3/29/09

i dont exactly know what we will do about conference here ill try to watch it though. i got a little exasperated this week and got sent into a high speed wobble over a few things that happened that are not exactly in line with the church but i think we are getting it sorted out not really a lot to report from this week we did a lot of service we went fishing for a day so we could have a good sunday dinner. we poured concrete wednesday because the road washed out in a rain storm and we do a lot of walking. i have a standing joke with all my comps that every mile you walk on your mission your wife gets prettier my wife is going to be gorgeous we walk a lot a lot. well i got to go but i love you and hope to hear from you soon. love elder mayberry(virgil)

March 22 - After the earthquake, volcano and tsunami warning

March 22 emails - after the earthquake, volcano and tsunami warning they had down in Tonga! there was an earthquake but i'm a very long way away so i didn't even know about it till last night. my health is good now i got a little sick but i think that's a good story for when i get home. i took a big boat from tonga to here it was three stories and big enough to hold a few cars so nothing like groberg. the getting off the boat was fun especially with my suitcase but they have a bunch of people there to pull you to shore from the row boat so its a fun memory. yes i'm on the island with the big lake in the center its called vai (which means water tongans don't have a word for lake) there is a niuaen language but its starting to die most people here just speak tongan i'm starting to learn a little bit of niuaen though its pretty fun it's like Tongan, Samoan and something else mixed together. i'll be up here for at least another six weeks love elder mayberry

yeah good news the earthquake was farily big but i'm a good ways away so i'm fine i was at the lake and we didn't even notice anything. tell hailey to go ahead and get baptized and just write me a letter about it. tell hailey and hannah i still have the pictures they drew for me in the mtc. they are hanging on the wall of our hut. everybody always asks me about them. tell them i said hi and i love them. tell granny i said hi and i miss her. i'm supposed to get the package you guys sent me on wednesday there is an airplane coming up and the office elders are trying to get it sent up with it. i'm not sure when you sent it but i'm anxious to see whats in it. ironically i spent an hour saturday killing these birds with a slingshot but we ate them instead of just killing them the cuisine here is interesting i get to meet almost everything i eat before it dies . its a whole new world here but i'm learning a lot and hopefully helping at least a little to the people to come to christ through the message of the restored gospel. well 'ofa 'atu te 'alu ki vai taimini ke u kai lapila anai pea mahalo te u tunu ai. 'ifo ange aupito tunu 'i he 'ota 'ika pee. well take it easy know i love you and the lord takes care of his missionaries and if he forgets the president has your number so hell give you a call..... love you lots elder mayberry

3/15/09

sounds like life is still going on which is comforting > because lives > is a little different here. the president is talking about > keepiong me > here for a little longer than the original two transfers > now he is > talking six or seven months. there is plenty of work to do > but it is > fairly hard. we got our first person to start coming back > to church > but now we have to get him to s[top smoking and stop > drinking kava so > much. but its a start my comp is going to be th ebranch > president as > soon as the boat comes which is not very reliable they said > it would > come the first week of march but that didnt happen and the > rumors > start again everyweek now they are saying it might be a > months or two > before the boat comes.... oh well life goes on gives me a > little more > time to get prepared before the branch president leaves us. > i have some items i would appreciate if you guys could > locate and get > down to me sometime no rush since i cant get packages here > in niua so > it might be a few months before you could send it anyway. > 1. a xD card > reader for my camera that plugs into a usb port they sell > them at > walmart 2. three sets of scripture stickers 2 missionary 1 > seminary 3. > some pictures of you guys 4. a good recipe for pancakes 5. > maple > flavoring 6mouthgaurd (just like a football one or > something) well i > got to go but hopefully i can come back later love you all >

3/11/09

its looking like i ll be here in niua for another 6 weeks > wich is good > because ,y comp and i will bet hte only preisthood in a > little bit. i > have some awesome pics and i have been writing pretty well > in my > journal so i can tell my grandkids all my grandkids about > when i went > to the other side of heaven then sailed for another eight > hours.. > i stop at grobergs island on my way here turns out they > filmed the > movie in lalo tonga not in niuatoputapu. but the island is > beautiful > we spent the night there and toured around. i have now > slept on every > major island in the kingdom of tonga excpet eua. not even > the mission > president has been to this island its a 5 day boat ride and > pretty > expensive. well i gotta go tell everyone i loe them and i > will try to > email next week.... > next week tuesday is 6MONTHS > love elder mayberry

3/11/09

hey dad this is your son virgil im still in niua they do > have internet > here its just fairly hard to get a hold of and i have been > really > busy. what have you all been up to?? > just so you know for some unknown reason google cancelled > my other > account so i made this new one myldsmail takes about thirty > minutes to > load on these internet connections. > work is going great i have some amazing stories from here > but i think > they are best told after my mission or at least after i > leave here. no > baptisms this place is really difficult to work in but we > tract alot > the language is coming along well turns out i might end up > being the > branch president here or my comp in a week or two. how is > everyone > doing what have you all been up to im up here in lalaland > so i dont > here anything about the real world i haven't even > talked to the > president since i got up here just 2x to the AP's. my > comp is a good > guy kinda a dauber but we get along well which is good > because this is > a very small isladn there are 600 people on the island > (probably less) > there are 60 registered baptized members but average church > attendance > is less than ten a week. most everyone leaves the island > after baptism > to go to a place where they can be with other members. i > got a little > sick when we first got here and lost a little bit of weight > but its > all good now. this place is very remote but they do have > one house you > can buy a few things from (very few things) and there are > phone lines > to most of the villages. this place here is the hun of the > local > pohones and has a sat link for outside calls. > tell everyone im doing good i dont know anyones email i > dont have the > paper and my lds mail isnt working im hoping this one is > right. > ummmm how is taylor doing did you happen to get scotts > email if you > guys still have the emails you sent to the other account if > you could > just forward them here. > the missionary house here is slightly lacking as is the > church house > but i havent died yet so i guess its ok there are 7-8 > little villages > here and its about a 2 hour walk from one side to the > other. i did get > a post card from mom a letter from jessica and a letter > from sis knoop > in deming. (please forward this to someone in deming so > they know how > its going) i heard i have a package but its in tonga and > there really > is no way of getting it up here. im going to send this now > to make > sure i can before i write any more i love you all and hope > all is well > love elder virgil mayberry