Area 5, Week 5 - Burewei, Fiji 11/23/14

Dear Family,

Well how is everyone doing this week? What is new with all of you? Have you already had Thanksgiving or is that next week? How is the family doing? How are Grandma and Grandpa doing? How is everyone's health?

It has been another really fast week for us.. It seems like these weeks are just flying by. It seems like the more we do missionary work, the faster it goes by. Unfortunately, we were not able to have that baptism this week of the boy from Nalidi, Tui. The plans kind of switched around on us. We are going to wait until one of the members come back from Nadi so that we can baptize their kids with Tui. We think that it will be a bit more memorable for him and all of them if they are baptized together. We are still working with them and a few others from that unit to be ready.

We went on exchanges this week with our Zone Leaders in Nausori. It was a good exchange. We had lots of fun. Me and Elder Kaipuke went to see our Golden Investigator Vilisi and we also got to cross a huge river on a little bamboo raft called a bilibili. It was way funny because Elder Kaipuke was so scared that he would not get on the raft. Then when he got on the raft, the raft sunk a little bit which made him more scared. There was a little girl across the river just laughing at us. So after all of this, we finally got on and we could not go anywhere because the raft was stuck on a rock. So the little 7 year old girl crossed the river to come and pick us up. It was kind of embarrassing because a 7 year old had to show us how. But we made it across safely!

When we got the the other side, we went to see a part member family. Both the parents are not members. They are having to wait for a couple things to be finished with their marriage. But they had the best testimony of the gospel. Inoke, his name, said that one day when he was walking down the road, he had a feeling to go a certain direction on the road. Eventually it ended up at our church just down the road. He started to talk with one of the members there and said that he was lead here for a reason. He asked if the missionaries could come over and he accepted and then after this, he knew that it was the true church of Jesus Christ. He really wants to be baptized but we are waiting on some things with their marriage. This was one of the coolest things that happened to us this week. I know that the best missionary work is with the part member families. I wish there was more to choose from but I know that this is where it is at. 

This week we were also able to attend a church service held in one of the meeting houses in the villages. They called it a 'Lotu vata'. It is where all the churches will get together to share with each other their beliefs. But this Sunday was the LDS church to host it. So we took down our Stake President, President Tagidugu, and talked about our church. It started our kind of week with only 2 people there but by the end we had about 12 people. We are hoping that something will come out of it, it was a really good Church service. I was able to stand up there in the pastors pulpit and give my testimony. It felt kind of weird because I felt like a pastor. It was a cool experience.

We also got to set up a baptismal date for a man named Vilisi. He is our Golden Investigator right now. He accepted to be baptized on the 28th of December. We had a really good spiritual lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We were trying to ask more meaningful questions to have him talk more and really think about his life and how this Gospel is going to affect him. It seemed to work really well. In my thoughts, he really thought about it and he really wants to follow this Gospel. He is loving it and cannot wait until he gets baptized. We are going to walk with him to church next week to help him know what it is going to be like.

Other than that, it was just a normal week. Me and Elder Bogaert were sick for a couple of days this week so that was the low point, but now we are doing well. Nothing to worry about, just the common sore stomach. 

So just for me it is the same ol', same ol'. Nothing really new. I am loving it here and I am going to dread the day when I am going to have to go home. It is coming sooner than I can imagine. I know that this mission is changing me right now. Last week we heard a fact the like 30-50% of missionaries after 5 years of their mission, have nothing to do with the church. I am hoping and praying that that is not me. I know that right now is the time to change that. I need to be truly converted and I feel like I am. I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. The thing that really sticks out to me is the story of Joseph Smith. Just how he was only 14 and all those things happened. I know that it really did happen and that he was called as a prophet. It just makes sense to me. Just like putting a puzzle together. It just fits perfect. I know that this is the true church.

I hope and pray that you continue to strengthen your own personal testimony. We get to a point when we are going to need our own and if we have it, we will stand strong and not be moved (Helaman 5:12).

I love you all very much and wish you all a great week.

Have fun.

Love,

Elder Grotepas

Service for President Masanawa

The Burewai District

  In Nataleira village

Elder Tukia in Fiji

Me weaving an ibe (talitali)

I thought that you all would like to see this. Guess what it is? (Elder Grotepas reports it is the most delicious meat he has ever tasted, turtle, served only on special occasions).

Taito and Mela and their family.

Mission Tour (11-12-14) Nausori, Suva and Suva North Districts

Area 5, Week 4 - Burewai, Fiji - 11/16/14

Dear Family,

Well, it has yet been another really fast week. Everything here in Fiji is pretty much still all the same. Nothing much has changed at all. The weather is still good and the people are still great. We were able to meet one of the members from the Pacific Area Presidency, Elder Haleck this week. All of the Suva, Suva North and the Nausori Zones were able to get together to have a meeting with him. He gave us some pretty good advice that can help each one of us in our daily missionary lives, what we can to do become better, and how we can teach more simply. It was a really good Mission Tour and I was really glad that I was able to go to it. One thing that really stuck out to me is that in these past couple of months that I have, I really need to step it up and do everything that I can do to finish strong. These next few months are going to show what kind of missionary I am and what I am going to be like when I go home. Then even after I finish, "It does not end there!" There is going to be so much more that I have to do when I go home.

Well as for the rest of our week, it was really good. I was able to go on splits with pretty much half of my district. I was able to go with Elder Spackman for a few hours, Elder Mueller for a few hours, and I was able to go with Elder Tukia for a little over a day for an exchange.

Pretty much the thing that stood out to me is what I learned at Mission Tour. It has been ringing in my head for the past couple of days "It does not end there!" I dont want to go home and fall away from all of the things that I have learned on my mission. One of them specifically is the aspect of studying. I know that this habit is going to be one of the biggest things that will help me when I go home. I know that this time that I have here is very short. I have set a goal with myself that I am going to not waste any time starting at 6:30 am to 10:30 pm. I know most of the time, I would go to bed early when I did not have anything to do. Now, I am going to spend as much time as I can studying or reading from the Book of Mormon to help me know more and keep my study habits up. This advice is really going to help me out. I hope that this will prepare me now and I know it will if I work hard at it.

Well, as for the work, it is going really good. We are going to have to push one of the baptisms that we were going to have next week for next month. Our unit leader wants to wait until we get a few other kids ready for baptism so we can do it all on one day and make it more memorable. So we are going to push it back to that day. Me and Elder Bogaert were talking together and thinking that there is a possibiliy that we can have about 6 bapitisms next month if everything goes good and according  to plan. So we are hoping and praying hard.

We were also able to start lessons with a kid named Mikely that lives in Saioko. He comes to church every week and he has never been visited by the missionaries. He is about 13 years old and he is pretty shy. So we are hoping to open him up a bit and get him ready. He said that he would like to be baptized so we will see what happens. Any ideas from you on what we can to do open him up to us? 

We had 6 investigators attend church but we only counted 4. The other 2 are working on something with their marrige stuff. Once they start progressing again, we will start counting them again. Our golden investigator in Soa, Vilisi, is doing great. He is progressing very well. I was not able to meet him this week becasue I was on exchanges with Elder Tukia but Elder Bogaert and Thomas were able to see him and continue on with the lessons. We did not feel to give him a baptismal date yet but we are hoping pretty soon. We are going to be walking with him [to church] on November 30th and he said that he would. It is about an hour and a half walk but he said that he is willing to do it. He is so strong and I think he will be a great member.

Well, everything is going good. The work is good and i am loving it here in Burewai. Most of it is the bush and I am loving it. I cannot even imagine a better place to die in. I LOVE IT HERE. It is so fun. I cannot wait to show you all around Fiji and see it for yourself. I have to admit that a camera can not capture it good enough. You need to see it in person. It is so cool. I am excited that we are going to come back and we are going to get to see it all together. 

I invite you all to contiue to study your scriptures and continue to pray every day. I love you all very much and I know that the Lord is blessing you all. 

Have a great week and stray fresh.

Love,

Elder Grotepas

Here I am in Saioko village

This woman's name is Mere. We were walking in the village and she was picking some peppers from her pepper bush. It looked like she was struggling because she could barely stand up. So we went over and helped her while she sat down. Come to find out that she is 90 years old and she is the only one that lives in her house. She was a way nice lady.

Some kids in the Koro

Here is the chapel in Saioko. This chapel is up a 20 minute hike up a mountain.

This is how I am going to dress my kid up for church.

                                                         Saioko Branch Conference

Some more kids in the Koro

Area 5, Week 3 - Burewai, Fiji - 11/09/14

Dear Family,

Well, what to say? It has been another way fast week. I cannot believe how fast it went again.  I have a couple things that really stick out to me that I am going to share.

As for here, the weather is good. It has been the usual. I think that now I am used to the weather, although I do get kind of cold at nights. We have started the season for Cagilaba's (hurricanes) but nothing has been said any more about any hurricanes coming. I dont think that there is any need to worry. As for the area, it is going good. I am loving this area because we get to see some other parts of Fiji and we get to see the ocean quite a bit.

As for the work, it is going really good. It seems that we are working a lot with the members and we are finding a lot of part-member families that we are wanting to work with. We found two in a branch called Saioko that want to be baptized. They are 12 and 14 years old. They come to church every week and they just have not had the Elders teach them much. So we set up a day to see them this week and we are hoping that they will be a couple of future saints for the Fiji Suva Mission.  We also had our Stake President (President Tagidugu) invite another non-member in that branch to listen to the missionaries. He has taken the lessons in the past but feels that he has to support his brother in the Methodist church because his brother is a priest. This non-member's wife is a member and really wants him to be baptized. President Tagidugu talked directly to him and said that he can be sealed to his wife and kids in the temple and now is the time to prepare. So we are also hoping to be working with him within the next week. There is so much work to be done in Saioko, we just need to work hard.

Also, I think that I told you last week about a man that is married to a less active in Soa. He is the one that I was fasting about when I needed an answer as to who I was to invite to sacrament meeting on November 30th. I was kind of worried about finding a way for him to come to church because he lives a good 3 hours walk from the Nasautoka branch. But this week we were able to find out a way!  We found out that he actually lives next to a village called Nalidi that is only a 20 minute walk. So we told him that he was able to go there and he was so happy. He even asked us at the end of the lesson if he could be baptized!  I was kind of shocked when he said this because I have never had this happen before. I did not know what to say and then we told him that he could. We told him also that we are not pressuring him to to it and he said "I know, I would like to be baptized." So he said that he was going to come to church and we are going to give him a date this week. He has got to be one of our golden investigators for us at this time!

I think that we are going to work with Vilisi quite a bit to help keep the fire burning in him. He also told us that he invited his friends in the village to take lessons. He somehow knows that if there is enough families in that area, he can open a little unit in that village. He said that is one of his goals to get the church started in that village. So we are hoping that this will be something good. His wife is really open also. I think I told you last week that she is the mother of one of the little girls that I tried baptizing in Waila. She was the one that was scared of the water. But she is way glad to see us and is really supportive. There is also another 19 year old girl that lives there that has been there the past 2 times. We asked her to be baptized and she seems like she would be alright with it. I feel like this is the family that we need to work with in Burewai.

From the experience I have learned and important lesson, working with members is the KEY! We got this referral from a member and now look at what it has turned out to be. If we would have never sat down with Brother Tikoicina that day and asked him who he knew, who knows what would happen with them. They would still be waiting. I know that if we work with the members, missionary work will speed up and it will be so much easier.

Me and Elder Bogaert were talking after the lesson as we were driving back and Elder Bogaert said something really cool, "What has made this man so prepared at this time?" I really had to think about it. Throughout the whole ride home I was thinking about this question and then my mind reflected back to Alma 13:24, "there are many at this time being prepared." There are angles preparing hearts at this time to receive the gospel, all we have to do is to find them and be ready.

That is pretty much all that happened to us this week. And one cool thing: When we were at the Saioko Branch Conference, we had a lovo (earth oven) for our lunch afterwards. We got to eat turtle this week. Holy crap, it has to be some of the best meat I have ever tried. President Ralulu told us if we would have been there 30 minutes earlier, he would have let one of us kill it but we were to late. We were both pretty bummed about it but he said that on my last week, he will take us out to find a pig and he will let me kill it for my last lovo in Saioko. :) Lets see if I will be able to do it.

I know that this is the true church and that Christ is the leader of it. Every little thing about it points to that this is the only true church of Jesus Christ. I know it's true.

I love you all very much and wish you all a great week.

Love,
Elder Grotepas

Area 5, Week 2 - Burewai, Fiji 11/2/14

Well, I ask forgiveness about my email last week. Sorry it was so short. I did not really get to tell you much about my new area. Well as you guys already know, it is pretty bush. Out of the past two weeks, I think that I have only showered out of the tap for about seven of those days and about two nights when we did not even have water. The rest have been at our main flat in Korovou in an actual shower. But no worries, it is a cool experience to tell about when I get home. 

So our area covers about five different branches/units. So, to start the week off, we stay at the Korovou flat one night, then we go to a place called Saioko and sleep at the church. Then it's on to a place called Burewai/Naivoco and we stay in a little shack. Then we go to a place called Nataleira, then back to Korovou. We start our day in Korovou then head up to Nasautoka, we then sleep there at the chapel in Nasautoka then head back to be in the Korovou flat. We then sleep there until we have to go back to Saioko. So as you can tell, there is a lot of moving around in our area. The only stink thing is that we only get to spend one day of the week in an area. So it is a bit hard to see everyone. 

We do have a truck in this area. I am the driver for the area so I get to drive around quite a bit. I like it a lot especially because we drive on dirt roads and I get to get the truck dirty. This past week, I got it dirty because it rained quite a bit. It was fun ;)

But we have some pretty good investigators. We have right now one baptismal date for a young man named Tui. He is about 10 years old and his family are members. So we are working on him. We also have two other kids that we are teaching with him. We are just waiting for their parents to come back from Nadi so we can give them their date. They are from a part member family. Their names are Paula and Seci. They are 14 and 11. They are way cool kids. We kind of have to keep the lessons simple because they are only kids and they have a short attention span. I think you guys can probably testify to that because you have kids! HAHA

I have to admit that this week went by so fast that I kind of forgot all of what happened. I know that we kind of focused a bit on the members this week and getting to know them a bit more. As I have been here for the past couple of weeks, I have noticed that the missionaries have not been really close to all the members. We do have a couple members that we are really close to because they always feed us. But most of the time, we don't really get to see the members. We are only in an area for about one day and we don't really get to meet everyone. It is kind of stink but what can we do. Also, we only attend their sacrament meeting every 6 weeks because we are moving around to different sacrament meetings every week. I cannot even imagine what it is like if you cover a whole stake or multiple stakes. 

I would like to share a little thing that happened to us this week as we were talking with one of our members. So, we were talking to this member whose name is Brother Tikoicina. We asked him if there was anyone he knew that we could see. He did say his neighbor is really interested in getting baptized into the church but their grandfather forbids it. If they join, they will be kicked out of the house. He said to wait a little bit longer with them. So we continued on talking about fishing and a little about history because he loves that stuff. I then asked him again when it got silent if he knew anyone that we could teach. He stopped for a moment and said yes, there is a in active member that live in a village called Soa and she cannot come to church because it is too far away from the chapel and her husband wants to learn more. He and the missionaries went to see them about two years ago and the husband was really excited to take the lessons. But the thing is the missionaries never went back to them. Then he said that we should try one day. So we put that on schedule for the next week and he said that he would come with us. 

Then after church we met Brother Tikoicina and he said that he was free and that he would like to go and visit this family in Soa. So we took a drive down there. It took us about 30 minutes to get there by truck.  When we got there, they were so open to us! They were so excited to see us and said that they have been waiting for two years for the Elders to come back. Come to find out that the wife was baptized in Waila with one of the members that I knew very well. She said that she was glad that we came. The husband was really glad that we came also. He even accepted our invitation to take the lessons. He was just so interested when we sat down with them, I could just see it in his eyes.

Going back just a little bit, we were invited by the Pacific Area Presidency to do a special fast in order to know of one person that you can invite to church on. Then to invite them and help them to attend church. After we sat down with this family,  I had a feeling that this was the man that I am supposed to invite to church. I know that it is going to be really hard to do because he lives so far away from the chapel. But I know that there is a way if it is really part of Gods plan. I am praying for him and I have faith that he will see the need to come. 

I am now reading the whole Book of Mormon again before I come home. I started just this last week and I am learning so much. I want to tell you all that you need to do the same thing. Well not finish it before I get home, but set a goal for a date to finish it by. It is blessing me so much and I am gaining so much knowledge about the Book of Mormon. I know that it is a true book and it is central to this church.

I want to let you all know that I know that this church is true. Every little things about it is true. If you have any doubts, ask God with a sincere heart, willing to act on anything that you receive. God is there and He will answer you. 

I love you all very much and miss you all. I thank you for everything.

Have a great week this week.

Love, 

Elder Grotepas

Some kids in Nayavu. They gave us some coconuts to drink from.

Elder Bogaert

Cute Fijian girl

Here is the Burewai truck. :)

Saioko

Here is a picture of me. I say "Bula Vinaka".