I noticed that in this book the author shares a lot of the thoughts and feelings that he had on his mission. I thought that these thoughts that he shared helped me to better understand the situation of things and what was happening. I liked that I can see how he really felt, because in the movie you can't tell what he's thinking about or what exactly he's feeling.
He started out the story with a little about when he grew up (the Great Depression and World War Two), and since I know he's still alive it made me think how that wasn't so long ago after all. Then he talked a little about high school and how he met Jean Sabin (his future wife) on his first date (it was a blind date).
After that it proceeds to tell about when he got his mission call. He says that when he herd he was going to Tonga he didn't even know where that was. Before he left he and Jean promised that they wouldn't get married to anyone until he returned from his mission.
It took three months for him to make it to Tonga, due to complications on the trip. The complications allowed him to serve in the Orange District in California for awhile before he caught a boat to America Samoa. Then he sailed to Fiji, and finally to Tonga.
Elder Groberg was sent to serve on the island (there's one hundred seventy one islands) Niuatoputapu, Tonga. He enjoyed many wonderful spiritual experiences there.
In one experience a Tongan father came to Elder Groberg carrying the limp body of his son. Elder Groberg looked down at the child and announced that he was dead. Then the father said, "I don't know if he's dead or not but I know that you help him".
So Elder Groberg took the boy into his house and began a form of CPR. He did this for about a day and a half to two days (and nights) straight. Eventually the boy woke, and Elder Groberg gave him back to his father.
Something that the Tongans did for special occasions was that one family had to furnish a pig. So they would let out a couple pigs out of their pig pen, and a group of men and boys would chase after a certain pig. When they got to the pig they'd beat it up with machetes, clubs, stones, and sticks until it drew its last breathe. Then they would fry it up for dinner.
I really enjoyed the many fun stories that Elder Groberg tells from his mission. They are all unique and interesting. They show a great example of a different culture.
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