Sabbath Day

Week 69

25 April 2016

Dou Bula Family,

Isa, this week I was missing music so much lol all my poly jams and old school rythmns oi auuee haha. One of our members was showing us some of the new music out now, woaah! its pretty crazy huh.. Anyways though that was one of my struggles I guess but thankfully at least I can still sing some songs I remember from home, especially on those night time bike rides when we're returning to the flat :) #thebestmoments 

This week was a bit of a tough one, we spent time finding this past week, we didn't have a lot of success but we did contact two referrals we were given. One's name is Laisa. She is 21yrs old, we contacted her and just spent a little time with her chatting and eating some food. We shared a little about what we do and she invited us to come back on Wednesday so we're excited!! She seems pretty cool, young too so hoping that she will be more welcoming of the lessons we have to share with her. The other was Asenaca, we contacted her on Sunday afternoon after church. She lives in a village called Vaturua, I have never been to this village before but we just asked a couple people and they led us to her home. Turns out that she didn't want to take the lessons but she is a teacher and was speaking with another teacher who works at LDS high school and they talked for hours about the church. That LDS teacher then gave Asenaca's  details to a missionary and then to us. Luckily we were able to talk to her a bit and she invited us in and we explained about the Book of Mormon to her and also the scripture from the Book of Ezekiel in the Bible and how it talks about the Bible and BOM being one together.

She was way interested, she asked us for our number and said she would give us a call to come back because her schedule is tight as a teacher. Im really hoping and looking forward to that call but if she doesen't its fine :) we left her with a good and positive thought about the church and some of the things we believe in. So yeah, a lot of our week was visiting members asking for referrals and finding but haven't had too much success though. 

Sunday though was just too cool, Sister Tavenisa was confirmed a member of the church and to be apart of that ordinance was pretty treasurable. The Relief Society did a musical number singing Secret Prayer and also gave all the talks in sacrament meetings, it ws amazing. Their topic was tithing and it was beautiful! especially Sister Qanuici's talk, you could really feel how she felt about tithing just by the way she spoke about it. It was pretty cool. In scarament meeting though my mind was pondering about the power of the priesthood, what a gift and blessings it is that I am able to hold this power. I said a prayer of thanks as the sacrament was being passed :) I love church, sunday school was combined and it was just a bunch of laughs and smiles, as well as being fed spiritually by the teachers. 

Priesthood was gangster as! talking about Family farms and how farming is more than simple farming. I have to agree, Fijians whole lives are spent in the farm, farming their crops. We were reading from one of the manuals and President kimball was saying that the farm is a place of learning and memories for families, a place of happines and values. I have to agree!! I have learnt tonnes in the farm with members, shared so many memories and laughs too auuue I love the farm. You look at the Book of Mormon too I mean the parable of how our faith should be as a seed or the Lords vinyard in Jacob. The farm is the place to be guys lol definetly a place of learning how to be independant too. 

We had a branch council too!! awesome!! I was loving it, there is no other place I would want to then at the chapel on a Sunday. To be honest it just made me excited for counsel meetings back home :) I love it!! 

If there is anything that I gained a stronger testimony about this week it was Sabbath Day importance.. In Fijian its called "Na Siga ni Vakacecegu". One day attending church, the Young men's President approached me and asked if i would be able to bless the sacrament, seeing as they were down a Priest that specific Sunday. I accepted and took my seat up on the stand, as the congregation began singing the sacrament hymn, I began breaking the bread and something was almost pulling my spirit, as I looked at the bread breaking it into pieces I thought of the significance of the bread and that something that was pulling my spirit I knew was the Holy Ghost. I became overwhelmed thinking of my sins, imperfections, wrong doings, pains, suffering, heartaches and hard times & knew at that time that Jesus the Christ sacrificed his life enduring all these things that caused me pain in my life. I thought about how the Roman soldiers who whipped him, and did all manner of unthinkable things to him, I was doing the same (in symbolism) as I broke the bread. At that moment I gained a greater meaning and value for the sacrament in my life & the wonderful blessings it brings and is for millions of Heavenly Fathers children around the world. 

The Sabbath day to me is the best day of the week, even though more than half of us are tired and would much rather stay home and sleep, watch movies on the couch with our bowl of junk food right beside us. I have seen many sacrifices of members just to attend church. The Sabbath day is a beautiful day, a glorious and joyous day, i love it treasure it so much. It is a day we give thanks and respect to God and his beloved son. A day of blessings and gifts of knowledge and learning. A day of strengthening others not just by words of god but also words of laughter, love and care. A day of visiting those in strife and sharing and rejoicing together for all that we have being given. The Sabbath day is a wonderful day. Staying home and sleeping, eating, going to the beach is just wasteful "There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save". I hope you too can learn the significance of the Sabbath day, and what it means to you.

In my mission I have seen so many sacrifice JUST to attend church on Sunday. In my first area there was a women names Sister Naiodro, 67yrs old. She woke up everyday at 5am to prepare herself and go fishing with the other women in the village. They would do this everyday and then sell their fish, to make at least some money for themselves. Sister Naiodro would walk from her village to church every Sunday taking her at least 1 hour and a half. She would pay her tithing & then take the Elders back to her home to have lunch using the money she made throughout the week. In my second area, there was a man named Brother Edwin, he lived pretty much on another island, for us missionaries to get to his home we would drive to the closest village to him. We would park our car at the village and began our 2 hour walk to his home across the beach, over 2 mountains, through a small swamp and across a giant river because his house was on the opposite side of this area. He lived alone and because he owned a big farm he only attend church every first and last Sunday. Our journey to his home though was easier than his to church. Saturday morning he would pack his bag, white shirt and tie etc. Then he would begin his journey to the chapel to be there for church on Sunday. Brother Edwin would cross the river, climb the mountains, go through the swamp, walk along the beach and would reach the village. He would then continue walking up another mountains to get to the next village on the other side of the mountain. From that village he would walk around the Bay to the next village on the other side. By then it would be afternoon & he would sleep there the night at a friends home. Sunday morning he would get dressed and make the rest of the walk the chapel another 3 hour walk. He would arrive the church just before it starts, Sunday afternoon he would walk back to that village, sleep there again and then make the journey back home the next morning.

In my third area, there was a old women names Sister Qabale, 76yrs old and blind. He husband had just passed away & we attended his funeral. Brother & Sister Qabale were the pioneers for the church in Lautoka and also in California for the Fijian branches there. Brother Qabale served as a Bishop, Stake President and also a Patriarch. Sister Qabale physically could not attend church, the long walk would be dangerous for her, especially with no sight. I remember when the mission President gave us permission to have our own sacrament meeting with her every Wednesday :) We arrived at her home on Wednesday and when we gave her the news we were going to give her the sacrament she jumped up in excitement!! went and got dressed in her Sunday best. We all sat at the dinning table, all 3 of us with a white cloth at the end of the table covering the sacrament. I lead the meeting in song, announcements and as we gave her the sacrament taking her hand so she could find where the bread and cup was, tears fell from her eyes. We all bore strong witnesses of the church that day, knowing that this was the Lord true church and that he does live. 

Well I think I will leave it there but its being a nice week, it had its struggles but there is always another week to try and again and try harder :) Love you family, stay strong and be happy because there is so much to be happy about!! :D

Elder Lemusu