Week #71

Dear Parents of the missionaries serving in Naitasiri Fiji,

I want to write and let you know that you won’t be receiving an email from your Elder serving in Naitasiri today. As you may have heard we have received a lot of rain and wind the past few days. As a result the access road to the Naitasiri flat has flooded with about 5 feet of water that has created a new lake in the mountains. I sent the Assistants up into the area this morning and they took enough food and water to supply the elders for a week. We arranged for a boat to pick up the food from the Assistants and take it to the elders on the other side of their new lake.

I just called the elders and they are doing fine, they have telephone and electrical service, and are comfortable inside their flat. We will monitor their situation and let you know if anything changes. As for now they are happy and getting in a little extra study time.

If you are interested in the weather situation here in Fiji, the web sites I monitor are the following:

https://www.windytv.com/?-18.133,178.417,6

http://www.met.gov.fj/public.php

We sure love your missionaries and will keep a close eye on them for you.

Warm regards,

President Layton

Week #70

BULA VINAQUA! Pretty crazy week out here! The past few days have been raining with thunder and lightening non-stop! I woke up the other night and all I saw was whiteness......and then the biggest boom of thunder I have ever heard! It was so sweet! Overall I'm just super happy about last week! Things are really beginning to grow in our area. We have this one member named Brother Juta and he is the MAN! He has started to come out teaching with us and he is now one of my favorites hahaha! He's about 50 years old but has this back problem that makes him a hunchback but he's way crazy and happy all the time and super pumped about sharing the gospel. Currently we're working with the son of one of our members. His name is Savenaca and he's a beast! He's in his 20's and plays on a professional rugby team! We taught him the plan of salvation the other day and he seemed to really like it because the next day he came to church! This week I've learned a lot about the promptings of the spirit. On Wednesday Elder Carlson and I were driving and all of our appointments fell through and we both had no idea where to go.  And then this thought just came to my mind about going to Nauluvatu! Just some background information, Nauluvatu is the furthest village in our area and to get to it we have to cross a river. We decided to listen to that prompting and when we arrived in the village there was this group of 8 people sitting down on an ibe (fijian mat) just waiting for us.....They told us that they were waiting for us to come and share something with them! It was so cool because we hadn't even planned to go there that day but I guess the Lord did hahaha! Missions are crazy! The other day Elder Carlson and I were walking through this village and I saw this way small fluffy little bird just sitting on this log stump. I made a joke saying that I was going to go and grab it. As I reached down, to my surprise it didn't fly away! So we picked it up and took it to a lesson with us and the Fijians got a kick out of it hahaha! I absolutely love the people in our area. They are so kaicolo (bush poeple). For example, we were in a lesson and one of our members was trying to explain something to us about this "plane like thing" that swings up at the top and moves up and down. He even began to make hand motions but he just could not describe what this flying machine was called or what it was! We finally told him it was a helicopter. I was laughing so hard. It's so fun to be in an area with such fun people! For service this week all 4 Elders from our flat went to Brother Juta's teitei (farm). We had to walk across this river and when we got there we were amazed. He's just this small old dude but his farm was HUGE! I have no idea how that man keeps up with it. He gave us this staff and made us dig holes and we had a blast eating all the guava fruit we could find up in the guava trees! We did a lot of finding this week and it was fun! We met this old man named Tomasi. He is from the islands of Lau'. We sat down with him and felt impressed to share with him about baptisms for the dead. We told him how Jesus taught that a man must be born of the water and of the spirit to enter into the kingdom of heaven. We asked him if he knew that was true and he then said yes! We asked him for his bible and he got it down for us and we asked him this question. "If one must be baptized to make it into heaven, what about all your ancestors who lived in Fiji before the gospel was even here....how will God judge them after this life?" We told him that the bible shows us how we can help our ancestors enter into heaven because our Heavenly Father is a fair God." We had him turn to 1 Corinthians 15:29. We explained that in this chapter the apostle Paul is speaking to the people of Corinth. At the time the people of Corinth did not believe in the resurrection and Paul was trying to prove to them that there will be a resurrection. He then remembers that the People in Corinth at that time were practicing baptisms for the dead. And Paul poses this question to the people in verse 29- If the dead rise not at all why are you then baptizing people for the dead? We told Tomasi that the power to perform this work for his ancestors is on the earth today restored to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. We asked him if he received an answer from God by the Holy Ghost if he would then be baptized but ONLY IF he recieved that answer from God. He told us yes and we are way excited to continue to meet with him! The way we taught that lesson was shown to us by our mission President. So far since I've been on my mission this approach of teaching has gotten so many people to accept baptism! Next week I get to give a 15 minute talk for our Christmas Zone Conference and I am way excited. It's on...Our Relationship with the Savior Eternally! Wish me luck! I love you all and can't wait to tell you all about my week next week!

Love, Elder Jonutz

Week #69

Ni sa Bula Vinaka Family and Friends! Another awesome week here in Fiji! We started last week off by going on some exchanges with some awesome Elders from our zone. Elder Roberts and Elder Kalio! They are way awesome and hard working missionaries and we had a good time! This week we had our Mission Leadership Council and Elder Cardon attended and man was it awesome! It was such a cool experience having a member of the seventy train us. The whole meeting was really powerful and I needed it a lot! Our mission mom, Sister Layton, shared about, "The Secret of the Camel".  She shared how camels have some of the strongest bodies of any other animal on earth. They can carry weight over 600lbs and travel through rugged terrain without stopping for hours. The secret of the camel is every morning he kneels before his master and his master carefully loads the camel with packages and supplies being very careful of where to put them. The camel then stands and goes on throughout the day and when night comes he kneels again before the master and the master unloads the heavy burdens from the camel.  Every day in this life we all meet challenges or struggles, stress, fatigue, or even depression. Jesus Christ is our Master and as His servants we are permitted to kneel before Him and feel His atonement lift the burdens from our backs. I know this is true....I have seen it and felt it my whole life and it is true. We don't have to stress so much and carry the weight all the time. The Savior can make it light and easy for us to carry.  One of my favorite scriptures from this week is - Mosaia 24:14.  Sometimes I can't take the weight anymore and I do fall on my knees and beg for His help and I am so grateful for the testimony that I know when I do, He will lift it from me.  We have had some huge miracles happen this past week. I mentioned some weeks before that in our new area we cannot knock on doors or talk to nonmembers unless it is referred to us by member... but the Lord has changed that and somehow miraculously we are now permitted to knock on any door and to talk to all we can!  He is in this work there is no doubt about it.  As of this new advancement in the work out here in Naitasiri we found 6 people last week who said they want to be baptized!!!  This week has had some challenges but I can move past them because there is work to do!  There are sheep that need to be fed.  This week I learned how to drive stick shift so I feel pretty cool.  We had some scary moments where I almost killed us but hey.....I'm a pro now and I am proud of it. We bought this creepy huge face of Santa and put it on our front door and we are planning on cutting down a palm tree so Chhristmas is looking pretty promising this year hahaha! I hope you are all doing well and can't wait to talk to you all next week!

Love, Elder Jonutz

Week #68

Bula Vinaka Everyone! Man it has been quite the adventure this past week....where should I start? So, my right foot got infected this past week. Not quite sure what it was but I haven't been able to walk properly and the nurse gave me some antibiotics and this sock to wear and so I've only been able to wear one shoe and all the Fijian villagers give me the weirdest looks because I only have one shoe. It's pretty funny haha! It's nothing serious it just hurts to walk and it's pretty gross. Nothing to worry about! In fact I have been grateful for the new trial. I've been blessed my whole mission with no major sicknesses and so I can easily deal with this minor one! Actually, it has brought about some tender mercies hahaha! For example, on Thursday we had to drive up to the mission office so the nurse could take a look at my foot. They ended up taking us out to dinner that night at this way nice restaurant and it just so happened to be Thanksgiving that day. I had some way good lasagna.....long story short I WAS BLESSED haha! So last week we went out on exchanges with some Elders and it was a blast. While sitting in one lesson both me and the Elder I was with felt prompted to invite this man to be baptized. It was something that can't be described. We both just got the same feeling in the middle of the lesson and when we started to say something, before we could even start...the guy said, "I have a question, how can I be baptized?" We were so happy we didn't know what to do. It's amazing how the spirit touches people and I will never be able to forget it. Tuesday night Elder Carlson and I made a plan for our area to have family home evenings and switch between the Koro's (villages) every week. We're hoping that the members will invite their friends so that we can start finding new investigators. Lately I've been feeling like the Lord blesses us missionaries more than we deserve. The love of Christ cannot be matched with anything else. We don't get much time in our area but when we do he leads us to the people we need to see. This past week we arrived at a member's house only to find his daughter sitting outside. We started talking to her and then felt prompted to share a message on baptisms for the dead. We committed her to be baptized if she came to know what we shared was true. SHE SAID YES! We just saw her yesterday and now her brother wants to be baptized as well! Sometimes I just wish my whole life could be spent being a missionary. The spirit that comes with this calling is a constant comforter and a teacher. I've learned more out here in the jungle from the spirit than any University has to offer. Heavenly Father has taught me much and I look forward to learning more and more. So another crazy thing happened this week. Our flat ran out of water so.......we had to bathe in the river! That was a first for me and not trying to brag but it was pretty dang awesome. ONLY IN FIJI hahaha! This week we have mission tour and Elder Cardon of the seventy is coming to visit us and so I am way excited! Elder Carlson and I have also started a TeiTei (Farm) at our flat. We're growing 3 pineapples. Yeah. It's pretty legit! hahaha. This month is going to be pretty busy and I am stoked for it! We have Mission Tour, Zone Conference, MLC, and the Mission Christmas program. I will never cease to love being a missionary despite the trials I face. Especially when I'm living in the jungle and crossing rivers to get to villages and speaking a dying language. I love my mission and wouldn't trade it for anything. I hope you all have a great week and I look forward to talking to you all next week!

Love, Elder Jonutz

Week #67

Bula Vinaqua Matavuvale (Family!) It's been a pretty crazy week. I got transferred to a new area and had to say goodbye to Elder Payne and all of our investigators. It was hard but, hey, the Lord's plan is the Lord's plan and I just want to follow Him so it's all good! I am way proud of Elder Payne! Tuesday we got transfer calls and we found out that he is training a brand new missionary so BULLLAA for him! He's going to kill it and so I'm way pumped for him. I have been transferred to the complete opposite of where I was in my last area. Out of the city and into the bush........I'm talking bush bush haahaha! My new area is called Naitasiri and it takes about an hour drive into the middle of Viti Levu and we have this huge flat where four of us stay together! It is way fun! Elder Carlson is my new companion and he is the man! He's from Palau but lives in St. George Utah! He's hilarious and I am way excited to work with him. We have this cool white truck and basically proselyting is a blast because we just have to go on these way crazy dirt roads through all these jungly mountains that are WAY pretty! No one in my area speaks english! I've only been able to spend two whole days in my area so far because Elder Carlson and I have been doing transfers. The work is pretty hard but the Lord is going to show us what to do. As of right now we aren't aloud to knock on any doors. In our area that is considered "Tabu" (forbidden). So all we can do is visit members and invite them to invite their friends over and that's how we get investigators. It's a whole new way of thinking for me because in my past area we knocked on every door possible. It's the chief's rule for all the villages we cover. Right now we cover about 5 villages. Yesterday we had a baptismal interview and I about peed my pants it was so cool. We drove through like these way tall mountains and then ended up at this river. The problem was the village is on the other side of the river.......So this little village kid came over on a boat and we all hopped on and went to the village. So that was pretty cool and I feel pretty dang lucky! The fijian here is in a pretty weird dialect and they speak way fast and so it's been fun to try to catch up. I'm way stoked to learn more fijian. It is way fun being with 3 other elders all in the same flat stranded out in the fijian jungle. Our flat is like on this huge hill over-looking just green mountains. I'm way excited to see what the Lord's plan is for the area and I can't wait to talk to you all next week! 

Love, Elder Jonutz

Week #66

BULAAA VINKAAA! How are you all!? Probably one of the coolest weeks of my life was just experienced this past week. So many miracles that I just feel so privileged to have been able to witness. Monday night was monumental for Brother and Sister Pilei. We walked into their house as usual but this time Brother Pilei didn’t say a word. He looked at us and then stood up from his wheelchair.... He could only stand for about a minute but with his faith he will walk in no time! I believe miracles happen today the same way they did when Christ caused the blind to see and the dead to be raised. God does not change, nor will He ever! They both came to church yesterday and loved the gospel principles class! Brother Pilei has actually opened up a lot to us hahaaha! He's started to throw a lot more jokes out in lessons and it's become a little too much hahaha! For example..this week Elder Payne led the entire week!  Which by the way he did amazing! But for one of our lessons with Brother Pilei Elder Payne was going over baptismal interview questions and he asked the question, "Have you ever committed a serious crime?" Brother Pilei said "Yes, murder!"  Elder Payne's face just turned bright white and then Brother Pilei's face remained straight until he said..."I'm joking!"  We didn't think it was that funny hahaha!  We fulfilled my dream this week by taking one of our recent converts to the temple! I'll never forget it. We decided to take Domoniko to do baptisms for the dead. Our Mission President said we could and our Bishop decided to come with us. COOLEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. The spirit was so strong! I also got to do the baptisms for the dead in Fijian. Dream fulfilled!  As we walked out of the temple, I asked Domoniko how he liked it. He said it was the most important thing he had ever done.  I don't think there is anything sweeter than to go with recent converts to the temple.  On top of going to the temple the spiritual direction we received this week was incredible. While walking down this one street, we had no idea where to go, but we were led.  We were trying to knock on some doors to use the new bible approach our mission president just recently instituted (which is genius) but we kept walking house by house not receiving any promptings. We walked for about 30 minutes down this same road and still.....nothing. We felt like we should stop by this one house and this kid came out and invited us in. We walked in and noticed it was a big family.  About 13 of them!  We started to share with them and they told us they were members. They hadn't been to church in a really long time and so we just invited them and they all came to church yesterday. Sometimes people just need an invite to rekindle what they've been missing.  We also found 2 more of Domoniko's kids who started taking lessons this week and they all want to be baptized.  All 5 of his kids are planning to be baptized together on Dec 3rd!  The Vuniwai family is still doing great!  We've become almost family with them!  Josefa, Va, Esta, and Lena have all decided to be baptized on the 26th.  All of our investigators are just so amazing!  9 of them showed up to church yesterday including 14 less active families that we were so excited to see come.  I'm just loving this work!  I'm pretty bummed my companionship with Elder Payne is coming to an end.....He's become one of my greatest friends.  He's such an amazing missionary and did amazing leading this past week.  His ability to listen and follow the spirit is what makes him a way strong instrument in the hands of the Lord and I've been lucky to learn a ton from him.  Tomorrow is transfers...... it's the scariest time of the year! Haha Just kidding.  For sure one of us is getting transferred so that stinks but the Lord is going to put us wherever we need to be and Elder Payne and I are going to hit it up after the mission so no biggie haha!  This week I've been reading "Our Heritage" and the Doctrine and Covenants and I have gained so much more respect for Joseph Smith.... D&C 135. He sealed his testimony with his blood as did so many of the early saints. This church is built on purity.  It's leader is Jesus Christ himself and I get so pumped to share that with everyone everyday. I love you all and I'll talk to next week!

Love, Elda Jonutz

DOMONIKO AT THE TEMPLE

Domoniko with Bishop and John (the sisters recent convert)

Helping Josaia and Bano build a house! 

With John

Week #65

Bula Vina' Everyone! Something I've realized as I have been serving my mission is that no matter what happens every week I only ever remember the good! This week was seriously filled with miracles. I find myself saying that week by week and it's not just some catch phrase I use.......WE LITERALLY SEE MIRACLES! SO let me start from Monday. Monday night was a pretty funny one. We went to go see our Indian couple (Brother and Sister Pilei) and as we were walking to their house their whole neighborhood was flooded! The night before had been non-stop rain showers and so everything flooded. We decided to press on and walk through the flood to get to their house. While walking through flooded dirt and grass amidst jumping frogs I heard some bubbling behind me and a yell from my companion Elder Payne! I turned around to find him half way sunk deep into mud up to his waist! He had fallen into a hole. I helped pull him out and it was hilarious hahaha! We proceeded on to the Pilei's house and had a way awesome lesson. They are both progressing so well. I give all the credit to Heavenly Father because both of them hardly speak english and so somehow we've been able to communicate with them enough that they now both know the Book of Mormon is true and they are still doing great following the word of wisdom. In fact, last night we met with them and Brother Pilei is still seeing miracles from the Word of Wisdom! He told us how his wife left to a wedding and so he had no one to help him to stand up out of bed and go to the bathroom. He told us though that while she was gone he was able to stand up out of his wheelchair.... and walk to the bathroom. Brother Pilei has been in a wheelchair for over 3 years. It was a miracle.  Another word of wisdom miracle occurred with another one of our investigators this week. Aseri (Domoniko's son) has been struggling with smoking tobacco. When we met with him 2 weeks ago we felt prompted to tell him that if he would read from the Book of Mormon his desire to smoke would go away. He told us just the other day that finally he tried what we said to do. He told us that he decided to pick up the Book of Mormon before going to work and the rest of the day he had no desire to smoke.....He said when others offered it to him he felt disgusted towards it. It just made me so happy because I know the Book of Mormon is true! I feel the same way when I read it. I have "no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." He has started to carry his book of mormon with him everywhere. Something also that I have noticed this week is that my hunger or whatever pain I am facing throughout the week goes away as Elder Payne and I sit in a lesson and share the gospel. I know it's because the Savior is with us and He fills our spirits.  Another Miracle! - 4 more of Domoniko's children decided to take lessons this past week. They said they all want to be baptized. In fact yesterday we had a lesson for the first time with one of his daughters. When we shared about how the original foundation of Christ's church had apostles, prophets and Jesus Christ Himself was the chief corner stone. When we asked her don't you think if Christ's church was on the earth today it would have those three things? It made so much sense to her and we shared about Joseph Smith restoring all those things. She was so happy she committed to be baptized. Josaia and Bano's sisters, Esta and Lena, became way more interested this week. They started taking lessons with their older Sister Va and her fiancee Josefa. They all are committed to be baptized on the 26th. Saturday night we shared with them the restoration and we watched the video. The spirit filled the room. Josaia had invited his neighbor and his neighbor was present as we shared about the restoration. At the end of the lesson he said he felt the spirit and that he wants to take the lessons with his family. He said when he saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appear to Joseph Smith he wanted to change. The spirit changes hearts! Upon returning home for the night that day this Indian man walked up to us. He stopped us on the road and before we could even start the conversation he said, "I have a question, who is Joseph Smith?" A little shocked Elder Payne and I told him all we knew about Joseph Smith. He then asked us, "Where am I going to go after this life?" I was so shocked by this man's questions. He asked for our phone number and said he wants us to come over for dinner next week and he wants to hear all we have to say. Elder Payne and I walked home dumbfounded. The Lord places those in our path who are ready to receive the gospel! I LOVE THIS WORK. IF I COULD I'd serve forever. I know this church is true because I witness it everyday. If you don't believe it....Read the Book of Mormon and pray. I love you all and am so grateful to be in the service of God. Talk to you all next week!

Love, Elder Jonutz

Elder Payne in his sunken hole hahaha

These fijian kids put this big beetle on my face

The Poasa family

I found grandpa Jonutz's look a like