Baptism

Week 68

18th April 2016

This week we had the baptisim of Sister Tavenisa Soroinikula Wakanivuga. She is the Grandmother of the Ligica family (Member family) it was pretty special. Sister Tavenisa has being taking the lesson for a while now.  In the beginning the family wasn't really involved in helping her be baptised. As we involved the family, to help them see that they too play a vital part in their grandmothers conversion. It was amazing they began bringing her to church & now she attends every sunday. 

Her baptism was a bit different than most, she is very old and fragile at 74yrs old. She can hardly walk as it is, so getting her into the water to be baptised was slightly difficult. My companion baptised her in the chapel font, she stood their cold because of the water and as my companion said Amen, instead of her going back she knelt down and put herself fullying under water ducking her head underneath at the last moment :) It was different but it was approved by the Branch Presidency leaders.

She will be confirmed next week because the Baptism was after church, either way though it was great. I was kind of stressed about her baptsim though, as to how she would be baptised because she is very old, but the Lord provided a way and blessed us with this wonderful miracle :) 

Our last baptsim of Tevita, well this is actually his grandmother in law lol. Part member families are the best to help be baptised and share the gospel with. But yeah, Grandma Tavenisa's baptisim was a wonderful moment to witness. To hear her small testimony, could tell she was about to cry but she had to sit down before she collapsed. She doesn't have a lot of strength.

Also this week me and my companion did service with Tevita, cleaning the Taro farm. FREAKING GIANT!! Their family farm took us the whole day to clean and by clean I mean weed in and out of where the taro had being planted in the hot sun haha hardwork but it was fun. I was telling my companion I wouldn't mind farming everyday as they do in the islands, it gets them freaking ripped like crazy haha :) .

Speaking of Grandmothers, one of the first Grandmothers I ever taught on my mission was the wife of the great and amazing Brother Ratuluke. Sister Veitinia, as I opened Mission President's email to the mission this morning as he does every Monday, he showed the pictures of those area who had baptisms last week. One of them being sister Veitinia!!!!!!!! It is such a blessing to know that even if you do work in the farm all day, the seeds you plant, the work you do to keep the farm clean from weeds and animals, that one day your crops will sprout. Not always in your time, because nature works different to us and so does the Lord and Heavenly Father. This has being such a great and small lesson to me today during emails today. I am so happy!! 

In other news my trainer goes home this week, as well as some of the best missionaries in this mission lol Elder Palelei from Liverpool stake, Sydney will go home. Sister Aumua Centenary Stake, Brisbane and my father - Elder Thomas (Tomasi, my trainer) from Utah :)

Man I'm getting so old in the mission now, I remember when I was new and still learning. Now I am actually one of the Elders of the mission haha, my whole zone is only Elders no sisters (kind of sucks tbh) and only me and another Elder are the oldest in the Zone. Everyone else has only being in the mission 6 months + or literally just come in hahah I'm with all the young fullaz lol. 

In other things regarding creativity lol I made my own ie lavalava on the mission or as they call them in fijian Sulu vaka Toga (TONGA). Fun fact, most of Fijian culture is generally based on Tongan culture. I made it for a missionary who will be going home, I'm getting different things for the 3 missionaries I'm close with going home :) so yeah... 

Has being a hassle trying to get work done whilst doing this in free time etc. But a good week, I am really motivated this week to hit 20 lessons!! Its transfers this week also, so lets hope I don't move!! I'm not looking forward to it if I do tbh. 

To end though, I am grateful for the eternal gift of repentance, I have so many weaknesses and short comings and it annoys me too but thanks to the gift of repentance and patience I have felt I can be better through his atonement. Whatever I lack, of fall short of the Lord will make up the rest as I give my best, I think I am slowly coming to understand the atonement more and finding it is beautiful as well as the bible which i have now such a interest for. So much to learn and so little time oi auuee.. Well I better go, love you heaps. 

Take care, Pray, read, church & REPEAT!