April 15, 2016

In answer to everyone’s question, the two girls are going to the Philippines and learning a new language. They report to the Philippines MTC June 3. Josh is going to Australia and will be speaking English. He reports July 14.

A few things are starting to wind down. Taito came Wed. and we handed over our PEF and Self Reliance materials and our church laptop to Lucy Bulewa, our new Branch Self Reliance Specialist. We still need to take an hour or two and train her a little. Taito is an impressive man, tall, strong and in charge. Before he came to work as the Manager of the Suva Self Reliance Center, he was the General  of the Fijian Army. He is very personable. He doesn't demand respect, it's automatic. After his training, he took us and Lucy out to dinner. Yesterday he met again with Lucy and took her to the universities.

We also had our exit interview yesterday with New Zealand, our Self Reliance Bosses. They previously asked for our input, and they have received quite a few letters from me expressing concern over the present PEF program and it’s implementation. It needs some reprogramming in the financial record keeping department and needs more positive strokes in writing reminder notes to those paying back the Perpetual Education Fund loan and more specific instructions to help students get the incentives. Yesterday, they assured us that they have acknowledged our concerns, and some of our suggestions are being implemented and others are being looked into. They were very gracious. They said they were glad we were the first of the “Education Specialists.”

They had sent me the exit interview questions beforehand. Since we have red eye, and I didn’t feel good enough to leave the apartment for a couple of days, I wrote answers to all the questions and sent them early to the team. That way they wouldn’t have to ask all the questions again or type up everything we said while we were talking. Yes, it was a very long tirade, especially on the question of things we feel need to be changed. The interview that usually lasts at least 1 ½ hour lasted 50 minutes, much of which was their large team taking turns expressing thanks. We actually haven’t helped that many people get a PEF Loan, but hopefully something we have said or done has made a difference.

Marica and Sylvia came yesterday and spent over 3 hours wiping out cupboards for us, many of which we hadn’t even used. We are separating and distributing the many things the mission had stored here. We are excited for the girls to come in two days! The people here are so excited to see them!

Everyone take care! We love you!

Rex wrote: Saturday the 2nd day of April was a day from Heck.  Both Betty and I had Red-Eye. Mine was about two days in, and Betty was just starting. In the USA it is called Pinkeye, but in Fiji it is much worse with straight red eyes, swelling around the eyes and chills and fever. The stores were out of eye drops and the local cure, mothers milk, we were not yet desperate enough to use, even though we had been offered some. We had some people we wanted to visit, but we canceled all plans to leave the flat. We were just plain sick. At about five in the evening Sister Bull called and invited us to a YSA gathering where three were going to open their mission calls. These were the first three of the seven young people we had helped fill out their mission papers. The youth had requested that we be invited. Of course, we had to be there for them! From six to seven we took pictures, predicted where they were going to serve, visited, and waited for all the families to gather. Lorenzo Snow Baliwasawasa conducted the meeting. (Betty fell in love with him as soon as she heard he had the same first name as her father.) They were so excited as they opened their calls. As each read the letter, and announced where they were going, everyone cheered! They each bore their testimonies, Betty and I were asked to share our testimonies, then the parents and siblings got their turn.

It had to be one of the most joyous days of our mission. The next day in church they all got to tell the branch about their calls and bare their testimonies. The air was charged and the spirit strong. What a heaven blessed day it had become! It is good to see some of the fruits of out labors. We love Labasa Branch!

Joana Kauloa,  Josh Bull, Arieta Bulewa get mission calls the same day

Waiting for opening of the mission calls

Our Labasa 7 all applying to serve missions

Sister Bull sets a colorful table

Red Eye put us down

This just hurts!

My heart is full. Last night, we helped Vani a little more with her missionary application. She is a sweetheart. Then we pulled Joji out of the YSA Activity and asked him if he had two songs prepared that he could play for the YSA. Joji is the only member in his family. He walks a great distance and comes to church faithfully all by himself. He is one of my favorite people. I have met with him a couple of times to teach keyboarding theory, but he has been mostly teaching himself. He had one song mostly ready. He practiced for a little while, and then we asked all the YSA to come listen to him perform "How Great Thou Art!" The Spirit was strong, and he did such a great job. If he comes Sunday, and is prepared, he will play another song during church and pass off the requirement of playing two songs in church from the "Hymns Made Easy Book" to allow him to keep his beloved keyboard. He plays with chords and has played for parties and bands. One of my goals before leaving this mission is to pass him off, get the signatures, and send in the application that will allow him to keep his beloved keyboard!

We made it through Zone Conference here yesterday. The meal went well. Everyone was filled and grateful. It is always a privilege and an honor to hear President and Sister Layton speak to us. We feel renewed and motivated to do better after listening to their words. We have much left to do and less than 3 weeks to do it. Since it is our last Zone Conference, we got to share our testimonies. I had to cry a little. We have loved working with these missionaries, and we love this wonderful Fiji Suva Mission.

We found out yesterday that President Petero, a counselor in the District Presidency and Branch President of Seaqaqa and his wife will be replacing us. Our people will be in good hands.

Sister Marica and Silvia are here cleaning a little to prepare for the girls to come a week from Sunday. We are over the top excited!

Rex wrote: I didn't get to enjoy the conference as much as I wanted to because President Harward and I had to inspect all the trucks. We did have fun doing that. It was great getting to inspect our own trucks. They passed.

 As we were serving the brownies and ice cream, Sister Layton leaned over the table and whispered. Betty thought she was going to give her a compliment, but instead Sister Layton said, “There are ants all over the brownies!” Both pans had been waiting in the church kitchen. The pan from on top of the fridge was good, but the other pan from the counter was absolutely covered with sugar ants. Betty kept her cool. She took them outside on an old broken table. She swished off as many ants as she could with a plastic bag and swished them off the table so they wouldn’t climb back in. Then she pounded the brownies upside down on the table soft enough for the cut brownies to still stay in the pan, but just hard enough that the ants were knocked out. She did this again and again for about 5 minutes. In this latest reenactment of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Betty fought alone against about 500 ants and when the sun set, Betty stood triumphant. When the last ant was gone, she brought the brownies back in. They were the hit of the conference, literally.