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News Story

Former Mission President Lynn Makamaile Performs on TV Tonga

Elder Lynn McMurray sings an original song in Tongan

Elder Lynn McMurray, former President of the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was recently featured speaking and singing on TV Tonga.

Serving as mission president in Tonga from 2007 to 2010, Elder McMurray often did a 30 minute radio broadcast (as did ministers of other faiths). He discovered that the dilapidated old broadcast building housed a veritable treasure trove of old Tongan recordings gathered over many decades.

                               

Elder Lynn McMurray, former President of the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was recently featured speaking and singing on TV Tonga.

Serving as mission president in Tonga from 2007 to 2010, Elder McMurray often did a 30 minute radio broadcast (as did ministers of other faiths). He discovered that the dilapidated old broadcast building housed a veritable treasure trove of old Tongan recordings gathered over many decades.

Realizing that this priceless collection could easily be lost in a moment through lightning, fire, hurricane, or earthquake, he recently met in Tonga with Station Manager Setita Tu’i’onetoa to discuss possible ways to preserve this irreplaceable collection.

Following their discussion, Ms. Tu’i’onetoa interviewed him and had him sing three songs he wrote in Tongan to express his love for the people. She broadcast the interview on Tongan national TV that very evening and later posted it to YouTube.

Another person posted one of the songs to a Facebook account. In just over three weeks, the two clips have been viewed over 73,000 times with over 2,700 shares.

                                                           

Elder McMurray is currently serving as a full-time senior missionary in the Pacific Area offices in Auckland, New Zealand, as Associate Area Legal Counsel.

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