Transfers

Week 21

25th May 2015

Well we just had transfers and I now have a SAMOAN SOA!!!!   I was so happy haha but it means one thing for us.. Lots of mischief hahaha Nah we haven't being getting up to to much trouble. His name is Elder Vole, from Auckland :) Its fun as speaking Samoan together, though his Samoan in more fluent than mine. Its actually pretty weird we are like twins in the work haha think the same, do the same and like the same things haha except he has a girlfriend back home he always tells me about ehh -.- 

Well me and My new Soa are really looking forward to the work this week, we have done alot of planning and organizing and so far with the members and lessons with investigators they have being a blast. They love us lol must be because we're Samoan aye hahahah..

I love my new soa, he is actually almost finished his mission. He finishes in 2 months and I'm learning heaps from him and we blasting in the work. No baptismal dates yet but it something we are going to try and do this week. We have OYM'd (Open Your Mouth) to alot of people and shared with them, there are so many people ready to hear the gospel. 

I wish you all could see all the miracles, tender mercies and blessings I see and have come to know for this life we live in. Life is not just a mere Existence  Its is our own personal Experience.  

Sorry I cannot write more about the mission, never enough time to write a good email to family and riends. The work is good though and Baptisims shouldnt be too far off. But that's not how you measure the success of a missionary, by your investigators are because then you know your doing your duty. I love this work and cant wait to keep going!! Well have to go, we have an appointment soon.

Vinaka vaka levu, au lomani kemudou va levu sara ga. Kalougata vei kemudou vei nomudou kaulotu.
Moce vakalailai

Lots of pics!

Week 20

18th May 2015

This Morning I was reading the Liahona Magazine as part of my studies. I read a talk by Mathew S. Holland, he spoke about the Prophet Joseph Smith and spoke about some of Joseph Smiths trials on the road to Palmyra where he would have the first vision and see God the Father and the Begotten Son Jesus Christ.

Joseph Smith went through many trials and hard times growing up... Including a Typhoid sickness which caused Joseph Smith to become very ill and sick for weeks. He developed a infection in his shoulder, which doctors assumed was just a sprain until a second analysis was given and realizing it was a serious infection which then spread to his knee bone. Young Joseph Smith only 7yrs old encountered an excruciating pain as the surgeons operated on his leg. Anesthetic was not available to the people of that time and so young Joseph said he would bear the pain with the request that his father hold him down and his mother leave the room. The surgery was a success but Joseph was on crutches for 3 years. Joseph suffered many others things and a great number of trials before and after the First vision. His family was poor and labored hard. 

But Brother Hollands' quote is true indeed "Yes, he surely could have, but he didn't" ... God, yes surely could have removed the trial and done many other miracles and blessed Joseph and the family greatly but he didn't? Why? because that is the purpose of mortal life "To learn, Grow and experience." If we don't than how do we know how to defer right and wrong, good and bad. If not for these experiences and knowledge how can we make daily decisions in this world called LIFE. How do we fulfill the purpose of mortal life if we do not first experience suffering and heartache so that we may know and understand true happiness and joy. Adam and Eve realized this principle once they had come in to mortal life after partaking of the forbidden fruit.

Think of trials and hardships that you suffer and have come into your life and you have asked God a similar questions such as "Heavenly Father, why? why me? can you please take this burden away. I don't need this right now, please forgive me and help me to be better. Take this away from me." 

Many times God wont take the burden away but as I have learned from reading the Book of Isaiah, the lord God will not take trial from you, but he will help and aid you. "His hand is still stretched out" His hand is always there to AID you, he will always deliver you from trial by giving you assurances from the aid he gives to you. Such as promptings and impressions from the Holy Ghost, loving feelings or signs, and strength. The trick though to these promised blessings of rescue are turning to him and asking for the help and then striving to move forward with his promises of help to you.

We may sometimes say to ourselves that our lives can never live up to or be as good as the Prophet Joseph Smith, or Thomas S. Monson, other people, Jesus Christ or even God. But that is what mortal life is for, to learn, grow and experience so that we may prepare to return to God and be like him through his son Jesus Christ's promised blessings and covenants we make with him. We may come to a point in our lives once or twice or even multiple times when we feel "Beaten, battered, bruised and bland from Life and Happiness seems like it was only made for the enjoyment of others lives except our own" But through God and His son Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost and the gospel we can and also be"Reclaimed, remade, recommitted and re-do things in our lives which we want to change" 

I testify of it because it has happen to me and is still happening to me, because life is a process.

Much like the Prophet Joseph Smith we will endure many pains, afflictions and hardships. Maybe not as similar as his but it is guaranteed we will endure some of the pain brought in this life because of mortality. And yet it is a most wonderful thing also, without how would we know the true happiness and joy in Life is from the family, the gospel and the Godhead. The Prophet John Taylor said (paraphrasing) that there is no other man than Jesus Christ that has done more for the work of salvation, the progression of the gospel for the children of God than Joseph Smith. I believe that and know that he restored the church we have in this day. 

Hope you have enjoyed my small message and apply it to your life :D

Another river crossing and doing some fishing ..lol.. jokes

Selfie :)

Service with Trai, Mela and Nila

Taught these guys how to make Ula Lole for the departing missionaries this transfer (my companion Elder Thomas on the right and my uso from Brisbane, Logan stake, Marsden ward Elder Fiso)

Crossing the bridge to the village

Me, Elder Lautogia, Sister Uate (departing missionary) and her companion Sister Levave

Stake Conference with some of our Branch

Mothers Day

Week 19

11th May 2015

Happy Mothers Day!!

Well not much to report this week, the week coming should be better and I'll  have more to report but as for now nothing too interesting just another normal week.

I will send some pictures for the blog and friends/family on facebook definitely. I have some good ones lol.

Just finished Skyping mum and the family, was good to talk to them and catch up. No homesickness, well not yet I dont think. 

A Week of Learning!

Week 18

04 May 2015

This past week was a week of great LEARNING!! I learnt about Love, simple and pure love. I learnt about Faith, simple and doubtless faith.

This past Wednesday we were in the village Rakiraki koro. We spend every Wednesday in this koro (village). As normal we made visits to recent converts, investigators and less actives.   We went to visit Brother Ratuluke (a recent convert) and his wife, Sister Veitenia (an investigator). 

We walked up to the front door and we saw Sister Vetenia lying on the floor asleep, she had just come back from the hospital the night before because of her diabetes. It had been playing up and she wasnt very well either due to other medical problems and suffering with a fever. No one was home it was just the two of them. She lay asleep on a ibe (ia koga or woven mat) and her husband sat on a old broken microwave in his lavalava and shirt with two iri's  (woven fans) in his hands fanning Sister Vetenia because of the heat. I really learnt about pure and simple love in that moment.

Preach my Gospel talks about when you love someone you have the pure love of Christ and that because of that love you will help, serve and honor that person. I am not yet married but from what I have learnt in my life I have come to know that when you love someone you will literally do anything to make that person happy to see that simple rewarding gift of that persons smile, laugh or warm embrace.

My companion and I love Brother and Sister Natavuto. They and the Fijian people together, are people of pure and simple faith.  In Fijian you say "Na tamata ni viti sa ikoya na tamata ni vakabauta rawarawa."

It truly baffles me that we as members in the bigger countries where the gospel grows stronger and stronger and yet many of us grown ups have many doubts to our faith. The people of Fiji are people of simple faith, they need not doubt, need not question whether God loves them or is blessing them. They know it and they know he does all according to his will and his reason. 

As we sat on the front porch of their old worn house, we spoke with Brother Ratuluke. He jumped up and greeted us with us smile when he saw us and when Sister Veitenia discovered we had come she was happy too. She couldn't move, she stayed lying down but we knew she was happy we had come. Brother Ratuluke talked to us about his reading in the Bible in the Book of Job and how it talks about Satan. He goes around the world looking for people to hurt, give trials to etc. But that God knows this and will always aid us but he does not take away the trial. The trial is for our learning but God will always aid us in getting to the end of the tunnel guarded but its the mist that confuses us and causes us to lose our way.

He said he was going to come to church on Sunday but just before he left Sister Veitenia wasnt well and she said "Please dont go, what about me? Please dont go without me. Its better we stay together, read scriptures and talk of God. So we can be together." I thought that was just beautiful. They have taught me so much about pure, simple and unquestionable faith and love. My companion and I love them so much... so much!!! Sister Veitenia just wants to come to church and be baptized but her health and age stop her from moving. We love her and her faithful loving husband.

Email time is not alot so I dont get much time to write a good and well thought through email... but I hope you understand the message I am trying to share.

Everyday I think of ways I can show and administer my love to my family because of my faith in the Savior. Truly he is the ultimate example of love, after all he did die for us, suffered and wept for us. And yet his love continues, as he paved the way for us to return. His arms are open and his aid is always close at hand. we need only "look up and reach out and grab his hand" 

I love Fiji and these beautiful people, I think of ways I can show them my love everyday. "Don't just say you love someone, show them." Any one can say "I love you",  Facebook has no limit to the amount of time one can post the phrase I love you on ones page but showing ones love to another, thats something totally different and rewarding in itself. 

I love the mission, my companion and these people and this work. Being a missionary is truly the best!!!