Week #21

Bula Vinaka! What an insane week. So much to fill you all in on! Probably the craziest week of my life so far on my mission! I feel like I’ve finally gotten into the swing of things though with my new companion Elder Vitiarai. We've been having way fun. He's already taught me so much about Fiji and the culture. The other night we were returning from a dinner appt. and it was pitch black and rainy and he decided to tell me about cannibalism in fiji and the history of it! Pretty scary stuff. After he told me the stories he said..."I could eat you right now"....Not going to lie that was a little scary. I sang church songs the rest of the way home. Hahaha This whole week we spent most of our time in Qeleni! We walked from matei to qeleni twice this week because there are no buses during new years. It's about a 3 hour walk. I've never done so much walking in my life. I told you guys about Brother Lagi. We were working with him on trying to help him become worthy for a calling. This Sunday he had his interview and received a calling as the branch clerk! He was our returning member. I was so happy to see him have his interview with president. When he came out of the office I shook his hand and you could just tell he was so much happier inside. I was so happy for him. Yesterday at church I had a bit of a surprise! Our branch president President Bautarua came up to me and asked me in Fijian if I could baptize 2 people after church... Of course i said YES! I was way pumped. Yesterday I baptized two kids. They were member baptisms but I'lll never forget the experience. It was kind of sad how it all happened actually. The little girl, Elenoa, was going to be baptized by her dad and had me baptize her because her dad had to leave after church to go to work. And I Baptized a little boy name Penijamini Oimaile! The branch president handed me a white sulu and tie and the next thing I knew...the whole branch and I were walking straight through the jungle, hiking to this spot in a river! Coolest thing ever! It's not everyday you get to baptize someone in the middle of the fijian jungle......in a river.....in a skirt....in FIJI! Having the opportunity to do these baptisms made me really excited for when I have the chance to baptize one of our investigators. One of our investigators, Jese, is doing really well right now. On friday we took the branch missionaries teaching with us (Brother and Sister CZIEP). We sat down with Jese and taught her the plan of salvation. All of the sudden she just began to cry. She said in Fijian that lately she's been wondering why she's even here and if she even has a purpose and that our message helped her to see why. I realized how amazing the plan of salvation is and how powerful of an effect it can have in peoples lives. I think I kind of take for granted sometimes the knowledge of the plan of salvation. It's definitely my favorite lesson to teach. We are planning on giving Jese a baptismal invitation next week. I've seen so many miracles in the lives of the people here in Fiji this past week. Roberta, one of our progressing investigators is now super excited to read the book of mormon. We went to see her on tuesday planning to just teach about the book of mormon because we had assigned her some passages to read. But she wanted to know more about Joseph Smith. When she said she wanted to know more about Joseph Smith I got so excited to just bear my testimony all about him hahaha! She said she saw a post on facebook about how Joseph Ssmith saw a vision and how visions are like dreams and how he was just hallucinating. I told her that Joseph Smith was not dreaming. That he truly saw our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I felt the spirit so strongly as I told her this and after Elder Vitiarai and I taught her more I asked her if she had any questions. She said "no, everything is so clear, I JUST WANT TO READ THIS BOOK NOW!" BULLLAAAA YES! I’m so excited for her. Dipika one of our other investigators has been praying to know if she should be baptized and we found out at our last visit she’s moving to Suva. I’m bummed but we can get her set up with the missionaries there! All of these people here are so ready to receive the gospel. This week was full of the spirit for me. I need every week to be like this. I'm so grateful for Heavenly Father helping me help these people! I love the people here. On thursday the mission office sent us a text about a cyclone warning. Thursday was way windy and rainy and pretty scary but no cyclone ever came so we're all good. Mom, to answer you about if I’m eating enough our branch president set up meals for us every night. I don't know if you were praying for me to get more food but now I’m getting too much food. And it's all my favorite. Fijian food YUMM hahah. I really do love it. I think my taste buds are changing. It's weird. I think there’s double meaning to the gift of tongues if you know what I mean hahaha! Every one of our members have been telling me my fijian is way better. It's good to hear that but I know I also need to work harder at it. I’m pretty much still leading this area and it's stressful but, when we sit down and have a lesson and the people thank us for coming because we helped them it's all worth it! I love this gospel with all my heart. I get to bear my testimony every day and I feel of it's truth every time I do. I can't wait to email you guys all next week. I love and miss all of You!

Love, Elder Jonati