Sorry we have been so busy lately we have not been able to write as often. Yesterday was a marathon day. We started at 6 AM and made brownies. The young Elders in Seaqaqa have two broken washing machines and Labasa’s landlord is remodeling both bathrooms, one of which had the washing machine. They can’t wash clothes or take showers. When they asked if Labasa has a laundromat, Rex retorted, “I know where there is a river with a flat rock!” Suffice it to say we had all the Elders over for P Day to write letters, wash clothes, and take showers. We taught Elder De Moors and Elder Luatua how to play the card game 500. We also had a special birthday lunch for Elder De Moors. Barbeque beef and oven grilled chicken. They especially loved the beef. The Labasa Elders had ordered a cake made and decorated to look like a white shirt with a green tie and his missionary name tag. He was especially grateful.

At 3 PM, we were at the church. to meet Burnadett for keyboard lessons. Next were Lucy and Delilah Vosa. It still blows me away that even though I can’t play the piano, the Lord helps me teach it; and they are doing very well for just starting.

Finally, we met briefly with Sylvia Kolonata to look at her research paper. She and her partner were still working on graphs, etc. I was so very tired. I read the introductory paragraph and told her to fill in more details and make it more understandable. I didn’t even give suggestions. I will meet with her again on Wednesday, hopefully when I can think more clearly. Rex played with the young missionaries and the youth and shared the brownies. No one can believe he can be 63 and yet be playing sports. They are not used to that here. They all love and look up to him. I am still his biggest fan!

Today will be a huge day also with District Meeting, shopping, helping Vani scan and submit her papers for the mission, and Piano Lessons. I now have at least 5 piano students. Sylvia Prasad came and asked me to teach her just last Sunday. I don’t know what I can do in just 3 weeks, but we will introduce her to the piano and get her started. Kellie is the only one who has been playing for more than 3 months.
I woke up in the middle of the night last night hurting so badly I could hardly stand it. The tingling has never been that bad. My whole body was in pain. I asked Rex to give me a blessing. I was able to sleep well the rest of the night. I am ever grateful for priesthood blessings. They have played a huge part in my life to help me and strengthen me to do whatever is required of me.

Rex Wrote:

Yesterday was our favorite Easter in Fiji! The sunshine was extra bright, and the foliage more vibrant and colorful than ever! We went to Labasa early and greeted everyone at the church before Sacrament meeting began. It was wonderful to see Sister Kumar back to church. She has been sick for a while, struggling with sugar diabetes. Brother Chetty was dressed in his white shirt and tie ready to bless the sacrament for the first time. That means he finally feels prepared to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. We have been waiting our whole mission for that to happen. He has gone through many sets of missionaries trying to reactivate him. He has been coming for the last few months.

We drove the Seaqaqa Elders to Naduna, and our truckload were all the speakers in Sacrament Meeting. During the second block, it started to rain; and everyone had to gather for shelter. The Young Women were under the protection of a big tree, huddled under umbrellas. The Young Women sang songs while the Priesthood gave their lesson, and the Primary children quoted the Articles of Faith. I listened to the sounds and sat in the beauty of the open chapel. As I was asked questions, my answers seemed inspired. It was glorious. We said our goodbyes, probably our last time going to the little Naduna church for meetings.

We came back to Labasa to the much awaited baptism of the parents of Delilah and Lucy Vosa. The girls were baptized over four months ago. Brother Vosa was the main drummer in the Assembly of God church and one of their favorite teachers. He has been investigating the church from afar for about twenty years. He had listened in on the lessons when his daughters were taught. His wife had never seemed interested in changing churches; but when she started taking the lessons, and as he watched the change it made in their daughters lives, he decided he wanted to be a forever family in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This was a hallmark day in Fiji. He will someday be a great leader. He has a relative in the quorum of the seventy who is now a mission president. His sister is extremely active and works in the Self Reliance center in Suva. When asked who they wanted to baptize them, they picked me. I was surprised, humbled and honored. When I saw their whole names on the programs and knew I had to pronounce them, I was a bit affrighted! His name is Taniela Vosa, and hers is Ana Koroiqautoga Vosa. I practiced the wife’s name about 150 times, and I still had to have help right before I baptized her. All went well. Once is all it took. As they stepped out of the font, I said, “All clean!”

They invited us to their home for a banquet. I filled my plate the first time with as much as I wanted to eat. He insisted that he get me a little fish. He got out all the bones and poured fresh coconut milk on top. His back was to me, and I didn’t see that he was heaping my plate full of all the other delicious courses they had made, topped with two more pieces of cassava. Elder De Moors rescued me and ate the cassava and Betty helped me with some of the extra dishes. After I was already feeling green, they brought about a pint of ice cream in a giant mug. Elder De Moors again saved me and took a couple scoops off the top. Delilah played I am a Child of God that she is learning. Brother Vosa played demo songs on the church keyboard and visited with us while we played the card game War with his daughter just younger than Delilah and Lucy. She beat me once outright. The second time, it went so long that Betty had to take a long turn. She had me take over again, and I had to do some creative maneuvering and rule changing to let the little girl win again. Ana was outside playing with Lucy, Delilah and the young missionaries. We stayed all afternoon. I guess we didn’t want the day to end. When we got home, we got a call from Sister Smith of the Self Reliance Center in Suva; and she gave us a referral. That was the perfect end to a perfect, beautiful Easter day.

Hope you all had a beautiful Easter as well.

We love you all!

We Love The Vosa Family and our young missionaries! 

All their crops were hurt by the cyclone so they have to harvest them all. Since there is such a surplus, the price has dropped. This sweet pony is earning his keep as he carries the dalo.

A big semi came to the church to pick up the dalo.

While they worked, others played volleyball

Sisters Parada and Elias playing volleyball with the members

Rex Wrote:  

The house we are building is to replace this bamboo house that was blown down by Cyclone Winston, much as the house made out of sticks in the story of the Three Little Pigs was blown down by the Big Bad Wolf!

Strong and fearless in their labors

Framing the house 12 x 24 feet

Siding cut, loaded, and ready to go

Carrying boards from the truck up the hill a short way to the building site

As soon as the roof was on, the family moved in, making it harder to build. They just couldn't wait!

One side built --In the foreground is their Dalo, a root plant the storm has probably been ruined

Blood, sweat and tears went into this project. Tom, who I call the sawmill, cut himself with the chain saw. This needed stitches, but his coveralls saved him from much worse damage. (He is getting better and walking okay.)

Elder Foeva carrying ironwood

Ironwood bridge across the ditch 

Assembly line using ironwood bridge. All our young missionaries came to help for two days. (The Sisters are proselyting with Pita's wife and will help clean up around the chapel.)

Let's clear this tree off the road!

He makes carrying ironwood look like child's play. These people are strong!

Elders Foeva, Talamai, Luatua, and Hariprasad with Pita and his priesthood. Job well done!

No easy task to cut straight boards with a chain saw!

They do an amazing job!

Break time!

They put a little hut together out front to use for the kitchen. This blew Betty's mind that they have the cooking fire in the corner right next to stacked wood and bamboo walls. They control it so perfectly that there is no need to fear.

This little boy and his family have a new home!

House all done with shutters and doors locked to go to church.  They will take a week's break to replant their crops and then start building the next house!

Rex Wrote:

Pita and I bought supplies in bulk in Labasa to take to the people of Nakawakawa

These two loved to stack the tuna cans. I chased them around growling, "Feed the monster!" They ran to their mothers for safety and came out later for me to do it again.

Fijian dish drainer while tin was down

Dividing the food for members

Packaged food in boxes ready to be delivered

The Church sent more building tools

Toolbox of quality supplies

Along with the new tool box, the Church sent two new chain saws, complete with fuel and bar oil. Added to the one from the district and Pita's chain saw, we're ready to go work!

Pita's roof was folded back over exposing his bedroom.

Pita's house fixed

This time with hurricane ties!

Fixing the missionary's roof

Same supplies we use

Washing out the rain gutter that brings in the rain water for drinking and personal use.

Pita and Ezekiah

Rebuilding the outdoor church bathroom enclosure

Happy to be working

Mission Pickup used for hauling lumber from cutting site to building site.

Even using a level!

Digging holes for ironwood posts that hold the house up

Ironwood is heavy and about as strong as cement, used as the foundation

Leveling posts

Starting floorboards

The branch priesthood works well together

Before Rex convinced them to use the pickup, men would carry boards one at a time over a half mile to the building site. It looked like ants hauling food. It was a slow, tedious process!

The sawmill, using a chainsaw to cut the boards. Instead of a chalk line, they used a string dipped in oil and flipped it.

Fijian culvert -- They dug a trench laid three tree trunks across the road, and covered it with dirt.
As the dirt fell back in with the first big rain, they added more dirt to make it level.