Yesterday we got to see all six people, who had been baptized the day before, get confirmed in Labasa. It was a beautiful, spiritual experience. Rex got called up to be in the circle and got to confirm Darshika Singh. After Latchmi got confirmed, she shook everyone’s hands. She held Rex’s hand extra long and kissed it a lot. When she came back to her seat, since she is partially blind, I helped her sit down, squeezed her hands and gave her a thumbs up. She was still celebrating.

     Afterwards, the talks were on the Book of Mormon. I loved them, especially the quote by the Prophet Joseph Smith: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” This quote makes me happy.

     After sacrament meeting, while Rex was getting a teaching manual for Naduna’s newly called Young Men’s President, a lady took me aside and said she needed a blessing for a rash that looked to me to be Shingles. I got Rex and the Elders, and they gave her a sweet blessing. We rushed the Elders back to their apartment to get the baptismal forms they had forgotten, and we went to Seaqaqa and attended all their meetings, plus their Ward Council Meeting. The heads of all the auxiliaries were challenged to fast and pray about how they could bring more members into the branch to have enough to become a ward. They need 150 members including at least 19 active, full tithe paying Priesthood holders.

     We also talked to two people about continuing their education. We will be teaching our first 2 hour class including “Education for Better Work,” “My Path,” and “My Foundation” in Seaqaqa on Tuesday night and in Labasa on Thursday night. Only a few will be a few attending. I wish we could teach more, but they can’t afford to quit their jobs to go to school, even though their jobs are paying very little. The economy here is just plain wrong and makes absolutely no sense to me. In Fijian money, $5 here is a fortune, yet a bag of chips costs $4, and a frozen chicken costs $20. Many make $1/hour, (50 cents US). $3.50/hr ($1.75 US) is considered high wages. One of my favorite people, our ward clerk, makes $6000 a year ($3000 US). He can’t even fathom leaving that great job to go back to school. Our monthly costs here in Fiji, for our mission alone, are 2/3 of that. It drives me crazy. I wish we could do more to help. Yet, they are the most humble, happiest people in the world. We love them.

Count your many blessings and enjoy your day!

Love you!