week 37

BULA REI!!! AU SA BULA BULA REI TI'O!! (dialect)

Whats goin on fam!! I just said bula vinaka, au sa bula bula vinaka tiko...I am going very good!!! I love life!!! The work still is slow and especially this week because we didn't have the truck but I love life.  Haven't got the boxes yet, very soon though! We just had transfers so people will bring the mail back here. So I'll let you know!! We haven't done the firesides yet, we are planning them and trying to find a tv and dvd player to watch the restoration movie. We really just need to find someone to lead the unit and it would make it soo much easier! Our branch president doesn't trust one of them and plus he and one of the families got in a fight so he is scared if he is president, they wont go to church..Village drama man! President Klingler really needs to go out there and talk to them himself.  We have been talking with the senior couples about things we can do with them but he really needs to go out there and talk to the members. But I am being patient...I am just trying to do the things I have control over. So hopefully once we get the firesides going, when can find some new people. The investigator we were going to give a baptism date too, got jumped by 5 guys last week and now he is somewhere else but his family says he should be coming back soon. So that kind of put a damper on things! You know how people call me elder handsome? Well a young indian GUY totally called me Elder Handsome this week! AWKWARD!!!!!! Haha it tripped me out man. But yeah that has been this week!! 

Love you all!!! Ni sa Moce!!!

week 36

In the words of the true living prophet Thomas S. Monson....."Hello!" Haha whats good fam? How is it? 17 miracles is freakin dope huh!? Haha I love it!!.Things are still frustrating right now but it got a little better Sunday...So hear is the scoop in more detail....So the closest member and investigator is an hour walk, the closest! The only true open village Naduri, we can't proselyte in because there is no way for them to come to church and there are no members or investigators by the church and our flat. So on bus days, if it doesnt show up, we can't get out there. So there is no point of teaching anyone there because they can't come to church. There used to be a unit there in Naduri, but it stopped functioning because of unworthy priesthood holders and that is still the case. We are trying to find someone to lead the unit but right now there is no one to do it. So that holds everything back alot. The branch president wants to put units everywhere, but if that happens then no one would come to Seaqaqa so we are kind of in lost land.  I have emailed our President about it and what his thoughts are.  I am going to ask him again today what he wants us to do and where he wants our priorities to be. The good news is the branch president who use to live in Labasa just barely moved down the street from the church and he knows a few people around the hood that he is going to try to talk to and a RC told us about 2 families they are trying to talk to and they live far too but they can walk together you know. So its very tough and very slow! We really need to find people to teach around the church. We are so far away from the members, we really need their help.  I announced that in church Sunday.  We are planning two firesides in Seaqaqa and in Saivou. Hopefully alot of people show up. If we can get a few more people in Saivou, we could start another unit there and there would be a great person to run it. So yeah it's very frustrating at times and very slow.  It sucks because at times I feel so lazy because we aren't teaching many lessons and we are around the flat a lot but there is nothing we can do. So the President and I are talking about it and hopefully we can figure something out. We have the most cars in all the Pacific Islands and they were talking about some guy coming out to check all the car areas to see if we really need them, which we do bad!! It's hard especially on this island, like the whole island is slow because everything is so spread out and random units here and there and what not. We might have a baptism this month so there is a plus! So yeah thats the work here. It is testing my patience a lot! Remember my boil on my butt, when Hillyard and Nelson did surgery?? Well Elder Metler had one on his butt and Hanke and I did surgery on it. Haha, it was sweet!! I dont have pictures of my boil anymore since it got deleted ha but if you really want to see it, I think Hillyard sent it to his parents...Ask them about it. Haha, it was funny man!! They are nasty. Well hope all is well!  Have a great week!! Love you all!! Moce!!

Elder Hansen

week 35

Bula Rei!! haha Rei is vinaka in this dialect...

Happy New Year peeps!!!!! How is it? It was really good talking to you guys last week, really weird, but good! Haha and yes, I am still Shane! Sorry I am late. We just got back from the beach.  We had a lovo, an underground bbq, chicken and pig, then played volleyball at the beach. It was pretty fun...The beach wasn't the coolest beach but it was decent. Well work wise, this week sucked man!!! This week we didn't have the car and 2 days, the bus didn't show up!!! We waited over an hour for the bus to come and it never showed so we were barely in our area. It's a couple hour walk if we didn't take the bus so it made it difficult plus with the holidays a lot of people were  out of town so there wasn't much work to do. Hopefully this week or next week, everyone will be back. I have yet to meet one of our investigators. She is in Suva and Eroni the one that we are planning to baptize this month, has been sick throwing up so its been bad luck. I have been trying to think of ways to find new investigators and help the less actives come to church but really the toughest thing that stops them is the transportation. There is no transportation to come to church and if there is a taxi its like 20 bucks or so to get to church and people don't have that kind of money. So it is very tough that all of the villages are so far away from the church because its the same thing...So its tough to teach people when we know they arent going to be able to come to church, you know. So we are trying to figure something out. We are going to Bua this week. We go when it's our truck week. Its about 3-4 hours from our flat..There is a unit there and this trip we are going to confirm a 5 day trip there this month. There are 8 open villages around there that we are going to just go give out our dvds and pamphlets and see if we can find some people to teach and try to start a branch out there. Bua I guess is pretty bush so we'll see what happens. This whole island is tough because its soo spread out and transportation is not good. But we are trying to figure something out. The church and the leadership is pretty week here on this island. Most of the sr. couples are on this island and are in charge of getting the organization and leadership worked out so we have been talking with Elder and Sister Terry to figure out what we can do. We set a yearly goal for baptisms this year....Last year they had 4 the whole year, we set it for 14...Pretty much we are trying really hard to get Bua to be a branch and hopefully we can get approved this 5 day trip. One of the members was suppose to go to each chief in the village and tell them that we want to do it, so I hope they approve it. So this week I have been on a crazy study run man. The pages I used in my study journal just this week, was the amount I used since like November.  Since the buses didnt show up, I just read and read and read. Ha it made my brain hurt! I was reading about kowledge in PMG and it said knowledge is a Christlike attribute.. I studied the word Knowledge in the bible dictionary and it says that is it essential to salvation and you can only progress as fast as you gain knowledge and it just kind of clicked... freak man I want to learn!! If we want to become more Christlike, thats not just charity and love and all that but knowledge too.  We should strive to be like Him and be omniscient( big word I learned this week ;) haha in everything I do.  I am excited to learn. I look back now and just say isa man I could have had my associates in high school! What was I thinking!!!?? So I have seen and gained a great testimony about gaining knowledge and pushing yourself in the books. I love it!!! Also in the  PMG ch. 6 Christlike attributes, it says we should be a Christlike missionary, not just do missionary things. I was thinking about that and what not and it really motivated me to try to be Christlike in everything I do. Anyone can go out and teach a few lessons, study scriptures, you know, but really doing everything as He would...that is what makes the difference from an average missionary to the top notch gets work done missionary.. So yeah those two things are the things I have been thinking about lately... So you know that lady that gives us kisses and she has like 3 teeth...she is an awesome lady and way fun, haha. We were drinking ti (hot water with a plant in it, not tea) one day and I was putting sugar in it and she goes that is your name. I was confused.  I was like what? "Suka! nomu yaca! Sa kamakamica oi iko! haha Sugar, thats your name! your sweet!! Hahahaha I was laughing soo hard!!! It was hilarous man!! But yeah thats about it for this week! I hope you guys have a great start to a new year! These scriptures will be my theme for this new year....Read 1 Nephi Ch 18. When Nephi builds the ship. Read that whole chapter and then Jeremiah 7:23-24 I think it is....Also read again ch 18 verses 1-4 or 5 and whenever he says ship, put your own name in place of it. It talks about how we should build our ship or our life in the manner of the gospel and Christ, not in the manner of men...If we do that, our ship would be pushed back by the waves that come into our lives,...we will be able to push forward in our lives and so thats kind  of my theme for this new year....Hope you all have a great week and set your goals for the new year...yearly, 6 months, monthly, whatever you decid, set them and strive to achieve them everyday...plan the things you need to do to accomplish them...I love you all!! Ni sa moce!!!!

Elder Hansen

week 34

 No e-mail from Elder Hansen this week since we got to talk to him on Christmas! He is doing great!!

Here are a few pictures of him on Christmas!

week 33

What up fam bam!? 

Isa man, I have a lot of stuff to tell you guys! Mother, I didn't get the package.  It will probably be a while now, but no worries! I'll get it someday!  Well the Christmas party was way fun! We had a mission sports day and then the talent show and conference. The talent show was way fun.  A lot people did a meke (dance) and other random funny stuff.  They filmed it and will give us each a copy to send home so you will be able to see it. Elder Key and his zone won the talent show.  He won it last year too...he danced for work in Samoa and he is bomb at mekes!  Conference was very good. They always have a departing testimony meeting.  Man some people just talk talk talk and talk! Haha Oh well.  In the next few months there are going to be a ton of people going home. The second intake after me told me that the teachers in the MTC said that we were the hardest working intake they had at the MTC and all the older missionaries said that we have been the best that has come in this year.  So that was pretty sweet to hear. We went to the temple and it was so nice to go again! I miss going to the temple soo bad! Now that I'm on another island, I won't go again forever but at least I got to go. It is very small but it is awesome! I had my interview with President Klinger as well this week. It went very well! He told me he has a lot of confidence in me, that I am a sharp missionary, and will be a leader in the mission. So that really kind of charged me up you know...knowing that he really believes in me. Him telling me I will be a leader in the mission really makes me want to keep doing what I am doing and more. As you said,  take things from Burewai and bring them to Seaqaqa.  I will do that for sure, all the things I did and things I didn't do as well. So now I will tell  you a little bit about Seaqaqa and Elder Yashko! Elder Yashko in the past has been put with disobedient comps. We talked the first night about what we want to accomplish. He said he is very happy to have an obedient comp because he wants to change and feel like he has been a true missionary for the last 8 months of his mission. So I have seen that he really wants to change and be obedient and help each other out. We have been getting along very well and he knows that I am not going to do things he has done before. So I think it will be fine and I want to help him as much as I can. So yeah that's about Elder Yashko, he's awesome, I love him. Well seriously Seaqaqa is just like Burewai in a lot of  ways.  Seaqaqa is more flat and farm looking. I haven't been to the mountain part yet. We cover a branch in Bua, it's like 3 hours away.  Our area covers like 1/3 of the whole Vanua Levu island. It is very hot, hotter than Viti Levu. There are a ton of Indians! It freaked me out at first man! It's weird though, a lot of Fijians know Hindi and a lot of Indians know Fijian so it's a big mix. A lot more people know English too. We are the first two white comps since 2007 or 2008.  There has always been a Fijian in this area.  There is a village we go to called Nabukadogo. There are members there but its closed so we have to where street clothes to the village. We share the truck with the Labasa elders. I am in Labasa right now. It's like Burewai for pday. We would drive to Nausori, here we come to Labasa town. We switch off every other week with the truck so we just walk sometimes and mostly take the bus. Transportation is one reason why the work is soo hard here. We live right next to the church and there are no members by the church. The closest members are an hour walk. There are no taxis and a bus in the morning, afternoon and at night so it's very hard to get work done, especially when we don't have the truck because we can't miss the bus unless we want to walk for hours. So the location and transportation make it very difficult. The flat is nice though. It's soo nice to have my own flat and not live out of a truck.  Ha it's amazing! I am going to work out a lot here too ha.  We have two water buckets with rocks in them and tied with ties and a bar haha its legit! I am going to start working out a ton more than I have been.  Oh yeah, they always sing in English here too.  I don't like it! I forget all the English songs, I always think in Fijian! The old ladies always kisses us on the cheeks too. Ha it's kind weird, especially when they got big ole nice mustaches! Haha. Church is kind crazy. They talk in two dialects at one time. Ha its weird! There is a senior couple in Labasa too.  Elder and Sister Terry. They just started their mission last week. They are so sick! They are from Vegas and guess what? They love Jimmy Buffet!! Haha. I think we are having dinner on Christmas with them. By the way, we are going to skype Monday at 10  about the same time as email every week. I guess they usually come to email around 10 and 11 here as well. I Also, we do a lot of studying in this area because the areas are so far away and when we use the bus, we get home early so I have read, a church handbook and a Brigham Young book in 2 days!  I am obsessed with studying and learning now so if there are any really good  books you want to send, you are more than welcome!! :) Oh yeah, haha, wanna know something funny...Sunday was my first time going to church here and I am just talking to this recent convert, she's 16 and she said I have a new name for you...I was like what is it?  Elder Handsome! Hahahaha I just started laughing! My name in Burewai and now in Seaqaqa! Soo funny!  I am going to attach a picture of Bau island, the one we were going to go to. We flew over it so you'll see it. Things here are good! I got off the main island which I was hoping I would at least once in my mission! Mail will take longer for sure but it's all good! I am happy, I love it! I love you all!! I will talk to you on skype next week!!! Monday at 10 Fiji time. Sound good?? Ok Love you all!! Moce! 

Elder Hansen

week 32

What's goooodddd!!!?? 

How's the 30 degree weather eh? Things this week were pretty crazy!! Everything in the package was awesome! Don't know about calling or skyping, not sure. We don't have a Christmas tree anywhere. I have no idea what they do here. I really won't know because guess what??? I got transferred! Haha I didn't expect it at all man! Elder Myer and I have only been together for 3 weeks! There were like 10 or so transfers this week. I am now going to Seqaqa in Vanua Levu! Haha I am going to another island! Burewai is the bush in Viti Levu, Seqaqa is the bush of Vanua Levu. I am what we call a bush baby! I won't lie, I was kind of disappointed at first because I love Burewai!! I wanted to spend Christmas and New Years with them and we thought I would  but nope. So I said goodbye to Nasautoka yesterday and people I really wanted to see weren't there. That kinda sucks but I'll say bye to Burewai and Saioko tomorrow. We have a mission conference Monday, mission service and talent show Tuesday. We are doing a meke dance and then me and the other three elders that live in the box flat are singing "Mary did you know in Fijian. Haha we can't sing but oh well!  Wednesday and Thursday are temple days. So I will fly out to Vanua Levu Thursday or Friday. Supposedly Seqaqa has been one of the slowest in the mission. But I guess it's kind of on an uprise. My comp will be Elder Yashko, he is from Logan. It could be challenging, but the work is the same. I just need to do what I can and try to change the area. I left Burewai with 11 baptisms and a lot of new investigators that are progressing really well. We have a baptism next Saturday that I'll miss but oh well. I feel like I left Burewai in a good uprising state. So yeah that has been the main thing this week. So this week I saw a 3 year old with a huge knife, cutting fruit, haha only in Fiji that happens. We did service in Burewai Thursday and then went hiking. We were the first missionaries to go that high and carve our names in the trees! Sweet eh? This is sweet Fijian stuff man, I sliced my finger on the machete.  Don't worry, it wasn't bad haha but the member grabs a leaf and crushes it up, then held it on my finger, after like a minute it was done. Healed completely! It was freakin sweet! It's called wabosucu, the Fiji medicine for cuts. We had a fireside in Burewai that night too. Work is very tough in that village so we decided to hold a fireside. It was suppose to start at 7, we started a little after 8 (Fijians don't have a sense of time) and not one non-member showed up. Ha....so we started anyway and then after we started, about 10 guys like in their 20s or so came, and were all interested. We taught the 1st lesson and then watched the restoration movie. It was sweet man! So hopefully we can get some good investigators out of it. It was a very good night. So yeah that was the week this week. My first transfer!  I love Burewai man! I'm just going to another bush where it's pure Fijian again so I am very blessed.  I can't complain. So we'll see what happens when I actually get there. The picture of the village is the Silemi village with the royal family. We will see him Sunday so we'll see how it goes. Kaseni is what the people in Saioko call me.  They gave me that name the first day I got there. Hope you all have a great week! Love you all. Kalougata Tiko!

Elder Kaseni

FYI the dialect in Vanua Levu is they drop the K's..so Vinaka Vakalevu is Vina'a Va'alevu.. haha I was getting good at speaking in the dialect in Burewai but now gotta learn another!

week 31

Bula vinaka family!!

Isa man, that wind sounds crazy!! The weather definitely nice and warm here! Haha I finally got your box!!! Thank you very much! It was awesome! We ate those peeps and man, can you say sugar rush!? We were acting soo weird man! The caramel melted a little bit but it's all good! Elder Myer is awesome! We get along very well! We are already teaching well together. It's awesome! We both have the same goals and we decided to be true preach my gospel teachers. A lot of missionaries teach things that are not in PMG.  PMG is given to us for a reason and we should follow it. So we decided to teach right out of preach my gospel. We are also a Fijian speaking companionship. I have spoken more Fijian to him in a week then I did with Elder Key in the 4 months I was with him. Its sweet. We think a lot of good things will happen soon. We had a baptism Saturday, Jonasa, a 8 year old who we thought was a member already.  He would go to church every week, knows stories from the Book of Mormon, and come to find out he has never been baptized! His dad passed away a few years back and his mom is not a member. He is the smartest 8 year old I have ever met. He is like the only one that can speak English in the village, Haha. We have one scheduled on the 17th also. She was supposed to be baptized with Jonasa but the day before she drank tea.  She is 11 years old!! Crazy Fijian kids man. But we talked to her and her parents which are two waiting on the divorce and they want her to be baptized. That's sweet that Mark is the mission leader, he will be good! We can't just go door to door in the villages. The chief doesn't allow it but we just talk to people on the street, members sometimes help. Wednesday we gave out 10 pamphlets and 1 dvd.  We have been just trying to talk to as many people as we can. Invite, invite, invite! Yes, you guys need to do branch council! We are just starting it in this area. It's very tough to do it consistently, but if you have everyone involved, it makes it so much easier. I am keeping my journal, don't worry! I have actually done really well on it lately, everyday man! Not studying anything specific right now. My study journal was falling apart because it was just a little notebook, so I bought a hard cover legit journal from the distribution center, so I am just copying into that from my other one and making it organized. Once I get done copying then I will get back on my study schedule. We are practicing a nativity to do for the Christmas party in Nasautoka.  Elder Myer and I are the angels because we are the only two white kids! Haha,  it's funny. Oh yeah, the other day, we were just walking in the village and we pass this group of people around 18-21 years old. We were just talking and then they were like man you guys are maleka!! Uro uro uro!!  All this stuff! Haha Maleka means delicious and uro literally means fat, but to say someone is "hot" oh what not, girls just yell out uro uro. It was so funny! Because we were two white kids that know Fijian. Hilarious man! Guess what though!? We totally got an appointment to see one of them!!  She was asking questions about kava and marriage and stuff and we were like hey, let's meet again next week and we will talk about the church and she said yes! So this is the coolest part of the week. A guy from Nadi, that Elder Myer baptized, gave him a note for us to give to this guy that lives in a village called Silemi, right between Burewai and Saioko. They are a royal family and a member in Burewai. He is the kings son, too. So he came with us to see this guy. The note said, please take care of these elders and receive them. So we go to the village, gorgeous! Literally on the water, coolest looking village I have been to. We ask around for this guy, everyone is just staring at us in the village. The village isn't open to preach in so we had to find the guy, talk to him and then leave right after. So we talked to him, he was kind of sketch with us at first and then we tell him about the note and he reads it and said "Welcome" You are family! It was soo sweet that this royal guy just told us we are family. So we are going Sunday to teach him and his wife. So we very well could be opening up this village and if this guy gets baptized, he will be the first in that village and then who knows what will happen after. So we are praying very hard and seeing what happens! It was sweet though! So yeah, that was this week! Haha, a very good week!! This week really made me love being in the villages and not the city. We experience the village culture and the family culture. Its sweet! So yeah that's the week! Hope you guys have a great week! I love you all!! 

Elder Kaseni! 

P.S. I will probably email Saturday around 5ish again, we have a conference Monday so Saturday is our next p day.