April 11, 2010 A Low Tide Baptism

Here is the latest from the beautiful island of Kadavu. In a shorter email that came before this he told us that he has lost 20 pounds due to 'crappy food and hiking'. Haha That is a good thing, he wanted to lose some of the weight he has put on going to lovos and eating too well.


Well we had a great week. The Seru family was finally baptized and it went awesome. Unfortunately we white boys aren't very smart with thinking about tides and planning baptisms during high tide. So I am pretty sure I broke a record for shallowest baptism ever done. The water barely reached my knee caps. I had to stomp them into the sea floor to immerse them. But it went well. I stepped on a rock of piece of coral or something and got a cut on my foot...but it is a small price to pay for the eternal salvation of five souls ha ha. We talked to them friday night before the baptism and it was great. I was so excited because they were so ready and excited. When they were interviewed, Elder Alba and I for no particular reason thought they were not quite ready and that we should move back their baptismal date. So we did; then I felt we should move it back one more week. But they were definitely ready and I think the extra time helped to prepare them and to help them know the importance of baptismal covenants and helped them to realize the struggles they will face in the new developing unit of the church.

On Sunday, we had a combined lunch before church and then President and Sister Ostler came and had church with us. It was so great. They are awesome and I love them so much. We are going to be starting small priesthood and relief society organizations. We had 27 people in attendance and 5 members who come every week were in Suva, so we had lots of investigators there. Which was awesome.

We met a new member there named Sister Liku. She lives in a far away part of the island and was baptized back in 1986. Then in 1987, she moved to Kadavu and saw the elders and now knows the church is in Kadavu. Unfortunately she lives too far to come every week, but she is going to try to come as much as possible. She is a great lady who actually knows some of the hymns, so our singing sounded better this week.

The Ostlers gave great lessons and I think the members learned a lot and are now more excited and ready to move forward with the church here. We found out the we are not technically even an annex; we are not yet an official recognized unit of the church. We're basically a group of saints. But after their visit, president Ostler said he was very very pleased with our work and that he would talk to the area and we will soon be a branch. I am very excited for that.

We also have one week with too many missionaries when new ones have come in but old ones haven't left, so we are going to have a quick two week experiment with four elders in Kadavu and see if it will help the work here. I am very happy with this week and the work; it feels good to know that even with all the ups and downs of day to day work here, our overall progression is upwards and President is very happy with what we are doing.

I hope all is well and I appreciate all your prayers and love.

Love,
Elder Wall

April 4- Opposition in all Things

Well this week was really good. We just got back this afternoon from Kavala and it was really good. The boat ride was amazing with beautiful crystal clear water. It was so beautiful- it never ceases to amaze me. So many bright colorful fish and coral. So beautiful.

I am amazed at the strength that the unit there has been able to maintain even without having missionaries there to help them except just every once in a while. They have a very strong youth and seminary program and all the kids show up for, along with all the activities and church meetings and they participate very very well.

Venisita, the girl we baptized during our last trip there, is doing awesome and is bringing her sister to seminary and activities. One other boy, Ipeli, wants to be baptized but his grandpa who he lives with is a talatala for the methodist church and won't allow him to be baptized. He continues going to church and seminary though. Venisita challenged him to keep asking since her parents wouldn't approve at first either, but she kept asking until they allowed her. So hopefully next time we can baptize him. He is a great kid.

Another man, Rupeni, lives in a far away village but tries to come to church whenever possible and wants us to teach him. He walked all the way there on Saturday and stayed there so he could go to church and so we could teach him. He is great and had lots of great questions and was excited to read the Book of Mormon. I think that in another couple months, he too will be ready for baptism.

On this side, we pushed back the Seru's baptism because we were in Kavala. So they will be baptized this Saturday. They are awesome and continuing to learn and progress and getting some close friendships with the members. I think that will help them out a lot and help the work to move forward here. One man from the Tavuki side who is a chief and also a preacher, is praying and fasting to join the church. His wife said she prayed and fasted already and wants to join the church but that it is up to her husband. So hopefully he will pray with real intent, willing to give up his pay check and join the church. They have no way to get to church on Sunday either, so hopefully we can have a way to get them to go to church.

Natumua, one of the villages we did the sevusevu, in had a big arguement and the village split into two sides. Half supporting us and liking us being in the village and half wanting us out. One of the preachers wives from another religion got so angry during the meeting for it that she had an anerism or heart attack or something and died. So were having some opposition but the work is progressing well.

Well that about sums up my week. I hope all is well on that side. Have a great a week.