Week #26

Bula Vinaka everyone! This week has been jammed pack full of crazy things. Just so you all know I really have felt all of your prayers. I've really been able to find peace here in Sigatoka and I have seen miracles occur this week. On Monday morning after emails last week we had to drop off the car at the shop. It had to get it's annual check up that the mission requires. So we had to take a bus back to Sigatoka and we were without a car till friday....IN THE BIGGEST AREA IN THE MISSION hahaha. So this week has been an adventure. Tuesday night we had a mission broadcast that I felt like was literally, specifically for me. Lately I've just had this constant worry that I’m not saying the right things in lessons and I’m not receiving immediate revelation of what to say in a lesson. Elder Bednar said that this a common misconception for many missionaries. What he said next hit me insanely hard! He said all missionaries who are set apart Elders and Sisters, who are obedient and prayerfully seek for the spirit, will be given what to say. He said if we listen to the people we are teaching and then open our mouths to speak, the words just come...He said every word that comes from a worthy missionary’s mouth in a lesson is what the spirit wants us to say. This little statement he made helped me see I have been way too paranoid about receiving spiritual revelation. So this week I just tried to listen in the lessons instead of worrying what needed to be said, and then I just spoke, and miracles happened. I told all of you about our investigator, Julian, here. Yeah, probably the most prepared guy to receive the gospel on the earth currently. Elder Stevens and I walked into his house Saturday night. As we walked in the room was silent. Julian sat there smiling. But in his face Elder Stevens and I both saw a difference. As we sat down the spirit was so thick in his house I could feel it. The first thing I said was, "Julian you look different, how do you feel?" He responded with what almost brought me to tears...."I can't even describe what I feel, but I read 15 chapters of the book of mormon since you guys have been gone and I feel so happy and everything is so clear." I can just testify that the Book of Mormon is plain true. I can't take it when those we teach won't take the chance to read it. Julian read it. He told us he knew it was absolutely true and I could see him sitting there not being able to sit still because he was so happy. We told him that what he was feeling was the holy ghost. He said he knew it. He told us he is so excited to be baptized. I’m so excited for this guy. Please keep him in your prayers. Elder Stevens and I are getting pretty close. I’ve never met someone so humble. Like any two people we have our differences. Elder Stevens likes Kung Fu and sounds and acts exactly like the giraffe from the movie, “Madagascar.” But we've truly come so close that in lessons we are always in the same mindset. While Sigatoka may be known as a struggling area...I have been feeling otherwise. I look at this place like a goldmine now. After having a pretty deep talk with Elder Stevens and helping each other resolve some concerns we had we again saw miracles. One night while walking along the road we ran into two amazing potential investigators. Some lady came up to us and said, hey I used to meet with the elders and something is telling me I need to meet with the elders again. We have a set appt for her this week. An hour later while walking along the same road returning home another lady came up to talk to us and said she was interested in what we had to say. In these short little contacts with these two RANDOM PEOPLE Elder Stevens and I are so excited to start teaching them. Saturday night we got back to the flat and decided to go see this lady who lives close to our flat. We walked up to the apartment and she sat there with two Australian men. They invited us to sit down. At this moment I did not know me and Elder Stevens were about to get ridiculed and mocked for our religion. Long story short - we listened to this Australian guy make a mockery of sacred things in our church and tried to prove every little thing in our church wrong. Every aspect of eternal families and temples he tried to shoot down. Then the lady sitting next to him said, boys you are deceived. Your doctrine is dangerous. She said to my face that I did not believe in Jesus Christ and she went on begging me to just come to know him and to wake up from these lies. The emotional take on my soul from their comments caused me to almost  explode. I just started talking. I bore my testimony to them and felt literally every part of my body filled with the spirit. In front of these men and this woman I literally bore everything I knew to be true. I'll admit it, I cried in front of them.  After I bore my testimony they sat still and he said you obviously have a strong agent in your voice and then they went on to try to bash us some more. I learned a lot from this experience. I’ve never felt so mocked in my life. I can only imagine what Jesus Christ felt.  All I know is this gospel is true. That Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. That he saw two Personages and they were actually Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ directs this church through his prophets and if we just pray to know if these things are true god will answer us. He will and I promise you he will. I can't even think about a god who wouldn't answer his children’s prayers. I know that god is our loving heavenly father. He has given us the opportunity to become like him. He gave us his son Jesus Christ to show us the way and to provide the way back to him. The path is clear and I know it is true with all my heart. I love this gospel. If these things were not true I wouldn't be able to last here in this foreign place. But it is true. Which is why I love being here trying all I can to let everyone I can know, that Jesus Christ is coming again. That his church is restored. And if they make the right choices and covenants they truly can live with heavenly father and their family for eternity. I want everyone to know this is true. Pray about it ask, desire, and pray again and I know god will answer your prayers. I miss you mom and dad. I miss you aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents. But I know why I am here. And I love my purpose. I’m going to do all I can to let the people here know of their Savior, Jesus Christ. This week has been one of my favorites. I love this work. I can't wait to share what miracles occur next week and I pray for all of you. I know these things all to be true.

Love, Elder Jonati