Goodbye & Hello to Senior Missionaries

Sister KiniKini is leaving us to go home.  We had a farewell dinner for her and her son and his wife and daughter.  She requested to go to the Emerald Hotel for dinner where they serve Chinese food.  We had a great crowd and she will be sorely missed.  She was a Temple Missionary who was not afraid to tell the Tongans when they were doing something wrong.  She was quite the character.  She has been on seven missions now.  Her son says it is time for her to stay home as the family misses her very much.

We then welcomed the Wolfgrams, from Salt Lake, who will be temple missionaries.  He is Tongan but was raised in New Zealand.  She was in the Peace Corp here in Tonga.  They met when Elder Wolfgram came to Tonga for a visit.  They are full of energy and ready to go to work, but the temple is closed right now, so they are checking out all the changes here in Tonga since they were here last.

We then also welcomed Sister Niutupuivaha.  Try to say that name, it is definitely a mouthful!  She is also a temple missionary.  She will be taking Sister Kinikini place.  She is from Tonga so she will fit right in, no adjustment for her!

Following are some pictures of the farewell and the welcomes.

This is Sister Kinikini's farewell dinner at the Emerald Hotel.  To the right is Sister Kinikini and her son.

This is part of the group that joined in her farewell dinner.

More of the group at the Emerald Hotel.

Here come the Wolfgrams, fresh off the plane.

They are welcomed by all and given leis

This is the Wolfgrams with President and Sister Tupou and the Temple President.

This is the group that went to welcome the Wolfgrams to Tonga.

This is Sister Niutupuivaha who is here to be a Temple missionary.  She will fit right in as she is from Tonga.

"Saving souls includes sharing the gospel and participating in missionary work.  It includes engaging in temple and family history work.  It includes doing everything possible to become spiritually and temporally self reliant.  Julie B. Beck