Tuesday, Nov. 3, our day started out with a Webex with our Self-Reliance Leaders in Suva. Then for our District Meeting, we had cooking and game insights in the branch kitchen. Elder Kumar showed the girls how to cook Indian food. I especially like the Roti, which is like homemade fried flour tortillas, that they eat with soup or main dishes. We introduced them to our barbequed beef. They loved it. Usually this meeting is less than 3 hours, but this day, it was from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Immediately after we ate, Rex took the Elders to Wati’s for yet another dinner date. I stayed and worked at the church. This allowed all 4 young Elders to fit in the truck and gave me some time to prepare for our two Education Lessons in Seaqaqa. The men returned late, but we hurried and dropped the Seaqaqa Elders off at their flat while we taught the lessons. When we got to the first house, halfway to Savusavu, the girl was not home. Since the village has a lot of relatives, one of her aunts came and visited with us and tended us while her young daughter went to the river, where they were playing, to tell Asenaca we were there. The lady was wonderful to stay right with us. She wasn’t a member, but we talked about everything from beautiful Fiji to our families. She has 9 children, expecting another new grandchild any day. When our student arrived, we taught the lesson in her house. When we came out, the aunt was there to greet us again, and gave us a sack of freshly picked pineapples. What a sweetheart. We asked the Elders about her later. She has been taught the lessons. One daughter is a member. Her husband is Anti-LDS, so on his wishes, they haven’t joined. We will ask the Elders to try again. She is amazing. Our other lesson also went well. Aloisi has decided to continue his education to become a lawyer. We are helping him renew his PEF Loan. We will be teaching them both once a week.

Transfers are here again. Have I mentioned I hate transfers. Elder Nabuti, the funny one, is going to Nasauri by Suva on the big island. While we were teaching Education lessons, he was packing all his things to leave from Labasa. Our beloved Elder Kumar is also being transferred. He is going back to his own home ward to serve for his last 6 weeks of his mission. He feels uneasy about this and called President Layton the next morning to express his feelings. The President said this has never been done before and will probably never be done again, but he feels strongly there is a reason why he needs to serve in his home area of Ba. Elder Kumar’s sister and his mother always have the missionaries over for dinner once a week. He is going to ask the President if it is acceptable for him to eat at his own home. We have loved the time we have served with these incredible Elders.

Wednesday morning, we woke up happy that the only thing we had scheduled that day was a dinner appointment at Chettys, which is always a delight. We were happy that we had a day to recuperate; however, during planning, we made a list of things we needed to be doing. It filled a half sheet of paper, and our day was suddenly nonstop, full of projects and errands. The Sisters and Elders were with us for dinner at Chettys. They played their last game with Shivani, who loves them, and she will miss Elder Kumar. It was a good, productive day. I quit at 11 PM, but Rex continued until midnight and woke up in the middle of the night to finish a mission DVD that he gave this morning to a missionary going home. I love this special talent Rex has and the gift he gives for them to remember a few highlights from their mission.

Sister Aumua, Elders Nabuti, Kumar, Mong Yen, Sister Elias holding Roti 

Elder Nabuti, Roti Mask

Elder Nabuti washing dishes demonstrating how these cupboards
might have been installed a little too low, especially over the sink.
 I tease you can tell a woman didn't design them.