Week #20

Bula vinaka Matavuvale!, Skyping all of you was amazing. It was so good to see all of you and hear your voices. This past week has been insane! Today in fiji is boxing day and all the shops in fiji are closed! I’m so mad because I was hoping to get my normal time for email! Right now I’m sitting in the somosomo chapel. There’s only one computer here and all the elders need to use it so we are getting hardly anytime to email! So my week! Yeah it’s been quite the week. I'll just list some stuff. Elder Vitiarai taught me how to make fijian roti last night! Boh! Kana vinaka! Yesterday after church it was pouring rain. I've never seen rain pour harder. Dad, you would have loved it. It was harder than the rain at MY GRADUATION and this rain lasted all day and up until this morning! Elder Vitiarai and I had to walk around to our lessons with a tarp over our heads hahaha! This week has been a pretty spiritual one for me... Missing you all this Christmas has been hard. But it's pushed me to come closer to my Savior as a result. I've been leading my area since elder barnaby left and so I’ve felt a lot of weight on my shoulders. I've been praying for peace and comfort. The other day I realized though that if I wanted to find comfort I needed to come closer to Jesus Christ. I realize more than ever now that that is what I want. I want to try harder. I want Jesus Christ to be My best friend. I want it so bad.... I want him to be proud of the work he's helping me with! This week because it was Christmas we didn't get to see many people. On Saturday after skype we went to go get Bro Lagi to walk with him to get an interview with President Bautarua. He was a little nervous and wanted us to walk with him. When we got to his house he wasn't there...I was pretty upset because I was excited for him to get his interview. It's hard when you know that all they need to feel and be good is to get an interview and they don't get one. I have faith that next week he will get it though. I’m sorry if this email is so out of order and hard to understand. I’M HAVING TO TYPE WAY FAST BECAUSE I HARDLY HAVE ANY TIME! I’ve learned so much this week and I hardly have anytime to share it. I’ll try my best though! This week I learned probably one of the most valuable lessons in my life. I want everyone to know this! If we constantly desire and with dedicated hearts try our best to live our lives centered on Christ, we will find immense joy. When we mess up, just quickly and whole-heartedly repent. Our Heavenly Father is all loving and our Savior Jesus Christ is our light. If we give all we have to the Savior, our hearts, minds, efforts, trials and sins, he will carry us home back to him and our loving heavenly father's presence. When our lives experience bumps of tragedy and grief or stuff, cling to the Savior. Don't forget every personal moment you felt his caring arms pick you back up. We are all children of our heavenly father! My experience as a missionary so far has opened my eyes to how much he cares about every single one of our feelings and desires, no matter how big or small. The past two weeks have been challenging for me. Day after day I find myself being put into uncomfortable situations. If it wasn't for the Savior and the comfort the holy ghost brings I would be so lost. Last week I sat down with one of our members, Sister Tale. Her testimony of the holy ghost changed my whole perspective on the significance of it's meaning. She said, "The only way I can describe the holy ghost is a miracle, how else could we make decisions without it?" This hit me pretty hard because this world is so confusing and everyday we have to make decisions after decisions! Ultimately, we want our decisions to be in line with God's will so we can come closer to him. Without the Holy Ghost it would be pretty much impossible to stay in line with the will of our father in heaven. I've learned that the Holy Ghost is a miraculous gift from heavenly father. A gift that if we show him we truly desire and are trying our best to live worthily to keep, he will allow it's influence in our lives. The holy ghost is my link to God. I need him every second of every day! I am inadequate without him. The holy ghost is a miracle because it allows me to understand my heavenly father. I just want everyone to have the gift of the holy ghost constantly in their lives. How else can we live without it.... This week has been stressful and hard but I have a loving heavenly father and the gift of the holy ghost that made it possible for me to feel comforted and make the right decisions. I’m so sorry this email is short! I miss all of you so much. I keep everyone in my prayers and I hope that the things I was able to write in this email maybe helps anyone who reads it. Mom, I haven't received any letters or packages yet since my christmas one. I love you all and hope you have an awesome new years. My email will be more detailed next week!

Much Love, Elder Jonati

me and Elder Dunn on Christmas day. Wishin y'all a nerdy christmas har har

While walking to Qeleni we found the rare "Sea bandit snake" Elder Vitiaria said if you get bit by it you'll die in one minute. It's one of the most deadly snakes in the world. Scary!