Six Weeks To Go!

Week 100

21 November 2016

Isa lei Viti,

This week had all the missionaries, getting me wayy trunkie telling me I have only 6 weeks left oi auuuee time sure has gone like nothing... I see everything different now, seeing as I am so close to finishing. Its scary but I believe I am somewhat prepared to return home.. Well not really, I love being a missionary and living here in Fiji.

Hard to return home, when this is my home right here. Last Sunday we had our ward primary presentation.. Mann the children always have a way of just softening your heart and making your reflect on how you can become better. As the presentation was going on I thought about my mission and the lessons I had learned from each of the area's and how it has changed me and molded me to be the person  I am today. It is crazy! I thought about the miracles I witnessed in each of my area's too and how I know serving a mission had being the most best experience of my life. on the outside I may be still the same but on the inside I am totally different and that what counts, what on on the inside aye lol

Sisilia's Baptism is approaching very quickly and I am very excited!!! Cannot wait to witness that wonderful moment. I have thought much about my departing testimony though here in the mission. what will I say?? I will have to plan it out well and really think about what I have learned and seen change etc. especially my testimony of Christ. A missionary that just returned from his mission to Navatuyaba arrived on friday and Saturday was his homecoming party. I spoke with him and he said he knew Elder Lemusu in the Philippines and reports that he is well and healthy and has amazing language skills in the Philippines language. I'm proud of him.

Speaking of cousins, Elder Roberts and I are back in the same zone again and I am so happy to see him again before I finish as a missionary. I am so proud of him and how far he has come and changed since being here in the mission. I look forward to catching up with him and catching up with him before finishing. I hope to share all the wisdom I have attained and try help him as much as I can. I love my family. Work is slow here in Navatuyaba but it doesn't mean we give up hope, the members are still strong and it was good to see the less actives at church on sunday to support their children in the presentation.

I am grateful to my saviour for his death. Through his death, he made literally all things possible for us. EVERYTHING is possible through him. I know this to be true. I am grateful everyday for making the decision to serve a mission and come out here and serve these beautiful people, it will impact me for the rest of my life. through every trial there is a blessing. i love you my family and friends, i cannot wait to share my experiences and things i have learned with you when i return home :D Love you..

P.s Congratz to Elder Crichton who has officially returned home!! Love you bro

Full on week!

Week 99

14th November 2016

It was a great week, loved it. My companion and I had a lot of fun and we hit 19 lesson, we had a goal of 20 lesson so that we could be up there with the standards of excellence for the mission but we came short by just one lesson. It is all good though, that is what goals are for to help challenge, push and stretch you. Helps you to know what you are really capable of. 

We are working with many less actives here in the bush of Navatuyaba. Not a lot of progress but we still moving and Heavenly father is definitely providing us with blessings and miracles. One family we have being working with are all less active and have being attending church every week so far as a family. They say it's great to be back at church and be around those who have the same values and desires as you. 

Sisilia is doing wonderful!! The lessons are moving really good and fast, she actually is almost finished. We had a lesson about the Law of Chastity telling her that her and her boyfriend would have to be married first before being baptized so that she could be living the commandment. We were hesitant to ask her and her boyfriend about this but they accepted. We returned yesterday afternoon after lunch and they said that their entire family just finished having a big family meeting about the welfare of the family and their marriage was brought up and talked about. With the support of the boyfriends family and desire of Sisilia and Iliesa her boyfriend. They are to be married on the 16th December 2016... WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!

We were so excited for them, so happy. They kept the commitment to be married and actually did something about it and are now to be married this year. They'll be married on the 16th which is a Friday, Saturday will be the baptism and Sunday she will receive the Holy Ghost. As well as the Samoan lady if you remember me talking about a while back. Good news about her, her and her boyfriend will be married on the 24th of this month. After which we will be able to begin teaching her and her husband so that they can be sealed as that is the desire of her boyfriend.

Other event coming on though in Navatuyaba!!! This Friday a return missionary will be coming home, so expect a big party and homecoming for that day. Then 2 weeks later another return missionary will be coming back from the mission in England. Navatuyaba has at least over 6 preparing missionaries and at least 10 return missionaries. Our ward mission leader served in Brisbane in Logan ward haha small world here in the church. Gotta love Navatuyaba!!

Its hot, beautiful, loving and just full of new things everyday. This week I was asked to teach the whole Relief Society how to do printing. It was their home making activity, they were so excited and amazed to see me demonstrate it for them. I am the talk of the village at the moment because of and have so many orders from Relief Society to cut out prints for them so they can print their own shirts and blinds etc. Now that they know how to do it haha... 

Tomorrow is transfers, lets hope I don't get transferred. I want to die here for my mission!!! I am a bush boy and as my mum said Yes "I am such a Fob" hahahah and I love it :D Love you all take care :D Be safe and be nice to one another :D 

I'M 20YRS OLD!!!!

Week 98

07th November 2016

Yes! so with the help of a member family the Savu's, I and the missionaries from my district had a small birthday party last Saturday to celebrate not only my Birthday but the birthday of Brother Savu also. It was a great, fun and memorable event. All the missionaries and I chipped in to pay for the food and drink for the Hangi and the Savu provided their land for us to have the celebration along with making heaps of food too.

Living in the bush is awesome I love it!! Felt right at home helping make the Hangi and guiding my American district members on how to do a Hangi haha love it. Ill try and send a couple pictures if the computer loads fast enough.. not long now its stil loading haha

It was great! I loved everything about my 20th Birthday here in beautiful Fiji. There isn't too much to say this week though. Sisilia is progressing like crazy!!! it amazing.. She is way prepared. She has being in pain though a lot lately due to the pregnancy but her husband is a great support especially the member family she lives with. Other than the birthday and Sisilia, this week was really slow!! and e had a lot of fall through appointments. 

Sorry not too much to tell this week but I am grateful to have had my birthday here in Fiji and thank you for all the support and love you give me!!! Love you all!!!! Love you xoxox I'M 20YRS OLD!!!!

Sunday Best

Week 97

31 October 2016

In my eyes, I think we had a great week!! I don't care about numbers nor have I ever cared about the number of lessons or stats I get in my mission. I personally, the way I measure my success is by how well my investigators understand the gospel and how much stronger members become through my missionary service to them. I am about souls not numbers.  As I said though we had a great week!! My favorite day though of the week was Sunday.

This week we had Stake Conference. It was fantastic! The new Stake Presidency and stake leaders. The YSA choir, all the missionaries in the Nausori Zone and over 1,400 members in attendance. Due to stake conference, our little village of Navatuyaba was assigned by the stake to host the members from Naitasiri so that it would be easier for these members to attend conference. If you ever come to Fiji and ask someone about Naitasiri they will tell you that is the land of the "Kai Colo's" meaning the land of The highlanders. The people of Naitasiri, live in the interior/ mountains of the eastern side of Fiji. They are known to still live as the olden day Fijian, with no power, running water etc. I would call these people the Elders of Fiji in my own opinion, as they still are strong in Fijian culture and tradition. Over 100 of them came from the highlands all the way to our beautiful village of Navatuyaba. It was a very special time for the members here in Navatuyaba as they were anxiously excited to host their spiritual and physical brethren. Members prepared foods from their plantations, prepared their houses, cleaned the village etc. in preparation of their coming. They arrived Friday afternoon in the village, then a 2 buses came to pick them and our members to attended a all ages stake dance.

Everyone loved having them over, Sunday morning everyone got ready wearing their Sunday best and hoped on buses to get to conference. The conference was fantastic!! The talks we strong, powerful and touching. Hymns beautifully sung and lots of smiles and laugh as old acquaintances and family met up again. Us missionaries we're beyond happy seeing other missionaries we hadn't seen for a long time!! I was overjoyed as I got to see members from my old area of Nakelo. It was wonderful!! We went back to the village and had a nice Lovo or Hangi for lunch and then we went around visiting the Naitasiri members as my companion started his mission there and knew the members. So funny the conversations we had with the members, such a happy and fun loving people.

My companion wanted to take a picture with one specific family. A single mother of 7 children, who's husband died last year, my companion was really close with them. The members told us that they were staying all the on the far side and all the way inside the interior with a member family. It was far but the Nataisiri members told us to just ride in the bus with them because they will go pick her up to go home. So that's what we did, we saw her and got the picture. She cried seeing and saying goodbye to my companion again, it was a sweet moment. So was the moment of our members waving goodbye to the Naitasiri members. We didn't want them to leave. As we rode in the bus again after picking up the single mother member, my companion and I were supposed to jump off at the main road to walk back to the village but the driver didn't stop and so we got taken all the way to the main main road which goes to town and jumped off there lol. The Naitaisiri members just told us, just come with us to Naitasiri hahaha so funny being in the bus with them. My companion and I then walked for 2 hours back to the village in non stop rain, we reached the village drenched and with smiles on our faces. Why you might ask? Well serving a mission in Fiji there is never really a dull moment, it's just so fun :)

Apart from a fun and spiritual Sunday. We committed Sisilia to baptism and she said yes to the 10th of December to be prepare herself for baptism. She is very prepared! very willing, soft hearted and open about learning about the church. It helps to have a husband who knows the church well even though he is less active and to live with his family who are all strong members. She testified herself saying the church was true and she could feel as we share with her, that everything we share just makes sense. It was a powerful moment. Especially to have our best member present ever there as well Brother William Hawea :D.. We had 2 member families who are less active attend conference also which was terrific!! Things are moving well here in Navatuyaba and I hope that the area really doesn't get shut down. The member are preparing a small Birthday party for me so I am excited for that this Saturday. The bush really does suit me better than the city lol I am a bush Elder, I always have being right from the very start of my mission :D Its week 4 of this transfer now and I only have 2 more weeks and then I only 6 weeks left. Time is moving so quickly!! I can definitely say though I am appreciating more and more of serving a mission. It has definitely shaped me to who I am today.