Sunday, Sept. 6, we were able to take Roop from the Rest Home to Sacrament Meeting. He loved it. He had a huge smile the whole time. 
With President St. John’s family on the other Fiji Island, he needs to be free on weekends to visit them until he can be transferred down there. President Petero released him and put in a new Branch Presidency. Our first counselor, Brother Bull is now President Bull with Brother Reo as first counselor and Brother Nand was put back in as second counselor. They will be incredible! The first thing President Bull announced was a Ward Family Home Evening on Friday night in conjunction with the youth activity to say Thank You to President St. John.

After church, we went with the Elders to the Kumars to give blessings to Esther & Bro Kumar. One of my favorite parts of this mission is witnessing blessings. The Spirit is so strong.

Monday, Sept 7, we picked up the traveling sisters from the airport and took them to the Sister Missionary Flat. It was wonderful to visit with Sister Heitonga again. She looks great. It is incredible how much she has grown in knowledge and in confidence. 

We gave a personalized business lesson to Sister Marica at her home, since she had missed the class. She has the cutest laugh and is always serving someone. She is one of my very favorites.

Monday is also P Day. Rex loves playing volleyball and basketball with all the young missionaries. With Heitonga there, the girls were laughing over everything. 

Early Tuesday morning, Kumar and Mong Yen helped us clean the Labasa church in preparation for Zone Conference. The usual cleanup is not until Saturday, and it was sorely needed before President and Sister Layton and the other Senior Missionaries arrived. We all worked hard and gave it a good “lick and a promise.”

We went to the Kumar home and taught Sister Kumar & Esther the business lesson they had missed from being sick.

At 6 PM, we met the Laytons & other Senior Missionaries at the Grand Eastern Hotel and had a wonderful dinner with lots of time to visit while we waited for the food. President Layton gave us a green light to tell President Petero he may apply to make groups for people who are far away from the chapel, including the family we had just visited.

I also asked him another question: Brother Nasova had to be released as the Labasa Branch President when his wife died years ago. He has been less active since. They say she is a member, baptized the same day as her daughter; but she is not listed as a member on the branch records. President Layton said since the family witnessed the baptism and know the exact date, if we can gather all her information, he can write her up a new baptismal certificate and get it recorded on the records of the church. Then, as soon as they become active again, they can be sealed together as a family.

Wednesday was Zone Conference. We were in charge of the meal again, and everything was assigned and went like clockwork. Yes, we ordered Chinese again for the main dish. They totally enjoyed it.

We were given an extra assignment during the day. Before the meal, President Layton asked us to drop off a prospective missionary at the hospital for tests. At 4 PM, we drove him back to get the results, but they were not done.

We loved the Zone Conference. The theme was “Finders Keepers.” I especially loved the thought that we knew others in the pre-existence whom we promised to find, and how great will be our joy when we find them and bring them into the Gospel. We were taught methods of how to find new investigators and how to keep new converts and members strong in the Church. 

 More than anything else here in Fiji, I have witnessed and gotten an even greater testimony of the importance of Home Teaching, Visiting Teaching, and Fellowshipping. It is so crucial that we reach out and love and care for one another. We need to recommit ourselves and encourage all members to hold tight to the Iron Rod and never let go, no matter what! We need to be diligent and help others in saying prayers, keeping the commandments, living promises, staying temple worthy, and enduring to the end. My favorite part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can have our families together forever. We want no empty chairs in Heaven.

After the Zone Conference, we were invited by the Harwards to sit in on training the new President and Auxiliary Leaders, and we were privileged to watch the new Branch Presidency get set apart. It will be an honor to work with them.
At 7 PM, we picked up Elder Kumar and Mong Yen in Siberia and had dinner with the Chettys. A very full, perfect day.

Across from Rex is Elder Brown from Blanding, UT. He was surprised that we would know where Blanding was, and even more surprised that Rex had relatives there, including his very best teacher.

The tomatoes for the tossed salad were from our garden.