YSA Baptism, YSA Graduation (aka Wedding)

This week, we attended our first Fijian LDS wedding.   The young couple were two of the Young Single Adults from our institute and from our Lami 2^nd Ward.   Talanoa met Sariah at USP and were married in the Fiji Temple this past Thursday.   We attended the reception afterwards.  

The new bride and groom uniting Fiji and Kiribati

Notice the beautiful Tapa Cloth behind the bride and groom.   We met the lady who created this work.   It is truly an art. 

Congrats to Talanoa (Villiami)  and Sariah

Sister Peterson getting her groove on at the wedding

Off to the Philippines for Mia

On Thursday morning, we said “moce” to our Maria (Mia) Cagicaucau.  She is off to the Philippians for her mission service.   The institute will not quite be the same without her – it will be much quieter!   Really, we love her and will miss her.

Note the green school uniforms.   Each school has
their own colours.  Hmmmm. . . .

They do not call it "trash" in Fiji.  It is "rubbish".   It was "rubbish day" at the LDS Primary School next door to the Institute on Thursday as well.   We found these youngsters making a game out of throwing the rubbish in the dumpster.   They have quite the system of “throwing and tromping”  the rubbish down.  

On Friday, we had other unique blessing of our mission experience by participating in the baptism of one of our YSA’s.   Lario Kalounivale started attending our institute about six weeks ago.   Since the missionary sisters were teaching him, they let him know he could choose who baptised him.   When he approached me with his request, I was surprised that he would ask me to do this.   made all the frustration and time all worthwhile.    And, I am grateful for this blessing of being able to use my priesthood in furthering their spiritual journey.   Each one attended the NT class where they gained a greater love for the Saviour through attendance and participation in our classes.  

Lario Kalounivale

Sister Rich and her Companion from Tonga

When I inquired “why me?”   He let me know that he had gained a stronger testimony of the Church while attending my New Testament class.    What an honor.   I was very humbled too.   I have struggled these past two semesters teaching the New Testament.   It is not that the subject is difficult of undesirable to teach – it is due to the fact that the teachers manual is so outdated and complex for YSA’s who are either new to the Church or investigating it, that I needed to create a whole new lesson each week.

The baptisms and Lario and Leyah Dobui made all the frustration and time all worthwhile.    And, I am grateful for this blessing of being able to use my priesthood in furthering their spiritual journey.   Each one attended the NT class where they gained a greater love for the Saviour through attendance and participation in our classes.   

After Lario’s baptism, we took he and several other YSA’s and two sister missionaries out to dinner to Café 30.  

They loved it, and we loved hosting them.  We continue to receive blessings as we associate with these choice young adults.  They are our kids away from home.

This week, we also attended a mission conference with Elder Haleck of the Seventy and Area Presidency in attendance.   

Missionaries Love Their Pictures Taken

This was only a small conference.   

Glow in the Dark Baseball, Smores, and New Mission President

Glow in the Dark Baseball, Smores, and New Mission President

It's been a few weeks since we have updated our blog.  I'm not sure why it has taken us so long, but I guess it isn't as easy for us as we thought it would be.  We are doing great.  The weather has certainly turned cooler and rainier.  The cool weather is nice, but I'm not loving the rain.  

We are working hard to bring the Spirit into the Institute.  We are stating new programs and activities that we hope will help.

We have started watching conference talks on Tuesday afternoon after lunch and Temple baptisms.  This has been great and a time to just be quiet and reflect on the words of our prophets.

We have also started a "Book of Mormon Scripture challenge".  We are memorizing the Book of Mormon scripture mastery scriptures and we will have a big something for the ones who completes it by Sept 15.  I am doing it also since I have never memorized these scriptures.  It isn't as easy for  me as it is for these Young folks.  It's good for this old brain of mine however.

We are also holding a FHE every fast meeting Sunday.  It is so good to see these YSA's all dressed up in their sulu's and white shirts and sunday attire for the girls.  We had more than 50 here the last two Sundays.  Our building just isn't big enough to hold this many YSA's at a time, but we will continue to squeeze as many in that want to come.  It's powerful.

I am still making a ton of treats during the week and Damon just made it easier for me by sending me a bosch mixer.I am  sooooo happy.  Now I just need to find a converter that will pull enough power to run the thing.  Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.  I'll figure it out for sure.

We got a new Mission President a few weeks ago.  His name is President Layton from Draper.  We love him already.  We attended our first Zone Conference last Saturday and we loved it.  He and Elder Peterson served in the same mission in Chicago.  President Layton was just a year behind Elder Peterson.  It has been fun for them to talk about their mission and the people they remember.  We tell all our missionaries "you have 2 years or 18 months to do the Lord's work and the rest of your life to talk about it".  This is so true even with Elder Peterson and President Layton.  

President Layton told us that there is going to be changes in  the emphasis of missionary teaching.  There will be more focus on member reactivation, and retention.  Numbers of baptisms will not be the main focus.  I think this is so good because we see many new people be baptized and then stop coming after a few months.  I know this is happening all over the world so the missionaries need to spend more time with the new converts.  Good things are going to happen here in Fiji with this new Mission President.

Cute Damon sent us a wonderful surprise.  I am now the envy of the whole mission.  Cookies for everyone!!!

It's Maiden Voyage

Another sad but happy goodbye to Willie and Paula. What adventures they have ahead and what great missionaries they will be.  Willie is going to Tacoma Washington and Paula to Vanuatu Port Villa.  

Had a little girls day out with these beauties.  We went shopping for "stuffs" for our bonfire and then to McDonalds for lunch.  Every Senior needs a girls day out.

Elder Peterson getting ready for the bonfire.  Smores are on the menu.  These kids have never had a s'more so this will be so fun.  We cut a tree down in our back yard for the sticks, but don't tell Avinish our landlord.  

Glow in the Dark baseball.  We had a blast.  Again, most of the YSA's didn't even know the rules to baseball.  Thanks Molly and Hailey for sending us all the "stuffs" for this activity.  Glow sticks, whiffel balls, and kids bats are impossible to find in Fiji.  It was the most expensive activity in history because we had to have all the "stuffs" shipped in.  It was totally worth it.  

Record breaking numbers came to this activity.  We Love, love, love these YSA's.

Elder Peterson's New Testament class has really picked up lately.  He is such a wonderful teacher.  I have learned so much from him these past two semesters.  

My Family History class was big also last week.  We are having some good success and I think the YSA's are really enjoying this class and finding family names.  I have enjoyed the "no stress preparing a lesson" semester.  Yay for Family History.

Our adorable YSA Edwina (we want to take her home with us) mom made us these beautiful tapa cloths.  Wow, we are so excited.  We will hang them up on our walls when we get home.  She is so talented.