Elder Jacob Kmetzsch: Just Keep Eating

Family!

What a week it has been. What a long week it has been! We don't have much going on in the area which just means that we get to do a lot of street contacting and tracting, like a lot. But we are pushing through and hopefully getting some new investigators soon who will meet with us more than once.

Yes Elder Tukuafu is Tongan! His parents actually tell him all the time how skinny he is and that he needs to eat more, if only my parents would encourage me to do the same. But you are right he is probably the skinniest Tongan that I know, ha ha. Speaking of Tongans, turns out that there is a professional rugby player from Tonga that lives in our area. He is less active but is always willing to have the missionaries over. Elder Tukuafu knew about him because there is another professional rugby player in one of his old areas that is very active and told Elder Tukuafu to bring him back. So we called and he invited us over and told us he would cook for us. Well we went over to the house and it turns out that some of his family was there and so there were a lot more Tongans than we expected. They cooked a massive meal just for us!! They were all going off in Tongan and I was left to play with the kids. But once we started eating we weren't allowed to stop, ha ha. I would but down my fork to get a drink and he would just look and me and go, "You must keep eating!" I was happy to oblige, but after three massive plates I was about as full as it gets. I finally had to just convince him that I was really, really full and that I loved the food, which I did. But they weren't satisfied so they packed the rest of it up and told me to eat it for breakfast, ha ha! I now know the reason I am not serving my mission in Tonga! I would be huge!!! But they are an incredibly nice family and I am looking forward to seeing them a lot, even though I don't speak any Tongan. On a side note just highlighting just how nice these people are without us really even talking about it, he went upstairs and brought us down some rugby jerseys. One for a team Elder Tukuafu call the Tigers in Leicester and one for me that is an actually a jersey for the USA rugby team that was worn in some international games! They are way cool! He also included some of those nice rugby short shorts!

Happy Birthday Evie!!!!!! I can't believe she is already three...... I have been gone for way too long! But at least I'll be there when she turns four! I do believe I missed Kate's birthday or it's coming up anyway Happy Birthday Kate! Whenever it happens this month.

Emma needs to just stop going on dates! I would be perfectly okay if she just didn't go on any more until I get home and then she can be allowed to date again. But she is sure a cutie pie and I'm glad that she has a lot of fun. Valentine's is always a pretty chill dance. I don't know if it was worth a drive to Provo either especially for the boy who did all the driving! I hated being the driver for dances.... it scared me to death! But you are alive and that is all that matters.

I love the idea that by sharing our testimony our sins are forgiven, (D&C ). I am convinced that is the only reason missionaries have the spirit with them all the time! Because when I bear my testimony at every chance I get, I always have the spirit with me! Whenever I get into a rut with finding or am just having a bad day, I just make it a goal to share my testimony about the Book of Mormon with everyone. As soon as I switch my focus from trying to get people to meet with me, to testifying of the Book of Mormon my day always seems to go a lot better.

Not much happened this week that was too exciting in our own area besides a load of finding but we did have a zone meeting this week that went sooooooooo well! I honestly have not had as spiritual of a zone meeting my whole mission! All of the different training from the different missionaries just linked in together and just flowed so nicely. Me and Elder Tukuafu gave a training on what we want to accomplish as missionaries and how we need to be what we called, "Anxiously Accountable," for our efforts and how it really isn't about the numbers but the people that we are teaching. I was so happy with how it turned out and the Spirit was Soo strong.