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