Friday, Nov 6, we took a Savusavu Sister Moe from to the airport at 9 AM.

Sisters Elias, Aumua, Moe, Kevaru 

We got back just in time to meet the Roths at a Handover Ceremony at the Macuata Provincial Council. I loved it. The ceremony is very formal. The Fijian people were so appreciative of the new projector and the large white screen donated by LDS Charities (Humanitarian Aid.)  These will be used for presentations and training for chiefs of over 105 villages. They gave the Roths some leis and a huge tightly woven mat. They boasted that Brother Roth’s lei and the mat were made with the same material as Baby Moses’ basket. When they said that, I had to wipe away the tears. The mat was so beautiful, and the people were so proud to present it to them.

Sister Roth giving her speech with President Bull and Elder Roth.
On the wall is the official pattern of Fiji symbolizing their people.

The tightly woven mat is the prettiest I have seen in Fiji.

Bother Roth modeling the back of his lei

             As usual, the Roths had the most incredible refreshments.

We got done just in time to rush to the airport to say goodbye to Elder Kumar and to take two trips transporting Sisters from the airport to the Sisters’ flat. Later that day we did the same thing to escort all six sisters to the Chinese Restaurant and take them out to dinner before four of them left on the bus for Savusavu. Two of them went onto Taveuni.

We got to the church by 5 PM where Rex started the Youth Activity, and I helped Kelly with keyboarding. With this transfer, we got an Elder Luatua (I know. It just sounds as if I’m making up his name, but it’s for real!) He’s originally from Samoa living in southern Australia. He was attending college before his mission going out in music. He can sing well and play the piano like a professional. He has had about 11 years of lessons. I asked him if he would come in and help Kelly. He mostly helped her with posture and counting, but she really enjoyed his attention. He seems pleased with her progress so far. I jusr have her started. Hopefully, he can take some time while he is here to help her improve.

President St. John talked with us. His wife was transferred to Lautoka, and 14 year old Josephine moved to be with her. She had to leave her father, her home, and all her friends. Josephine loved the Friday night Youth Activities. She especially loved basketball and could make more baskets than any of the boys. She was sorely disappointed that there were no Friday activities in Lautoka. Because of her insistence, and with the help of her parents, they are now starting weekly activities there. The first one was last Friday. We love it that she wanted to carry on the tradition. She is starting to be happy again.

Saturday, Nov. 7, was an amazing day. It was the last Primary practice before the program, and it was the same day Sister Rakuita helped the man with his Family History. Best of all we had four baptisms, three were taught by the Sister Missionaries. It was indeed a beautiful day. 
Dad got to baptize Delilah Vosa. The next day he also was privileged to confirm her. 

     Simone Reo - Child of Record.
His father is a counselor in the Branch Presidency. 

Barbara Dyer

Lucy Vosa

Delilah Vosa

There is a holiday named Diwali they celebrate almost all week, but especially
Nov. 10-11. I am attaching the legend they celebrate. It’s a great story.

They say Diwali is a combination of a little Halloween and a lot Christmas. The people here from India dress beautifully with lots of bling. Everyone is celebrating and happy. The children go around with bags and get homemade treats. They give gifts and decorate with lights. 

Tuesday, Nov 10, when we went to the old folk’s home to play games, it was all decorated. The floor and tables were covered with big bags full of gifts and treats. Someone had generously donated a very large flat screen TV to replace the small box TV they watched. This was their most prized gift. They were excited!

Wednesday, Nov 11, we went out and visited with the Elders. The Naidu family had treats. We visited and played with them for a while. Asha Lata is a counselor in the Relief Society, but has been acting as President since Sister Rakuita has had heart problems. The Naidus will be moving to Suva Dec. 6. The branch will miss them sorely. They have a niece Angie Naidu who is an investigator. She will be moving with them. The Elders challenged her to be baptized before she goes. She hasn't given them an answer yet. Next we went to celebrate with the Chetty’s. They gave us ice boxes, treats, and then dinner. Shivani decorated the front yard with lit candles a had a few fireworks. Mong Yen helped prepare them for her to set off. She also ran around her yard, twirling sparklers in perfect circles with both hands, dodging candles as she went. Her eyes were all aglow. When we came home after dark, people in the whole city and surrounding areas were setting off fireworks, not just in one park, but all around the city in various places and in their own yards, some at the same time, some staggered. They were beautiful. They started at dark and were still going strong when we went to sleep after 11 PM. It was fun to be part of this great tradition.

The city gives a prize for the most beautifully decorated house.  
This is our favorite right next door to the Labasa Chapel.

Across the street from Chettys

Mong Yen and I helped Shivani light her candles
which she spread around her front yard to decorate.

The Elder's Flat decorated by the owner who lives downstairs.

Fireworks caught this palm tree on fire. The owners were squirting it with a water hose to put it out.

Saturday morning, Nov. 7, 2015, we helped with transport then went to the Family History Center to complete the programs for our 4 baptisms. A man was brought to us who had come to the church to do Family History research. We called Sister Rakuita to come help him. She needed to shower first. While we waited we tried to make him feel at home and got to know a little about him. His wife died in 2009. He is a nonmember who had looked everywhere possible to find records of his parents, who had died when he was young, and records of his grandparents. They couldn’t help him, but simply said, “Go to LDS in Labasa across from the police station.” He asked us, “What does LDS stand for?” We told him the name of the church and a little about it while we waited. He had been in Anglican church which promotes whiskey and grog. He knew this was not good and found the Bible Institute that told him, “Do not drink.” He had gotten away from the whiskey and grog, which was used all the time in the village and had sent his son to university to get him away from it, also. He said his skin is much better now without the drugs. We told him we do not allow drinking or smoking in our church either. He had such a light about him. We both were thinking he would make a wonderful member. We looked in one book for his information, but couldn’t find anything. He had evidently told us the wrong year. I said, “Wait for Sister Rakuita, the Family History Consultant. If anyone can help you, she can.” Sister Rakuita came after about an hour. She asked his name and information. Then she preceded to tell him about Elijah and the church and the Book of Mormon. She seemed to be preaching the Gospel a lot more than looking for his information. She was still teaching him when we finished the baptismal program and excused ourselves.

We talked to her at the baptisms later that day and asked if she had been able to find his information. She was so excited! She said she had seen this man before in a dream and knew he would come to her for help. She is a woman of great faith. She found where to go on the films and showed him the actual certificates of not only his own information, but also those of his parents and his grandparents. He was so happy! Someone had left a new Fijian Book of Mormon in the center. She gave it to him and told him to keep it and read it. He held it to his heart. He was amazed that she would do all this for free. She gave him her cell # and told him to call if he wanted more help or if he wanted the missionaries to come teach him. We love this amazing woman. We assured her that we will replace the new Book of Mormon she gave away, and we will bring a few more for her to give away any time she wants.

Our last dinner with Chetty Family before Kumar is transferred

Kumar & Mong Yen playing with Shivani. It qas hard to quit.

Shooting rotten mangoes with a sling shot.Their first time using our slingshot. 
They were impressed with how far they went.

Last day in Labasa picking mangos for Brother Chetty.
Ready for the challenge! This mango tree was tall!

Climbing and working with ropes and buckets. 
One handle came off and a bucket filled with mangoes fell, ruining all the mangoes..

Working in the very highest limbs

Lowering another bucketful

Saying goodbye to families in Namara

A great team. Mong Yen & Kumar in Labasa

Goodbye Reo Family. Brother Reo is the Elders Quorum President and was just made a counselor in the Branch Presidency. He is a wonderful, dedicated man.

The missionaries said,"Turn at the palm tree."  Which one? Of course we missed it.
 They explained the one in the front of this picture  is the palm tree.
 The other tall ones are coconut trees.

Goodbye at the airport to our Beloved Elder Kumar. We wish him success and happiness.

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.

The new Branch President’s wife, Sister Bull, is not only on the high court of Fiji and an amazing piano player, but she has an incredible talent working with and getting results from any age group. We call her the Jen Hobbs of Fiji. She is also the Primary President. Saturday, we loved watching her and the children at primary practice for their Sacrament Meeting Presentation. She had the children so enthralled that they had no idea they were singing each verse about 15 times. Each few times was a different method. Their favorite was when she signaled the girls to stand up, sing a line, and sit down; then the boys stand up, sing a line, and sit down;, and alternate through the whole song. They practiced once and then sang the whole verse at regular speed. They were like little Jack in the Boxes with huge smiles, popping up and down, without missing a word. I was totally intrigued. Sister Bull told me that the children are loving primary so much that they refuse to stay home on Sunday. They lead their less active mothers to church, usually walking all the way.

Sister Bull's daughter Emma helps with songleading

Such well behaved children waiting to be served treats after

Playing games

Leaders preparing the treats Sister Bull is in the white and maroon

This was at the first before they practiced and only 2/3 of the children were there.