Well sorry about the late email this last week, the internet was down so we are catching up today. Sounds like things are a bit crazy with Dad's new injury. Hope he heals quickly. I will pray for things to work out well.
My week was good. Busy but good. I went on exchanges with an elder in my district, Elder Olson. We were checking out this area called Wainiyaku. We are thinking about opening an annex there for the members cause it is far travel for them to come to church. The people we met were great and it was a good trip. There are lots of coconut tree plantations down there. For miles and miles, there are just thousands and thousands of coconut trees... an unlimited supply; that was fun to see.
We also had a really lesson with a girl who had been taking lessons for a long time but not really progressed. During the lesson, she was not paying too much attention and didn't seem to care too much. So I used the genes I have from my father and gave her a good lecture. Ha ha! I told her how it is the most important decision she will ever make and she better get serious about it. I was actually worried about offending her a little bit cause I really tore into her for a bit. But I ended with testimony and it ended up working cause she came to church and has began to progress. I was really happy to hear that.
We had Zone Conference this week, so half of the week we spent in Labasa or traveling there. It is a long two and a half hour boat ride, then a five and a half hour bus ride through the bush of Vanua Levu. I would like to tell you it was enjoyable, but it was not; it was very crowded and bumpy. Plus our bus was missing a window and it happened to be pouring rain and I happened to sit by it, so it was not a very fun bus ride at all. The seas were really rough during the ride and made for an interesting experience. All in a days work eh? It was nice to be back though.
I really want to have more time to focus on our area but we have been so busy lately. We actually just got back from Rabi today, so this week was not in our area either. you will have to wait until Monday though to hear those adventures. I really hope we can get some time to spend working with out investigators and members. Things are going well. We dont have enough elders in the mission, so for one month until new elders come in, the Qeleni area will be closed and we will cover both area's. So these next two weeks, we are going to be going on lots of splits trying to learn the area and investigators in Qeleni. So I am staying very busy but that is a good thing.
Zone Conference was amazing as always and I learned so much and am excited to be able to be that much better at being a missionary and trying to apply what we learned so I can improve. President Ostler is amazing and always seems to say excactly what I need to hear. Well I think that covers my week. I love you all. Hope things are good and getting better. Dad, get well soon!
Love,
Elder Wall
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
July 4, 2010 - Falling In Love with the Culture
Well this week was good but is was very busy. I only spent two days in my area proselyting. It was a pretty crazy week.
We went to Labasa and got the truck serviced. The boat we rode on was so nice! It was a totally different experience from riding the floating chunk of scrap metal that goes to Kadavu. It was an enjoyable boat ride. We spent a couple days with the Zone Leaders, which was good. They are both great. We came back and tried to get right back into things in our area, but I had some baptismal interviews and ended up on exchanges in Qeleni, one of the other area's in my district. We also spent an entire day setting up the new flat for the Elders in Qeleni. We are still not even done so it will pry be another half day this week buying some more appliances and things to take to them. Oh well they are gonna end up with a pretty nice place to stay by the time it's done.
We also had to go to a district counsel meeting. It was really good and Taveuni has some great leaders. I had to give a short training and it went really well; I think the leaders all really took in what I said. A leader from Suva came over and gave an awesome training on what the leaders can do. Hopefully things will continue to shoot forward here.
We also got to meet with the leaders from Rabi who came over for the training. We are planning to go over and visit them with some members from the district leadership from the seventeenth to the nineteenth. That should be good. In our branch in Matei, things are going really well. Our branch president has been working with us really well and we will hopefully have some big progress in the future.
We met one really awesome new investigator this week. Her name is Marina. Her husband left her with six kids and one is a small baby. I think the gospel and the church are really going to help her out.
We set a baptismal date this week with a guy named Magi. It should be good and he is progressing very well.
Well that is about all for this week. This next week, we go back to Labasa for Zone Conference and I have more exchanges and baptismal interviews, so I will be very busy. But that is a good thing.
I hope all is well back in the USA and happy 4th of July to everyone. We are going to a waterfall and having a lovo today to celebrate. Please pray for the wonderful saints in Fiji. They are the most loving and happy people you will ever meet. But it is a huge and difficult change for them to change their religion and accept the truth. The Fijian people are a very cultural people and their culture means so much to them.
When I was with Elder Matheson in Kadavu, we met a man named Semi. Semi is the Bati ni Tui Tavuki (teeth of the king of tavuki). Which basically means he is a protector or warrior of the king. When the king has barked enough and it's time for him to bite, he calls for his teeth. We asked him about his responsibilities and calling as the Bati ni Tui Tavuki. He was so touched by our caring and interest in his culture that he choked up while explaining it to us. He cried as he explained his responsibility to guard the grave of any member of the chiefly family who dies, and some other things. He then put on his full traditional outfit and painted his face and chest with the black war paint so we could take a picture with him. He was so deeply honored by our interest in his culture. That is how deep their culture runs in their blood. So for them to change from the Methodist church, which is so deeply a part of their culture, is a big change and really isolates them from family and members of the community. Then to deal with struggles of beginning a small branch and struggling to fulfill callings and establish the church in its fullest capacity and blessings, is nothing short of a miracle. So please keep them in your prayers. I love them very much and am blessed to be working with them side by side. I love you all have a great week.
Love,
Elder Wall
We went to Labasa and got the truck serviced. The boat we rode on was so nice! It was a totally different experience from riding the floating chunk of scrap metal that goes to Kadavu. It was an enjoyable boat ride. We spent a couple days with the Zone Leaders, which was good. They are both great. We came back and tried to get right back into things in our area, but I had some baptismal interviews and ended up on exchanges in Qeleni, one of the other area's in my district. We also spent an entire day setting up the new flat for the Elders in Qeleni. We are still not even done so it will pry be another half day this week buying some more appliances and things to take to them. Oh well they are gonna end up with a pretty nice place to stay by the time it's done.
We also had to go to a district counsel meeting. It was really good and Taveuni has some great leaders. I had to give a short training and it went really well; I think the leaders all really took in what I said. A leader from Suva came over and gave an awesome training on what the leaders can do. Hopefully things will continue to shoot forward here.
We also got to meet with the leaders from Rabi who came over for the training. We are planning to go over and visit them with some members from the district leadership from the seventeenth to the nineteenth. That should be good. In our branch in Matei, things are going really well. Our branch president has been working with us really well and we will hopefully have some big progress in the future.
We met one really awesome new investigator this week. Her name is Marina. Her husband left her with six kids and one is a small baby. I think the gospel and the church are really going to help her out.
We set a baptismal date this week with a guy named Magi. It should be good and he is progressing very well.
Well that is about all for this week. This next week, we go back to Labasa for Zone Conference and I have more exchanges and baptismal interviews, so I will be very busy. But that is a good thing.
I hope all is well back in the USA and happy 4th of July to everyone. We are going to a waterfall and having a lovo today to celebrate. Please pray for the wonderful saints in Fiji. They are the most loving and happy people you will ever meet. But it is a huge and difficult change for them to change their religion and accept the truth. The Fijian people are a very cultural people and their culture means so much to them.
When I was with Elder Matheson in Kadavu, we met a man named Semi. Semi is the Bati ni Tui Tavuki (teeth of the king of tavuki). Which basically means he is a protector or warrior of the king. When the king has barked enough and it's time for him to bite, he calls for his teeth. We asked him about his responsibilities and calling as the Bati ni Tui Tavuki. He was so touched by our caring and interest in his culture that he choked up while explaining it to us. He cried as he explained his responsibility to guard the grave of any member of the chiefly family who dies, and some other things. He then put on his full traditional outfit and painted his face and chest with the black war paint so we could take a picture with him. He was so deeply honored by our interest in his culture. That is how deep their culture runs in their blood. So for them to change from the Methodist church, which is so deeply a part of their culture, is a big change and really isolates them from family and members of the community. Then to deal with struggles of beginning a small branch and struggling to fulfill callings and establish the church in its fullest capacity and blessings, is nothing short of a miracle. So please keep them in your prayers. I love them very much and am blessed to be working with them side by side. I love you all have a great week.
Love,
Elder Wall
Thursday, July 1, 2010
June 27 - A Change of Scenery
Well it has been an interesting week. It has been kind of fun though. Elder Gashler is my companion. He is still really new but willing to work hard and is learning fast so things are great between us. There are three companionships on the island and one truck that gets shared between two of them. Unfortunately I am not the one that gets to share the truck. We walk a lot in very hot weather to very far places. It's all good though cause I am told every time you walk in the rain, your wife gets hotter. Needless to say, my wife is going to be a super model. But I like the area so far and the people are very nice.
Some people here prefer to speak English so I have taught a couple of lessons in English and it is hard. I can't even teach in my mother tongue! It is just way different from Kadavu where I couldn't have spoken English if I wanted to. (A note from the blog administrator: And believe me-- he can't write it either. I am doing a lot of editing here in regards to his spelling, grammar, and word choices :) - Love, his adoring sister, Shaela)
Taveuni was just made a district and there are four branches. We are trying to work to open up a new annex, so there is lots to do in Taveuni. We meet with the branch presidents and the district president and work a lot with them. It's fun and keeps us busy.
This week I have to open up a new flat for the elders who are in Galeni, so I have to do a lot of junk for that, but that's good I guess and it will really help out the elders there to be able to work there. We also have to take the truck over to the other island on the barge to get it serviced and go on exchanges with Zone Leaders this week so I will be in Vanua Levu for three days. So this week will be very busy doing some other things... not really missionary work, but I guess someone has to do it.
Taveuni is so so beautiful and I am very blessed to be serving here. This morning we went to some blow holes where the waves come in and blow sea water thirty feet in the air through some rocks. It is awesome and a lot of fun! We also went to the butcher shop and watched them throw cow guts into the ocean and then watched sharks eat it. It was awesome!
The Branch we are serving in is Matei. It is a good little branch that has seen lots of growth lately. We had 47 people at church and they are all really good. We also have some great investigators. We have two people who want to be baptized. One is named Pita. He has an older sister who has been a member for about one year now. He is progressing really well and wants to be baptized.
Another lady, Vini, wants to be baptized and is arranging a wedding with the guy she lives with so she can be baptized. It is good. I plan to try to work with the less actives and recent converts a lot and try get all our members active and strong. I am excited to be here and I am pretty sure that I will be kept very busy these next few months and I am happy about that. The potential here in Taveuni is great and I am excited to get to be apart of the great progress that we are going to have. I hope you all have a great week and thanks so much for all you do. Your the best. I love and pray for you all.
Moce,
Loloma Levu
Elda Lalaga
Some people here prefer to speak English so I have taught a couple of lessons in English and it is hard. I can't even teach in my mother tongue! It is just way different from Kadavu where I couldn't have spoken English if I wanted to. (A note from the blog administrator: And believe me-- he can't write it either. I am doing a lot of editing here in regards to his spelling, grammar, and word choices :) - Love, his adoring sister, Shaela)
Taveuni was just made a district and there are four branches. We are trying to work to open up a new annex, so there is lots to do in Taveuni. We meet with the branch presidents and the district president and work a lot with them. It's fun and keeps us busy.
This week I have to open up a new flat for the elders who are in Galeni, so I have to do a lot of junk for that, but that's good I guess and it will really help out the elders there to be able to work there. We also have to take the truck over to the other island on the barge to get it serviced and go on exchanges with Zone Leaders this week so I will be in Vanua Levu for three days. So this week will be very busy doing some other things... not really missionary work, but I guess someone has to do it.
Taveuni is so so beautiful and I am very blessed to be serving here. This morning we went to some blow holes where the waves come in and blow sea water thirty feet in the air through some rocks. It is awesome and a lot of fun! We also went to the butcher shop and watched them throw cow guts into the ocean and then watched sharks eat it. It was awesome!
The Branch we are serving in is Matei. It is a good little branch that has seen lots of growth lately. We had 47 people at church and they are all really good. We also have some great investigators. We have two people who want to be baptized. One is named Pita. He has an older sister who has been a member for about one year now. He is progressing really well and wants to be baptized.
Another lady, Vini, wants to be baptized and is arranging a wedding with the guy she lives with so she can be baptized. It is good. I plan to try to work with the less actives and recent converts a lot and try get all our members active and strong. I am excited to be here and I am pretty sure that I will be kept very busy these next few months and I am happy about that. The potential here in Taveuni is great and I am excited to get to be apart of the great progress that we are going to have. I hope you all have a great week and thanks so much for all you do. Your the best. I love and pray for you all.
Moce,
Loloma Levu
Elda Lalaga
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