Area 2, Week 21 - Waila, Fiji 1/25/14

Dear Family,

How is everyone doing up there in Utah? It sounds like that everyone is doing great and is having a great time. I know that for me, everything is going great and that I am doing well. Nothing is really new with me except that I did pass my year mark of my mission. I have really reflected back on that past year of my mission and I really pondered if I have done the best that I could have done. I know that I have less than one year now and the time is just flying by. What am I going to do in this next year to change? to improve? grow more spiritually? serve my companion more? I know that there are lots of things that I know I could have improved on the past year. One thing that you said in your letter mentioned this past year of my mission. It really triggered my thoughts to start pondering on the past year. I know that this year is really going to have to count. I know the language pretty good and I know what I need to do as a missionary to become successful. During this next year, I feel that I need to change and become the best missionary that I can!

This week kind of went slow for me because I was waiting for 23rd of January because it was my year mark. I know that I have been thinking lots about home and what I am going to be doing when I get home. I know that this is not what I am supposed to be doing, I still have a long time left. I think this is why it took so long, I was getting trunky. I have changed that all around now. We worked as hard as we could this week and we did have a really successful week. We were able to have 13 lessons and but were not blessed with anyone coming to church. But one big thing that did happen this week is that we were able to have a baptism for a young 12 year old girl named Lavenia Delaibau. The baptism went really great. It is good to finally see our missionary efforts here in Waila. It was great to have a baptism and see her and her sister go into the waters of baptism and be forgiven of all of their sins. Shortly after the baptism, she bore her testimony and it was so powerful. I have never seen a young girl like that with such a powerful testimony. She knows that she is doing the right thing. Same with her sister. She had a great testimony also. I do know that as missionaries, we are simply not just baptizing, we are converting to last. Not to go less-active after 4 weeks, but to stay active and build relationships with the quorums and the members. I have changed my attitude on that also. She is just not a baptismal date but she is a soul that I helped come unto the church.

This event was the high point to our week. This was a very rewarding event and built my testimony even more that what it was.

We were also able to find a couple more people to teach. We found one 16 year old girl that wants to learn more about the church and what we are all about. We met this member named Sister Cavasikula and she said that she lives on the same road as we do. I have always thought that all the members lived close to where we were. But we scheduled a day to go see her and see how she is doing. We went to her house on the scheduled day and as we were talking on the porch drinking juice and eating muffins, she told us that there was one girl inside that wanted to take the lessons. We were more than happy at this. We told her to bring her on out and we will introduce the church and what we have to teach. She told us that she had been going trough some tough times and that she needed some help. We testified to her that this church can help her. That help that she needs can come through Jesus Christ as we trust in him. She was really excited and wanted us to come back. We scheduled to meet her after church. We also invited her to the baptism of Lavenia. She told us that she would come with the member but when it came Sunday, she did not end up coming. So we are going to try really hard to see her again and get her to come to church with some young women.

This week I had something that was pretty scary. I thought that I was going to be stabbed. We were walking down this road called Lal Singh. We walked passed this guy and Elder Koroinamua said "Kaisai." (hello in Hindi). Then I also said it because we thought he was Indian. I don't think that he liked it so he turned around and came back over to us. The first thing he asked was where I was from. I told him that I was from America. I then in turn asked him where he was from? He said that he was from America also. I asked " What part?" This is when he got all defensive and flashed his knife at me. He was holding it in his hand along with a coke bottle. At this point, I told him I just want to know. He said that he is from San Francisco. He also told us that he was drunk at the moment and that he wanted to buy us lunch. We thanked him very much for his offer and he said okay. Then he moved his hand with the knife really fast and put the coke bottle to my chest. I thought that he was going to stab me when he did this. It was a big relief that he did not stab me at that point. Eventually he put it in his pocket and I tried to get away as quickly as possible. He wanted us to go with him. He even wanted us to come to his party. But we told him we have to go and he finally left. This was probably one of the scariest things that have happened on my mission so far. Fiji is really safe but lots of knives and big machetes.

We were also able to meet one guy that just got married to a member. The wife wants him to take the lessons and I think that he is just doing it for her. We met him on Sunday and then we set up a time that we could see him during the week. We were able to see him and teach him the introduction lessons about what we teach and what we are going to do. He seemed to like what we taught but when it came to the end, he said that he was Methodist and that he kind of wants to stay it. He said there is only one God and it does not matter which church name we are under, we will still receive eternal life. I think that as we teach him and as the wife helps him out, she is a temple member, he will really change. I think it will take time but the spirit will work with him in his life. We just need to work out with him if he can get the day of Sunday off so that he can come to church. It is going to be hard for him to receive the witness it is true if he does not come to church. He is a good refferal and we are going to be working with him over the next couple of months.

Another refferal that we received this week did not go too good. He came to church the past Sunday and even went to a ward party the day before. We set up a date to go see him on Wednesday. But on Tuesday he got kicked out of his house because he got in a fight with the landlord over a coconut. He took one coconut for his dinner without asking the lady. She saw him do it and she got mad and kicked him out. So he moved and we were not able to see him. This guy was golden. He really wanted to learn more about the LDS church. He was always over at the members house right next to them watching rugby. It was a bumber for the week to see this and that a golden investigator left our area. :(

This week has been a really good week for us. It was really rewarding and a lot of  good things happened. We were able to meet some people on the street and they said that we can come meet them. It seems like we are getting people to teach but a lot of them are moving or become less interested. I can see the Lords hand in putting people in our path. He is helping us out. We just need to keep everything organized and keep all the people square. I know the Lord is helping us and is with us. That's all we need to do, Trust in the Lord.

I love you all very much. I miss you all very much as well. I hope that you are all having a great week a

nd that everything goes good and smooth for you all. I know the church is true and that I am doing the Lord's work here in Fiji. I love it here and am loving my mission.

Thanks for everything.

Stay Fresh.

Love, 

Elder Grotepas

Baptism

Left to right: Elder Koroinamua, Miriama, Lavenia, Tomasi, Elder Grotepas

  Photo taken at our meeting for trainers and trainees