April 12th 2011

Hey everyone!!! :) Aloha from Paradise!! I hear that it is still snowing here and there for you guys! Man! If only you could see and feel what it's like here! You'd be jealous that's for sure! It's way too hot here actually!! I've never been in this hot and humid of weather! It's all good though! I hope everyone had a wonderful week and that you and your families are seeing the blessings from our Heavenly Father's hands! This week was another good week here! Kind of hard though because we only have probably 2 lessons a week if we're lucky.  And those most of the time are just family home evenings.  But a miracle!! As I was telling you all of that little Tuvaluan girl (the Tuvalu Islands) that is to be baptized, we find out her parents aren't members and she's being watched over by these two from Kiribati. Anyways so that counts as a convert baptism now! Yay!! Miracles in Niue!! We're going to have our first baptism here this Saturday.  The family really wants an ocean baptism so we're seeing what we can do with that.  We're probably going to have the baptism in one of the caves at the sea.  We were thinking of a cave called the Amanau cave.  It's a cave close to our home and it has significant importance because the first members of the church were baptized in this cave in 1952!

So it's going to be a really wonderful weekend!! :) Besides that no investigators progressing or anything at all.  Just heaps of service!! The other day we mowed 5 lawns I think in a row! And they're big lawns with lots of rocks in the ground.  (the rock of the Pacific remember). So you have to use the weed cutter on most of the grass so it takes ages! Anyways so I'll be pro at mowing lawns when I get back that's for sure! We also are helping build a couple of houses, tile people's floors, go to their plantations with them and plant and harvest taros, go climb coconut trees or find other fruit for people like breadfruit or papaya.  Catch Uga, catch and kill the pig, etc. etc.!! Lots of service and it's all really crazy funny stuff I've never done before! Lots of fun!!

This week we also have started preparing for Niue's festival week here coming up on the 23rd.  Same week as President Porter's arrival.  So it is going to be a very busy week! We've been practicing with the Alofi villagers some Niuean dances that we'll be performing with them.  I look pretty funny dancing how the islanders do not going to lie! But I love it anyways!! I'm the only white person here except when tourists come here and there on Fridays.  So they pay attention to me and when I try to do their stuff with their customs or cultures and they think it's pretty funny and so do I! Hopefully President enjoys watching us! haha.  It's his and his wife's last trip here to Niue before they're done with serving.  So it's going to be a really fun last week.  They're going to get quite the show that's for sure! The people love them! They've started making gifts and preparing for their arrival.  That'll be a lot of fun we're looking forward to that.

 Sorry for no pic still, no camera yet but it should be coming this weekend have your fingers crossed! Than hopefully you can start seeing what Niue really looks like!  This last week was a good one! Just being with the people and serving and eating, and eating, and eating!!! I don't think I'm fatter, I see myself every day though! Hopefully when you all see me you won't be like what the?! When did Chris Farley throw on a badge and go to Niue!! Haha I'm not fat just messing! But they feed us constantly!! All this islander food man is going to kill me!! I miss all the restaurants back home!! :( Besides that not else to report that I can think of! Things are all good here! Just trying our best to help out where we can and bless others’ lives in different ways! I hope you all have a wonderful week!! Keep strong!! Kia Manuina! I miss and love you all so much!!! May the Lord be ever watchful over you all this week! Love ya!! :)

Elder Devey