March 20, 2017 I made Pani-popo!!

Hey family and friends,

I hope you guys had a great week! Things are still going pretty great in Grimsby! I do miss you guys a ton!  I never have time to write because we are teaching investigators on our p-days now as we are really busy! I guess i really can't complain though! My pani-popo turned out great! Cooking with yeast is quite easy mom!! I do not know what you are talking about? haha- anyways  I woul love to coninue on about my investagators and how theyare progressing but its tough, alot of things don't go our way! We do have our often miracles but I just dont want you guys to get your hopes up on these people and its just easier if I separate missionary life from you guys, it really takes the stress off! The church is very different over here especially in Grimsby! Everybody in the ward are converts except for the bishop and a few others! So priesthood lacks alot! The people that are strong are great people but apart from the bishop a few members and the missionaries, we are the only ones that really minister to the ward! It's tough but I've grown and the Lord has really given me the strenth to be able to continue on! I feel so close to him! Everyday when we start getting yelled out or being mocked I remember what the savior has been through and it makes me feel in that moment just a I've learned that it makes it so much easier when we can come to love him more perfectly! You look at all the great missionaries in the Book of Mormon and its because the power of the word was embedded in their hearts! As i continue on, push a little harder, feast on the scriptures, I have felt his word, his enabling power start to sink inside my heart! it heals my soul and fills my body and mind with so much light! I love you guys and hope you have a great week!   Love elder Tuita

March 13: Shortest Letter Ever!

Hey family I don't have much time to write this week but it has been

good! We just had transfers and I am staying in Grimsby again it is

all good though! I'm sorry for the lack of time to write but we had

some lessons today and I am only getting time to write now! This week

was good though! Paul and Gale went to the temple the other day it was

really good they told me they had a wonderful time! After church this

Sunday I did a fashion shoot for the YSA it was pretty funny! Other

than that it went really good love you guys!

Elder Tuita

March 6, 2017 Giving Blessings

Dear family and friends,

Today marks 6 months of being out in the mission field! It seems like

I just left to the MTC yesterday! I have loved every minute of it

though! I have come to love it here in England so much!  The people

here have really grown on me and I have learned to love them so much!

This week was so busy! I honestly don't know sometimes how I am even

able to function! We had a whole bunch of lessons this week, we have

been traveling everywhere for meetings, we had tons of things

to plan for! We are literally so busy sometimes we just don't eat!

Which really gets Elder Mcctavish, because man that kid is always

hungry! I had the privilege of giving a lot of blessings this week

which was really cool! I always get so nervous before I give them

because I always fear I will not know what to say! I remember though I

got half way through one and immediately the fear went away! It's

amazing the power you feel when you give one! You can always feel the

love that Heavenly Father has for that person! Anyway everything is

going great I miss you all and hope you all have a great week!

Elder Tuita

February 27, 2017: Embarking on the Lords errand.

Hope all is well family and friends!

This week went by really fast! I can't believe how fast time is going! In a week it will have marked 6 months of being out in the mission field! It's crazy! The past couple days have been very emotional as I've pondered and reflected about some of the experiences that have occurred over the  previous 6 months. I remember the day President Hinton set me apart, I didn't really know what to expect?   You see, since I was young I always knew and had made the descion to serve a mission. I had always planned though to go to a year of school first! For some reason though, after lots of fasting and prayer, I knew the the Lord wanted me to serve right after graduating high school! I didn't know why but I just knew I needed to go! Sitting here now writing this to you I am glad I did because now, I understand something that i didnt understand before I came out on my mission. I've come to understand and know my Savior better! I remember when my grandpa Sioasi passed away, it was tough because I felt I really didn't get know my grandfather as well as I would have liked to. I felt I really didn't know him it at all!  When we went down for his funeral service I was able to read stories of him, see pictures of him! One thing I did know he loved was music,  and I remember my cousin Benson playing a jazz version of "I am a child of God", the spirit was so strong! It's almost as if I felt my grandpas presence there!  I felt connected to him because I felt like I understood and knew him better because we were doing those things he loved! Anytime my brother would play the piano, I could feel my grandpas spirit so strongly!  Being out on my mission has done the same thing but it has helped me come to understand my Savior more! Before my mission I felt like I was close to him and that he was there for me and knew and cared for me! But being out on a mission has helped me to come to understand and know him even more! Being in this capacity as a missionary we are constantly embarked on the Lords errand! Doing these things just like my grandpa has made me feel closer and come to know him better! 

Love elder Tuita 

February 20, 2017: Our Irish friend: Darrough

Dear family and friends,
Hope all is well back at home! Sorry for not being able write the last few weeks have been crazy! We have definitely had some highs and lots of lows these past couple of weeks! To be fair a lot of crazy things have happened! About a month ago we met a man from Ireland by the name of Darrough! He was way prepared for the gospel! Darrough had a big belief in God, grew up with a strong Christian background, but never new what church he wanted to join?! His mom was Catholic and his dad was Methodist so growing up he was taught a lot of different things which kind of confused him! We started teaching him and he loved it, he started coming to church and began progressing really well! About a week before his baptism he called us over to his house. When we got to his house he had told us one of his really close friends from Ireland was over and he wanted to talk to us about something.  I walk in and his close friend ended up being a catholic priest.  My heart dropped!  I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen next! We sat down and Darrough started giving us this long spill about how is friend had told him a bunch of things about Mormons which all of them were wrong like they always are.  He than began to share with us how Mormons can't be right because everything we need to know is revealed to us in the bible, therefore there doesn't need to be any more revelation or prophecy. Long story short, he told us that he basically he just didn't think Mormons were for him and he was just going to stick to being Catholic!  I didn't know what to say?  My companion and I were stunned! The room was silent as I raced through my thoughts to try to come with a good response! My first thought was to try to answer all those things his friend had told him about Mormons, but something just held me back. It didn't feel right! Then a scripture that I had read earlier that week popped into my head:

10 ​And I ​​​fell​ at his feet to ​​​worship​ him. And he said unto
me, See ​thou do it​ not: I am thy ​​​fellow servant​, and of thy
brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the
​​​testimony​ of Jesus is the spirit of ​​​prophecy​.

I shared my testimony with him and probably bore the most heart felt testimony I ever have in my whole life!! I told him and bore witness that God still speaks to his children today and not only are the heavens open, that we can still receive prophecy and revelation today.  I told him revelation is crucial in our lives, and it is something we must believe in to be able to have a testimony of Jesus Christ! I told him that I knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he in fact did indeed restore Christ's church and the fullness of the gospel back to the earth! I knew it! I could not deny it because I have felt it in my heart so strongly! I told him to follow his heart and that if he sincerely wanted to know the truth ask God and he will tell you and don't go to man to find your answers follow your heart Darrough and he will never lead you astray! Then we said a prayer and left! After that we never heard from him! I thought he had just forgotten about us! Three weeks had gone by and we were walking though town at night when we heard someone call out "Elders!".  I turned around and it was Darroug! I didn't think anything of it and turned around and waved.  He walked up to us and asked us how we were were doing?  Then he told us he had been thinking a lot since we had last left his home.  He started getting really emotional and he turned to me and said, "Elder Tuita, that night as you were talking I felt something I could not explain, and I've been thinking a lot and praying a lot, and well..."  right then he started to stutter. Then he looked me in the eyes and said, "I know it's true! Elder Tuita, I want you to baptize me!".  I was shocked! I didn't know what to say or what to do? Elder Mctavish and I were just quiet and stunned! Then he put his hand out and said, "Is that alright?".  I grabbed his hand, and he brought me in for a hug (the Irish are big huggers) and I told him I would be honored!  We went back to his house that night talked some more,  I was still in shock over what had just happened!!  Heavenly Father that night showed me just how powerful a testimony can be! It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes how Brigham Young’s search for the truth of God was finally resolved by the sincere and simple testimony of a “man without eloquence … who could only say, ‘I know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord.’” Said President Young, “The Holy Ghost proceeding from that individual illuminated my understanding, and light, glory, and immortality were before me”

Hope you all have a great week!

Love elder tuita

February 6, 2017: Gale, haircuts and Saturday's!

  Hope all is well! It's been a crazy couple of weeks here in
Grimsby! Gale was just baptized last week! She's the investigator that
took us to the football match! It went really good! Except the actual
part of baptizing her took 30 minutes! She has a fear of water! I
probably tried getting her under the water like 100 times! It was
crazy! I finally just turned to her and said I'm sorry Gail said the
prayer again then tripped her feet out from beneath her and pushed her
under water! It was incredible, Bishop was just laughing! I felt bad
for her but after we took her home she started crying and told us how
happy she felt, it was really cool! We told her that she was feeling the
spirit!
  I also got to cut one of my recent converts hair this week! It
was sweet! He looked so good after I cut it,...I promise I did a great job!
But I guess he didn't like it so he just shaved it all off!  He's
passing the sacrament now and his hair was just getting out of control
so I told him if I beat him in bowling he would have to let me cut it!
I gave him a pretty bad beating, hence him having to let me cut his
hair!
      Elder Clanton left this week which was pretty sad, but my new
companion is pretty cool! He is from Canada, his name is Elder Mctavish!
I don't know about other missionaries, but Saturday night and
the morning of church are the most stressful hours of my life as a
missionary!  Arranging rides and getting investigators to church is
the most stressful thing ever! We had 6 investigators confirmed for
church and we could not find a ride for the other 3 I called everyone!....
no one wanted to do it! We ended up finding a ride for one of our
investigators (Innese) and her kids! The other investigators we had to go pick
them up and walk with them to church! To be fair, it is all worth it
though because once you are seated and you see everyone in church it
is just so awesome! I sat next to Innese and her kids during service.
We were singing the hymn and I looked over at Innese, she had her arms
around her kids! I remember just looking at them seeing how happy they were,
the spirit was so strong! It is such an amazing feeling to bring the same
happiness that has brought your family so much peace to other
families! I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve alongside
the Lord and am grateful for this gospel! I will close with one of my favorite
things that I have heard on my mission.  It is a quote
from the prophet Joseph Smith! "What do we here in the gospel that we
have received,,,,truth out of the earth,,,mercy from heaven,, a voice
of gladness for the living and the dead,,,shall we not go on in such
great a cause"
Love you all -Elder Tuita

 Pictures in order:
Top: Professional Football Game with Elder Clampton and Sis Gale
Sis Gale, our most recent baptism
Elder Clampton and I at a ward member's home.
Bro. Smith and his finished haircut! I cut his hair!
Ward Family Home
Studious Elder Tuita..hahah

January 16, 2017 : I love this city

Dear and family and friends!
I hope all is well back at home! Everything is going great over here!
Grimsby, well... it's Grimsby! I had this guy try to kiss me the other
day. We were just walking down the street and we stopped to talk to this

 guy...nothing out of the ordinary. We were talking to him for a while....
The next thing I know he put his arms around me and on my butt and tried
kissing me! It was straight up rape! Elder Clanton just stood there
laughing! I was so mad though! I guess everyone just reacts to the
spirit in different ways! It was funny though because the same thing
happened to Elder Clanton like 3 days later! After knowing what it
feels like and trying to be the better person, I at least tried
helping him and told the guy to get off him! But the guy was pretty
devoted so there was really nothing I could do! To be fair things like
this happen in Grimsby all the time! The only reason I don't write all
of them in my weekly letters is for the well being of my mother! In
all honesty though, I really do love it here in Grimsby! There are just
so many wonderful people and different cultures here and the ward just
feels like a family to me now!  I don't know how other missionaries
feel, but before coming on my mission I just didn't think it was
possible to come to England and to feel the way I do about the people
here! I really have come to love them! I think that's one thing that I
am truly grateful that my Heavenly Father has helped me to understand
and have come to realize here on my mission!  I read a scripture in Matthew
chapter 25 it states:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye
gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in
prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee
an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me

This scripture changed the way I see any body in the world today!
Anytime we reach out to assist and serve Heavenly Father’s children,
we are serving the master himself! This has brought a greater sense of
love into my life!