We must learn to love . . .

Sunday 20 August 2017





The Mosiah District - Top Row: E. Remuera, E. Laughingoa, E. Mamea,E. Vaekau, E. Silva Bottom Row: S. Wang, S. Lamositele, S. Digo, E. Malrory

Perhaps the favorite hour spent at the MTC on this Sabbath day was the District meeting I attended. We have 10 districts of young missionaries this intake and counting the 2 senior missionary couples we have 10 adults who could split up and attend one of the district meetings. Our role is just to attend and lend support. I happened into the Mosiah District, one of the ESL districts and shared one of the richest spiritual moments I’ve had here on our mission.

The Mosiah District contains the two Zone Leaders from Intake 11, Elder Mamea and Elder Lauhingoa, both missionaries we have come to love. The district leader is Elder Vaekau. He is the Elder who was so homesick his first days at the MTC. He had worked every day with his father and missed him terribly. The other missionaries are Elder Silva from Brazil, Elder Malrory - one of our favorite humble missionaries (Both Elder Thatcher and I commented to each other that Elder Malrory reminds us of Alex. He has the same smile and goodness. He is humble and kind. You wouldn’t see any resemblance unless you met him and then you too might think he reminds you of Alex, Elder Remuera from Kiribati, sister Lamositele, Sister Digo, and Sister Wang. There are 9 missionaries in this district from 8 different countries all trying to learn English together.

Elder Vaekau asked the District what they would like to set for goals for this coming week and told them that they were also asked to pick one of the attributes of Christ to work on. Elder Lauhingoa began to speak,

‘We need to work on Love, and I will tell you why.’ he said. Then he told of an incident he had seen in the last two days where some of the new Elders had approached Elder Malrory when he was going to ‘sport’ (what they call exercise or a sporting activity here).

‘Hey!’ one said, ‘see that black jacket you are wearing? It is the same color as your face!’

Elder Laughingoa said the comment was rudely said and meant to hurt. Elder Laughingoa said he had to leave and go to the District room and sit alone by himself. He was upset and needed to control his temper.

‘I was locked up because of my anger.’ he told us. ‘I was allowed to come on this mission but I can’t let my anger be expressed because I am a missionary. But if I wasn’t wearing this name tag I would have flattened him. He would have been on the ground! As I sat in this room I began to think of Elder Malrory. He wasn’t angry. He just smiled at the Elder. Elder Malrory had love not anger in his heart. I need to be like Elder Malrory. I need to work on having love in my heart. Elder Malrory is like Jesus.’

Then Sister Lamositele told of how she missed the other Elders and Sisters who had left. They loved us and included us. They helped us with our English. These new Elders laugh at us and we know they look down on us. But we need to love them. We are the older missionaries here. (After all they have 3 weeks under their belts) We need to set an example for them and maybe they will learn that we are all children of Heavenly Father.’ She spoke in the sweetest most loving voice. There were tears in her eyes because of the hurt but such softness in her voice and strength in her resolve to help the new Elders and Sisters. ‘I try to help them like the others helped us.’

Elder Malrory (from Vanuatu - from a very poor family) told us about his father who had never been an angry man and had taught him to love all people. ‘When the Elder said that to me, I felt no anger. I just smiled at him and felt love for him. I wanted him to know that I loved him. When I knock on any door I will love the person who opens the door and they will feel that love.’

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Elder Malrory spoke. All these missionaries love Elder Malrory. He is the humblest of all and the most loving to them.

Elder Vaekau told them that when the others laugh at them they mustn’t let that stop them. They must keep speaking English so they can learn it. He told them that he had changed since coming to the MTC. ‘I was a normal Tongan young man. If someone said something I didn’t like I fought them. I was mean to my younger brother and would say rude things to girls. But no more. I am changed. My father wasn’t from Tonga, he is from Vanuatu and he has a quiet, kind voice and no anger. Sometimes he would give me a job to do at home and I would forget to do it. He would come home but would never show anger, instead he would do the job he had asked me to do. He would tell my mother to speak softly and with no anger to the children so we could have the spirit of the Lord in our home. He told me when I left for my mission that I was now Elder Vaekau and not a young adult anymore. I needed to learn to be a man and be true. So now I will be an example to these new missionaries. I will be up before they are up and show them how to be obedient and I will try to be like my father and like Elder Malrory and show love.’

Elder Silva asked for everyone to speak English all the time to help him as he was struggling to learn it. He said he can understand nothing of Tongan, Samoan, or the other languages and it only confuses him when they speak their languages. All expressed that they would do this to help him.

All expressed love for their companions and for each other and desires to become more than they were. It was one of those meetings you never wanted to end. You didn’t want the door to open thinking the spirit would exit as it opened. I left humbled and filled with love for these humble, sweet, young servants of the Lord. If you opened your door and found Elder Malrory on your doorstep you would feel his love and let him in. You would want him to stay in your home. You would want to be like he is.