This is Christmas!
As for how my life is going, just picture the most BUSY, productive, satisfying and fulfilling life... and that's how it is constantly here. We are more busy than you would believe, and now we don't have car to help us. Our car is needed elsewhere in the mission, and we have never in all my mission time had so much work and so many progressing and just heavenly people all over the city to work with constantly... it is the Lord's work and DEFINITELY requires His capability, ability and strength and wisdom. We watch the fullness of that flow through us non-stop in direct accordance with our humility and exact obedience and minds focused on the Covenants we have made with our holy and loving, wise heavenly Father. We are becoming like Him. We are His investigators, and He is the best teacher. He is transforming us. We can't live as anything less than all we were destined to be; it's just not how God intended us to take this grand opportunity of earth life. This is the only chance we ever gonna get--and He expects us to realize that and rise up.
Eternity--is composed of Now's.
I want you to know what is most important this Christmas season.
If you take Jesus Christ as your gift this season, you get it all. If you take anything else as your gift this season, you get nothing and lose it all. Only if you choose to come unto Christ as you never have before, can this Christmas be the one that your children will talk about for generations to come, as having made all the difference for the whole remaining balance of your life. There is a story you can probably find on the internet (can't look it up for you because I am a Missionary and don't use the Internet for anything but emailing) you can find a story that made me cry... Paste this in and see if you find the story: "The Painting years ago there was a very wealthy man" And just take whatever comes up. I think that will lead you to the right Christmas story I heard. If not, I apologize.
I might say that this week was one of the largest and happiest transitions of my mission. It certainly has made all the difference. I have changed everything. I now am able to be on top of all the duties I manage, and feel in perfect balance in everything in my life and calling. I feel very, very fulfilled and satisfied. I know how to manage and plan ahead so that every week is a joy and runs smoothly. Everything in my power is well organized and exactly as I plan it. Everything else depends on the agency of others.
I have now come to fully see my District Members in a whole new light. That was the biggest change this week. I have made my own Area Book for each member of the District. I have individual progress records for each individual and treat each one with as much whole-hearted and deep love as I have for each of our 50+ investigators. I finally see my missionaries... as investigators! Their Progress and my relationship with them has become number one priority for me in all things. The only thing above my District Members in priority list as far as my focus and energies and attention and love and sacrifice, is Elder Datoon. My Trainee is my whole focus, then the District, then the Investigators, then the Returning Members. I feel I have grown the most in this week. It dramatically changed the way I work with my District, thanks to the advice and help of one of my dearest friends, my brother, Elder Kanongata'a.
I studied John 10 very seriously and hard the other day, and the Lord spoke many revelations to me that helped me see my position as a Shepard in this sacred District in a whole new way. I am so excited to watch the Lord work in creating solutions to their problems through me and building our friendships stronger than the cords of death. It is a good day.
Everyone in the District is doing so well. I have great conversations with them each personally daily, and they all open up to me and seek my help in what they each are going through, and the Lord teaches me how to address it. I know that He loves to watch us grow and progress and take joy and satisfaction in the work.
I am dedicated to making this Christmas the best Christmas time that my District has ever had. Those currently in it, and any that might be coming in soon to replace people. One of our Sisters, Sister Levave, will be finishing her mission this week.
We really are all just thriving. I am now going on exchanges with my Elders almost every week. I am just excited to harness the full power of exchanges. Every exchange I rise to a greater mastery of how to juice out the full deep potential an exchange has upon a missionaries week, and entire mission ahead. I benefit so much as well, from what my comrades teach me through their wisdom and good inspired examples. Elder Kanongata'a really helps me in carrying more effectively the weight of the District, just by keeping me aware of everything and anything he ever comes to know about. He talks to me and we discuss what I can do to more fully and directly meet the needs of each member in the District. I really love to watch how dramatically he has personally changed. I admire him with my whole heart. He and I consider each other pretty much the best friends in the mission. We so enjoy being in the same district as each other and savor every minute of our exchanges together. We grow so much off of one another. We are a perfect match for reaching potential and smoothing our own personal rough edges. We are certain we will be lifelong pals. When he knows something about the Sisters or his companion, he tells me straight away so I can be there for them. They are all calling up to me and taking all of their problems straight to me now. It is really just the best bright spot of my mission, to watch how rapidly these individuals in my District are growing.
I have an excellent District Meeting planned for Sister Levave tomorrow for her farewell.
Elder Datoon is doing just great in his training. We are really making it our whole focus and just really putting all our goals toward what can help him be prepared for what is ahead. He is going to be leading this area for an entire full day for the first time ever in exchanges this Wednesday. He and Elder Kanongata'a will be together in my area. Elder Kanongata'a will help him with the bus routes for the first day without the car. And he will lead in all the Hindi lessons. The best part about it all is that Elder Datoon was the one that really enthusiastically asked for this precise opportunity to grow and progress completely out of his comfort zone. I am very confident that he really is ready. I wish you could see him with the locals. They are just so impressed with his Hindi. I am so impressed with his Hindi. I keep writing his family telling them how well he is progressing and growing week by week. I can see it. He just always has a spirit about him, and it's positively contagious. He is very open with me and we are working with any stress that he faces, and just enjoying the journey. We have long talks and really enjoy all our time together. I love him with all my heart, and just want to see him fully happy, prepared, self-reliant and reach his full potential and goals he and Heavenly Father have for him in this mission.
I will have more to report next week, on how exchanges with the Assistants went, and how things went our first week with no car during our busiest time in the work. The work is heavier and more buzzing than I knew mortals could even handle. There is so much to stay on top of, and through the Lord's help, it's amazing to see that indeed we surely can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens us.
I will never be a young man again. The manhood shoes are all the way put on. I am ready to take on eternities, and I mean that. That is exactly what I intend to do. I know who I am supposed to make of the remaining balance of my time on earth. I have received pieces of my heavenly Father's vision for me, and am acting on it, and it is coming to FULL reality. I encourage everyone to give themselves WHOLly to this great work. You don't have much time left.
Our Baptismal Dates are all doing good. Our 3 for-sure Baptisms for this month have come to a point of struggle. This last Sunday was the only Sunday they needed in order to qualify for the 3times to church rule. The day before, the mom's youngest little son had his appendix burst. They couldn't all come to church because she had to rush him over to the Hospital. She wanted to go to church, so desperately; but she could only send her oldest son on her behalf. Now we are figuring out what we can do... We will know by Tuesday what our new plan could be. But This family inspires me. They constantly testify of the huge changes that have taken place in their lives, and I testify with them, that it is all thanks to their faith in Jesus Christ. Joy is the Reward, and they have earned it. They have changed their lives and are my heroes in SO many ways. I will forever love this little inspiring family. All of Fiji... I sometimes just want to file the adoption papers for the entire nation.... I just love these people with all I've got.
Our other 10 Baptismal Dates are all progressing healthily. We have two though, that are on the fence about whether they are ready to defy their families and friends by following Jesus Christ. We are working with them. Almost all of our other Baptismal Dates are just struggling with personal things. We are working with all of them and they are making progress toward January and for sure February. We are setting all our Baptismal Dates that just keep flooding in, very wisely and making sure they are set for the beginning of the months ahead, so that we for sure will always deliver what we tell the Lord that we will deliver.
I am encouraged as I read this from page146 in Preach My Gospel:
"The Ultimate Measure of Success is not in achieving goals alone but in the service you render and the progress of others."
This keeps me excitedly pushing along with these, my beloved and dear brothers and sisters who are all trying to become free from their own personal prisons. Their faith in Jesus Christ grows, and they drive themselves to changing everything through Baptism. We are just the guides and the saviors along side with the Savior to love and help them with our whole hearts.
This was just a little overview of the week. I wish I could paint you the whole picture. I have tried to paint you a good picture, and still have much to say, but not time. I love you and promise you I am magnifying my calling with my whole heart and being. I can promise you that. I am giving all I have and am for my District Members and the Saints they are bringing in. I understand that my District Members are my most progressing and world-changing Investigators I will ever work with until I soon meet my own eternal children in my own family after the mission. The Lord has only glorious things planned, if we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and obey Him fully and instantly and consistently from a willing and consecrated heart.
Pictures from the week:
This is the family that is working toward baptism this month.
They are amazing!
That pool picture was a service we did on a Thursday to help someone.
Christmas Party! I sang a solo for Sacrament Meeting yesterday with the whole choir backing me up. I was crying for feeling the Spirit before I even got up to sing. I LOVE SINGING!!!!!!!!!!! Definitely a main focus of my life and career after I finish here.
Me and a friend. This little girl is a leader in her family. She walks all the way to church every Sunday no matter what. She is a truly good daughter of God. Let's all be like her.
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