Elder Grotepas : Area 2, Week 13 - Waila, Fiji 12/08/13 Good-bye to Elder Banks

Ni sa bula vinaka,

Well I think that this week was the fastest week that I have ever had! It seems like the other day I emailed you. Wait, it was just like 4 days ago that I did. Anyways, this week was a really good week for us. We were able to get a total of 16 lessons this week with 2 investigators come to church. We have lots of people that are progressing. They like us coming over and sharing and they do what we ask them. I know that if we really teach them with the spirit, they will then in turn feel the spirit when they complete the invitations that we give them. So it was a great week for us!

One of the biggest things that has happened to us this week is that we were able to meet a General Authority! On Thursday we got the opportunity to meet and hear from Elder Pearson from the Seventy. It was a great experience to meet a messenger of God and to be able to hear some of his wisdom. I know that what he said to all 80 of us missionaries was inspired from God and that it is really going to change the mission here in Fiji. He talked about how it is ourselves that is holding us back from becoming the best that we can become, or becoming the most effective missionaries that we can become. I know that what he said really changed me and how I view the mission that I am on. He shared a lot on how our attitude is everything. And also along with attitude is the effort that we give into our work.

He told us that he had met lots of missionaries and the hardest thing that he thinks for us to do has to do with attitude and effort. When he was Mission President, he said that this was the biggest thing. He knew that they could come out of it but it was themselves that would not allow them to come out of it. So his biggest point to us is that we need to push ourselves and it is up to us to become those valiant missionaries. I know that this also applies to everyone. No matter what we do, we need to have that good attitude and put our best effort in to get all the blessings from the task that we are doing. It could be work or even giving service. If we have a bad outlook on it, the outcome to us will be bad. So we really need to follow all this advice in our lives and I know that it has really changed my life as a missionary. I am really going to change on how I ask and what I do as a missionary to help me become that successful missionary.

Well also, I have some bad news. I am now going to be losing my son. He is going to be moving out and going to live at his Mom's place on a island called Levuka. I know that Elder Pence is going to be a great mom for him and I know that when he leaves today, it is going to be sad losing a son. We had lots of good times together. I know that I will never have another companion that is as good as Elder Banks. Then as for me, I have no clue who my companion is going to be. I am supposed to get a Ward Missionary this week and they have not yet found one for me. I think in the mean time, I am going to be staying with the Zone Leaders that are in the same area as me.

Well that is pretty much everything that has happened to us this week. Not a lot of strories. It has been such a short time. I want to let you know that I love you all very much and that I know the church is true. I am doing what I am supposed to be doing at this point in my life. I hope and pray that my brothers will do the same thing that I am doing right now. I am really looking forward to Christmas when I get to Skype all of you. I love you all very much know that I truly do miss all of you and all of your smiles.

Love,

Elder Grotepas