The Fiji Mission is the first and only mission in the world that has anyone that is called to speak Hindi.
(Me and my companion, Elder Moka. He's a convert. He's exemplary. He's so fun. He's from New Zealand. He's got 12 siblings. He's so good at speaking and teaching Hindi.)
We 6 Missionaries are the only and first ones in the world called to speak Hindi. From what I'm told, even those called to India have so far only been called to speak English. The first materials, pamphlets, etc., ever in this language, were made for us. We're having so much success and we're watching the gospel change people's natures. We are so busy and have so much work to do and people to teach non-stop that, for the first 7 days, I hadn't even had any time at all to unpack at all!
It's a real big change to go from a small shed in the bush, serving a Branch of members, to now being in a HUGE place, and serving 2 Wards in one of Fiji's biggest cities.
Our flat we're renting, is so big that it takes 86 normal walking steps just to go from my bed to the bathroom and back!
(Me and my companion, Elder Moka. He's a convert. He's exemplary. He's so fun. He's from New Zealand. He's got 12 siblings. He's so good at speaking and teaching Hindi.)
We 6 Missionaries are the only and first ones in the world called to speak Hindi. From what I'm told, even those called to India have so far only been called to speak English. The first materials, pamphlets, etc., ever in this language, were made for us. We're having so much success and we're watching the gospel change people's natures. We are so busy and have so much work to do and people to teach non-stop that, for the first 7 days, I hadn't even had any time at all to unpack at all!
It's a real big change to go from a small shed in the bush, serving a Branch of members, to now being in a HUGE place, and serving 2 Wards in one of Fiji's biggest cities.
Our flat we're renting, is so big that it takes 86 normal walking steps just to go from my bed to the bathroom and back!
When I came from the bush, here to the big city, I was expecting all of the stars to disappear. Not the case! The other night we saw the Milky Way again!!! BILLIONS of stars brightly shining! I saw the Southern Cross and my companions saw a shooting star for the first time in his entire life. It was huge and took a while to fade away.
There are a lot of tourists that come through town, since we're near the port where they all come from. It's SO WEIRD TO SEE WHITE PEOPLE!! I don't know what to think when I see them. Usually I just think they look like tourists and I figure I look exactly like a native.
Hearts are so softened that Muslims are even asking us to convert their families and bring them to church--that's not normal. Muslims don't do that!
One member we are working with, his name (changed for privacy) Kendrick 27 and his brother James 30. They both stopped coming to church about 15 years ago! When the dad Died.
Kendrick was found by other Elders and referred to us because he's Indian. After getting to know him, he has a massive grudge with Heavenly Father because the day his dad died he had an argument and prayed that his dad will stay alive until he can apologize. But his dad was taken and he didn't get to apologize.
This last week after many lessons and getting to know his family we seen him Friday and then again lunch time Saturday. Saturdays plan was have lunch with the family, then watch the hour movie Joseph Smith the Prophet of the Restoration. He was up and moving about through the movie and we had to rewind several times. We talked a little after the movie about different questions to both brothers. And we had already spent several hours at the appointment. I was prompted by the Lord to leave, but something kept holding us back, that we were missing something. His friends who live across the road about 23 years old, 2 brothers both Christian already.
We shook every ones hand good by and last was Kendrick before walking out the Door, We had already invited him several times to pray that day to no avail. My companion held his hand say good bye and we didn't say a closing prayer and were not going too if he didn't pray for us. Well Long story short after he had held his hand for a long time, I closed my eyes and started praying in my heart. Then my companion noticed and told Kendrick, "My companion's praying that you would say a prayer for us."
He was trying to get his friends to say the closing prayer, but they backed away and said "You pray."
My companion stepped back, closed his eyes and started praying in his heart that Kendrick would say a prayer before we left.
I was praying that his friends would not disturb him. I was praying that his heart would finally be softened after these long years and pains. I told him that the first step was to not let Satan have power. When we feel unworthy is when to pray most and hardest. The Spirit touched all our hearts. The Lord blessed a miracle to happen. Every detail of every moment fell perfectly into place.
After what seems like a long time of praying in our hearts, he said out loud, "Fine Let us bow our heads and pray!"
He offered the most simple, and fantastic prayer in the world.
Some of the things he said: "God my Father... hello it's me. A really long time... but I just want you to know I'm sorry and I really need you in my life and I invite you in. I need you. Thank you for sending these Elders. All these things in Jesus' name, amen." . It was soooo awesome. He has a Word of Wisdom problem which is so difficult to work with, but just that connection with Heavenly Father is going to help so MUCH!!!
My companion also said:
I couldn't see one second where Heavenly Father wasn't there and perfectly guiding every smallest thing! We have been working with Kendrick (member) who hasn't been to church in over 15 years. He ceased coming to church when his father passed away, and has had a massive grudge with Heavenly Father since. Not Praying, or even acknowledging him.
Saturday after watching "The Prophet of the Restoration" with him and his brother (one 27 and the other 31), we discussed their different questions related to the movie and other questions related to their reading of Restoration and Plan of Salvation Pamphlet.
After being there for a while, we planned to leave and invited Kendrick to pray for us. In which he declined multiple times.
His friends come over from across the road,2 brothers who are members of AOG Church just a few minutes before we left. He tried to get them 2 to pray for him and us before we left which they both declined.
Just about to leave as Elder Howard got prompted to leave, and myself I was thinking and feeling there was something missing, just don't feel right to leave. Shaking all hands and ending with Kendrick asking one more time if he would pray which he declined again, I held his hand for a moment,
Elder Howard had just closed his eyes in silent prayer, I noticed and told Kendrick Elder Howard is praying that you would prayer. I stepped back and Join in silent prayer to Heavenly Father that Kendrick would prayer!!
After praying what seems a really long and slow time, He started in Prayer!! It was SIMPLE, and BEAUTIFUL. ACKNOWLEDGE HIS WRONGS and how he shouldn't have held a GRUDGE for such a long time!! It was beautiful, the spirit was so song!!!!
I love him and know he was one of the reasons I came to this area. We are watching his whole nature change. We are watching the Atonement change his life. He is overcoming all of his addictions one step at a time. he prayed for the first time in about 16 years! It was the most beautiful, simple, sweet, personal prayer of a son talking to their literal and loving Father. He poured out his heart and we watched as his whole demeanor changed. He filled with light and peace. I was told by Heavenly Father to promise him that his prayer would be answered.
There hasn't been one lesson where I haven't watched Heavenly Father speak His words through me. Words that weren't from me and that I hadn't even thought of until they came out of my mouth.
This is a crab. I did not eat the crab. Don't worry. It just wanted to have a picture with me. Some Fijian's picked it up for me, and then we set up a time to go back and teach them about the gospel.
Another miracles is I got on a bus and felt I was supposed to share the gospel with a middle aged young woman. I didn't see any I could sit by on the bus, so I sat by a 14 year old boy. We became instant best friends and had so much fun and felt the Spirit testify to each of us as I shared about the restoration of the Gospel and about Joseph Smith seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ when he was this young man's age (14). But then as I pulled out a pamphlet to give him in Fijian, out of nowhere, a middle aged young woman was sitting next to me and asked me if she could please have that pamphlet also. I had to switch my mind over to speaking another language. I gave her the pamphlet and she was so interested and told me to come back and teach her. She is so sincere and open and it was truly Heavenly Father placing her in my path. The coolest part was that Heavenly Father told me about it before I even got on the bus. I know without a doubt she was supposed to receive the restored gospel on that bus at that time and that the Lord had placed us both there so she could receive it.
She will be taught in Hindi. She is amazing. She is fully prepared to receive the restored Gospel. She had only gotten on that specific bus because she was there for ONE DAY ONLY to visit her family. The timing was set up by Heavenly Father. His hand is in everything preparing the path ahead of you.
Thank Him in advance for the miracles He is going to bring about. Make it a practice to thank Him in advance for things. He goes to so much work in your life to prove how present He is and how much He is intimately and constantly interested in YOU SPECIFICALLY.
There hasn't been one lesson where I haven't watched Heavenly Father speak His words through me. Words that weren't from me and that I hadn't even thought of until they came out of my mouth.
This is a crab. I did not eat the crab. Don't worry. It just wanted to have a picture with me. Some Fijian's picked it up for me, and then we set up a time to go back and teach them about the gospel.
Another miracles is I got on a bus and felt I was supposed to share the gospel with a middle aged young woman. I didn't see any I could sit by on the bus, so I sat by a 14 year old boy. We became instant best friends and had so much fun and felt the Spirit testify to each of us as I shared about the restoration of the Gospel and about Joseph Smith seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ when he was this young man's age (14). But then as I pulled out a pamphlet to give him in Fijian, out of nowhere, a middle aged young woman was sitting next to me and asked me if she could please have that pamphlet also. I had to switch my mind over to speaking another language. I gave her the pamphlet and she was so interested and told me to come back and teach her. She is so sincere and open and it was truly Heavenly Father placing her in my path. The coolest part was that Heavenly Father told me about it before I even got on the bus. I know without a doubt she was supposed to receive the restored gospel on that bus at that time and that the Lord had placed us both there so she could receive it.
She will be taught in Hindi. She is amazing. She is fully prepared to receive the restored Gospel. She had only gotten on that specific bus because she was there for ONE DAY ONLY to visit her family. The timing was set up by Heavenly Father. His hand is in everything preparing the path ahead of you.
Thank Him in advance for the miracles He is going to bring about. Make it a practice to thank Him in advance for things. He goes to so much work in your life to prove how present He is and how much He is intimately and constantly interested in YOU SPECIFICALLY.
All my ties were molding and getting too dirty to wear. Then, out of nowhere, a package came for me from Elder Nawahine's grandparents in Hawaii!!!!! WOW! They sent me 2 home-made Hawaiian ties!!!! This is one of them:
In the backround is a board I practice Hindi phrases on. And on the mirror is a lot of quotes and things Heavenly Father has led me to receive or find to uplift me. Also my music, my other name tag, and the statue of Christ that my companion in the MTC, Elder Burgener, broke, so we wrote on it "You are my hands."
Each new week passes by so much faster than the last.
The Hindi people are so impressed and touched that I've learned so much of their language in a week.
I now know how to speak more Hindi than some of the Hindi people I've met, and I know more than almost all Fijians. Heavenly Father is really helping us share His gospel.
The other day I saw a kid that looks and acts SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much like William, my nephew! And his mom's faith is so strong, I felt she was like the lady Christ said "greater faith than this I have not seen in all Jerusalem." (paraphrase) Reminded me so much of my dear and wonderful sister Jodie. (The mother of William.) This kid looks just like that awesome, heroic, superhero, Christ-like nephew of mine!
Bit by an ant for the first time in my life!
Happiness is a gift! - You're guaranteed to keep it, only by sharing it.
When you pray for an other and his problems instead of your own, and ask for his blessings, you then get all the solutions to what problems you'd have asked help for and receive blessings you'd have asked for. Putting others first puts you first; It's the only thing that ever really does put you first and bless you most.
The Book of Mormon should have a warning "addictive" label on it's front cover!
It should say "Contents Highly Addictive! If you read and live these words in this book, you'll get true, deep, indestructable, ridiculous, lasting joy and utter happiness, and answers to all your questions and eternal life with your Heavenly Father and your own Eternal Family."
But, it kind of does say that in the Introduction to that sacred scripture.
During one of our visits with Kendrick, we asked him, "Do you know where you were before this life?" He said: "No. No one knows that." Both me and my companion smiled super big and said, "I do." "I do."
This gospel has all the answers to all the questions that exist! All the questions people's souls ask themselves and can't find answer for, God Himself has answered and given the ways to find the answers in this His restored fullness of His perfect gospel. What greater thing to be doing than 24/7 be sharing this?
READ THIS TALK: BEST TALK IN ALL EXISTENCE!!!! WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!
I sought an even stronger and renewed testimony of God's living prophet, President Monson. I received so many answers that I couldn't deny! I felt the Holy Ghost bear witness to every fiber of my soul. It was quiet and life changing and I knew without a doubt that he is a true prophet. I've put his words to the test. I've tried them out. I feel the Spirit testify to me while I listen to him. I opened the Scriptures after praying for an even stronger testimony of him as a Prophet, and the Lord showed me incredible things in the page I opened to, that went right to my heart. And just after that, my companion, without knowing I had prayed that, he put on a DVD of a comilation of uplifting messages, and it happened to play this video right after I had prayed that prayer about President Monson: We Need Living Prophets. And then it played this: And in both, I felt Heavenly Father speaking directly to my innermost being, quiet, personal confirmation that we are led by a living prophet God and Christ speak personally with and lead. I know Christ testifies of him and I am going to testify of him with all my joy and heart!
What a joyful message Heavenly Father has given all His children!
Here, we eat with our hands and hardly ever use spoons. The other day, the Indians told me to use a spoon. I told them, "No that's for American's. I'm an Indian!"
People forgot to feed us dinner and then on the way home dogs made me do a front flip over my bike handlebars onto the asphalt. I chose to be really happy and amused. It was so exciting and fun.
We live on the top of a mountain hill in town. Every night we have to bike or walk up it. I LOVE IT!!! :D
I have the same crazy unbelievable unity that I had with Elder Nawahine!! We will be teaching a lesson, and without planning in advance at all, we both decided to teach the same subject, and we both are independently and individually, simultaneously led to the SAME SCRIPTURE!! This has happened over and over!!! It isn't just a one-time occurrence! The crazy thing is that, Elder Moka will start reading my scripture without knowing at all that it was the one I was also led to choose, and he'll read right up until the verse I was going to start at! He begins before my verse, and ends right at my verse, and then I read my verse. But neither of us had planned even which chapter of what book!!!!!
For every week of my mission so far, we have been tempted to believe 1st Nephi 3:7 isn't true. What I mean is, we're tempted to have to break the Sabbath by paying for people to labor on the Sabbath for us. Our circumstances require Taxi's or Buses. But each time, Heavenly Father whispers to my heart and mind, "Pray and ask for help and see if I will not provide a way as I have promised." And then I do just that. That happened again yesterday. We had a Baptism to get to all the way on the other side of the big city we cover. We had to get there right away and my companion had tried everyone he could after the Sacrament Meeting ended, to give us a ride. But I was prompted to go back and try again. We found a member who gave us a ride and was going to same place!!!! We got to the Baptism and it was wonderful! We had such a spiritual experience.
God will enable you to keep His commandments, insomuch as you have faith and acts to enable Him to enable you. :)
It should say "Contents Highly Addictive! If you read and live these words in this book, you'll get true, deep, indestructable, ridiculous, lasting joy and utter happiness, and answers to all your questions and eternal life with your Heavenly Father and your own Eternal Family."
But, it kind of does say that in the Introduction to that sacred scripture.
During one of our visits with Kendrick, we asked him, "Do you know where you were before this life?" He said: "No. No one knows that." Both me and my companion smiled super big and said, "I do." "I do."
This gospel has all the answers to all the questions that exist! All the questions people's souls ask themselves and can't find answer for, God Himself has answered and given the ways to find the answers in this His restored fullness of His perfect gospel. What greater thing to be doing than 24/7 be sharing this?
READ THIS TALK: BEST TALK IN ALL EXISTENCE!!!! WWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!
I sought an even stronger and renewed testimony of God's living prophet, President Monson. I received so many answers that I couldn't deny! I felt the Holy Ghost bear witness to every fiber of my soul. It was quiet and life changing and I knew without a doubt that he is a true prophet. I've put his words to the test. I've tried them out. I feel the Spirit testify to me while I listen to him. I opened the Scriptures after praying for an even stronger testimony of him as a Prophet, and the Lord showed me incredible things in the page I opened to, that went right to my heart. And just after that, my companion, without knowing I had prayed that, he put on a DVD of a comilation of uplifting messages, and it happened to play this video right after I had prayed that prayer about President Monson: We Need Living Prophets. And then it played this: And in both, I felt Heavenly Father speaking directly to my innermost being, quiet, personal confirmation that we are led by a living prophet God and Christ speak personally with and lead. I know Christ testifies of him and I am going to testify of him with all my joy and heart!
What a joyful message Heavenly Father has given all His children!
Here, we eat with our hands and hardly ever use spoons. The other day, the Indians told me to use a spoon. I told them, "No that's for American's. I'm an Indian!"
People forgot to feed us dinner and then on the way home dogs made me do a front flip over my bike handlebars onto the asphalt. I chose to be really happy and amused. It was so exciting and fun.
We live on the top of a mountain hill in town. Every night we have to bike or walk up it. I LOVE IT!!! :D
I have the same crazy unbelievable unity that I had with Elder Nawahine!! We will be teaching a lesson, and without planning in advance at all, we both decided to teach the same subject, and we both are independently and individually, simultaneously led to the SAME SCRIPTURE!! This has happened over and over!!! It isn't just a one-time occurrence! The crazy thing is that, Elder Moka will start reading my scripture without knowing at all that it was the one I was also led to choose, and he'll read right up until the verse I was going to start at! He begins before my verse, and ends right at my verse, and then I read my verse. But neither of us had planned even which chapter of what book!!!!!
For every week of my mission so far, we have been tempted to believe 1st Nephi 3:7 isn't true. What I mean is, we're tempted to have to break the Sabbath by paying for people to labor on the Sabbath for us. Our circumstances require Taxi's or Buses. But each time, Heavenly Father whispers to my heart and mind, "Pray and ask for help and see if I will not provide a way as I have promised." And then I do just that. That happened again yesterday. We had a Baptism to get to all the way on the other side of the big city we cover. We had to get there right away and my companion had tried everyone he could after the Sacrament Meeting ended, to give us a ride. But I was prompted to go back and try again. We found a member who gave us a ride and was going to same place!!!! We got to the Baptism and it was wonderful! We had such a spiritual experience.
God will enable you to keep His commandments, insomuch as you have faith and acts to enable Him to enable you. :)
