Fiji Temple Open House

Week 58

08th February 2016

Sa Bula Si'a,

Even though I have being transferred I still claim and speak my dialect of where I claim to be from in Fiji being the province of Cakaudrove (My last area). In the mission where ever your first area is that is your Kai and where ever your second area is that is your Vasu. Kai refers to your father ethnicity and Vasu refers to your mothers ethnicity. There are over 14 provinces in all of Fiji, so for me I am Kai Ra, Vasu i Cakaudrove. But annywayys...

The first bit of news I would like to share with you all is that, this past week I was very sick and still am somewhat. But its okay I can manage a little sickness but I went to the mission office to pick up some medicine and the mission nurse said "Elder Lemusu, have you lost weight?" I replied yes. She asked how much? and I said I don't know I haven't weighed myself since I came to the mission. GET READY GUYS!!!!!! When I came to the mission I was 98kgs and now I am 75kgs, I have lost over 20kgs!!!!!!!!! Boooom!!!!! How amazing is that, when the nurse told me that I jumped for joy I was so excited lol all the senior couples in the mission office just laughed at my craziness haha :))

This week has being crazy missionary work wise, the Power of the Temple is incredible!!! The open house had officially closed on Saturday last week and boy!! was it packed that day. 28 full greyhound buses traveled from the west to Suva to see the Temple open house. Over 4,000 people came from the west, some members and many non-members. Over all the Fiji Suva Temple saw 22,483 people enter in and us missionaries received over 2,000 referrals of people wanting to take the missionary discussions and many wanting to be baptized. A lot of the members worked as ushers and security as well as hosts for the temple and hearing their stories during fast and testimony meeting last Sunday was amazing, and very inspiring personally. Hard not to cry hearing their experiences of working at the temple for the last 3 weeks. 

Our trio companionship now, made up of a palagi, a samoan/ maori & a fijian is quiet hilarious tbh. We gained another companion as he is awaiting his visa to go to his mission in Adelaide, Australia. We had the opportunity to go to the open house also, omgsh!!!! we took a giant bus full!!!! of people members and many non members. My companions and I had to sit on the dashboard on the bus because it was that full haha... When we arrived to the temples, the sister missionaries are also host in the Temple and the did a great job of introducing us and the other guests too especially our investigators. THEY JUST NEED TO SPEAK FIJIAN!!! because no one understands English lol sisters in this mission sadly don't really know how to speak Fijian which is kind've frustrating but yeaaahhh.... When I entered the celestial room wow! that was a experience... unexplained too. I could immediately feel the peace within the temple something I was needing man. My mind was taken up in thought of my mission, as I thought about all the people I have met in my mission and all the sacrifices I have seen from faithful members of this church. 

I remembered sister Naiodro from Rakiraki, who would walk 3 hours in the hot sun each sunday morning to attend church. A 75yr old women who would go fish everyday to make money and give her tithing each Sunday. I thought of Brother Edwin from Tukavesi who would take a 2 day walk to attend his Sabbath day meetings and then another 2 day walk to return home. He would leave his cattle, his farm everything to cross a bay, a mountain, ocean coast and walk along a long dusty gravel road to get to church by 10am every Sunday morning. I remembered Sister Qabale a old blind women who is a veteran in the church, beginning the church alongside her husband in Lautoka and California for the Fijian people. She would give $10 tithing every Wednesday to us and $2 for the temple reconstruction, I remember writing out her tithing slips and then handing them to the branch president come Sunday morning because she could not physically attend church. I remember a family who literally didn't have much worldly possession but come Sunday morning the father Brother Cagimaicama was there with his white shirt and tie, his 7 children and wife too. I began to cry in the celestial room, thinking of the sacrifices these faithful men and women make, and could only imagine the sacrifices people are making to attend the temple. We are so blessed to have a temple here in Fiji, yes we are. I remembered one time back home before the mission I took 2 trains and a 30 min walk to attend the temple once, I remembered I was tired, worn-down and yet when I reached the temple it was gone and when I entered through the doors of the temple I felt I had finally reached home. Entering the temple once again last week for a brief time, I felt that feeling of coming home again it was amazing. Truly any sacrifice we make to attend the temple does not go unnoticed by Heavenly Father. I am so excited for the re dedication!!!! 

We invited 5 people unto baptism this past week, the month of march is packed with work and baptisms. Here's hoping they will go well. We have 2 baptisms this week Saturday. My new area of Nakelo is so wonderful and so different, the church members know their responsibilities, the church functions wonderfully. We have dinner appointments, classes are spiritually uplifting and inspiring. I often find myself saying, well where do I fit in here. Things seems so well here. But there is work to be done our baptismal dates, we contacted a refferal given to us. His name is Peni -  he's cool. His first question to us was "So what do I do to be baptised?" then his cousin Judi joined the lesson and asked to be baptized too they're both 19yrs/ 20yrs so its way cool. I was freaking out when they asked these questions because I've never had a area or met people like this in my whole mission!!!! its crazy the work that is happening here in Nakelo or NAKELO-FORNIA as they call it here. 

We have a activity this Saturday after the 2 baptisms. It a Volleyball tournament with dancing, food and us missionaries are hosting a arts and crafts activity during it. We want to make flags and banners for the members to take to the re dedication. Just for them to have some excitement and something to remember this wonderful event!!! :) I'm going to be showing them how to screen print lol. But yeah well that is our area!!! and my week too. I have 2 samoans in my district too so we jam all the time too, they're always at our house because literally our house is like 5 star with its timber floors and oven, fridge, lights that have a dimming switch, 2 showers/ toilets etc. Things are good, I am way better than I was, I do find myself some what homesick every now and then but it doesn't last long. Isa, I cant wait for the temple!!! THE CHURCH IS TRUE FAMILY!!!! LOVE YOU ALL :DDDD

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

P.s If you want to see the pictures of the Fiji, Suva Temple... You can go onto Facebook and type in "Mormon News Fiji" and it has all the pictures taken from the open house. Also on lds.org they have pictures of the inside of the temple. Try and find the full article....

P.s.s - If you would like to watch the re-dedication of the Fiji, Suva Temple live, you can watch it online via this website  https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/fiji-temple-celebration/2016/02?lang=eng.