Twins Sinama and Asela Tu'inukuafe from Wantirna in suburban Melbourne recently returned from their eighteen-month missions in Korea. They are the third and fourth of the eleven children in their family to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their parents, who are Tongan moved to Australia 17 years ago from New Zealand, where the twins were born.
Sinama served in Seoul South Korea mission and Asela in the Seoul South mission. Sinama said It was quite a shock to receive their assignment to Korea, but they loved it. They had their language training at the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center before arriving in Korea. Learning the Korean language was "hard but fun" they say. Both young women are now fluent in Korean as well as Tongan and English.
Apart for 18 months, they had a joyful reunion at the Seoul airport when their missions were finished and another joyful reunion with their family and friends at the Melbourne airport when they arrived home.
Both say their missions were a life-changing experience. “Learning to communicate in Korean was a humbling challenge, one that required faith and reliance on the Spirit," said Asela.
"Just as the people we taught had to exercise humility and have a desire to change old ways for better to be able to accept a new faith, we had to exercise faith in God to be able to teach His word," added Sinama. Both say it was hard leaving the many friends they made in Korea.
Asela has resumed her schooling, and Sinama is working and planning to travel back to Korea this year to do volunteer work, after which she plans to return to school.
Three generations of the Tu'inukuafe family meet on steps of Melbourne LDS Temple
