Area 1, Week 27 (my last week here) - Nasinu, Fiji 9/8/13

Dear Family,

How is everything going there in Utah? Everything here in Fiji is going great. I know that I say this almost every   week, but these weeks are going by so fast. It felt like it was just yesterday I was just talking to you. These weeks are going by so fast it is unbelievable. Well the past week has been a little bit crazy. We have had a lot of meetings and another way cool thing that we were able to do is to go the the Vale Tabu (temple). It was an awesome experience. It was so good to go through the temple again. I know that once you are farther away from the temple, you don't go that much. I have been way close these past 6 months and I have been able to go twice.

Well this week we have had some good and bad news. I am going to have to leave my "greenie" area and go to another area. I found out on Saturday night that I am going to be transferred to an area called Waila. I am opening this area.   We have 22 new missionaries coming to Fiji.  Actually, as I speak,  they are on their way down here. That is if they have not already made it to Suva.  Another thing about the area is that I am going to be training there too. So that means that I am going to be a "father" in the mission. I am so excited to be a father. I remember about 3 months or so ago and I did not have the desire to be a trainer at all. Now I am really

 excited to train! I think that it will be a good experience and I will hopefully be able to make an impact on someone elses life as well. It is going to be a good time over there in Waila.

Well that is pretty much all of the big news of the week. We were really busy this week with meetings and going to the temple. First of all, on Tuesday we were able to go to the temple and that was a great experience. Every time that I go it seems like I learn something new. It is really a blessing for you in Utah where it only takes like 30 minutes to get to a temple. We are so blessed that we are able to do that there. Here in Fiji, there is only one in Suva and people save their money for years to come down to Suva to attend the temple. That might also be their only time that they are able to make it to the temple in their lifetime. The temple really is a great place!

This week, we were also able to have a Zone Conference for the Suva Zone. It was a great meeting and we had a good time. Of course, everyone was excited for lunch because we got to enjoy Sister Klingler's cooking. We had sandwiches and potato salad. It was so good and it was a good change from noodles, curry and rice. But I know that is not what we are in Zone Conference for!  I learned a lot on how to improve my teaching and to be a more effective worker for the Lord. They had a training on how we need to help the investigator understand. We are not to force the things down their throats but we need to gently help them.

A couple weeks ago, we asked a member from Nasinu 2nd if she could make us a dish called Palaou for dinner. She said she would!  This is Elder Moulton's favorite Indian dish. It was so good. It is kind of like a chicken casserole but better. It had rice, chicken, and cinnamon. It was so good. The really cool thing about this is that when they gave it to us, they did not give us a spoon. All of the family sat down with their plate and started to eat with their fingers. They asked us if we wanted a spoon but we wanted to be like them and eat with our fingers also. It is so laid back here in Fiji. If we would do that back home, our parents would get mad and tell us to use a fork or something. Oh, and another thing that is funny about Fiji, is that forks are not as common. Back home, I remember using forks all the time. Once you get here, all you use is a spoon or your fingers. Back to the dinner, it was so good. Then after dinner, we were able to have cake because it was one of their kids' birthday the day before. We got to celebrate his birthday with him.

Another thing that happened it that we had to drop one of our investigators that I really liked alot. We had to tell them that if they were not going to start to progress that we are going to have to stop coming over as much. It was really sad because it looked like one of them was going to cry when we told them this. When we were leaving, he came with us up to the top of the road. He talked to us for about 15 minutes and told us that he does not know what to do. It is hard for him to get married to the other investigatior because of some problems that they have come across. We told him that he really needs to talk to her and also talk to his Father in Heaven. I hope that this kind of pushes them to do what is right and come into the church. This was one of the hardest things that I have had to do here in Nasinu. I loved this family so much and I wanted to see them baptized. I know that the Lord has a plan for them and I know that someday they will be baptized and live together after this life. It is all in the Lord's timing and in his plan.

That is pretty much our week this week. I am doing fine down here in Fiji and I will keep myself out of danger.

Thanks for everything and send my love to the family. I love you all very much.

Until next week,

Love,

Elder Grotepas

Us at a birthday party for a member in the Nasinu 2nd ward.

One of the members made us cupcakes.  Reminded me of America.

Birthday boy eating his cake

Me ready to go proselyting.  What's missing?  Oh ya, my tie!  Elder Moulton luckily noticed this before we left!  New haircut and I have lost 40 pounds since being here.  My shirt collars are a bit too big!

Temple trip for the Suva Fiji Zone