Area 3, Week 3 - Tavua, Fiji 4/27/14

Ni sa bula vinaka na noqu matavuvale,

How is everyone doing this week?  I hope that everyone had a good week and is doing good. As for here in Fiji there is nothing really much new. All the kids here in Fiji are on a 2 week break because their first term just ended. So there are lots of school children running around enjoying their break.

Currently we are not in our area. We are in our District Leaders area. We are going to be here in Ba for 2 days and then tomorrow night we are going to head back to our area in Tavua. The reason why we are doing this is because we are going to be having a Zone Meeting in Nadi and we are too far away to travel there today and tomorrow. So we are having a good ol' time in Ba with the Ba elders and also the Rakiraki elders.

As for the work here in Tavua, it is going pretty good. There is nothing really much new in the work. We were able to find one more investigator that looks like she will progress. She was a referral from one of the members here in Tavua. She said that she is going through some things in her life that are a bit hard and God is blessing her at this moment. About one year ago, she had one of her twins pass away due to an illness. While she was at the hospital, a white man came up to her and wanted to help her out because of what had happened. He asked her if she could take him to her house and show him what it looked like. The lady's house was a bit run down. All is was was a small room made out of tin. He told the lady that he was going to build her a house for free and she would not have to pay anything. At this point, she and her husband are living in that new house happily. So this member wanted us to go over and just help her notice and feel what the Lord is doing for her at this time. To help her know that she is known and really loved and there is really someone looking out for them. But she looks like she is going to be pretty interested in the lessons and learn lots.

We only have about 2 investigators that are progressing right now. One of them has a baptismal date for the end of June, and the other one is one that we just met a week ago that is doing really well. She has lots of questions and she truly is interested in learning about what we have to say. Her mother was a member but never told her that she was a Mormon. When we went back over, she was asking us some questions. She also said something that stuck out to her when she first met us. She told us a little bit about what she believes about God and how he answers prayers. She was saying that a couple weeks before we came over, she had a question pop into her head, "What do I need to do in this life to have eternal life in the next life?"  She said that she really did not know what the answer was. So she kind of forgot about it for a week or so. But then, we came over to her house and shared with her that there are many things that we need to do in this life to receive that eternal life. So she was really interested in what she had do and that is why she wanted to listen to us in the first place.

We then went on teaching her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. We testified of everything we taught and then she asked us a question "Does it talk about what we have to do in this life to get eternal life?"  We told her that it did and invited her to read from 2 Nephi 31 and then to pray about it. I could tell the the spirit was helping her and telling her that this is true. She promised us that she would read. We set up another date for 3 weeks after that date because she is going on vacation to Suva for a while. So we are hoping and praying that she will read and the Holy Ghost will still be with her for those few weeks.

I think that the biggest thing that happened to me this week was me changing the way I studied. My whole mission I have just read just to read and say that I studied. But finally I have realized that there is more to it. You need to study with a question. This whole week I feel like I have learned so much and my knowledge has grown about how the Church was started and how it fell. I can now testify on studying and how to do it.

I now love to do my studies even more. I did before but now I am really getting a lot out of it.

I want to let you all know that I know this church is true. God is the father and Jesus is the Son. Through them we receive the knowledge that we need in this life to return to live with them. IF we listen to them, they will guide us in the direction that we need to go. I invite you all to listen to those still small promptings of the spirit, really listen to them. Just like dad's Jimmy club, we need to pay attention to everything not just one aspect. I know that Jesus lives, this is the true church. I love you all very much and I am really looking forward for Mothers day when I get to see a lot of you again. 

You all have a good week and stay fresh.

I love you all.

Lomani,

Elder Grotepas

Our chairs in Tavua 

One of Brother and Sister Vauvau's kids

This is a Bure with Elder Tonumaipe'a

Left to Right: Elder Tonumaipe'a, Elder Grotepas, Viliame, and Sarafina (investigator)

Tabua (whales tooth)

I thought that dad would like this. This is a picture of the Vatukoula gold mine in Vatukoula, Fiji. It is huge, and this is the main place people work here in Tavua.