Week #17

Yadra Vinaka Family! What an insane week! I can't believe how fast this week flew by...First, I'd just like to say that our Sundays are getting a lot better here in matei in qeleni...I told you last week we had 30 members come to church. This week we had 80 members at church. People brought their friends, we had 2 baby blessings and it was amazing! I can't believe how fast the church is growing out here. On Saturday night all of our lessons fell through and we were walking back to our flat and saw the chapel doors were wide open. The family that comes to clean it never came so Elder Barnaby and I decided to clean the church. It felt so good to do service like that and after I set up all the chairs I looked at Elder Barnaby and said...tomorrow all these chairs are going to be filled. Well I must have some psychic powers because they were all full in fact people even had to sit on the ground. Tuesday we had that devotional with Elder Nielson. It was Bomb! I learned so much stuff it's insane! He told us our kids are going to serve here.... Not sure if that’s a for sure thing but he said that and then left it at that and I was like WOA....Everything he said struck me to the core! He talked about finding balance in all things. It was so insightful and I just got so motivated to get back to my area and give my all! I realized that I need to become more friendly, social, and master my scriptures. He said as missionaries we are walking epistles of Jesus Christ. THAT HIT ME! I’ve decided to just start studying and praying my heart out and just caring about the people even more. On Wednesday morning we woke up at 3:00 in the morning to catch the bus to savusavu so we could catch the boat to Taveuni. I had to sit next to this Fijian lady who was sleeping the whole time and decided to lay out over the whole seat.... It was very awkward and extremely uncomfortable. It WAS A LONGGG RIDE:) HAHAHA Au sa uca sara ga. IT WAS A TIRING DAY! When we got back it was time for me to lead the area. This week has been the most stressful, yet most fulfilling week I’ve ever had in my life I think! Right when we got off the boat I had already arranged appts to go with the czieps and we went out and saw our progressing investigator Dipika. We had an amazing discussion on the holy ghost and she's starting to realize how much she wants that good feeling all the time and we told her she could have it all the time if she is baptized. The spirit was really strong. I just love helping people feel this way.. It's like the best thing in the world to be able to help people feel the spirit in their lives or to help them remember it! I love this work! The next day I planned out and we had an amazing day but the lesson I was looking the most forward to was Taubale and Paulnia's. We were going to bring the czieps with their laptop since no one has tv in fiji and we were going to show them the restoration video. THEY WEREN’T HOME. I was way bummed :( But later that night I was fed this weird fruit with spikes all over it and it tasted good so that helped cheer me up haha! Friday was like my favorite day ever. I had amazing studies in the morning. I finished the Book of mormon for the second time since being on my mission. The Book of Mormon is true I Know it for a FACT! On Friday I just decided when I woke up that I’d be way more outgoing in my fijian. I said everything I could in fijian and I probably sounded like an idiot to the fijians, but I was so happy! In all of my lessons that day the spirit was just present in it's happiest sense and I was happy as a result! OH and some fijian less active guy named Maika asked us to give him a blessing that his rugby team would do good and his hurt finger would feel better. Elder Barnaby and I looked at each other and were like are we allowed to give a blessing like that....So we just gave him a blessing on his finger and that he'd be protected during his game but I thought it was funny! Friday was just one of my favorite days ever. And it wasn't because anything crazy or amazing happened. I was just so happy with the spirit and everything. The next day though hahaha...well it wasn't paradise. I woke up and since I’m leading the area elder Barnaby made me teach all the lessons and on saturday NOBODY WAS HOME. I felt so discouraged. I was ready to break. We were walking down this road and all of the sudden I just got this burst of happiness and I felt heavenly father helping me. I can't explain what happened, but I know that heavenly father loves me. This week was tough having to lead everything but we had a lot of success. Especially since we were there for only half the week. And the most rewarding thing was seeing the members flood into the building. The spirit was so strong this fast sunday. I Love this gospel. There are days when you have your lows. Everyone does. But if you pray for help your heavenly father is there. He really is your father. And he is sad when you are sad or when you feel pain. If you pray to him he will help you. I know that with all my heart. I can't imagine living this life without the knowledge of that and that's why I’m here. To help as many people as I can know that and get them on the path to return to their father in heaven. This work is the best. It's December and I can't believe it. Mom, I got my package on fast sunday yesterday! Best surprise ever! Thank you so much. The security stole some of the peanut butter cups out of my package though ahh hahaha! It was perfect because we had no food to break our fast! I loved it. I miss you all so much. This work is real and it is true. If you've lost that feeling you once felt do everything you can to feel the way you did. Pray till you get the feeling back. I promise you this gospel is true. I miss you mom and dad. Btw heard you guys went to Disneyland. Struck some heart strings hahaha jk. Love you all. Can't wait to tell you how next week goes. I'll find out if I’m going somewhere else in the mission or staying around next Tuesday. So that’s kinda scary....anyways love you all so much.

Love, Elder Jonati