Week 4 at the MTC 2/17/13

Bula Mom and Dad, 

Vakacava tiko?  How is it going?  It is going really good here.  I can't believe that I have already been here for a month.  I think that we are getting our flight plans on Thursday the 21st. Our estimated time for leaving is March 2.  My teachers have told me a lot about Fiji.  They say that my bowels will be changed forever!  Also they say that the people are very nice.  The only bad thing is it will take around two weeks to get each others letters.  I don't know if I get to e-mail home every week, but we'll find out.  I can't wait to get to Fiji!

The first couple of weeks were really hard because I didn't understand the language.  Both me and my companion were struggling.  Now I am finally starting to get it!  I tried it yesterday and I actually did it.   I am not as far as some of the Elders in my class but we all learn at different paces.  Now, we have to teach lessons and TRC in all Fijian.  They don't want us to use our notes anymore.  It is all by memory. The other Elders going to Fiji are way cool.  Especially the ones from New Zealand.  They are not quiet, but are way fun!

We had to move a third bed into our room to make room for the 6500 missionaries that are coming.  As of right now, we have about 3300 missionaries here.  The only bad thing about this is that the cafeteria and the laundry room are always packed.  Right now I am in the laundry room and you have to wait about and hour to get a machine.  It is so crowded here.  We still don't have any room mates.  We are still by ourselves.  I bet that we will get some tomorrow because we are getting a extra 200 more each week.


Every Saturday and Tuesday we set up the chairs for the devotionals.  It can only fit 2200 people inside the gym. If you don't wait in line for at least an hour, you will not get a seat in the gym.  You will have to go to the overflow.  We don't know who is coming to speak to us so everyone is always wanting to get in just in case it is an Apostle.  However, we have not had one come yet. They were saying that when they get more missionaries, they are going to have to go to the BYU campus to do all the devotionals.

Thanks for the Valentine's Day package you sent me.  It really made my day better!  I look forward to getting letters from all of you.  

Yesterday we went on a walk to the temple.  It is amazing how much you forget about the world.  All we see is a building.  It's funny, you go up there and you see all these cars lined up with people in them. All of a sudden they get out and start screaming for their missionary.  They discourage people from doing that, but it seems like everyone does.  It's really funny.

It seems that time is going by slow because we are in classes all day every day.  But on the other hand, the weeks seem to go by very fast.  If the weeks are going by this fast in the MTC, I can't even imagine how fast they will go by in Fiji.  I can't wait to get there!  

Thanks for everything and I love and miss you lots!

Love, 
Elder Grotepas

Week 3 at the MTC 2/12/13

Bula everyone,

How is it going?  It has been going really good here.  I got a nick name from one of or teachers.  It is Elder Basi (which means bus) because he says that Fijians will not be able to pronouce my name the right way.  The language is not stressing me out as much because I can actually start to put sentences together in my head.  It takes me a while to do this, but hey I can actually do it.  My teachers are really helping me get it.  I just have to listen then keep applying the word so I can remember it.  They say that Vosavakiviti (Fijian) is not as hard to understand.  Spanish is harder than Vosavakaviti.   

I want to go to Fiji already!  All we do is sit and eat, sit and eat.  The only thing that we do physical is gym and we set up chairs for our devotionals on Sunday and Tuesday.  The teachers show us pictures of Fiji every once in a while and they are really cool.  They say that Fijians are really nice.  They will always invite you to eat.  In Fijian is is polite to accept and eat as much as you can.  If you dont eat it all it is really disrespectful.   

Well we got a new distric leader.  His name is Elder Owens.  The old one was Elder Haretuku.  There is not very much new from our district but in our zone a week or so ago, there is a Elder going to Tonga and his mom passed away.  He actually stayed here.  He has enough courage to stay here and finish the Lords work.  Everyone felt really bad for him and now he seams to be doing fine as I can tell.

I hope that everything is going good at home.  How the family?  How is everyone doing?  

I forgot to tell you what my favorite scripture was for my plaque.  My favorite scripture is Alma 37:37 which reads:  

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. 

Well I am almost out of time. Have the kids send me some letters.

Love, Elder Grotepas

Elder Grotepas and Elder Reed

Elders in their Sulu's (man skirts)

Elders with the Fijian Flag

Week 2 at the MTC 2/5/13

Bula, vakacava tiko?  How is everything going?  It is going really good here.  I am not really getting the language as good as I was hoping to.  We are already having to teach a whole lesson in Fijian and no English.   It is challenging because we will ask a question and the teacher will reply only in Fijian, so we will just say, "Io" to anything he says even it that is not the answer.    But I know that if I keep trying that I will understand it.  I hope that I will be able to understand the language more when I go out.  The other night, my district leader has 3 sulus.  We put them on and tried them out!  They are alright.  We are the only missionarys that get to wear the man skirts.  The Elders that are going to Tonga and Samoa dont even get to wear them.  The teachers were saying once we get there, we will leave our suit and the mission home and not touch them till we get back.

Well, I have seen alot of people that I know here. When I first got here Elder Knight saw me and showed me around the MTC and where my room was. I think that we are getting some new roomates tomorrow.  Every week we are getting 200 more missionaries. When I came here there were 600, last week there were 800, and now this week we will have 1000.  In the summertime they are planning on having 6500 missionaries.  Currently we only have 2500. 

Tell that family that I love them!!

Love, Elder Grotepas