Companions :-)

Baptisms!

Merry Christmas From Fiji!

Jan 10 2016

We have two baptisms this next Saturday! It has been amazing to watch and teach. One of them is a complete miracle to watch change.  

Jan 1 2016

It was fun to skype home for Christmas! It wasn't as weird as I thought! I  think I realized shortly after skyping that I think many of you may have changed a lot but I realized that I have changed quite a bit. It will be interesting to come back home and see the comparisons between the new and old me. In the past my nature has been to fill gaps but here in the mission I think I am starting to find my place and wear my own shoes so to speak. haha it has been really nice. This is a picture with me and some of the other sisters when they came in for our Christmas party at the mission home! It was a blast! The one in pink up top is my new companion Sister Parata from New Zealand! I had soo much fun this Christmas! It will definitely be one I won't forget!

Tamavua

This is my companion and I celebrating Dihwali! it is an Indian Holiday that is celebrated like crazy here in Fiji! It is definitely a holiday that I will be celebrating for the rest of my life. haha We were allowed to put on Saris at our Recent converts house, eat lots of sweets and food. They celebrate with lights and fireworks!

It was like Christmas and the 4th of July put together! I have never seen so many fireworks! We had a good week! Lots of work and walking! I think I averaged about 8 miles of walking for most of the week! haha  I am very grateful for my body! Oh! When I put on the Sari, our recent convert's mother totally thought I was Indian and hasn't stopped saying how she wished she had a son so that she could arrange our marriage! haha It was awesome! She thought I was Punjabi! :D I love Fiji.

The people are SO good! They actually help with the work and give referals! they are amazing! The paved roads just make me want to get a car. haha my companion wants to get bikes but I just don't know how I feel about that. haha we walk a TON. 

I LOVE FIJI!  How is the flower? Can I pull it off like a true islander? At first it was weird but now I am getting used to it. Happy THANKSGIVING! Eat lots and don't forget about me!? hah

New Area

I got transferred out of Wailoku which is a place that I will miss forever! But don't worry I am super close by! I stayed within my district and went up the hill into the more populated area of Tamavua 2nd! It is an awesome area with amazing people! I love them already! My new companion is sister Teupoorautoa from Tahiti! We are having lots of fun rearranging and decorating the flat as seen in the picture! haha I have couches now!!! awesome! 

This was saying goodbye to my amazing companion Sister Fiu! in the middle! She got transferred far away to Nadi to be an STL. I am going to miss her. We had So much fun together. I am glad for the open house of the temple when I will see All the sisters come to do the tours! We are Super excited! One member of the first presidency and one of the 12 will come. (probably one of the new ones).

This was saying good bye to the Thaggard Family! The one we have been teaching and watching change! The Less Active Dad started coming back to church and got  a calling. The mom finished the lessons with us and is preparing for baptism and has completely changed! The oldest kids are starting the lessons with the eldas! I am going to miss this family! They are aiming for the temple!

We made Pouri to eat with the Chutni that a recent convert gave us! It was amazing! Can't wait to come back and cook for everyone! My new favorite food is Indian!!! Anyway, I have to go now! Keep sending prayers and emails! Love you all! 

Funny story this week! First, I got transfered into a new area that is more populated and civilized compared to my first. (haha it has paved roads!) However, my new area doesn't have a good dinner list, unlike my last area in which you never had to worry when or where you were going to eat your next meal. hahaha So I have been doing a lot of panic/stress eating in this area. Well, one day, It was getting close to dinner time and we didn't have a place to go for dinner and I wasn't sure who was going to offer food and I was starting to get hungry. That is when we got on the bus. And I just happened to sit next to a young man (probably 26) who was holding a giant box of pizza. From the New York Style Pizza Kitchen which just opened up in the city. (which is out of our area.) anyway, I have been craving pizza for 3 months now and it was torcher to stare at his box. . . So I started talking to him.. hahaha I asked him where he got his pizza and how much it cost him. He was super friendly and I told him that I was from America and how I have really been craving pizza. He then got super excited and asked if I wanted some because he had more in a take away box in his backpack! He had gotten a gift card for the pizza and bought it for his family and then used the remaining money to get a small pizza that he ate there but couldn't finish so he put it in a small container to take home. OF COURSE I SAID YES! hahahahahaha It made my day! I then had to get of the bus but took the small container of pizza with me and rejoiced as I ate it! It was amazing! Best tasting pizza ever! 

Just wanted to send a note of how much I love you! Thank you for everything you do for me! I am so very blessed to be a part of this AMAZING family. Can't wait to call at Christmas! This transfer is going to be quite the adventure. I am learning lots about making the best of every opportunity and situation. Thank you! I love you very very much and miss you more than words can express. 

A day at the Beach

The mission is amazing and this week I have been blessed to be working with a family. We are teaching the other half of a part member family where the other half was Less active. It has been amazing to see the whole family coming to church, supporting each other and becoming converted. They are aiming for the temple and the effects of the gospel in bringing them happiness has been immediate. They are united and know how to work together. It is amazing to watch. 

The pictures are from P-day. We went to the beach and managed to not get into the water. haha it was heaps hard but I got lots of great pictures! Transfers are coming next week and I am pretty sure I will be leaving Wailoku which is sad but good. It is going to kill me to say good bye. We spoke in Sacrament meeting yesterday and  it was already hard knowing it would be my last talk there.

WIth my companion Sister Fiu

 Means "Eternity"

 The Salt Lake Temple :-) 

Can you believe it? I am in FIJI! :-)

Exchanges and the Big City

Oct 19 2015

This week was quite the adventure. We had exchanges with the Suva 3rd sisters for 3 days which was quite the surprise! They are outside our Zone and we aren't even the STLs! We didn't know until that morning but we were up for the adventure. My time in Suva 3rd (the city) was wonderful. Coming from the Wailoku to the City was a big adjustment and kinda scary but I enjoyed the interaction with the people and getting to know sister Baki. Sister Baki is from Papua New Guinea. She was converted beginning of last year and was soon followed by her criminal father, mother, and brother who was baptized while she was in the MTC. She is super great.

The Elders in that ward put on a talent show activity friday night and reminded us 1 minute before of our Spiritual thought which turned out that Sister Parata (the other companion that left for the exchange) was the only one who knew. So Sister Baki and I said a prayer, I put together an idea, told sister Baki and we went in right as they were calling our names to give the thought. I spoke of the Parable of the Talents and how we all have talents but often we bury them. I used Sister Baki as an example and told them how she was good at talking to people and being a leader and then I stuck her in the corner because I wanted to protect her and keep her to myself. Everyone laughed and spoke out rejections and agreements. We then bore testimony of how we need to come out from the corner and share our talents in order to develop them. It turned out really well.

TWo big things I learned from the exchange:

1. Always be prepared for random insights and to give your all in the smallest of moments.(Came from the above experience.)

2. It is not about me. It is about the work.

I learned this when I was going around with Sister Baki and everyone was asking about Sister Parata. I was good about it as I realized everyone in Wailoku was probably doing the same thing. To which, I realized that I don't want that. I don't want people to miss me when I leave because it is not about me. It is about the work continuing and making the transition from me to Sister Fiu's next companion easy so that they can continue the work smoothly.

Over all, this week and intensity of the crazy exchange put me in my lime light. I had So much fun and worked super hard. The only down fall was the bed bug bites from the exchange and who knows how long they'll stay. They are like mosquito bites times 10. :P haha This week was a great blessing. 

Also, big blessing, Our Golden Investigator has made us cry three times this week as he taught US the lessons and then practically begged to be baptized. His name is Jone and he has changed my life simply by letting me what him change his own. Words cannot express the JOY. He will be baptized October 31.

-The picture is of me and Sister Baki!

McDonalds is only in the City and it is the only American fast food place. It is a special treat to go while on the mission and so everyone craves it. I was able to go while on the exchange and was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. haha maybe it is because I haven't eaten anything that American since I got here. hahaha 

- Also, at the talent show I learned the hula dance to the song from Lilo and Stitch!!! I am going to keep practicing it and do it at my home coming!! hahaha