Two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Tonga and another of Tongan descent, who are called to serve for the next three years as Mission Presidents for the Church, were welcomed by Elder James J. Hamula to the annual Mission President’s Seminar at Church Headquarters to begin their training.
President Inoke Fotu Kupu, along with his wife Sister Mona Kupu, will lead the Zambia Lusaka Mission. President Sitiveni Fehoko and his wife Kilisitina Tu'Itamala Fehoko will oversee the Papua New Guinea Lae Mission. President Sione Fifita Tuione and his wife Molal Fe’aomoe Lupe, both New Zealanders, will lead the Tonga Nuku’alofa Misson.
Elder Hamula, a General Authority Seventy and currently Executive Director of the Church Correlation Department, feels a closeness to Tonga and its people having served as Pacific Area President for the Church for three years. His wife, Sister Joyce Anderson Hamula, was also on hand for the welcome.
“Sister Hamula and I were thrilled to greet the Kupus, Fehokos and Tuiones,” said Elder Hamula.
“We are so happy – and proud – to see so many couples from the Pacific serving as new mission presidents, along with their wives.”
Mission presidents are responsible for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their assigned areas. They supervise, train and lead up to 200 missionaries, who are mostly young men and women ages 18-22 assigned to them from around the world. The missionaries pay their own expenses while they serve for between 18 and 24 months.