05/01/2016

THis week has been great. We had the wonderful baptism of two youth of
the noble birthright. Aate and Abaua. They are both 14. I just gotta
talk a bit about Aate (ah tey), when we started teaching him everyone
(even his mon) told us about how aweful he was. How much of a rough
living, horible, disobedient child he was. But we're missionaries, so
we payed them no notice. Well we taught him and we saw a great kid
trying to do what;s right in a rough world. I never really put all the
pieces together until last week when I interviewd him. I went through
all the interview questions and then got to the word of wisdom.

I asked about drinking and and he said that he hadn't done it since the
new year. I raised my eyebrows and asked about before the new year, he
said that when he was in 2nd grade he figured out how to make an
alcoholic drink out of coconut sap, and became a heavy drinker. Then
he said that in 3rd grade he picked up smoking and chewing tobacco. He
did all three up until December. Man he had some crazy stories to tell
about him partying and making havoc in the town, but he looked so
remorseful about it. Then I asked him why he had stopped. He said that
when the new year was coming he was talking to his mother and she was
asking him if he would ever stop. She said that he was going to become
a drunkard and a smoker until he dies. She told him about new years
resolutions and challenged him to stop. He said that he would. By the
sounds of it he stopped dinking and smoking cold turkey Jan 1. Then He
dropped his old friend group that would do all those things. They
would tell him to smoke and he would literally run away, until they
stopped asking. The only thing he held on to was tobacco. 

Back in the end of January or at the start of February he asked his parents if we
could teach him. We started visiting him and having heard rumors
taught him the Word of Wisdom sooner than usual. He struggled with
that drug. We told him to pray and to do his best. Then after about
three weeks we met with him and he was almost in tears about how hard
it was to quit. We told him how awesome he was and encouraged him a
little more. We met him the next week and he said that he had quit the
day after (Sunday). That was over a month ago. In the interview I told
him that it might happen that after he is baptised it may happen that
he may slip. I told him to imagine what he would feel if he smoked
again. He just took one puff, then felt so bad that he trhew it away
and ran. I told him that satan would try to convince him of how
horrible of a person he was and that he was dirty and unworthy to pray
or come to church. He didn't even wait to be asked, he immedietly
said, 'that;s not how God works, he is always reaching out to us and
trying to help us to come back to him' I am so greatful that I was
able to help this choice Spirit of Heaven;y Father's through baptism
and receiving the Holy Ghost. His words are true to us all, no matter
what we have done in the past Heavenly Father wants more than anything
to bring us back. He loves us all.

Love,
Elder Morley