Elder Grotepas : Area 2, Week 4 - Waila, Fiji 10/06/13

Lomani Family,

How is everything going up there in Utah? Everything is going great here in Viti. Well, I have got to admit that this week has gone by way fast. It seriously feels like the other day was Monday. I cannot believe how fast these weeks are going by. I also cannot believe that it is already Conference time already. I know that you all have already watched it but we have to wait for a week before we are able to watch it. We are going to be watching it next Saturday and Sunday. I bet that it was so good and you all learned very much from it all. I hope
you are going to apply all the things that you learned.

This week we had a big Stake Musical Fireside. It was so awesome. I am going to send you some of the pictures today that some of the kids took there. That is how to get sweet pictures, let the kids go around and take pictures. It was way sweet. I have to admit that I like the Stake and Ward parties better here than I do back home. The Fijians don't really care about what they look like and do. They will do whatever and they wont be ashamed. Like for the party, every ward did a dance and everyone that was there from the ward went up to the front and danced. It was so cool. We had a unit from Lomaivuna come down and they were the ones that performed the dance and represented our ward. The only thing is they need like 15 members up there and only 3 came. But on the other hand, we had about 16 investigators come, so they were the ones that did the Meke (dance). The kids were all about 12 to 16 years old. There was also like two 6 year olds that did the dance with them. We also had a couple of the youth from our ward perform. I hope that when I get home I will be put into the young mens and be able to teach all of them this dance and do it for the ward with everyone with their shirts off and grass skirts. HAHA

Another really cool thing is that Elder Banks and I were able to teach a Methodist Talatala (preacher). Some of the Elders that were here previously had contacted him but we went back to meet him. We also got to talk to someone else that lived there in his home. It is cool here in Fiji on how introductions work. A lot of the people here just want to talk. We had one of the district presidents tell us that the first thing that we need to do with Fijians is to talk and get to know them. We need to develop a trust with each other. We do that by just talking and telling stories. Elder Banks told me that he really likes how I like to "talk" to the people before we talk to them. He really likes this process on how we get to know people here in Fiji. But going on with the story, this lady that lived in the home was way funny. I was making her laugh and she was making us laugh. Well Elder Banks was just laughing because I was laughing. He had no clue what was going on and what was being said. We asked the Talatala if he would read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We promised him that if he did this with a sincere heart, he would know. I don't think that he is really going to change but it is worth a shot. He is really stuck on the things of his church. I know that if he would just open his heart and read the book a little bit, he would know for himself. We are not going to push him, but only invite him to do this.

Also this week, we had a really good lesson with one of our investigators. Her name is Elenoa and Mere. We were teaching them about Christs' church and the Apostasy. I think this lesson was good and the spirit was there. We had already taught her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Earlier during that day, Elder Banks and I were learning about how to ask inspired quesitons. And during that lesson, we did just that. We asked a question and she froze was silent for like 45 seconds. I knew that my Fijian made sense so I was just going to see what she would do. We knew the spirit was working on her. When she finally answered she said she did not know. We told her to read and pray to her Heavenly Father which of all these churches are true. Only He can do that. She seemed really touched and I think experience really changed something in her. I think that this lesson was a good lesson for both me and Elder Banks.

But that was pretty much our week. I hope things are going good for you all.

Au lomani kemudou valevu. Au na veivosaki vei kemudou ena macawa mai ogo.

Lomani,

Elder Grotepas