Members of Tongan Congregation Look Forward to Moving From Garage to New Church Building

For the past 10 years members of the Fangaloto Ward (congregation) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been gathering in a converted garage and outdoors for their Sabbath day meetings. 

Soon, though, a new building will be finished and available for the Fangaloto Ward.

Before it grew large enough to become a ward, the Fangaloto Branch was created from the Popua Ward. It had only 47 members.

The first president of the Fangaloto Branch was Filimone Maketi Tu'ikolovatu. In the first two years of the branch's existence, President Tu'ikolovatu and his counselors, Penisimani Naeata and Tevita Havili, worked diligently meeting with members and seeing to their needs. The branch had nowhere to meet so President Tu'ikolovatu offered his garage and yard for the meetings of the branch.

Attendance at the branch grew each week until after two years it had grown enough that it became a ward. Some of the growth came as the result of ministering to the needs of existing members who were not actively participating, but most of it resulted from the good works of the branch members who participated in service projects to assist those not of the LDS faith. As others saw the good works being done by Church members, many wanted to be a part of it.

The Fangaloto Ward now has over 300 members and some time in the third quarter of this year will join two other wards in a new building currently under construction.