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