Fiji First Cow with horns going up and down

Fiji First:

Some cows have horns that go up; some have horns that go down. This one couldn't decide which way to go!!!

Fiji First Disposable Diaper

Fiji First Favorite

Here in Fiji, people make the most of everything and hate to throw things away. 

They wash their plastic utensils to use again, including the plates.  

This is the ultimate! Some even wash their disposable diapers!

Love it!

Pita brought us back our suitcases and said they had a glorious time at the temple.The Tongan Temple president was so impressed with how prepared and organized they were and at the number of family names they brought that he arranged for them to have 2 special Fijian sessions while they were there.

Many Stories. We told him they need to write them all down and submit them to the Church News or the Ensign. We asked for a copy when they do. Then we will have the real stories.

Pita said the family with the two little girls was actually on the bus taking the girls to their village to be tended while they were gone to the temple, when they got a call from Sonny in Suva saying "Get off the bus." He told them he had the passports all fixed and that they all needed to get on the boat with the rest for Suva. Everyone was so surprised and happy when they all joined them on the boat.We had shown them 17 miracles, and they were seeing miracles of their own.

We got a little lost taking the sisters yesterday somewhere they didn't know where to go, but we finally found Sister Dyer's house. It turned out to be a glorious day because she lives close to loading dock in Labasa where they bring in fuel, and send out sugar, lumber, etc. While they taught their lesson, we went out to find the ocean. We had to climb down a little embankment to get there, but we found a stretch we could walk on. There was no sand, but dark lava rock and clear water We saw some little fish and a big crab. They really do walk sideways! We had a good time. Rex wants to try going there for us to learn how to snorkle.

Betty bending over a cute baby Mangrove Tree. Check out the root system.

A Scooper for Camden

Fiji Sugar Company's Mollasses Storage Tank 

Surfing a Rock Wave without a board by Sister Dyer's

We had an amazing district meeting this week centered on supporting recent converts, less actives, and fellowshipping.
For an activity, Elder Kumar spaced three bowls in a triangle and gave us three forks to arrange, with each bowl only touching one fork. This was to make a platform that could hold up the Book of Mormon.
This could be used as an object lesson for working together in any capacity, ward, family, work, etc.

We need to be a team to balance the load.

 In our case, the bowls represent the Gospel. Forks are the three things every member should have--
    a calling, a friend, and to be nourished. The book represents recent converts and less actives.

They wanted to see how much that foundation could hold.

Elder Nabuti kept piling more things on top of the Book of Mormon
including a folder, scriptures, and a heavy bag of church pamphlets.

I found a cereal named after Milo in Fiji! 
Congratulations, Denny! You're world famous! 
Actually they love the Money Making Morons movie here, too!

The key to the church house is a blessing to us, especially when our Internet is not working, which has been the case often lately. We can use the computers at the Family History Center. Also, the church is a good place to meet and teach.

This Sunday we went to Sacrament Meeting in Naduna. That’s the little chapel with just a floor and a roof up on a hill with a beautiful view. Everything was in Fijian so we only knew a few words they were saying, but it was as if we were in the tops of the mountains. We could feel the Spirit. The weather was perfect, and a sweet breeze kissed my cheek.

As we drove away, Rex said, “Everything in the universe screams out that there is a creator.” My thoughts exactly.

We drove straight to Seaqaqa for Sacrament Meeting there. The church felt so much happier being clean from the Service Project last week. The Elder’s Quorum President still is carrying the branch there while President Petero is in Australia. He had not assigned talks, but asked ten of us if would bear our testimonies. He also bore his testimony. The Spirit was strong. I love meetings when they do that. It strengthens my testimony. I am ever grateful to be a member of the only true church.

In the evening, we drove the Elders to Siberia. Then met the Sisters at President Nasova's home. We loved our visit with President Nasova. He is a past branch president who was released when his wife died. He never remarried, and he quit coming to church. Every set of missionaries who passes through here tries their hand with him, but to no avail. He really enjoys Sister Aumua and Sister Fiu. Maybe this time.

We drove the Sisters to Siberia to the Salaboni home and waited in the truck while they taught their lesson. We plotted and planned the activities of the next week while we waited. It was a good day.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all,

Take care!

Love you!

Tuesday, we went with Taito and Ariel to visit Marica at the market to meet her and see her little business. Taito bought us each a fan and recorded a short video interviewing Marica for Self Reliance. Before we left, Marica told us she would need help with Girl’s Camp – games and movie. We didn’t have time to ask specifics. We would call her later. Later, we kept calling, but no one answered. We forgot that her phone had been stolen from her home, and we didn’t realize she hadn’t replaced it.

Wednesday, after we had returned from the Service Project in Seaqaqa, Rex slept while I wrote emails. Then we loaded the truck with ceramic plates, utensils, and cooking supplies and took them to the church. No one was there. We went to the store to see if we could find Marica, but no. We decided to eat Chinese while we waited for her. When we went back to the church, we saw Marica had been there, dropped off a couple of things and gone shopping. No one else was there except Josephine. Evidently, we were the entertainment. We played the card game Golf with her until Marica came.

They were grateful for everything we had brought. While I helped Sister Marica peel potatoes, Josephine peeled all the cassava.  That’s a big job! The girls all came and helped with food preparations. They needed a rice cooker. On our way home to get it, we met the Elders on their way to the bus station, and we drove them there. As we were driving back through past the church, we saw Marica walking towards the bus station. We drove her home and left her there to get her foam mattress and all her sleeping supplies while we got the rice cooker and some knives, then went back for her. We just got her things into the church, when she realized she had left her purse on her front porch. It had all the money in it for buying more supplies for camp. We raced back and got it.

We got back just in time to teach our Business class. Only 2 out of 8 were able to come. The others had called at the last minute with good excuses. The class went well. We were done in an hour.

Rex and the youth played Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John before dinner was ready. We could hear all their laughter from the kitchen.

While I was alone in the kitchen with Marica, she and Rakuita had been talking about us. she gave me one of the best compliments I have ever received. She thanked me for all Rex and I do for the branch. She was so cute! She said, “You aren’t like the other Senior Couples who have come here.” I’m sure that’s an understatement! I wish I had it recorded so I could remember her other words. She basically said that they love how we are always there to help with all the activities. They can feel that we genuinely love and care for them, and the youth can hardly wait for each Friday night activity. They love that Rex gets out and plays with them. Later Sister Rakuita also told me thanks and gave me a hug. The members here are so loving and sweet to us. These are two of my favorites.

For dinner, we had cassava, rice, chicken curry with large potato cubes and Tang. Talk about carbohydrates! The girls cleaned up after dinner, and we played Scum while the leaders finished eating and visiting. About an hour later, we watched the movie Anxiously Engaged. The girls liked it. We left right after and got home about 11:30 PM.

Playing Matthew, Mark, Luke & John at Girls Camp

Always a joy to eat on ceramic plates. We will miss our sweet Josephine on the end.

Two investigators with Emma Bull in the middle

Angie Naidu, Elizabeth Hewson, and Shallot Prasad

Sisters Rakuita & Marica

Sisters Fiu & Aumua

Playing Scum

Look at Josephine's beautiful braid. It's tough to see her go.

Friday we woke up tired. Wonder why!!! We spent a couple hours trying to get the Internet to work, but to no avail. I feel helpless when I have no Internet. It makes me feel far away from home and totally out of touch. Finally, we called Vodafone, and the lady said she was on task to make it better.

We had missed going to the Old Folks Home on Tuesday. We try to go every week, and we had promised we would come. Even though we were tired, we spent 1 ½ hours playing with them. They love having us there. The Little One can’t talk, but she had somehow told her brother not to let Rex go, so when he shook hands, Roop held on and said she doesn’t want you to go. Stay! That melted Rex’s heart.

Brother Bull had told us the girls would go home Friday morning so we went to pick up all our supplies. The girls were still there! Marica said camp would last until Saturday, and she invited us to a Sunrise Service Saturday morning. All the ward leadership would be there. Since this would be Josephine’s last activity before she moves to Lautoka, we let her choose the treat – chocolate chip cookies.

Rex dropped me off at home to make cookies while he took the truck to Ascos to be serviced. It took him 20 minutes to walk up the hill home. The Internet was working. I was happy! I saw the bag of Lady Finger bananas the elders had given us the night before. They were past their prime and wouldn’t even last another day. I made a double batch of banana bread before I made the cookies. Rex got his Sunday School lesson ready for Seaqaqa then walked back down to get the truck.

Kelly is working full time during the two week school break, and I didn’t know if she would come to piano lessons, but we were there just in case. She didn’t come. I visited the ladies in the kitchen and played the piano (one finger) while Dad played outside with the youth. It was not only Girl’s Camp, but the weekly youth activity. We gathered a group and played Scum until the girls’ dinner was served. After the girls went to eat, Rex handed cookies to all the boys. He also invited the boys to see the Money Making Morons Movie. Most of the boys were nonmembers. One asked how much the movie cost. Rex said, “Same price as this activity.” The boy said he wanted to come. They always say that and usually don’t show up, but it was sweet of him to say.

After the youth activity ended at 8:30 PM, Rex passed the cookies to all the girls and leaders inside. The cookies brought a lot of smiles.

We were invited to eat dinner with the girls, but I was so tired that I just needed to get home. They offered to send food home with us, but I just had to leave or fall over. Rex sweetly took me home. I didn’t even eat anything here before I went to bed. It’s been a long, hard week. I do what I have to do and then collapse!

This morning, Saturday, we woke at 4:30 AM to make it to the sunrise service. We didn’t see anyone for a half hour. Then we saw the Chapel light on. Sister Marica was in there alone praying. We waited for her to finish, then visited her for a while. No one else came. The girls were all still asleep, but we told her she needed to get back with them. We would let her know if anyone else came. No one did. We worked on the ward list and plotted and planned for a while we waited. The girls were singing, “Let Us All Press On” as we left. Today we will be catching up on emails, washing, cleaning, etc. Later we will gather our supplies from the church. Tonight we show “Money Making Morons” for movie night. When we scheduled and announced it we didn’t know that tonight is also the beginning night of a weeklong “Friendly North Festival” as important to them as that Famous Preston Night Rodeo at home. It has a carnival, booths, talent and beauty contests, etc. If no one comes to our movie, we will have the night off.

We just returned from doing a service project with the Labasa Sisters and the Seaqaqa Elders. Rex & I have been attending the Seaqaqa Branch the last few weeks. Usually there are fewer than 10 attending, and on last Fast Sunday, when the branch paid for the transportation costs, there were only 20. That day, since there was no Young Men’s President, I noticed two teenage boys playing on their phones which were plugged into power in the church kitchen. I saw a few big piles of dirt on the tile cupboards and realized that kitchen probably hadn’t been cleaned in months. I talked with the missionaries and the Elder’s Quorum President, and they announced last week a branch service project to clean the inside of the church. The Elders Quorum President, who is basically the leader of the branch with President Patero gone, the Young Women’s President, who is the RM we helped apply for BYU Hawaii, and one of the young women came to help. I had to laugh that it had been so long since it was cleaned that the little hand broom and dust pan had cobwebs onthem. We spent two hours cleaning and organizing the little building. We loved hearing Elder Nabuti singing beautiful hymns the whole time and everyone laughing and talking as they worked. It looks so much better! As we drove home, I told Rex, “It’s funny. I’m tired, but at the same time I feel invigorated.” It is always a joy to serve. 
On the way home, we drove a few minutes off the main road and showed the sisters a breathtaking view of the ocean. It was crystal blue. We can’t get to it through the mangrove trees, but it is beautiful!

 We will rest for a while and then clean up and go help Marica, the Young Women's President with girls camp at the Labasa Church.
Love you all!

Seaqaqa Elders -- Elders Nabuti & Aoina- sang hymns for us the whole time

Labasa Sisters -Aumua & Fiu

Elders Quorum President-Right now a one man show keeping the branch running. Very heads up. Right now taking a break from college.Wants to someday be a lawyer.

Young Woman's President - Asenaca Disoloila waiting to be accepted at BYU Hawaii, young woman

Aug 18, we were at the Labasa airport at 8 AM to pick up Ned Taito, manager of the Suva Self Reliance Center, and Ariel, one of the heads of the New Zealand PEF group. We were their escorts for their two days here, and we accompanied them to tour the university campuses here in Labasa. They are trying to get them approved to put them on Fiji’s Preferred List. We went to USP, FNU, FNU’s trade college, Fiji Technical College, and the Sangam College of Nursing. We were treated like VIP’s because we were with VIP’s. We also took them to the sugar factory to see the hundreds of trucks and trailers of sugar cane lined up waiting to be dumped. Taito took us out to lunch both days plus bought us treats.

At the end of the first day, after we took them to the hotel to check in, we went home and started watching a movie to celebrate. We got a call from the Hindi Elders saying the Young Men were at the church for a Boys Camp, but there were no leaders. (We found out later that the Young Men’s President is in Suva, and the activity had been postponed. They just weren’t able to contact all the boys to let them know.) We rushed to the chapel. We called Taito on the way to see if he wanted to come play, but he didn’t answer. We found Taito was already there. He had been jogging past, when he saw boys at the chapel and stopped to talk to them. When we arrived, he wasn’t just playing basketball with the boys, he was teaching them moves and having them do drills. They got the basics down and eventually played a few games. Rex played with them for a while, and then gave up his spot when enough boys came.  By the end, our whole district of missionaries had come to help. Before everyone went home, Taito treated all the boys, and all the missionaries, to popsicles at the convenience store across the street.

We are very impressed with Taito. He is one of the most intelligent men I know. He seems to know facts about everything and everyone. He has been an officer in the Fijian Army, and he is incredible! He is prompt and thorough, and he makes things happen! Ariel is also impressive. She is the one who approves the PEF loans for this whole Pacific area. She is married, and the amazing mother of a nine year old boy. On the way to the airport, we showed them our family pictures and, at their request, told them the story of how we got together. We had fun at the airport getting to know Ariel better. At the last, we were even exchanging games, jokes, and stories while we waited. We had a great time with them.

Ned Taito and Ariel

We were feeling sad about the two little girls from Nakawakawa who had mistakes on their birth certificates and couldn't get passports to go. The family was still taking them with them as far as they could. The father, Kini's father, told us they had faith that everything would be all right. We just shook our heads. We have seen that passports here take about two months, and they were literally on their way to Tonga.

Ned Taito from the Suva Self Reliance Center reported that when they got to Suva, Sonny, who works with him, had fixed the mistakes, and got passports for them in one day! They are in Tonga right now with their family being sealed in the temple! I'm blown away by the great faith of these people and the Tender Mercies of a loving Heavenly Father! 

We love the blessings of the temple and the knowledge that we can be families forever!

We love you all!

The people here are serious about its being Winter. They keep asking us if we are freezing! I brought sweaters just in case, but I haven't used them. It feels perfect to us. One of the girls in our  business class said that if she went into selling second hand clothing, she would have to have a summer line and a winter line. My thought was WHY???  The coldest it gets at night is 72 Fahrenheit. I can see the huge difference between the hot, rainy season, and the dry season, but cold it is not!!! To us the weather is absolutely perfect! We just barely turned off the air conditioner at night, and Rex still uses it sometimes in the middle of the day.

This sign at the store was hung over a pile of fleece blankets. It is crazy for me to think of family back in the states who have had winter, spring, and summer since we have left, and are now going into fall. Here the palm trees are always the same. We love this beautiful island, but we truly do miss home and family.

Take care everyone!
We love you!

I’m going to really sum this up. It was a whirlwind day. If you think it sounds dizzying, you should have been here. Friday, we said goodbye to the Nakawakawa  group. The Nakawakawa sisters had awakened at 3 am, cleaned, had breakfast, and left everything spotless. Kini's family was leaving later and still using the kitchen so we told them we would come back for our supplies. We took a PEF coupon book to Joana at her home, Facetimed Roxi & Rose, took Sister Kora to the airport and told her goodbye, picked up our new sister missionary and dropped her off at the sister's flat.

Best Friends!

Saying Goodbye to Sister Kora was not easy!

Kora was Fiu's trainer straight out of the MTC. A bond that will last forever!

 I got a text from Nameeta, one of our PEF students, that the money had not been paid to her college yet, and it had to be in Monday before she took her test. I didn’t have Foki’s # so I called Taito, and he handed her the phone. Before we could resolve the problem, I needed access to the invoice and contact info back at the flat. I was upset because Foki had called us to fix the problem as we were going out to door to fly to Suva the week before, but she had told us the first night we were in Suva that Nameeta had sent everything in. Now she needed it again. While I talked to her, Rex gathered all our things at the church. On the way home, we got a call that we needed to be back at the airport right then. While I was frantically finding and gathering all the needed info for Foki, Rex unloaded the truck by himself, and he found Sister Kora had left her glasses. Our phone was totally dead so we had to take the charger & let it charge in the truck. By the time we got back to the airport, the phone was charged enough that, with the engine left running, I could call & give Foki all the info. She had only 2 hours to disperse the money. Hopefully, she got it done. Rex took the glasses in to give to the zone leaders. They gave them to Elder d’Aquin to give to the Nadi zone leaders, to give to the Suva zone leaders to give to Sister Kora. We told Elder d’Aquin goodbye and picked up another sister for Savusavu. We took her the the sister's flat and rushed home to make brownies for the youth activity. We knew the Roths were coming and called them to set up a meeting to give them a wheelchair request Rex had previously helped get filled out at the Labasa hospital. We parked behind the stores because we were taking all the sisters out for Chinese before the two caught the bus. The Roths pulled in right behind us. It was perfect timing! After we gave the Roths the papers, the idea hit us that the Savusavu sisters could ride home with them. The Roths happily accepted. They left to do some errands at the hospital while we all ate, and they got back just after we finished. It worked out perfectly. They could visit with the girls, and no bumpy bus ride nor bus fare. We went to the church and got ready for the youth activity. I taught Kelly keyboarding, we had the youth activity. The grand prize for winning the last volleyball game-the Championship of the Universe- were the extra brownies were. They descended on them like a flock of hungry seagulls. We took the sisters home and dropped into bed before 9 PM. A huge, busy, productive day. We were asleep when a call came at 10 PM telling us to search our truck. Sister Kora had left her glasses. Rex told them they were on their way.

Sister Kora loves my cookies She would take them 3 at a time.

Brother & Sister Woodward, Sisters Kora and Fiu

Saying Goodbye

Sister Kora trained Sister Fiu straight from the MTC. Bonded forever!

Elder Condie from American Fork & Elder Henderson, our zone leaders.

Sister Kora leaving & Sister Aumua, our new sister.
She was in our zone before while she served in Savusavu. 
She helped with the hospital project.

This is the way Rex takes our cold bottles of water to the activities so they don't tip over. Big boy genius.

The Nakawakawa group of 6 families, on their way to the Tongan temple, came to the Labasa church to do family history. They wanted to get names to do in the temple when they go to get their endowments and be sealed to their families.

They arrived Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 12, 2015. President St. John was there to welcome them and leave them with the key to the church, as they were to sleep there and use the facilities until Friday morning.

We greeted them, also. To try to cut down on their expenses, and since there are no cupboards and absolutely nothing is left in the kitchen, we brought a pickup load of supplies for them to use including our ceramic plates, cups, utensils, big bowls and serving spoons, water, cooking supplies, a huge rice cooker, buckets, etc. They were very appreciative. They had brought some cassava, etc. from home and bought more food at the market. They cooked their own food and were quick to clean up after themselves. Since there were no showers, they used the fire hose and strung it into the bathrooms. They set up ropes for clotheslines held up by bamboo poles and washed and hung out clothes to dry. It all looked like a well-oiled machine. These are competent, talented, members.

We were there with them as much as we could be to make their stay more pleasant. Rex brought the soccer ball, volleyball, and basketball. While the adults were working, Rex played with the kids or let them use the balls to play with each other.

We got lots of handshakes and hugs. Some of them did not speak good English, and they didn’t talk much, but we communicated pretty well. Pita had requested they see “Meet the Mormons” on Wednesday night. To make that more enjoyable for the adults, I took the little kids into the primary room where they all sat on a mat and watched “Frozen.” Everyone enjoyed the movies. We gave them brownies as treats.

Pita said he would be going the next morning to pick up boat tickets and to buy big suitcases. Everything was so expensive here that we volunteered to have them take our suitcases. It took a little insistence on our part as he kept saying, “Are you sure?” Yes, we were.

Thursday morning, while I was making chocolate chip cookies at home, Rex took them the suitcases; and he and the Harwards helped others sign onto Family Search to get their names typed in. It was quite a challenge to set up all the Google Accounts and LDS Accounts. Elder d’Aquin also helped. The children had the balls again and were happy as punch. Kini is one of our new converts in the branch. Her family was with the group. Her mom was out playing basketball and volleyball with the youth. She is really good! Two of Kini’s sisters had blatant errors on their birth certificates, which were not noticed until they were rejected for passports a couple weeks ago. One of the girls was 5, yet her birth certificate said she was born in 1995. The passport people said they had sent them an outdated picture that showed her as 5, not 20. They didn’t have time to fix the errors and reapply. The two children cannot go. The parents will take the ones who can and get their endowments and be sealed in Tonga now; and then get the rest of the family, including Kini, will be sealed to them later in Suva.

We had a little scare about noon. Pita had gone to pick up the boat tickets to go to Suva. From there they would fly to Tonga. He returned with tears in his eyes. They only had room on the boat for 7, and 23 tickets were needed. There would be no more openings until Tuesday, and the tickets to fly to Tonga were for Monday. Pita expressed that they had encountered so many obstacles and challenges to get to the temple. He said at times his head felt so big that it would pop. These people all have such great faith, and they have had to fight hard to get through this. We asked if the tickets hadn’t already been reserved. Wasn’t there someone he could call? He said Sulu, the lady who had made the reservations was in New Zealand, but she had given him her cell number and told him to call her if there were any problems. He hadn’t been able to get through to her yet. Finally, he did. She contacted someone higher up. One call from the Church leaders to the boat company was all it took. The company very much wants to please the LDS Church. They are some of their best customers. They authorized the tickets.
I asked Pita if there was anything else we could do to help them. He said, "No, you have done more than enough."
I expressed our love for his group. He replied with the sweetest thank you ever, "We can feel your love." 

We showed “Finding Nemo” as a matinee. It seemed appropriate for Fiji. While they ate dinner, we taught our Business class. Then we showed “17 Miracles.” Hearing their stories and witnessing what Pita had to go through earlier that day made this movie even more potent. Before we started the movie, we told the Nakawakawa group they are all pioneers who had sacrificed greatly. We encouraged them, as they watched the movie, to realize how blessed they are to be members of the true church. Rex told them his great Grandfather was the company clerk of the Willie’s Handcart company and had the same calling as Levi Savage to be over 100 people.  (After the movie we told them that when Brigham Young called for volunteers and supplies to “Go Bring them in,” my great grandfather sent his new wagon and matched team of horses to go rescue Rex’s great grandfather. He would have driven them himself, but they said he was too old, and they would be pushing the horses too hard.)

Even though I had seen the movie just a couple weeks before, the tears came freely. I am ever so grateful for the sacrifice of the saints that made it possible for me to have the Gospel in my life today. Their faith was unshakable. Their sacrifices supreme.

After the movie was over, we applauded them as pioneers today and passed out the chocolate chip cookies. They were happy.

We were so involved that we had forgotten to take pictures. We thought maybe we could get a couple shots before they left Friday morning. Pita had said they were leaving at 7 AM. We were planning to be there at 6:30. We got a call just before 6 AM that they would be leaving in 20 minutes. We threw clothes and got there in time to tell them “Goodbye,” and we were able to take a few pictures, too.

They were so appreciative of everything we had done. We said it was nothing compared to what they had been experiencing. We were just happy to help. We will always look back fondly on this experience. Our faith grows stronger as we witness the faith of others. We know the Lord will bless them, and we are excited to hear of their experiences with the Tongan temple.

Nakawakawa Group ready to leave on bus, then boat, then plane to go to the Tongan Temple

Betty taking pictures

Rex visiting

Part of Kini's family.

Holding a Fijian broom, Kini's mother is good at everything including playing sports with the youth!

Pita and his wife

Little sweetheart who kept giving me hugs

Beautiful smile. Little ones like to give the signs.

Not long from serving a mission

Some of Kini's Family. We couldn't get them all together for a family pict.

Making big sacrifices to go! $600 is a fortune for these people!

They will remember this experience forever!

A face that no father can resist!

Starting to load the bus. Here we go!

Bye!

In Suva, one step closer to the Tongan temple