Besides the Sister Bull who plays the piano and is Primary President, there is another Sister Bull. She was the first person I was introduced to here in Labasa when we arrived Nov. 2014, or at least the first name I could pronounce and remember. She has been here faithfully every week. It wasn’t until about a month ago that I learned she is not a member. In fact, she is mostly divorced and living with a man. Something happened to her divorce papers that she couldn’t get remarried. She has had missionaries teaching and visiting her off and on for a couple of years. Sister Kora and Sister Fiu have been teaching her, and they had extended family members help her get her divorce finalized. On Friday, July 17, 2015, she was married. The next day she was baptized. Now, since I can’t pronounce her last name any more, she says I can call her Anna. She seems so happy.

Back row: Elders d'Aquin & Kumar
Front row: Sisters Fiu and Kora and Sereana Bull Mudaliar

Sister Rakuita’s grandson, Taitusi Psalms Filipe Kotobalavu Rakuita, a child of record, was baptized the same day. He’s a cutie. Rakuita works in a government office. She pays her little grandson to come often to help organize, staple, and file papers for her. She pays him 50 cents an hour when he comes. Pretty good experience and wages for a 7/8 year old. He is very good and responsible. She’s so proud of him!

Sister Fiu, Anna, Kora, & in front Taitusi

 After the baptism, we had treats, including some brownies I had made that morning. Then we had to stay around with Elder d’Aquin while Elder Kumar took his SLEP test, an English Proficiency test required for those in the Pacific Islands to apply for BYU Hawaii. (We had suggested he take the test here, instead of waiting until after he returns home. We arranged for Brother Safeti to come give it to him. I had helped him go through some sample questions from online. He said they really helped. He passed the test!)

While we were waiting, we helped d’Aquin teach Shahila, the Moslem girl, about prayer. She seemed very receptive. We aren’t supposed to teach Moslems unless they come to us, but she had come to the Elders and asked to learn more about Christianity.

We drove the Sisters to Siberia to teach the mother of the little boy with the cleft palate. They have given her several lessons. Getting his operation lined up is not the only miracle coming from the Ship Mercy’s visit.

We got home exhausted, very grateful a busy day was over. We had just gotten a bite to eat and settled down when President Layton called. He asked if Rex could watch over Seaqaqa (pronounced Sengonga), and preside and conduct when necessary until President Petero returns from Australia. That is their home country, and they had gone there for medical attention after Sister Petero fell and hurt. It will be at least another month before she is well enough to return to Seaqaqa. President Petero is both the Branch President and a counselor in the District Presidency, leaving a huge hole when he is gone.

Just after President Layton hung up, we got an e-mail from President Petero asking Rex to Preside, Conduct, give the talks, and teach the Sunday School and Priesthood lessons. If they could get him authorization in time, he was also supposed to help count the donations. No pressure! Even though Rex was dead tired, he got the Sunday School lesson prepared. It was too late for him to prepare the Priesthood lesson, but I woke up during the middle of the night and put the lesson on Power Point so Rex could check through it before we left for Labasa’s Sacrament Meeting at 8:45 AM.

Rex did all the above in Seaqaqa except he didn’t get the password for the finances. Their branch clerk, the only one other priesthood holder in attendance, blessed the sacrament in Fijian, and Rex passed it. As Rex was handed the tray, he partook first, since he was the one presiding, then took the tray and passed it to others.

We had a combined Relief Society, Priesthood meeting. I was the only woman. There was the clerk, a 12 year old boy who turned out to be a nonmember, and Rex. We got over 2/3 of the way through President Benson’s lesson on tons of ways a man should cleave to his wife and treat her tenderly and with love and devotion before we asked if he had a family. He said his daughter was the Young Women’s President. Oh, no! She was the returned missionary we had helped apply for BYU Hawaii, and we knew her mom had died of cancer. How painful that lesson must have been for him! Fortunately, from then on, it taught more about family and children and how to teach and love them. We tried to put all other references to wife into the eternal perspective! He seemed appreciative. He had been sealed, and he knew they would be a forever family.

Last week when we returned to Seaqaqa, the Elder’s President was there to Preside and Conduct. We have visited that branch a few times before, and he has always given the Sunday School and Priesthood lessons. We still had to speak, but he gave the Sunday School lesson and during the ten minute break, he asked which conference talk was to be given for the Priesthood lesson. It was Boyd K. Packer’s talk on the Plan of Happiness, which also talked about how to treat wives. We told him we didn’t want to put the clerk through that again, and we suggested we watch the talk we had downloaded by Clayton about the little girl who was in a plane crash and followed the light to safety. It taught how we should follow the Light of Christ. It was the perfect length and well accepted. Our testimonies are being strengthened through service. 

We can feel everyone’s prayers in our behalf. 

Thank you! We are being blessed.