Area 3, Week 4 - Tavua, Fiji 5/4/14

Ni sa bula vinaka na noqu matavuvale,

Well I would like to say Hello to you all again this week. I know that this week has been a really fast week for me. I know that these weeks on my mission are going way too fast and is not going slow enough. It seems like I was just sitting at a computer just yesterday but it has been one week. I have really had a good week. We did find quite a bit of success with some of our time cut out because we had a meeting that was in Lautoka, Fiji and we had to stay over there for two days. So we did have a really good week and I hope that you all had a really good week and everything went good and just like you planned.

To start this week out, we had a meeting as a Lautoka Zone in Lautoka. It was a really good experience to feel of the spirit and the things that the mission needs to work on. It was good also because I got to see some of my intake, mainly Elder Tukia. I served with him when I was in the Waila area. He is a great Elder and I love to see him.

During the meeting, we talked a lot about what we have to do to accomplish the goal that the mission has set for the next 2 months until President Klingler goes home. He has challenged us to get 220 baptisms in for the whole second quarter. For the first month, it was not going too good, we were not really on track with our goal. We had a lot of baptismal dates set for the month of June but we only ended up getting two in that whole month as a zone. So they really talked and emphasized what we needed to do to get those investigators baptized.

One of the things that they talked about was daily contacting. I know that this is a really good way to help those that are investigating to about the church. I know that that is one of the things that we are trying to work on here. We have a couple investigators where it will be easy to check on them and see how they are doing on our commitments. Another thing that they really emphasized was getting the ward involved and getting those effective member presents. During the meeting, these were the two things that the spirit told me for us to work on. I feel that if we build that relationship with the members, they will feel more included and loved and that they are needed. So we are really going to focus on this and see if it makes a difference.

But other than the meeting, we did find one really good investigator this week. She was an old investigator from about a year ago. We both thought that she was a member because the first time we went over there, she was not there but her brother was. When we were talking to him, he said that she was already a member. So we thought that she was a member to start off with. But once we sat down with her, we found out that she was not a member. She considered herself a member because her brother is a bishop in a different ward and she always went with him to church. But she said that at the time when the elders in the past were visiting her, she did not feel ready to be baptized. She took all the lessons but was not ready at that time. But when we sat down with her, she said that she thinks she is ready. We are going to give her a little bit of time to pray about it so it does not feel like we are pushing her. We invited her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We read some scriptures with her and she understands what she needs to do.

We had a big fast as a mission this Sunday and she was one of the ones that I fasted for. I know that she is going to come around and see the need for this and be baptized. I have faith that the Lord will soften her heart and bless her with everything that she needs at this time. All we have to do is have faith in Heavenly Father that He will do the rest. He knows everything that we need even before we ask him. All we need to do is have faith and show it to him.

We were also able to sit down with our Ward Mission Leader this week for the first time. He was just set apart yesterday. He has been a WML in another ward in Suva so he knows what he is doing. He really has some good ideas that we can use to change the attitude of the ward. Start a fire underneath them and get this ward going again. I know that we set some things up that might help the ward out get closer together. We are going to try to move this area and change it around.

As of right now, we have one baptismal date that we are working with. We have a couple other that we want to challenge but we are waiting to see if they come to church. We are still focusing on them but we are doing good. With the one baptism that we have, it is scheduled for the end of June. She is doing really great. We have just finished up with the second lesson. The hard thing is is that she does not really know the Bau'en dialect of Fijian, and that is all I know. She can only understand her dialect and English a bit. So we have to have one of her friends in there translating what we say so she understands. But she is doing great. She lives with a member that is really strong and is helping her out tons.

But, our work is going good. I am doing great. I am really focusing on my studies and making them better. I can feel that as I have really tried to learn in my studies, it has made a difference. I feel that I know more about what I am teaching and that I can back it up. I encourage you all who is reading this to do the same. Study with a purpose. This would have helped me throughout my whole mission. Don't just read to read, read to understand and grasp.

I know with my whole heart that this is the true church. I know that this work that we missionaries are doing is really the Lords work and he is controlling it. If we listen to the small voice, we will be directed for good. I want to let you all know that I love you all very much. I cannot wait until next week when I get to skype you all and see you all face to face. I have been waiting for this day since Christmas.

Know that you all are in my prayers and that I love you all very much.

Thanks for everything you do and are doing at this moment.

Love, 

Elder Grotepas

District lunch

Elder Tonumaipe'a and I doing service

Zone P-Day. We had to dress up like Mexico.

A flash flood.

We were sitting in a lesson. Upon finishing, we were talking to the investigators aunt and all of a sudden the kids yell out out that the flood is coming. All of a sudden, all this water comes into the yard and floods it. It took about 2 minutes for all that water to fill in. Only in Fiji!

Guess what these are? What are they made out of?

I think that this picture will help you to know what those flip flops are made out of. Only in Fiji can you see this.