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