Elder Grotepas : Area 2, Week 22 - Waila, Fiji 2/3/2014 New Companion Elder Vimahi

Dear Family,

Man, it has been a long time. It feels like I have not emailed you all in a while. Our leaders changed around our P-day because they had planned a temple trip for all of the Nausori Zone to attend. Because of this, they moved our P-day because the temple is a P-day activity. So we had a regular day yesterday along with our Zone Training Meeting.

As for me, everything is going great. We had a really good week. We did not get to teach very many lessons because we were so busy but we did have a very successful week. It seems like our ward is really feeling the missionary spirit and is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their friends. We got about 2 new referrals this week from the ward that are interested in what we have to say. Both of them have attended church for the past 2 Sundays with their less-active friends that are starting to come back to church. It seems like the work is really picking up and we have invited about 3 people to be baptized in the past 2 weeks. We are really getting lots of work, and like I said last week, I can really see how the Lord is helping us out here in Waila. We have shaped up a bit, changed our obedience, and now I can really see the change in the area. I have a testimony of being strictly obedient now. I did not at first but now I can really see it.

I did have a really big thing happen to me this week. First of all, when we were at our "Train the Trainers" meeting this week, Elder Koroinamua had to speak to president concerning his patriarchal blessing. He said that as he was talking to him about that, President also mentioned that he was 1 out of 4 missionaries that have received their visas to go to Vanuwatu! He said that he might be leaving this week or if not this week, next week. So he told him to get ready because he might be leaving pretty soon. That was the first big news and secondly, I have gotten another new companion! This was a big ol' shock to me. Yesterday, we were inside of our Zone Meeting and the Assistants called the Zone Leaders and told them that I will be getting a 3rd companion. So by the end of the meeting the Assistants were calling me and telling me that they would be there soon to drop him off to us. So they came and dropped him off. His name is Elder Vimahi. He is from the second most beautiful island of Tonga. He is about 11 months out on his mission and he came from the mission that got destroyed from the typhoon in the Phillipines. He is going to be waiting here in Fiji for a little bit to get a visa to go to some other mission. He does not even know where he is going. He also said that his parents have moved from Tonga to the great and safe city of West Valley City, Utah. Elder Koroinamua and him just speak Tongan to each other. It is weird because I have no clue what is going on and I get confused. I don't quite know what is going on with me and my companions. I guess I am a visa waiter companion!

But, we did have a really good week this week. We were finally able to see the family that we have been teaching for a while, the Methodist family of four. It has been about a month since we have been able to see them. We had a really good lesson and I could really feel the spirit testify to the father what we were saying was true. We taught him about the priesthood authority and why we need that to be baptized. I don't think that understood it very good from the first time we introduced it, but now he really does. We told him that the way he can know this is true is knowing that Joseph Smith is true and he did restore the priesthood to the earth. Then to know that he is a true prophet, he needs to know the Book of Mormon is true. He said that he has really slacked in his reading and he knows that he has to start. So he promised us that during the week that he would read the Book of Mormon with his family every night. We promised him that he will know if he does this and that it will help him in his life.

This week we had one investigator come to church. It was the husband of one of the members in the Waila Ward. I know that he is building his faith is Jesus Christ and is seeing the importance of this church. At first when we met him, he told us that he did not really want to change. He was doing this to make his wife happy. But he has been to church three times and he has also gone to a combined Family Home Evening with most of the members there. He is starting to build relationships in the ward and he is really growing in his faith. We are going to try this week to find him a date to shoot for. I know that this will help and encourage him to read and pray to know for himself that this church is true.

It is weird for me to think that I do not have that much more time on my mission. This week I have really been pondering on what I can do to more better improve myself to become that most effective missionary. I know for first that I need to keep my mind centered on my mission and not think about what I am going to do when I get home and what I am going to eat. haha! I really want to finish strong and finish with power. I know everyone can finish strong on everything they do. One of the Christlike attributes is Patience. I know that I have really had to work on this on my mission but if we can have patience and can endure things well, we will be blessed from on high. That is a really good promise and I really want that. So I encourage all of you to do the same thing. Whatever you are going through, endure it well. There will come a point when it will end and you will be blessed.

I know that this church is true and I am doing the Lords work. I love you all very much and miss you all very much also. I hope and pray that you all will have a great week and that everything will go smooth and as planned. Have a great week and much love from the small beautiful island of Fiji.

With much love,

Elder Grotepas