week 103

Bula Vinaka family!

Well times a tickin! Man that sucks everyone is going to be gone! haha oh

well no worries! Yeah anyone that wants to come to the airport can come, no

worries...Man things are too crazy right now I dont know what I want to do

or need to do! Haha I'm just doing whatever comes. We only had a couple of

days in our area this week. I got a great email from Scott, he is doing well

and really enjoys the MTC. I just gave him some advice on things I wish I

would have done at the very beginning of my mission. It was a good one.

My new companion is the man, we have been getting a long awesome. Way funny!

Haha we always say that's what you get for putting two dying guys together!

Haha we are doing good work though. We went to Rabi on Monday came back

Wednesday, then Wednesday night, we went to Labasa and Thursday morning,

went to Suva came back Friday and then had the weekend to work. It was fun

though.

Well it's been busy like I said. We went to Rabi on Monday. On our way up

there, we went to this hotel called "Lomalagi" which is Heaven in English.

There is a sign that says "Welcome to Heaven" haha so we took pictures of

that and all but the actual hotel wasn't very nice haha it was funny. We got

to Rabi and had a way fun FHE with this family and just played this games. I

got a video of it...Its way funny! Tuesday we went down to where the unit is

and we are the first two other than elders who served there so go to this

place. We rode on a boat pretty much all day.  It was fun. We did a few

interviews down there. It was really good. Rabi would be soo fun to serve

on. It's a blast over there and the people there are just funny! Here is a

pretty funny story. So Elder Rasband came to Fiji, and he wanted to do a

missionary only fireside. Well we didn't know what was going to happen, who

would go and all. Well we get a call on Monday right as we are on the boat

to leave to Rabi. APs said they are going to broadcast it in Labasa and go

to Labasa. Well no shot that is going to happen! That's like a 4 hour drive

and interviews had to be done. So we just went to Rabi but all the others

went to the broadcast. So I think we were the only ones who didnt watch it,

but we were sitting in Hammocks at the time of the broadcast and riding

boats haha. It sucked we couldnt watch it, but it was still fun and we

couldnt do anything about it, because of the short notice. So because of

that the other elders were doing interviews up by where we were and we just

told them to go and we would find a ride to the truck some way. Well it's

like a 45 minute drive between where we were and where our truck is. So we

just took a chance. We waited for like 2 hours until we found a transport

back to our truck. We asked around and all, but if we couldnt we proabbly

would have just slept in some random house in some random village until the

morning bus came haha.  You can easily do that in Fiji and be totally fine.

But luckily one came, this huge carrier truck driven by this Indian guy. The

road is barely big enough to fit one big truck on it, well as we were going,

a bus came and so that held things up a bit trying to make it work. So we

got to Tuakvesi where our truck was around 8 or so and too exhausted to

drive 2 more hours to the flat so we just asked the Branch President if we

could stay in the elders flat there in Tukavesi so we did that and then in

the morning, drove back to Savusavu...Boy! We got back and just crashed! We

were dead! We got a few things done, showing Elder Zajac, the area and

talking about investigators and members. Then that night we had to drive

another 1.5 hour to Labasa, then the next day we flew to Suva...Lots of

traveling!

Our meeting with the sisters went pretty good. They did bring up some good

points. I think it will be good to have them. So yeah that was the last one

of those meetings. I used some money to buy a couple new pair of garments. I

will probably get some more when I go in again. Also that night in Suva, we

stayed in Nausori and right when we were about to go to bed, the other ZLs

get a call and this companionship got in a fight, (no punches were thrown)

so we had to go there and deal with that. They couldn't solve the problem,

so Elder Zajac and I slept with one of them and their flat and so we just

stayed up talking and trying to help solve the problem. We went to bed

around 2 and then woke up about 6 to get ready to go to the airport. So yeah

we both are still pretty tired. I was thinking about how before, I went to

bed so late and man, I can't do it! I want to go to bed like at 9 now! Ha so

yeah Friday all day we were pretty beat. So yeah ha we had a slow weekend,

because school break just started so everyone is gone.

We had a pretty cool experience yesterday, Noma who is one of our

investigators, surprised us. We first started teaching her step daughter and

focusing on her. Noma would always sit there and listen but she said he

wouldnt do anyting because she follows the husband (a culture thing here)

but the husband is a drunk and crazy, so we thought man, that will take some

time. He's a way cool guy, but kind of hardhearted. Only what he wants type

of thing. Well they have been having problems and he told us everything

pretty much and just said its not good, and we tried talking to him about

what we do and how the gospel blesses families. He said to come over Sunday

so we were hoping that this could be a time to change, so we went yesterday

and we see Noma and said that Joti (the husband) is in jail, he beat up some

guy when he was drunk the other night...SAD! Ha that's no good. So we were

just talking and she was saying how she wants to move on, but she cants if

hes like this so he wants to divorce and all, but then she said something

that was news to us! She said that she is going to tell him, that she wants

to move forward and she is going to move forward in this church, the LDS

church. That's the first time she has ever mentioned anyting like that and

we were just like what? Haha and she is really wanting to learn more and

come to church here. So it was sweet! Unfortunately I want be able to see

what all happens, but I am glad we have a really good relationship with them

and I felt like Ive done my best to help them learn about the gospel. So it

was sweet!

So yeah that was the week! We have our Zone Training Meeting in Labasa

tomorrow and then Wednesday we will be going to Taveuni. So once again

another week where we will only be in the area for a few days. But we are

excited for our training, we are talking about helping our Investigators

gain a firm understanding about the Book of Mormon and its purpose in our

testimony and its use in our lives. I think it will be good..

It's been weird, we were talking about telling all the missionaries to set

up their Mother's Day call and I was like I won't have one! Haha that will

be face to face! Its exciting! Its definitely gone by way too fast! A member

from my first area Burewai called me the other day and we talked and he was

like man you speak good fijian now! Haha I really wanted to go up to see

them before I leave, but its not going to happen. It feels like I've been

here so long, but yet soo short. It's weird. I have definitely learned a lot

and want to continue to learn! I am no where near perfect, but the blessings

we are promised, its totally worth trying your best to be perfect. So yeah

it's been a good two years! Very different than I thought it would be, but I

think a part of that is just the work here in Fiji and your surroundings.

Sometimes it just feels like a party everyday haha. But it's been good, I am

grateful for many things in the states.

We dont realize how easy or how simple things are to us. It's been a

challenge to help others here understand in the way that we understand, but

you need to go even simpler. It's been a very good learning experience.

Well hope you guys have a great week! Smile, laugh, be happy! Life is good!

I will be continuing to work hard until the end, still things to do and to

improve on! love you guys! moce!

Elder Hansen