Elder Kitchen finally writes.....yeah!

Wow Hello from Niue my Family!!
Man it feels like its been a while since I've e mailed you. I missed reading your e mails and telling you all about mine. Thanks so much for sending me such wonderful emails and I loved reading them. It sounds like a lot of exciting things have happened over there and it was so good to read all of them. Well I've been pretty good....some ups and downs. A lot of things have happened that I want to tell you but I don't have a lot of time today. So I'm not going to go into much detail. Next week when Elder Fanguna is gone we are going to spend extra time E-mailing so I can catch up.

Well it was so good talking to you guys on the phone. I've missed hearing your voices. I loved every second of the call but it seemed way too short. I miss you all so much. It was so hard to get off the phone for me. I got so emotional and I know all of you did also. I'm very glad we got to talk and I could tell mom happy mothers day. After wards it was really hard and I got home sick but I'm doing a lot better now.

Well since I don't have a lot of time I'll just tell you some of the things that has been going on over here in Niue for me and then next week I will answer questions and reply to your emails. I'm so sorry I have to do this, I feel really bad. Well my week has been crazy. Some exciting things, some hard things, some awesome, and others bad. We did a ton of service at the beginning of last week, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and we did service all day Tuesday. We planted a lot of Taro (which is really hard work), picked up heavy rocks, gathered twigs, tore down an old shed and burned it all, and did a lot of work in the bush like gathering coconut leaves for members. Wednesday we did a ton of service too, cutting grass, and even did a lot of concrete (cement) work, and we cemented a members driveway. We have done a ton of service this week. Well I guess I worked too hard, didn't drink enough water, or got heat exhaustion, but I got sick. Wednesday evening I started to feel weak and like I was getting sick. And then on Thursday I woke up really sick. Almost all day Thursday I just slept, I was in bed all day. I wasn't extremely sick but I just didn't want to get worse so we took the day off so I could rest. A really nice member named Robin took really good care of me. Well Friday when I woke up I still felt sick so I could do missionary work but we didn't do any service. Now I am not sick except I STILL have a bad cough. I am going to go to the doctors to see if I have a throat infection, I just wont stop coughing. But please don't worry about me...the doctors here are very good and medical treatment is free. So they will give me or treat me to make it all better.

On Wednesday I also got to give a blessing to a sick member in the hospital. It was amazing. The spirit worked through me and told me exactly what to say. It was a very spiritual experience and a powerful blessing. He is doing great now. It truly was a miracle and I know that blessings are real, miracles can still happen, and the Priesthood Power of God is real. I know if we have the priesthood and have faith and according to the will of God anything is possible. Oh yeah and long story short: The nose flute used to be very popular here, like it started in Niue or something....it eventually was a lost cultural thing and no body did it here anymore. Well Elder Fanguna knows how to make them and play. So with the help of the members and the cultural Niue people, Elder Fanguna brought the nose flute back to Niue. So on Wednesday we did a really cool workshop. We learned how to make them, then we made nose flutes, then we learned how to play them. It was awesome. So guess what, I know how to play the nose flute. I'll have to tell you more about it next week.

UGH........Elder Fanguna just told me we have to go because we have to do something....man there is so much more to tell you. I'll just list some things and then I will have to explain and go into detail next week.

Last Saturday we baptized Pita!!!! It was incredible! My first baptism on Niue.
Sunday was cool some great things happened.
Its Elder Fanguna's last week on the island. He leaves Friday. My new companion comes Friday. His name is Elder Hoko and he is from Tonga.
I'm starting to prepare to be the senior companion, I'm a little nervous, I'm starting to practice driving the manual van because I'm going to drive....its hard because its the opposite side of road and MANUAL.
Well my birthday is this Saturday!! WOW 20 years old. I haven't gotten the package but I will this Friday so the day before my birthday.
Well I'm sorry again I promise I'll make it up next Monday!!
I love you all so much. I miss you. thanks for everything. Thanks for saying happy birthday! Its going to be different but I'll still love it. Have a great week. And know I love everyone of you.
Love Elder Kitchen