Area 2, Week 29 - Waila, Fiji 3/23/14

Dear Family,

Sa vacava tiko? How is everyone doing there in Utah? I hope that everyone is doing good and everyone is healthy. I know here in Fiji, it is going good.

Everything is going good with me. We did have a pretty good proselyting week this week. We had a bit of down time because Elder Arthur hurt his leg and he was supposed to rest his leg and not walk too much.  But we did get to have one baptismal interview this week for a man that we are going to have baptized here this Sunday. We have been teaching him for about 2 months now. He is the one that got married to the member in our ward and his wife wanted him to take the lessons. Now, he is doing great and he is liking the church. He has not missed church once in the past 7 weeks. He says that they have not missed paying their tithing for the past 7 weeks also. He is doing really great and we are so excited to have him be baptized and make that sacred covenant with his Heavenly Father. How precious that is. We cannot wait and I know that he cannot wait either. He has been praying for the strength to continue and the strength to be baptized. I know that he is ready and has been prepared.

Well the really big thing that happened this week was with Elder Arthur cutting his leg. We were starting the Missionary's Farm at the Maiwiriwiri's home this Thursday when he cut his leg. The missionaries in the past started this farm and then they stopped looking after it and the weeds got high and tall. So we started it up again. So we went and cut down all of the weeds with our k-knifes. We started at the bottom of the hill and by time we got up to the top, there was a bees nest so we had to take a break and let all the bees calm down. During the mean time, Elder Arthur started chopping up this stump that was in the ground. At first he was going sideways and then he started going up and down with both hands on the knife. Then one swing, he hit the side of the stump, bounced off the side of the wood and went straight for his leg. It cut his leg open pretty bad. It was not a very small knife either, it is about a foot and a half long.

I was cutting some weeds behind him as he did this. All of a sudden he calls my name and tells me that I have to get a bandaid for him. I asked him for what? and he told me he cut his leg and he just needs me to get him a bandaid. I looked at him and he was sitting on the ground holding his leg. I saw all the blood running down his leg and said " How bad is it?" He said I dont know. I told him to let me take a look. And when I took a look at it, it was one of the biggest cuts I have seen from a knife. It was about two and a half inches long and split open about 3\8 of an inch wide and 1\4 of an inch deep. It was pretty bad. We had to go to the Suva Private Hospital. All they did to it was glue it and tell him that he needs to stay off of it as much as he can so it does not split open again.

So we had to take it really easy this week. But we were able to get some stuff done that was good. We did get to have two people come to church this week and they are the ones that we have scheduled for baptism. The other one that we have scheduled is for the girl that was scard to be baptized. We are trying something else with her and really involving the members this time to really get her ready and comfortable to be baptized for April 13.

We also had one of our investigators father tell us that we are no longer able to teach him inside of the home. He came to the LDS church last Sunday and he missed his church without telling his father. So when we went over there, he said that he is not supposed to do that. He is tied to his church and he is not supposed to miss it. I know that this young man in ready to hear the lessons and to accept the invitation to be baptized. He was the kid from last week that wanted us to teach him about how to become a missionary and what do they do. His father said that we could come and say hello and he was welcome to come to anything that did not interfer with the Catholic churches schedule. He was pretty bummed and we were also. We were going to give him a baptismal date that day if he accepted it.  I know that we are going to keep inviting him and I know that eventually he will change and come into the LDS church. That was probably the saddest thing and the most hard for us this week.

We did not get any new investigators this week. We really have to focus on getting more people to teach because all the ones that were working one are now getting baptized. I know that the Lord has helped us in the past couple months here in Waila. He really did help us find those people that are ready to hear the gospel and accept the invitation to be baptized.

Both me and my companion are having a good time here in Waila. I am really loving it here in Waila. I have almost been here for 7 months and I am going to really miss this area when I have to leave. It is going to be a really sad day. Probably even more than I left my family because I dont even know if I am going to see these people again. I know that I am going to see my family again but there is a bigger chance that I am never  going to see the people here again. I have gotten pretty close to some of the people here and it is going to be a change when I leave. I know the Waila Ward has helped me grow and learn lots.  It has got to be one of my most favorite wards even though I have only had one other so far.

I know that this church is true. I want to share a poem that I heard this week that I thought was pretty cool that I want to share with you. "I asked Heavenly Father for a flower and He gave me a garden, I asked Heavenly Father for a tree and He gave me a forest, I asked Heavenly Father for a friend and He gave me you!"  I thought that this was way cool and I just wanted to share it to all of you. I like it and I know that it is true. Heavenly Father will give us the stuff that we need plus more if we ask. And it we all ways be better. Just like you. You are the best.

Thanks for everything and I hope you all have a good week. I love and miss you all very much.

Love,

Elder Grotepas

Area 2, Week 28 - Waila, Fiji 3/16/14

Dear Family,

Ni sa bula vinaka. How is everyone doing this week? I hope that you all have had a good week and are getting ready for the spring weather. I know that I would love to be in your shoes and I know that you all would love to be in my shoes here in the beautiful island of Fiji where it is always hot and never cold. I know that you all are probably ready for the weather to start heating up and getting warmer so you all can do more things and get out of the nest.

As for me here, every thing is going great. It was pretty much just a usual week for us. We were able to have a very rewarding week also. We taught 15 lessons this week and about half of those were with a member present. I am grateful for this ward and the effort that they are putting in to helping us missionaries. We did also get 3 investigators come to church. So we did have a very good week.

This week was a very hot week. I cannot believe how hot it was. Every time we walk outside or even when we are just sitting in our house studying, it feels like you are in a heater. It seems like no matter what, it is hot and does not even change. Even when you are walking at night time and there is no sun, you still sweat and get soaking wet. 

They did have a couple warnings for a couple cyclones that might happen. There was a big one that happened at the start of the week that we thought was going to hit us. But it changed and only hit a little bit of the western side of Fiji. So we are blessed that nothing has happened to this side besides the flooding that happened a couple weeks ago. 

We did get to find a couple new investigators this week. One man that we were able to see was a man named Leone. He is a great and awesome man. He has done a lot of research about all the different religions and the last one that he needs to do is the LDS church. He was invited by one of his friends to come to a open house last week and he wanted to learn what we were about. We set up a date to go see him and teach him more about what we had to share with him. At this point he seems like he is pretty interested but he was not able to come to church this week. I am hoping that he is really going to try the things that we are going to invite him to do. I have to admit, how do you know what something tastes like before you try it. That is the same with our message. You cannot say no until you have read and prayed about the church. We were able to see him twice this week and we were able to teach him the whole first lesson. I know that if he prays about it, he will know.

We were also able to meet one of the members mothers that is not a member. She wanted to take the lessons in the past but then did not. Last week when we visited them, she said that her mother is ready and prepared to take the lessons. So we went over this week and saw her. She is a great woman and she said that she wants to learn about what her daughter is learning. We introduced everything that we were going to teach her.  She seemed really interested in what we had to share. She did not get the chance to come to church this week but we will see. 

We also met with one kid this week named Jarell. He was taught in the past and now he is ready. He went to church this Sunday with a friend and really liked it. He said that he really wants to learn more about the church and to become a missionary. We finished the first lesson and after that he said that he wants us to teach him about missionaries in the next lesson. How to become one and what to do. We told him the first step is to know that the church is true and to pray about it. We invited him to read and pray and he accepted. I know that he will receive his answer. He is 17 and he has some time to prepare himself.

I am out of time but I want to let you know that I do love you all very much and miss you all. I know that the church is true. This is the Lords work.

Thanks for everything and stay fresh :)

Love,

Elder Grotepas

Sorry no pictures today. Forgot my card reader again.

Area 2, Week 27 - Waila, Fiji 3/9/14

Ni sa bula vinaka,

Man, it has been another really quick week!  I cannot believe that it is already Monday and I am emailing you again. It feels like just the other day, I was sitting here doing this same thing.  I guess time fly's when you are having fun. But, this week was a really good week for us. We did have lots of great things happen to us!  This week I am glad to say that we had a baptism for one of the best people in all of Fiji. We have been working with him sinse the start of February. It was so cool to see him before and after his baptism. Just like the first baptism that I performed, I could see a big light/joy go into his eyes. That was the same as Jiobe. At first, they thought that I said the name wrong but it was right. So he was a bit shocked what was going on. But once we got out, he just had the biggest smile on his face. Throughout that whole day he was the same way. Man I am so excited for him and the decision that he made!

That was the biggest event that happened to us. But we did have a couple other things that we were really busy with. On Friday night, our ward had an open house where members and non members could come and learn about the church. All six of us elders were in charge of planning this. We had three stations that talked about the basics of the church. We had one on the Restoration, one on the Book of Mormon, and the other on the church and what it is. We did not have quite the amount of people that we wanted to it because the weather had a big impact. But we did have a couple members bring their friends and we were able to speak with them and schedule a date to go and see them this week. They seemed really interested in the church. We asked them if they have ever heard of the church before and they said yes but not that much. I think that they are going to be pretty good investigators.

We were also able to meet this one guy named Lorima this week. We were walking to church a couple of weeks ago and he stopped us and asked us who we were and what we were doing. He thought that we were schooling here at some school. When we told him that we were missionaries, he wanted us to come and meet him and share with him what we had to share. So, when we saw him this week, he was more than happy to see us. The only thing is that I think that he wanted us to come over so that he can teach us of what he knows. He had all these scriptures written down and he shared them with us as if he were teaching us. It was kind of funny because everything that he was preaching was pretty much the same thing that we would be preaching to him. The only thing is that he has a different view on them. He told us of his life changing story. He lived in New Zealand for a while. One night he was driving under the influence and crached into a pole going 80 miles per hour. His fiance was killed on the spot and he lived. He had major injuries to his head and whole body. He said that when the paramedics came, they said that he would not live and if he did live that he would be paralyzed and have a major brain disorder. But he told us that one night when he woke up from his coma, he said he was thinking to himself and what was going on in his life. He said that at that point is when he turned to God. He began to have faith. He said that because of this, this is why he is running around and talking. He still is having to learn a lot of things over again because he cannot remember. But the thing is knows very well is the love of God.

This really had a big impact on me. This man had so much faith to be healed that he was. He said that he found the truth about God and he is very firm in his belief. I know that if he really listens to our message that he will know the whole truth. Everything that he is preaching know will be even more magnified.

I think that this week, we are going to try to work on the mother of Jiobe. She came to the baptism of Jiobe and it looked like she really loved it. I walked past her and I think that she was crying because he son just got baptized or she was feeling the spirit pretty strong. I can tell that she might change. She has been seeing us come over quite a bit and also all the members that live by her are inviting her to church and also to all the activities. So we are going to put her as one of our focuses this week. I know that she will be a great investigator and will progress really well. But we will she what her thoughts are this week.

For the work wise, we are getting a lot of people to teach. We had about 3 investigators to church this week and we have lots of others that we want to come to church but were not able to make it this week. We have gotten lots of referrals from our investigators and members.

Well, that is pretty much what happened to us this week. We did have a very rewarding week  and we did find much success. Both of us are getting along very well and we are still getting used to each other and how each other teach. We have quite different teaching styles and we are still learning how to teach with each other. 

I want all of you to know that I know that this church is true and that everything that us missionaries are doing is the work of the Lord. I also testify that the only person that leads this work is the Lord himself and not us. We would be lost if he was not here helping us. I know that he is blessing us here in Waila and is preparing many people at this time. I know that this church is true.

I love you all very much and I miss you all tons. Send my love to all the family.

Love,

Elder Grotepas

The Danford Family

The baptism of Ratu Jiobe Silivoudea Tikoilautoka Vuakatagane and an older gentleman named Lepani

                                                   

Area 2, Week 26 - Waila, Fiji 3/2/14

Ni sa bula vinaka na nogu matavuvale lomani,

How is everyone doing there in Utah?  I hope that you guys have not had as much rain as we have had this week. About three days ago lots of Fiji was flooded with about 1 to 5 feet of water. They said that we were about to have a Cyclone but it never happened. All that we had was a depression with lots of rain for about three days. It was not just a small drizzle, it was like someone opened the tap and it all came out for a constant three days. Many of our ward members had their houses flooded and they are still cleaning them up as of right now. There was about five families that got their houses flooded. We were lucky that nothing happened to us. We are way high up on the hill. All the missionaries are safe and the cyclone did not end up happening. Everyone was worried but God helped us.

As for the week, It was a really good one! It was just another week as a missionary. Eat, teach, and sleep. As for me and my health, everything is going good. Nothing is really new with me. We did get to find a couple more people to teach this week. Yesterday, we were just walking down the road and we had nothing to do. I told my companion that we can just knock on doors and talk to people. The first house that we knocked on we met with this 17 year old kid named Jareel. We told him who we were and he already knew that we were missionaries from the LDS church. He invited us in and got his father also to meet us. As we were talking to him, we found out that he had met the Elders in the past, about 2 years ago. We asked how he liked it and he said that he really liked it but that they just stopped coming. He said that he went to mutual a couple of times and really liked it. He did not ever go to church. So we taught them just a little bit about the first lesson, God, families, and how the church blesses the family. We asked him if we could come back another day and he said yes. The day that he chose, he was going to go to a rugby tournament. His dad reminded him that he had that and he said he does not care, he wants to meet us instead! The thing you have to know is that rugby is a big thing and the team from New Zealand. So I think that he really did feel something when he was taking the lessons in the past and now he wants to learn more. 

It was kind of weird how we found him. We were going to see a less active but he was not there. Elder Arthur asked what we could do and he said he did not know. I suggested to him that we can just knock on doors. He did not really want to because he did not know what to do, and has never done it. So I told him to pick a house while following the spirit. He asked me to show him. As we were walking down the road, I was looking at all the houses and his house just stood out to me. I don't know how I knew it but I just had a feeling to go there. As we walked up and said "Bula," he came right to the door and knew right away who we were, invited us in, and wanted to learn more. It is so cool to see this here. You can just tell when people are ready to hear what you have to say and are excited to hear about it. It is God preparing the hearts of them that are willing and open to learn.

We were able to have 2 investigators this week attend church. We did not get any new investigators to church but they are the ones that we are preparing for baptism in the next few weeks. As a matter of fact, we are going to be having a baptism this week for Jobe. Man, I am so excited for him to accomplish this milestone in his life. I remember the first time that we met him, he did not really seem to want to listen but something inside of him changed. After the third lesson, he had the desire to be baptized and to eventually go on a mission. We have been seeing him pretty much every day. We are so proud of his decision and we know that it is the right thing for him. He is ready to be baptized. 

The next baptismal date we have is Anarae. He is moving along just great. He is doing everything that we are inviting him to do and is keeping all the commitments we leave with him. It is good that he is living with a member that is there to help him and tell him what he has to do to help him move on in the church and she is there to help answer any questions. This week we had the opportunity to teach him about the Gospel and how it will bless his life. One of the biggest testimony builders for me this week was when we were teaching him about this lesson. We taught it is 2 lessons. First, we taught about faith and repentance. Second, baptism and the Holy Ghost.  Every time we bring up the subject of baptism, his face just brights up. He looks at us and just smiles. I feel that every time we bring it up or say it, he just feels the spirit. He did have lots of questions about it and why we need to be baptized the way we do because he was baptized by sprinkling. So he had lots of questions about that and what would happen if he backslides, could he be baptized again? But we cleared it all up and his wife helped us out and is explaining it to him even when we are not there.  I wish that every investigator would have this same expression every time we talked about baptism, just filled with the spirit kind of look. I know that the Holy Ghost can really help every one out in the lives and change them.

Well that is pretty much all of our investigators that we saw this week. We are in the process of finding more so that we can replace the ones that are going to be baptized with new ones. I know that we are going to have to keep working hard and trust in God enough to put those people in out path to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Also this week, I have been really into the Book of Mormon. I have to admit that it is the first time where am actually understanding everything that I am reading. I know that I have read it 4 times already but this time is the first time where it is actually sticking. I am all fine until I get to the point where Alma comes in and all the wars. But as I have been reading it this week, it is like it is actually happening inside on my head. I can see everything that is going on just like a movie. Maybe it is because my mind wants to watch a movie so bad that it just has to make one up of of things that I read. No, but I seem to be understanding it more now and can see the importance of it and how it can really relate to our lives and it is not just an old book that is written just for old people. It is written for everyone to read and find out what is in the future for you if and if don't follow Jesus Christ. I encourage everyone to read it and to really try to understand it. It really true and helps everyone know what is in store for them in this life and the life to come.

I want to let everyone know that I know that this church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God. I know that if we read it with a willing heart and are really wanting to understand it, he will be made known unto us. I know that I am doing the Lords work here in His small vineyard called Fiji. It is Him who is directing His work and is Him who is leading the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. We have a living prophet to help us receive the things He wants us to know. This is truly the Church of Jesus Christ. I love you all and I miss you all so much. Time is flying by too fast. I do not want to leave here because it is so great. Keep up the good work and always strive to be on the straight and narrow path that leads to the Kingdom of God.

With much love,

Elder Grotepas

Area 2, Week 25 - Waila, Fiji 2/23/14

Ni sa bula vinaka,

How is everyone doing there in Utah? I hope that you all are staying warm and are not freezing your fingers off. I bet you all would love to be where I am and I know that I would love to be where you all are. I also hope that everyone is healthy and also everything is good with everyone after the funeral. I know that must have been a hard thing on all of us.  I know that another day, we will all meet again and all do a 100,000 piece puzzle all together. HAHA. No, I know we will all be together and live forever together.

This week for me was a really slow week. We had a lot of down time this week. Well to start the week off, we had a way nice Lovo with all of our investigators that live on Waila Road. Elder Vimahi wanted to do a Lovo because he had not done one for about 1 year and he really wanted to do one. He did not know which day he was going to leave so we had to do one pretty quick. It was a great day and it was a good meal. Also on that day, I got a new companion named Elder Arthur. When he came here, he was not feeling really well. So during that whole night he was hating it and did not really enjoy it because he was sick. Then for the next week, all we did was stay in the flat and rest. Well I did not rest very much, my companion pretty much slept all day while I sat there and read. I think this whole week, I have read more than I have in my whole past year. All I did was read becasue there was nothing else that I could do.

Also one really bad thing that happened to me this week is that I lost my best friend, Elder Vimahi. Man, when he first came, I thought that it would be a long time with him and I was kind of mad a bit. But after a couple of days with him, I changed. He was one of the best companions that I have ever had besides my father, Elder Ishibashi. He taught me so much and I think that I taught him a lot also. He got the call on Tuesday morning that he was going to be leaving to go to Honalulu Hawaii. That lucky little rascal, he gets to go and visit pretty much most of the Polynesian islands. But the day he left it felt way different. No more of him, and I really missed it. It is weird on how much you get to know someone being with them for 24/7 and then when they leave, it is like you are losing a brother. But I got a new companion that is doing great and will replace him. I also know that we are for sure going to meet up after the mission.

I did get the opportunity to go on splits with one of our Zone Leaders this week. While Elder Arthur went up to the hospital, we were able to do some work down in Waila. It was good to get out and walk around and to see most of our investiagtors. We were able to see the ones that we need to get ready for baptism. All of the 3 that we have getting ready, 2 of them are doing great and are progressing really good. They are all excited to be baptized and they are ready. The only thing is that we need to finish all of their lessons. I have to admit that time is just flying by. It seems like the other day we were starting to teach them and today, how much they have progressed. Both of them have grown so much spriitually and it really was a testimony builder to me to see that people can really change, no matter what circumstance, a person can really change. This is the coolest thing to see as a missionary. The glow in all of the investigators faces when they are really begining to change. It is AWESOME.

That is pretty much for the week. We did not get to do very many things but I got to read pretty much a little less than half of the missionary library. Really great week for me and my testimony was built very much. I know that this church is true and everything that we teach is true. I know that we as members of the church need to set the example for everyone that is not a member. One thing that I read about is that everyone is looking at us even though we do not know. If we do set that example, we will stand out to the world. Some things may be hard to follow but as long as we follow it and do it with a willing heart, Heavenly father will bless us tremendously. I know that we are the examples to the world. We need to be obedient and willing. I know this church is true and that it has been restored through a prophet named Joseph Smith. I love my Savior very much and also, I love you all my family and friends very much. I miss you all and hope you all have a very good week.

Au lomani kemudou vakalevu. Au vakanuinuitaki kemudou e dua na macawa vinaka.

Lomani,

Elder Grotepas

Our Lovo on Monday

Left to Right: Me, Elder Vimahi, Ilinosi, Jobe (investigator)

Opening the Lovo

Eating the Lovo

That's a heart attack waiting to happen...compared to Lovo food!

Elders Grotepas, Vimahi and  Koroinamua

 

I climbed a coconut tree. It was so scary, I thought that I was going to fall down.

But look how tall the coconut tree was. I seriously thought that I was going to fall down and get hurt. HAHAJK