Amazing Week!

Week 47

23rd November 2015

Ni Sa Bula Vina'a

Well!!!! Whaat a Tripp!!! Both physically and spiritually :) And where to begin with explaining this amazing trip shuxx!! first of all I am tired as, we all are, we literally just got off the boat from Taveuni and took an hour ride to Savusavu so we can email today :) Because its PDAY lol, not wasting this day for the world haha But anyway Taveuni was amazing! Beautiful and spiritually a ball. Ill try and send photo's..

It was a great 4/5 days trip with all the members in Vanua Levu, Rabi and Taveuni. District Conference was honestly powerful!! As us missionaries all woke up early to be seated and help prepare for the morning of District Conference. As we greeted families, the elderly, children, young men and women as well as leaders. Greeting members who has literally traveled around the whole island just to come hear the voice of the Lord speak through their leaders the District presidency as well as the mission President and Area Seventy Elder Pearson. Many of us missionaries shed tears as we saw these members literally travel by faith alone rather than their legs which carried them. It was magical, a moment to remember!!!

We had the great opportunity to hear from Elder Pearson, the Area Seventy in the Pacific. Booy!!!! He is a SMART man and I loved all the things which he spoke about. He got right in the faces of the members especially to the men the women not really but he focus on he men and especially toward Kava and as the question "Are you a Priesthood Holder or a Villager?" & "Are you a Son of God or just another person in the Village?" I thought about this question, it really interested me a lot? It made me think about us Polynesians, yes many of us are born in to villages and grow up in the village doing and only knowing village life but that doesn't mean we come from the Village?? No. I thought of another example in Australia, many Polynesians all year round are migrating to great land down under to do what they say is to "Re-start their lives, or give a better life to their children, or seek change etc." But yet all they have really done is just bring the Village to a new land and are still practicing the Village customs. eg. Abuse to women, Kava drinking etc. So are we Children of God or just another Villager?? I loved this point he was trying to get across.

He spoke a lot about our Identity. And how when we can understand who we are, it changes everything even our views on our culture and how some customs can be put away in order to continue being Polynesian but as well as disciples of God. I loved his teachings, because although I love being a Polynesian I know that some things can be forgone in order "To be inline ourselves with God" - Elder Pearson. He also posed another question I loved and greatly thought about myself "What do I need to STOP doing, in order for me to be inline with God?" I loved how he said stop instead of start!! because if we are not inline with God then we have follow no principle and have no promise with or for us. When we're out of line we go against God and when we are out of line we can sometimes fall down to the river or wonder off to the large and spacious building in Lehi's dream. There was so much I learnt and wrote down over the last couple days. Sorry this letter wont be so great I didn't have any time to prepare a well thought out email, we boarded the boat this morning at 6am and arrived to Vanua Levu around 8am.

But Taveuni was amazing!! I shared many moment laughing, shedding tears and smiling with the Tukavesi members and other members also. The chance to be reunited with the members from Tukavesi, I saw them and they all ran to me and literally dog pilled me in hugs. I miss those guys so much!!! They say the work, and just the feeling of the missionaries isn't the same anymore lol haha the members in Tukavesi are literally like family to me. I miss them so much, I wore my Tahitian necklace I received from MTC from my Tahitian friends, everyone wanted it off me hahaha ... reunited with all the Samoan missionaries too and had a lot of jam sessions!!! District President asked us to do a musical item in Conference because he overheard our harmonies :P :P hehe nah kidding was cool to do a musical item though. Zone Conference was a blast also with so much learnt there as well and learning about the confirmed plans for next years rededication of the temple.

All the missionaries in Fiji will be attending the rededication and we will have the presence of President Henry B. Eyring in attendance with another new apostle (Don't know yet?) All us missionaries will attend a cultural night at the Suva ANZ Stadium where us missionaries will also march on the field at one point and join the Celebration :) All sisters will be guides when the temple is going through open house to the public. We also got to view the new Christmas video for the church this Christmas which is not out yet we're told. We also received a number of give away cards in preparation for the Christmas message this December :DD Truly there is no better time to be in Fiji than NOW!!! I am so blessed and grateful to be here!!! I can't even explain how blessed I am. One more things before I close off was that Elder Pearson had a private meeting with Just us missionaries and shared many wisdoms to us one of them being that we are not on missions to prove anything to anyone!!! Not our friends, family, country etc. We will come to know and learn at some point that we are serving Heavenly Father so that he may show to us that we can do, be, and say anything we want in our lives and that through the gospel we can know how much we really are capable of in order to seek our divine potential!! :) I love that :))

I learn't so much, felt so much, did so much (Climbed more mountains, had a lesson with a Chief, shook the hand of a seventy etc.) It was amazing, I shall never forget it. I love my mission, the message we bring, the membersof Fiji I love my family, my family in Tukavesi and all over Fiji a I love my heavenly father :)

Moce toka,

xoxoxoxoxo

Elder Lemusu

#FijiSuvaMission #SMILE #SpirituallyMindedIsLifeEternal

3 hour hike, Diwali and more...

Week 46

16th November 2015

Ni sa Bula Si'a Matuvuvale!!

Maan, this week has been a great experience!! Im getting down the Dialect in my area way good!!! In their dialect you dont use the letters K or T, and they have some different words that replace the normal Fijian language that every one knows which is called by the way "Vosa Vaka Bau - Bauan Language" ... Its way cool :) All the people we dont know get so surprised and excited that I can speak their tongue haha truly one of the lords blessings he has surely given me is the gift of tongues :)

But as I said my week was a great experience. I mentioned in my last email that I am the Senior companion now and so leading the companionship was way cool and fun. I love my new companion, he is just like Sheldon in the tv show The Big Bang Theory!! He's  soo funny, many people find him weird, peculiar and slightly strong character but I  think he is pretty cool. His english is waay on point too haha so sophisticated. He teaches me tonnes cause he is just this ball of continuous knowledge!! 

This past week we only had 5 lessons, due to the fact that our goal as a companionship wasn't to get lessons. Our goal was to get to know the area, the people and how the work could and should go about. Even though I have spent more time in the area than my comp, I wouldn't say that I know everything about it because before we would only spend a few days and then leave to the next area. So this past week we took it slow and just tried to soak everything in, build relationships with people and sort've get a feel on how we would do the work. GOAL ACHIEVED!!
 

We did exactly that. This week we won't be in our area all week because we will be in Taveuni for Zone conference, Distrcit Conference, District meeting and Missionary Night with one of the Seventy - Elder Pearson I believe. 

Nabua area is way cool, tonnes of less actives and not really any investigators at the moment. We tried to go and see Nai but she wasn't home so we will try again next week after Taveuni trip. We have tonnes planned, we recently organized with the Branch Presidency that we will be beginning a Friday Night Games night and a Saturday activity each week. Somewhat like mutual and institue but not really at the same time lol. We're doing this to start opening the people, the village up to us and the church and to ultimatly achieve some new investigators in the church. PLAN PLAN PLAN!!! if theres one thing you must learn on the mission its PLANNING!! lol. But its awesome though :)

Nabua area is awesome, beautiful, lush and green, happy and joyful but we're going to hopefully make it better or at least start something to make it better before me or my companion leaves the area. Need to always think of the eternal perspective and big goal!! Don't let the small things distract you cause Satan loves making shinny pretty things seem like such a big deal when really the answers sitting right there in our faces. 

This week also was Diwali a Hindu celebration which is like our Christmas for them, there was tonnes of fireworks and Indian sweets and food made :) but for us out in the bush, no fireworks, no nice Indian food lol just a long 3 hour walk home through the night because the bus broke down oi auuuuee -.- Was fun though, the bush is great because it always provides sustainment. Fruits and Coconut water is always there to be used hahah just don't take it from people farms or land lol.

But yeah well I think I should share something spiritual before me and my companion finish emails,  because we are starving and are hungry sara ga :) Think we will go eat Chinese. 

My comp has only been out 6 months so I feel like he is my son (trainee) I really feel and think that my mission President gave me Elder Van der Linden to prepare me to train next transfer, everyone is saying it, even my companion thinks the same and President has mentioned it to me a couple times if I would want to but I told him I wasn't ready yet but I feel so ready now. I think in my interview with President I will tell him and discuss with him too. 

My cousin Elder Roberts is serving in the same mission as me!!! He is where I served in Rakiraki and he is being trained by a missionary I know lol His trainers from Arizona, Elder Noble. Elder Roberts also had his first baptism recently too!!!! So happy for him,I literally cannot wait to see him if not soon at the rededication of the Fiji Suva Temple next year February :)

But anyway something spiritual, well this week I have learnt the wonderful attribute of gratitude.  I haven't mastered it, but I have learnt and experienced it this week. How important it is to be grateful, yes even for a bus that broke down on us and we had to walk 3 hours home in the dark. Every experience is a learning experience a chance for you to seek the knowledge within and take hold of the oppotunity to be grateful for the wisdom you learn even from the smallest of experiences. That is what I have found anyway, our bus broke down on us and my comp moaned and groaned all the way, I wanted to as well I mean I'm not a angel. 

But I know that if the bus hadn't broken down then my comp and I wouldn't have had the 3 hour chance to talk to one another get to know each other more, grow closer as a companionship and learn from each others personalities, attitudes and perspectives. 

Everything and everywhere is a chance to seek knowledge, but to seek knowledge you MUST have one important thing within you and that is UNDERSTANDING!! You can't learn something if you don't understand, you cannot be humble if you are not willing to understand the situation or the person as well as yourself. 

Understanding as Russel M Ballard speaks of in his book "Our Search for happiness" is vital it is key and if we desire knowledge and learning we must be understanding. I told my companion this week there are no such things as coincidences or luck which is what my Uncle Aaron Stirling said. And believe that, everything is planned everything has its opposite, if you chose to do wrong a consequence can follow and the plan God has if you do wrong start to come into play. God knows everything, he creates all that lives, breathes and moves and that is and if we can only learn from these things and acquire them to ourselves and remember to show thanks and give thanks. I can only imagine how much more blessed we will be because we took the time to understand, to learn, to grown and to give thanks. I am not perfect, I murmur like Laban and Lamuel did in the Book of Mormon, I feel wroth sometimes like the Lamanites but if I just remember the path that is before me and not give in to the natural man which makes things so easy and tempting to follow. I can recevie greater, more wonderful and wholesome blessings and gifts I could ever imagine.

Somethings, sometimes and some people dont always look, sound or seem the best but in the eternal run, they can truly be and sometimes are and will be the most wonderous. Understanding is needed in all things :) 

Now time to speak some Fijian lol 

Au lomani kemuni kece na noqu matuvuvale, au sa vakavinavinavinaka vei na kalou me baleta noqu matuvuvale. Ko i au buiti noqu tamata meu veqaravi kemuni e na nomuni cakacaka meu tara cake na matanitu ni kalou. Au lomani kemuni turanga noda ivakabula ko Jisu karisito kei na noda kalou na tamada vakalomalagi. Au kila dina nona vosa, nona vunau, nona ivakavuvuli, io keveka keda na muria o koya. dina na veivakalougatataki e na lako mai vei keda mai noda vale i lomalagi. Oqo na ka bibi au via wasea vei kemuni kece na noqu matuvuvale, e na yaca ni noda turaga, noda ivakabula na luvena ni kalou ko Jisu Karisito, emeni.

Try have a go at understanding this family :P lol Love you all, sorry no pictures today, USB might have a virus on it so better get that fixed lol. Love you all so very much, my comp and I are going to go eat Chinese food now :P hahah PDAY@!! LOVE YOU ALLL XOXOXOXOX

Elder Lemusu

#FijiSuvaMission #SMILE #SpirituallyMindedIsLifeEternal

And then the photos came through... :) 

My 19th Birthday!

Week 45

9th November 2015

Isa.... Bula Vinaka,

Woah!!! The big 19years old?? Shuxx, haha I wrote in my journal yesterday morning before me and my new companion went to church and I remember writing man?? Doesn't even feel like I am 19years old or that its my birthday. Just feels like another day here on the mission :P An ordinary Sunday, here in Fiji lol. I woke up, wrote in my personal journal because I forgot to do it the night before and then we did studies and headed off to church. I hadn't told anyone about my birthday so it was a normal Sunday which was good. Wasn't too keen on having a big celebration, we've being having those a lot this past transfer so a bit party-ied out I guess lol. But nevertheless I am 19 years old now, to think in another year maybe after or before I am 20 years old I will be home and i'll be in those 20's years lol.. But its way cool though because im sharing my birthday with 2 other missionaries Sister Aumua and Elder Fiso, both of which are from Brisbane too. Elder Fiso from Marsden (I knew him before the mission) and Sister Aumua from Goodna :)

But nah the Zone leaders made me a microwave cake because you we're all bush missionaries so did what we could to celebrate haha.. its was pretty nice too. A chocolate cake with Nutella icing and a match as a candle lol. Last week though was a hard week for me. Our area has now being split into two area's from one big area, now into two. And so my companion before Elder Davis is taking over Tukavesi area and me Nabua. It was so hard to say goodbye to them, I mean well I'll still see them around and all but just not being around them 24/7 I'm going to miss they were literally like family and I think that's why it was hard because I felt home sick lol. But as my new companion said to me "I have being given the Nabua area to build and help grow." Which is true, I love Nabua but I guess because we never spent a lot of time there my love grew deeper for the people in Tukavesi, but I guess that only means I need to try and grow and deepen my love for the people and my new family in Nabua.

But my last week in Tukavesi was waayy cool. Monday we had a farewell party for the 2 missionaries in our district who were going home and then a small one for me on the Wednesday. The Branch President daughter, who always comes out with me when we do exchanges, gave me a Salusalu which means necklace. It was waayy nice, reason we didn't have a big party is because when I do get transferred I will go back there and have a proper farewell party with my family there lol. After that we spent about 2 days in Labasa waiting for new companions to come in for the most people in the zone, mann transfers is always so busy and complicated!

But as I mentioned I have a new companion. His names Elder Van der Linden He's from Perth, and has that strong Australian accent oi auuee!! I was asking about him before I met him to kind've get a idea of what he is like and he is everything everyone told me. Weird, slightly awkward, a bit loose in the head, uses big long words etc. If I could help you understand he is the exact representation of "Sheldon" from the TV show The Big Bang Theory, and to me he is WAYY COOL!!! I mean yeah he is a bit funny, but I think he is way cool. As soon as I met him, we have just being talking and talking. I've being trying to get to know him more and more oh and by the way I am Senior Companion and I've come to know a lot about him and I guess it just comes down to people's understanding. People don't try to understand the guy, he's way cool :) He told me some of his weaknesses which is Fijian and Social cues especially e.g.. when people are and aren't interest in what he' saying. He is very in to medi-evil times, swords, dragons etc. And he is even writing a book currently on the mission :) He's a pretty cool guy, have a lot to teach him and I know there is a tonne I can learn from him because he is literally like a walking Book of Mormon, Dictionary etc.

We didn't really do any work this past week due to transfers. It's always so busy during transfers time. I love serving in the North!!! Truly its the best I don't want to leave!!! Cakaudrove Province is the BOMB!!! but yeah my goal is to work real hard this week because next week we won't be in our area all week again because of District Conference is like Stake Conference just the Stake hasn't become a stake yet so its a district. And that's going to be a way busy week too!!! Monday and Tuesday we will be in Savusavu for PDAY and District meeting, Wednesday we take a 1 hour and a half ferry ride out to the Island of Taveuni. Friday is Zone Conference as well as interviews with Mission President, Saturday and Sunday is District Conference as well as a special Missionary conference with one of the Seventy and a Unity/ Games night with all the missionaries!!! YESS!!! I can't wait for that, should be waayyy fun!! :) And then the following Monday we head back to our area's. All the members and missionaries in Vanua Levu will be attending, and its going to be so hard with only one ferry boat service a day going to Taveuni. I don't know how it will all work out to be honest, I just hope the members get to the conference safely. I know some branches taking their own little tin boats to save money and all :(

My new companion though is Fair-Din-Kum?? I don't know how to spell that Aussie word lol. He is way supportive of our plans for Nabua to try and build relationships with people and try and open the Village more up to us because at the moment everyone is a bit shy of us and so we've made a plan to do a lot of service so we can open peoples hearts and build relationships with them so we can eventually have new investigators as well as trying to strengthen our less actives in the Village which the chapel and which we live in too. My comp and I call it "Operation TLC" because that's what this area need right now. But yeaahh thanks for the birthday wishes family!! Haha the missionaries were right, birthdays on the mission are just another day lol.

But well I have to get going, but before I do I just want to share one small spiritual miracle I've seen this week and that is if you have patience the things you desire will come to you if the lord see's that you need them and are worthy to have them :)

Elder Lemusu

#FijiSuvaMission #SMILE #SpirituallyMindedIsLifeEternal

Earthquake, Funeral and Farewells

Week 44

2nd November 2015

Ni Bula Vinaka Peoplezzz..

Sorry I couldn't write you all individually today man there is just so many of you emailing me. I have to do a couple things today because we having a missionary farewell organised with one of our area in Tukavesi. So I need to go make some preparations. So I will be very brief this week...

This week we sadly heard that Brother Qabale pasted away last night, the brother who's wife is blind if you all remember,  and my companion and I invited their niece to be baptized. Yes he sadly died, which is sad and this week is transfers so I don't know if we will attend the funeral?? But last week we had a small earthquake during the night and I didn't feel a thing but my comp did and he freaked out hahaha I didn't even realize tbh... we also ate some awesome cooked octopus and turtle beautiful!!!!!

We did service and cleaned like the entire village and put in some new cement stairs at the chapel. I don't want to be transferred this week but I know if it happends its for the best I truly love this area!!!!! It's so amazing omgsh!!! the people are beautiful I will send more pictures of them next week... isa.. but yeah tomorrow is the party for some missionaries in our district going home so we doing a party up in the koro and me and the samoan sister in our district are doing a samoan dance so looking forward to that..

Well that's about our week. We had 2 new investigators and we went to see uncle Edwin again the one who lives far far as... and walks 7 hours to church and hes like 53yrs old too.. but yeah sorry family I have to go. Wish I could stay longer lots to do today and this week too. Pray for me guys :)))

love you all xoxoxoxo

Elder Lemusu

#FijiSuvaMission #SMILE #SpirituallyMindedIsLifeEternal