Ni sa bula vinaka na nogu matavuvale,
How is everything going up there in Utah? You have expressed to me that it is very cold and you are getting lots of snow. I have to admit that I am really missing the snow and the Christams spirit. Well I am feeling the Christmas spirit but it is not as strong because it does not look like Christmas at all here. It is the hottest time of the year here and it does not even feel like Christmas. It feels like to me the middle of the summer. But, I am doing really great down here in Fiji. Everything is moving along really good and very fast. I know that I do not want to say this to make me trunky but I have almost already hit my one year mark. I always hear that everything goes down hill after you hit your one year mark. Time flys after that. It is going by too fast.
This week I have been with the Nausori Zone Leaders. I still do not have a Ward Missionary. Our leaders have been really busy with a lot of Christmas parties and lots of meetings. So they have not quite got around to it yet. We talked to them today and they said that they are for sure going to have one to me this week. Maybe on Tuesday or Wednsday. So this week we did not really get a chance to work very much in my area. We were only able to work in my area for 2 short days. We got to see all the people that are progressing in our area and see how they are doing. We did get to set up one baptismal date for the 5th of January for a 12 year old girl named Lavenia. She's the daughter of a member that was a little less active that we brought back to church. She is really loving church because of all the young girls that are there. She really likes the Young Women program and the Primary. She really gets into it and does everything that she is asked to do with them. She even took part in the Waila Ward primary program. It was really cool to see her do that and to see all the kids support her.
Another way cool thing about this week is that I got the see the rest of the Waila Ward. We got to go to church up in a place called Lomaivuna. I have to admit that this church service was a big eye opener to me. It was a lot different going to church up in the Units of the Waila Ward. It is nothing like what I am used to and have seen here in Fiji. It was way cool to see something else. There was a total of eleven people there at church. There was 3 elders, 2 members from the Waila Ward, the Tomani family, one other member, and one investigator. The place that we met in was not even a chapel. It was a home of a member that lives up there in Lomaivuna. Also the church only went for about an hour and a half. It was a really cool thing to see how much the church has really improved. It is weird to think about that the LDS church started out this way with 1 or 2 members. It started in a small unit like this then eventually went up until now when we have 15 million members and lots of Wards and Stakes. I have to admit that this was the coolest church service that I have ever seen in my life and I will never forget this oppertunity to see this event and see how it all starts out. One more really cool thing is that I got the chance to bless the sacrament when we were there. We did not even used a peice of bread, we used a thing called roti. Roti is just like a tortillia but more dense. I will never forget this oppertunity that I had this last Sunday and what it taught me.
An investigator of the Zone Leaders that came to church walked two and a half hours to come to church at 10:30. So he left at 8 oclock in the moring to get there. You talk about faith, this man has faith in his Heavenly Father. I got to thinking about people back in America. I have heard that some peoples excuses are that they do not have a ride to church and the live like 10 to a 20 minute walk to church. People here in Fiji have the strongest faith! They will walk miles (kilometers) to get to church and then that same day walk it back. The other really cool thing about this man is that he is 65 years old. Even though he is an old fart, he still walks to church like he is a young 20 year old kid.
On Sunday, this man kerekere'd to be baptized. (Kerkere = to ask/please) So he begged one of the members, Brother Maiwiriwiri, if he could be baptized. This man is very strong and he knows that his Savior is there for him and that this is the true church. I had the oppertunity to help the Zone Leaders teach one of the lessons to him. He is really great and I am really hoping that he gets baptized and feels the Holy Spirit. I know that he will, he has the faith.
We set a date for a baptism on the 5th of January. That is going to be a great day for that girl. I think that I have already told you about her.
We had our Christmas party this week and I finally got to see my father Elder Ishibashi again. It was like I was seeing my long lost brother. I really missed him and he was really glad to see me. I was not able to grab my card reader because we did not even go to my flat today to grab it. Next week I will send you all more photos and the photos from this week.
I thank you for all the birthday wishes and I hope that you all have a good week this week and are safe. I know for me, I will have a great week and it will be another really fast week. I know that the church is true and it is the only true church. Jesus Christ is the head of it and we all need to heed to his words.
I love you guys all very much and cannot wait to Skype you all next week. HAY!!!
Send my love to the family and friends.
eLdEr GrOtEpAs
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| Look who I found at the Christmas party....Elder Ishibashi! |
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| I also got to see Brother Nawaqasema and meet his girlfriend. |
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