GOOD day! I know the Book of Mormon is true and if we read the scriptures everyday, we will come closer to and understand more, the love God has for us. Don't slack on anything when it comes to God. Make Him, His words, and His work the number one priority in your life and I promise you that everything going on in your life will be better than it ever was. Keep things simple and strive to be 1% better than you were the day before. Always remember the things that matter most in this life and ask yourself, "will this matter in a thousand years?" If not, get rid of it. I know what I have written is true. And I love you all!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL ESKEDITT 🤟🏼
Fun moments so far:
-One of my African teachers, yesterday, woke up and must've chose violence because his comments had me rolling. We had a combined workshop with all the other districts and he was the teacher leading out the lesson. There were so many empty seats in the front, but all the Elders kept going to the back row. He asked them, "Elders, why are you going to the back?" They were like, "Because it's more comfortable back here." And the teacher replied, "I hope you guys take that attitude down with you to hell." AHAHA I lost it and was dying and everyone else who heard it was dying too 🤣🤣🤣 I'm telling you the Africans have no chill and that's why I love them.
-One of the pictures I have is with Elder Bale (from Joburg, South Africa) & Elder Chikore (from Zimbabwe). These two literally always cracking me up bruh. They are a companionship but I always be seeing one without the other. Even the teachers are like, "Aye where is your companion?" And then they be running around the MTC looking for each other ahaha. They some real homies for sure.
-I don't have a picture with him, but imma get one before I leave. But there's an Elder Mensah from Ghana, and he's always coming up to me saying, "Sister Atuaia, they not like us." 💀🤣 And then he proceeds to keep singing Kung Fu Kenny's song. That's how I knew Elder Mensah was my HOMIE HOMIE hahaha. Now he always be doing the handshake (Africans got their own kind of handshake lol) with me and saying, "Sister Atuaia you one of us now." LOL I found my people yall.
-We went to the Joburg temple again last week and did Baptisms, Sealings, and Initiatories. We did baptisms twice, which was crazy for me because I haven't done that ordinance in a fat minute. It's an experience I ain't ever gonna forget and lemme tell you why. The first time we went, Elder Chikore was baptizing us and that man almost didn't pull me out the water and I told him, bruh you almost had me become one of the dead. And he said, "My sister, why are you complaining? You're still alive yeah?" 😑🤣 and then the second time we did baptisms, it was Elder Williams from Utah who baptized us and that man LITERALLY almost unalived me. I almost died twice. He don't look strong, but that palagi Elder is strong and pretty much slammed me into the water that everyone who was waiting along with all the ordinance workers, stood up because it was so loud when he put me in the water and to check if I was good bruh. I swear I was in heaven for like 3 seconds until he brought me back up. I kept thinking to myself, "you know, I came here to do baptisms for the dead. I ain't trying to join them right now. Yall need to calm down." 💀🤣🤣🤣
-We were eating dinner and it was after all of us had to teach the teachers in a roleplay scenario with our companions. I was talking with some of the Elders and Elder Chikore sat next to me. I asked him how his roleplay scenarios went and he said, "It was hell, my sister" 🤣 Ahaha you know. Sometimes it be like that especially when we don't feel ready. But we live, learn and move on.
-Our district tried to take a picture with one of our Elders Polaroid camera AHAHAHA but it was night time and the lighting wasn't good and the African Elders were like "NAH WE GOT TO TAKE IT AGAIN. YOU CANT EVEN SEE US" I was deceased for the rest of the night 😅 I love my district so much. Also, I love how they say "proper" with their accents and when explaining things. For example, when we eat and the food portions are small they be saying, "what is this? This ain't a proper meal." 💀
-Shoutout to Sister Nuamah for getting me right with my hair. She always be braiding it when I ask her and always tells me, "I hope you have plenty African companions that can do this for you." 😂 You and me both sis. Also on our drive to the temple, they had a Moana mural. Yall see? They love us Polys out here LOL
-I told some Elders that I'm Samoan when they ask me and a lot of the Africans are very familiar with WWE so when I say the Rock, they start trying to dance like the haka BRUH 💀🤣 and then I be telling them to stop because they're waking up my ancestors when they do that and they start laughing LOL.
Anyways love you all. Apparently imma have to teach one of the African Elders how to Cheehoo AHAHA. His name is Elder Bhembe and he got the quietest voice ever so we finna change that real quick lol. I'll let yall know how that goes. And apparently I'm playing soccer today? Yeah rip to me. Okay bye bye. 👋
Elder Teancum Ataia serving in the Bentonville Arkansas mission he is almost done with his 2 year mission.
Sister Alema Atuaia serving at the South Africa MTC before going to Lusaka Zambia Africa mission.
Tai going to school at BYU-Hawaii after his mission and also working at the Polynesian Cultural center in Laie, here with his mom's sister Moana.
What it do fam,
THANK YOU to all who have emailed me. I am so sorry I won't be able get back to you all one by one because I don't know how to work this phone that they gave me AHAHA. Like the email I sent yall last week was a miracle. But just know, I've read them all and LOVE YOU ALL. ❤️ Keep sending me emails because I do read them and I'll respond back with the spirit, okay. Thank you. 🙏😂
I ain't even gonna lie. I don't know how many days I've been here. 10, maybe 11? Shoot idk ahaha. And remember when I said I was gonna write short emails? Yeah, I lied again. This mission life has changed me. I used to hate to write and now I be writing for days in my journal lol. But FOR REALS, I'm telling you mission life is amazing! It's hard, but I've grown so much and have seen such a change within me. I can actually CONFIRM I am the oldest missionary here. ESKEDITTT😅 And it really is something special to go on a mission when you're older. I love all the missionaries I am with here at the MTC. I've noticed that in my life the greatest examples I have observed and learned from the most, were those younger than me. And the missionaries here are no different. Especially the ones in my district. All the young bruddaz and my companion will be great missionaries. Their insights, thoughts, and testimonies are so cool and strong. It gives me great confidence in this younger generation because before I would've said they can just go kick rocks. 🤦🏽♀️😂
I can honestly say by being here that I feel like I didn't know anything about this church that I was born into and have been raised in. Like FRFR. I was such a lukewarm person in this gospel that did the bare minimum and went through the motions of the things I was taught growing up. It's a scary thought, but also an exciting one because I truly feel my conversion by learning and studying for others to help them have their own conversion. So, shoutout to my teachers because they've helped me grow a lot in my confidence in understanding the doctrine and gospel of Jesus Christ. They have pushed me so far out of my comfort zone. I started as the quiet/shy one in my class, but now speak and share my thoughts more. One of my teachers, Sister Phekula, I relate to very well. The way she was when she first started her mission is how I am now. So, she's very encouraging of me and I'm grateful for her example. The Lord really blessed me with the teachers I needed, not wanted, because I ain't gonna lie I wanted to fight one of them last week. SMH 😬 Bruddah man called me out for chewing gum and made me the example of what not to do in class. Mind you, I was chewing gum because you aint gonna catch me with bad breath that would knock you out OKAYYY. But I know the Lord's hand is more prevalent in my life, because if you're like me then you go from ZERO to ONE HUNNID real quick with the anger. And when it comes to flight or fight, we gonna fight. LOL. With the gum chewing in class incident, I learned how much I really just think about myself and how being a missionary is forgetting about yourself. The only person making me angry is ME. I thank the Lord for shaping me up and getting me right by having me be in these situations where my weaknesses are being tested. Now that teacher, Bro.Chagadama (who is also younger than me LOL), is one of my favorite ones. Not because I like him LOL, but because he is the number one teacher who pushes me out of my comfort zone. He be calling me out to speak my thoughts and insights when no one raises their hand and even when people raise their hand in class. He also made me do roleplay scenarios with my companion in front of our district. For example, I had to talk about the principle of baptism and extend an invitation to my companion (who acted like an investigator) to be baptized. Sister Satterfield took her role seriously BRUH and I was like dang you don't want to help a sister out? But it got to the point where somewhere in our role-playing I brought up the Holy Ghost and how when Jesus was baptized, He descended in the form of a dove. Sister Satterfield, being the great actress that she is SMH, said "So does that mean when I get baptized I'll get a dove too?" I legit said, "Um no, but girl I'll bring you a dove." My whole district and the teachers were dying, laughing and I continued on as best I could. 💀 Role-play scenarios were the number one thing I did not look forward to and hated. But as me and Sister Satterfield have had to do them with other companionships and even with the teachers, it's become something I have come to enjoy because of the feedback given but especially for the Spirit that is felt. I am no scriptorian or even feel like I know my scriptures, but the Spirit has truly led me and guided me with what to talk about and where to look for things. Keeping it simple and not over-conplicating things. The companionship of the Spirit is so important and the love that comes with that is UNMATCHED. I swear I always be crying. Like all the missionaries, teachers, and staff here have seen me cry AHAHA. It is what it is periodt.
I think a highlight of my week besides going to the South Africa temple (I think it's the Joburg one shoot idk lol), was our MTC President, President Pendleton, assigned me and Sister Satterfield to lead out the reflection time on Sunday after the devotional all us missionaries watched by Eldar Bednar where he talked about "The Character of Christ." I love my companion so much. She is the opposite of me especially in terms of how we think. She is a very deep/intellectual thinker where as I am more of a direct/go off my emotions type thinker if that even makes sense LOL. We've learned a lot from each other. We vibe well that when teaching or leading when one doesn't know what else to say or do, the other can pick up and continue from where the other left off. But anyways back to us leading out the reflection time. Reflection time is basically for us to share our thouhts/insights/testimonies of Elder Bednar's devotional and then open it up to all the other missionaries to share their own as well if they wanted to. It was such a good reflection time and I'm grateful for all the missionaries that shared. Especially the Elders, because a lot of them talked that usually don't. And shoutout to my district because earlier that day I had to give the spiritual thought in our district council and I encouraged them to keep sharing their experiences. I also told them that me and my companion would be leading out the reflection time later that day and if no one raised their hand, that I would call them all out because I love them so much. 🤣 They came through for ya girl. Especially one of my district leaders, Elder Jones. He shared his thoughts but he also said some of the most genuine and nicest things about me and Sister Satterfield in front of all the other missionaries that made us cry... in front of all the other missionaries SMH lol. And after he finished I said, "That's my district leader yall" 👏 and everyone started laughing lol. But man, that reflection time was one for the books and you had to be there to understand.
Overall, I just love being a missionary. I love this Gospel and my Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ. I know this church is true. And when we know this church is true, stay true to the church. POINT. BLANK. PERIODT. In my personal study today, I kept reading the introduction page of the Book of Mormon and invite yall to do the same. Learn and know for yourself what the Book of Mormon is, where it comes from, and how it's prevalent in your lives. Okay love you guys.💗 Especially my parents and siblings the most. AND CONGRATS TO MY SISTER WABI FOR GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL. 🙌🎉 Welcome to adulthood now uce. 😂
Moments from this week:
- We were going to the South Africa temple and Sister Nuamah said, "Wait, I forgot my wig." And us sisters all started laughing cuz that's something you don't hear everyday. And it's a blessing we get to go to the temple 3 times before we go to the field. We did it twice last week and will be going again this Wednesday. 🙏
- We watched Ephraim's Rescue on Sunday, and there's a part where Thomas Dobson is rubbing some leaves on the sister's hand (the one who likes him and he starts liking her) because she has blisters. One of the African Elders, Elder Bale (who I finally got him to say my name right because everytime he said it, I said nah bruddah do it again lol) literally yelled "OOH, I SEE WHAT HE'S DOING. HE'S COOKING." And then all the African and American Elders started cheering and were yelling, "Let him cook."
-We played Book of Mormon, Go Fish on our way to the temple with Sister Pendleton. I lost but it was nice to be out of the MTC and see Joburg or wherever we are because idk where we are LOL. The South Africans don't say Johannesburg, they say Joburg. Also, in their culture here they say white, blacks, and colored. Obviously the first two are self explanatory, but when they say someone is colored they're referring to someone who is African mixed with whatever else they are. One of the South African bruddahz was expalining it to me and it was very interesting. Anyways, when we got to the temple, we met a brother from Zambia and he said he'll see us there but wanted a picture with all the missionaries going to Zambia. So you'll see a picture with me, Sister Ogden, Sister Satterfield, Elder Smith, Elder Boone, and Elder Jones with the Zambian brother who said his name was Brother Peni.
- I've gotten along cool with the Elders that they keep giving me all these biscuits to try bruh and they keep wanting to make us that tea to eat it with lol. The ones here from South Africa. So Elder Naidoo gave me the chocolate biscuits to try and they be hyping them up but honestly they taste like them knockoff, great value cookies. 🍪🤣 Elder Nylimblima gave me some coconut biscuits to try and they were alright but I still gave it back to him after cuz they ain't that good. AHAHA And Elder Kent, who is in one of the pictures with me and Elder Naidoo, is also from south Africa and can talk for days but always got me laughing.
- Elder Boone, the one throwing the W's up, is literally one of my favorite Elders here ahaha. My brudda is from West Valley babyyy. 🤣 He's a tiny, skinny palagi dude and is a convert. But he's so nice, always smiling, and so chill and everyone loves him here. When I asked where in Utah he was from, he said West Valley, the best Valley. And I was like yeah I like this brother ahaha this dude has been around Polys for sure and he said he loved being around all the Polys. So I'm glad my brother is also going to the same Zambia mission.
- We did a scripture Jeopardy game after church and my team won so we all got chocolate. Did I contribute much to the team? NO. But I got good at looking through the topical guide for sure 😂
- My district leader, Elder Jones, tried to take a selfie with all us missionaries at the temple and cut off half of the whole group so everyone was roasting him in our MTC group email chat. Especially the ones who were cut off 😂 he replied back, "My sincerest apologies, idk how to take pictures" LOL
- Elder Chokore who is in the picture with me, Sister Ogden, and Sister Nuamah cracks me up. Him and his companion, Elder Bale, are the tallest companionship here but idk what kind of companionship they are because they always solo man. 🤣 You always see one without the other lol. But he's from Mozambique and will be serving in England. I ain't gonna lie, it was hard for me to understand him in the beginning. But now, I understand my brother lol.
