week 40

Ni sa Bula Vinaka!

How are those amazing 2 mile walky talky's? Haha camping huh? Thats sweet!! You guys need to come do it fijian style!!! Haha It is still raining a ton and supposedly another big storm is coming soon but I don't really know so well see! Mom, yes swimming is not allowed.  Don't worry, we don't do it.  The members wanted us to do it but that thought came to my head.  Man this could be one of those bad stories you know, so don't worry mama!  The elders are some of the main reasons why this area is so dead. Some of them are known for not keeping the rules!  Sorry I am so late today.  It's a public holiday and EVERYTHING is closed today but this shop opened at 3, so I apologize!  Pres. Klingler has not told me his plan for this area but I have asked him a few times what he wants us to focus on and what not. The unit is approved and the family is very good! We just got 2 family referrals yesterday that we are going to see in that same village! We are excited for that! Our goal is to have 10 investigators in 3 weeks. So things are picking up and so we just need to OYM (open your mouth, we had to ask) a lot and start focusing more than we have been on finding new investigators..So yeah we are still being patient and we are doing all we can to help the members and find new people to teach. Dad that is one thing I have been trying really hard to work on, is relying on the Spirit and then following it. I was reading in PMG and that it is something that just doesnt come, that you have to work on it and so it's been a goal of mine to be very good at listening and working by the Spirit.  It's definitely tough but I am trying! So yeah things are going good so far, I think now that it is officially approved to be a unit, it will make things much easier and we will see how the members in that village really are because they have no excuse to miss church now that it is in their home and what not. So yeah, really strengthen the members and find new people to teach! We are kind of starting over and its definitely a lot of work but nothing is too hard if we rely on Heavenly Father. So funny story! School started last week and we didn't have the truck so we are getting on the bus but its with a bunch of Indian school girls, hahaha.  A couple of them see me and start laughing as I was walking to the bus stop and I get on the bus......SILENCE !! I walk to my seat in the back, everyone is staring at me and I am just smiling and saying Hi to them and I sit down and all of them are just giggling and looking back at me and what not. Haha its sooo funny man!! Its so fun to be the only white people around! Yeah, we killed two more rats the other night.  I have no idea how many there are! Our water was off for three days too.  We smelled soo bad! Ha I brushed my teeth in orange soda and milk this week! Ha, that's what I am talking about!! I also found my new fijian name! TUKAI. It means grandpa like the football team called me and also if a grandson has the same name as his grandpa, he can also be called that too...Grandpa Hanley...Richard, Me...Richard..I was stoked when I noticed that so yes I am Elder Tukai! I was studying Jacob 5 the other day and I was reading the student manual and it talked about the language and the allegory and all and I never thought about it really until I read it but it said that Jacob 5 alone can testify that Joseph Smith did not write the Book of Mormon, I just started laughing as I read it because it is so true! The Book of Mormon is true!! Plain and simple! Also Jacob 2:1-11 is now one of my favorite passages now.  It's Jacob apologizing for his language and what not.  Jacob is the man!!! He tells it how it is and its powerful!! I love it! So yeah ha pretty good week! The weather isn't the greatest  but its all good at least this week, we have the truck. Well I am glad all is well! I heard the Giants won the super bowl...Good game? Well take care family! Party hardy in the camping grounds! Take care of my baby! ( truck) Love you all!! Peace N Blessings!

Elder Tukai

week 39

What up family!? 

Yeah major flooding man!! It is on Viti Levu in Ba, Nadi, and Lautoka! We just saw pictures in the paper today.  The whole Ba chapel was flooded, its trashed now. It was crazy! We had a little flooding up here but in the west was all the bad flooding. I guess those towns are in a bad place and always flood but this one was really bad. No worries here though.  Its been nice and sunny the past few days. I know the missionaries in all those areas were not able to go anywhere. They were stuck for a few days. It was crazy. The rats are ok. Haha. We haven't had a problem in a while but we still think there are a few left. Yeah man, I hate dirty flats!!! Thank you Mom!! I wash my sheets about every other week. Yeah, I haven't been sick at all. It has been very suprising, like Yashko said he has thrown up in every area. I haven't been yet so it's very nice! Anyway, yeah things are good! I honestly have worn my sandals like 5 times. I always wear flip flops. So anyway lets talk about the work now. This week was very up and down.  Our two investigators who wanted to be baptized both moved away!!! FREAK MAN!!  They were our only two investigators and wanted to be baptized.  But we got a referral and for once it was a good referral! This family of 5 (3 old enough to be baptized) want to be baptized and know quite a bit about the church. The husbands uncle is a very strong member and helps builds church buildings all around Fiji. He is currently in Vanuatu. So we are starting lessons with them this week. They are in Naduri, which we need to teach people there because guess what? They are becoming a unit next week!!!! Freak yeah!!! We can actually teach people there now which we hear a lot of people want to hear about the gospel because they can go to church now! Also, it gives the priesthood no reason not to come to church!  So we are happy because of things we are seeing and hearing, once Naduri is a unit, we think work will pick up very fast there. The leadership will definitely be shaken but he will get the training he needs. Elder Yashko and I also set up a little 12 week program. We always do little short spiritual thought to all the less actives and it does nothing but now that they are becoming a  unit. We made this program where we are teaching them all the missionary lessons again so they can get back in the learning the basics of the gospel and hopefully reignite their memory and feelings from when they got baptized. SO each time we visit them, we are teaching the lessons and also mixing in things from PMG about the importance of members and how to share the gospel and what not and commit them to give a pamphlet or something to one person each week. So they can help us find people to teach and help strengthen them you know. We ate dinner with the Senior couples for the 4 time in a row!! They love us, haha.  We  told them about it and we were talking about things to change or make better and what not so we are working on it and kind of testing it out. We are planning three firesides, 10th of FEb in Saivou and one in Seaqaqa and one in Naduri. So we are getting things ready and prepared and hopefully we can find quite of people very soon! So yeah ha that's the scoop. What do you think!? Its definitely a lot work. The branch president is very frustrating.  I have a higher expectations from him. So we are being more straight up with him and letting him know that the members are his responsibilty and not the missionaries. Anyway we are trying to strengthen the members and the president and to get him to do the things he should be doing. So yeah, its good though, I am happy and loving life! Oh yeah and yes I have thought about being a MTC teacher but Im not sure if you have to be a student at BYU or not, because I do not want to go to BYU, haha just saying! But yeah I would be game with that. Well thats the week this week! Hope you all have fun!! Enjoy life! I hope the packages get here soon! Well, love you all!! PEACE N BLESSINGS!!!

Elder Hansen

week 38

Bula Vinaka kemdou na noqu matavuvale!

Another week here from Fiji. It is raining sooooooo much!!!! Flooding,

thunder that shook our house. Haha. It's been raining pretty much none stop

for the past 2 days but it's the biggest rain storm I have seen since I have

been here which means biggest rain storm I have EVER seen. Hahaha it's

nuts!! I attached some pics! Well this week has been a pretty good week

actually. We did a lot of work this week! We set up one of the firesides for

the second week of Feb. We talked to a few of the members and our branch

pres about some things and things are starting to happen. We should see an

up rise in this branch very soon. So we will see what happens, but from this

week, it looks like things might continue to pick up. We are just being

patient and doing what we can you know.. Both Dad and Jace have mentioned

The Book of Mormon and I totally agree. I have been switching off in my

studies in the O.T. and B.O.M. with the institute manuals as well. I want to

learn as much as I can and know the scriptures well, especially The Book of

Mormon. I love it!! Its true we should be using the Book of Mormon as much

as we can because what do we want them to read and pray about? THE BOOK OF

MORMON!! I love it! Abbi wrote me last week and was like so do you have any

scriptures for me to read and I was like yeah I do....The Book of Mormon,

all of it! Haha I decided whatever I study throughout my mission, I will

continue to study the B.O.M. whether is just reading it or getting deep into

it. We had a lesson with a recent convert/less active couple.  The wife is

less active just because she lives so far away from church but she is

awesome and very smart.  Her husband was just baptized last year. But we

were sitting with them and she starts talking about how she will never ask

the church for money (they have a son on a mission) and they have to scrape

for food but she said she is totally fine with it. She said if my son is

working hard preaching the gospel, why should I be lazy and just ask for

money. If one person in the family is working hard, then that means the

whole family should be working hard. I really admire her. Especially when

their life is so laid back and just do whatever..She is willing to do all

she can and everything she does and is successful in (school teacher for 35

years) she will always bring it back to the church and the gospel. It was a

cool experience for me. Oh yeah so I totally ate Baracuda this week. Haha,

it was pretty good but more like a stronger fish meat. It was pretty good

though. I thought that was pretty cool! So wanna hear something sweet/gross?

Haha I was laying in bed, not fully asleep yet...I freakin rat crawled on my

shoulder!! It creeped me out sooo bad!!! So we set out the trap! We killed

3!!! within an hour and a half! Haha It was ridiculous!! BAM!! kill one!

BAM! double kill! BAM!!! Triple kill!!! haha the last one was the biggest

one! It was nuts!  So we did a MASSIVE cleanup in our house! The first time

in a year that they have cleaned the house really well! It was terrible! I

have videos so that will be when you can see it really well when I send the

card home. We did some work! We spent pretty much the whole day Saturday

cleaning it. We got nice and dirty! We got some couches we are going to by

covers for and put them on too, but they got soaked by the rain so they

gotta dry out. Its legit though! So yeah a very eventful week this week!! Oh

yeah, the leaders are going to Suva this week so the box (Christmas box!!)

should be here this week!!! I love you all. PEACE N BLESSINGS!!

Elder Hansen

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!