Hey everybody!
I'm doing good. I got your package this week and it was wonderful! Thanks so much the fudge was amazing. I have saved one in my fridge. I think it's going down tonight.
For letters, my Nadi mailbox is:
Elder Jake Wall
GPO Box 4090
Nadi, Fiji
So anyone can send letters there.
I bet I will be here at least three more months; that's my guess, but who knows. This week was pretty rough, but it ended really well cause we had like ten less actives and investigators we have been working with come out to church. That was nice. But we had a million fall through appointments and the Presauds, our investigators are having lots of problems. They live with their Hindi grandparents, who used to sit in the back when we came and taught. But now they have seen them changing, so they wont let us inside anymore. They yell at us and talk bad about us to the family. So it was terrible and then one of the girls told us she did not know anymore and she still prays to the hindi gods. It broke my heart to hear that and to feel like they are falling away. I hope we can get through to them.
Other then that we have some new investigators this week who are referals I am very excited about. And our work with the Ward is feeling better. Our bishop definitly got the message. Now I just hope the rest of the ward will catch on.
We're doing good and I'm loving it. So thanks so much for the love and support keep it coming. It is what keeps me going.
Oh ya mom ,yes I am trying to learn Hindi, but it is very difficult. I'm learning some things though. I try to work on my Fijian, but I don't get to use it a lot so it's very hard.
Love ya'll. Enjoy the cold snow while I sweat like dog in the heat humidity and rain...yes it is still hot when it rains. Love ya good luck stay safe.
Love,
Elder Wall
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Newly arrived images from Fiji!
"No worries. We got water now. That is the water I drank last week. I am fine stop worrying I love you!!!!"-Elder Wall
February 15, 2009 Email
Hey again!
My comp is having some issues with his family so we get to email again. But ya it is amazingly beautiful here. The pictures don't even do it justice. I was struggling to get them to work on these computers though, so I am not sure what I sent and if you got them, so sorry. I will send an SD card home soon.
As for sending me packages, I have at least one in the mission home in Suva, but have not been able to get it brought done here so I don't know when I will get them. For packages send to Suva, at:
Elder Jake Wall
GPO box 215
Fiji Suva
that is the best way. Letters can go there also.
My comp said if it is just letters it's ok to send them to our Nadi (it is pronounced nandi FYI) mailbox. I will have to get you that box number next week though, cause I don't know it. Other than that, things are good. Thanks for the e-mail.
Hey Mom,
thanks for the advice. It's great. We are trying our best. The ward is not so strong in fulfilling their callings. We have been pounding them really hard. We actually have a senior couple assigned here who is helping so so much with our ward. The ward hates it when two white boys stand up and tell them what to do and it does not go over good a lot of times. But they just have so much respect for older people because of culture, that they listen to them way more. So they are helping and we really are on the verge of a breakthrough. So it's going good.
My companion is supposed to be transferred within the next month or two, but is going to ask President to extend him here since we're doing so good and progressing. I hope he can, because we get along great and are doing awesome.
Also, President and Sister Ostler are great. I love them. You asked about that.
Well I pry better get off LOVE Y'ALL SO much thanks for everything.
Love,
Elder Wall
My comp is having some issues with his family so we get to email again. But ya it is amazingly beautiful here. The pictures don't even do it justice. I was struggling to get them to work on these computers though, so I am not sure what I sent and if you got them, so sorry. I will send an SD card home soon.
As for sending me packages, I have at least one in the mission home in Suva, but have not been able to get it brought done here so I don't know when I will get them. For packages send to Suva, at:
Elder Jake Wall
GPO box 215
Fiji Suva
that is the best way. Letters can go there also.
My comp said if it is just letters it's ok to send them to our Nadi (it is pronounced nandi FYI) mailbox. I will have to get you that box number next week though, cause I don't know it. Other than that, things are good. Thanks for the e-mail.
Hey Mom,
thanks for the advice. It's great. We are trying our best. The ward is not so strong in fulfilling their callings. We have been pounding them really hard. We actually have a senior couple assigned here who is helping so so much with our ward. The ward hates it when two white boys stand up and tell them what to do and it does not go over good a lot of times. But they just have so much respect for older people because of culture, that they listen to them way more. So they are helping and we really are on the verge of a breakthrough. So it's going good.
My companion is supposed to be transferred within the next month or two, but is going to ask President to extend him here since we're doing so good and progressing. I hope he can, because we get along great and are doing awesome.
Also, President and Sister Ostler are great. I love them. You asked about that.
Well I pry better get off LOVE Y'ALL SO much thanks for everything.
Love,
Elder Wall
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Our first real Email since his arrival!
Well week one is over with and I think it went very well. Not sure if you know yet but I am in Nadi, my comp is Elder Lloyd from Sandy. We get along great and he is a good trainer.
At first I was disappointed with my area cause this is the tourist area with all the rich and wealthy and most people speak english and are Indian not Fijian.
I eat like a king and there is any restraunt I could ever want. There is even a hard rock cafe. We live in a really nice flat (that's what they call houses). And we have a van to drive around. I have finally gotten used to driving it on the wrong side of the road; which means it has been a few days since I pulled into head-on traffic. People here are crazy drivers, but I love it. You go where you want to go and don't worry about how you get there, but there are never any wrecks; it's crazy.
I bought some sulu's and have been loving them ever since. It helps so much with the heat and humidity. They are awesome! It is SO hot and humid all the time and rains a lot. It has rained everyday so far, except one and even then it sprinkled. And here in Fiji when it rains look out, cause it rains like mad.
So most of the flood was cleaned up by the time I got here but on wednesday there was a landslide that broke the water pipes, so from Wednesday we have had no water. I have been drinking straight up mud water that looks like coke. It's all good though, cause I've got a stomach of steal. I don't even have the runs. We showered in the airport like hobos once cause we smelt so terrible. And once in the river ocean inlet thing which turned out to be a bad idea cause the water was so dirty we were covered in dirt after.
My fijian gets worse everyday cause I never get to used it. I am picking up some Hindi though and getting really good at speaking broken english to the Indian people. We teach tons of lessons though, so that is good -28 this week. Only two in Fijian though, so I hope I dont forget it.
There are 830+ members here in nadi but only 20 or so come to church, so President officially made us reactivation missionaries. Most lessons are taught to less actives.
We have three progressing investigators we teach though. One in particular I love. They are an Indian family who is coming along so good. Last night we had the most powerful lesson I have ever been in. It was crazy. They are taking everything really well and keep all their commitments to a 'T', even the sixteen year old girls. They fed us some awesome curry last night. Which by the way I love Indian food!! And you eat everything here with your hands and I love it. We are also teaching this guy I like alot who is less active. He is a HUGE guy who played football in America. He makes me look tiny. His arms are as big around as my legs and ripped, but he is a big softy. I hope he starts coming back to church.
So part of why I didn't want to come here is cause I thought it would be all rich snobby people. But holy cow was I wrong. You drive five minutes outside the rich area, and there are the poorest people I have ever met in my life. In one Indian village in particular, they don't have jobs. They just have chickens and goats and ducks, and half duck half chicken things that look crazy. They just live off them. They live in shacks filled with stuff that looks like has been at the dump for a few years. And they are very nice, but so poor.
I am loving it and we're doing some good. It's frustrating though cause it is so relaxed that we get stood up on appointments all the time. We always have our days planned out and it never goes that way. We try to go to our appointments and no one is there so we just teach who we can, when we can. It sucks getting stood up so much. Even by the bishopric and ward mission leaders. Its just not a big deal to them.
So anyways, I am alive and doing great and loving it, so no worries I have adjusted well. Hope you are all doing well.
Love Elder Wall
Tell everyone to send letters and everything to Elder Jake Wall GPO Box 215 Suva, Fiji. I need some stinking letters so tell them to send them.
Love Elder Wall
At first I was disappointed with my area cause this is the tourist area with all the rich and wealthy and most people speak english and are Indian not Fijian.
I eat like a king and there is any restraunt I could ever want. There is even a hard rock cafe. We live in a really nice flat (that's what they call houses). And we have a van to drive around. I have finally gotten used to driving it on the wrong side of the road; which means it has been a few days since I pulled into head-on traffic. People here are crazy drivers, but I love it. You go where you want to go and don't worry about how you get there, but there are never any wrecks; it's crazy.
I bought some sulu's and have been loving them ever since. It helps so much with the heat and humidity. They are awesome! It is SO hot and humid all the time and rains a lot. It has rained everyday so far, except one and even then it sprinkled. And here in Fiji when it rains look out, cause it rains like mad.
So most of the flood was cleaned up by the time I got here but on wednesday there was a landslide that broke the water pipes, so from Wednesday we have had no water. I have been drinking straight up mud water that looks like coke. It's all good though, cause I've got a stomach of steal. I don't even have the runs. We showered in the airport like hobos once cause we smelt so terrible. And once in the river ocean inlet thing which turned out to be a bad idea cause the water was so dirty we were covered in dirt after.
My fijian gets worse everyday cause I never get to used it. I am picking up some Hindi though and getting really good at speaking broken english to the Indian people. We teach tons of lessons though, so that is good -28 this week. Only two in Fijian though, so I hope I dont forget it.
There are 830+ members here in nadi but only 20 or so come to church, so President officially made us reactivation missionaries. Most lessons are taught to less actives.
We have three progressing investigators we teach though. One in particular I love. They are an Indian family who is coming along so good. Last night we had the most powerful lesson I have ever been in. It was crazy. They are taking everything really well and keep all their commitments to a 'T', even the sixteen year old girls. They fed us some awesome curry last night. Which by the way I love Indian food!! And you eat everything here with your hands and I love it. We are also teaching this guy I like alot who is less active. He is a HUGE guy who played football in America. He makes me look tiny. His arms are as big around as my legs and ripped, but he is a big softy. I hope he starts coming back to church.
So part of why I didn't want to come here is cause I thought it would be all rich snobby people. But holy cow was I wrong. You drive five minutes outside the rich area, and there are the poorest people I have ever met in my life. In one Indian village in particular, they don't have jobs. They just have chickens and goats and ducks, and half duck half chicken things that look crazy. They just live off them. They live in shacks filled with stuff that looks like has been at the dump for a few years. And they are very nice, but so poor.
I am loving it and we're doing some good. It's frustrating though cause it is so relaxed that we get stood up on appointments all the time. We always have our days planned out and it never goes that way. We try to go to our appointments and no one is there so we just teach who we can, when we can. It sucks getting stood up so much. Even by the bishopric and ward mission leaders. Its just not a big deal to them.
So anyways, I am alive and doing great and loving it, so no worries I have adjusted well. Hope you are all doing well.
Love Elder Wall
Tell everyone to send letters and everything to Elder Jake Wall GPO Box 215 Suva, Fiji. I need some stinking letters so tell them to send them.
Love Elder Wall
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Look out Fiji! Elder Wall has arrived!
Elder Wall flew out to Fiji last Saturday after a ten hour flight and we got to talk to him before he left the LAX airport! What an enthusiastic missionary! He sounded like he was doing amazing with the language and could hardly wait to get out there. We are so excited to finally have Jake out in this area that he has been hearing so much about and we know he is going to be the best skirt-wearing missionary out there!
Here is his most recent e-mail:
Long Long flight and got no sleep and got here at five in the morning, so I get to live out this whole day before I ever get to sleep. It will be good I guess. We had to ride a bus around the whole island and because of slow roads cause of flooding and all the stops, it took about five hours. Very long and not fun at all. I got to hang my suit up and put away my shoes though, that is awesome. I do not know my first area yet. Not until tommorrow I don't think. But I am way excited. It is hotter then heck and amazingly humid. But I am loving it. It was nice to talk to you all.
Much Love,
Elder Wall
Here is a map illustrating just how far Jake traveled to reach his final destination. Fiji has a red circle around it, so if you can't see it, just click on the map and it should give you a better view.
According to Google, this is what traditional houses look like in Jake's new home. Does this have Jake written all over it, or what?
Here is his most recent e-mail:
Long Long flight and got no sleep and got here at five in the morning, so I get to live out this whole day before I ever get to sleep. It will be good I guess. We had to ride a bus around the whole island and because of slow roads cause of flooding and all the stops, it took about five hours. Very long and not fun at all. I got to hang my suit up and put away my shoes though, that is awesome. I do not know my first area yet. Not until tommorrow I don't think. But I am way excited. It is hotter then heck and amazingly humid. But I am loving it. It was nice to talk to you all.
Much Love,
Elder Wall
Here is a map illustrating just how far Jake traveled to reach his final destination. Fiji has a red circle around it, so if you can't see it, just click on the map and it should give you a better view.
According to Google, this is what traditional houses look like in Jake's new home. Does this have Jake written all over it, or what?
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