In 8 more days, I will be saying that a lot! I'm so excited to go to Tuvalu! I can't even express how excited I am for my companion and for the people there and the food (whatever it is like). It's not that I don't love it here in Suva, but this is kind of the gossip zone and the worldly zone of the mission and I can't wait to feel a little more separate from the world, (not that Fiji has that many worldly things, but you'd actually be surprised at what they have here.)
Well this week was amazing because we had our Christmas Party. But a lot of amazing things happened before that. We found a really great new investigator named Vusaia Olki. We found him through our DVD referrals, and I thought when we first met him, I don't think he's that interested. When we talked about the Book of Mormon with him this week, however, he seemed super excited. It wasn't the strength of my words that helped him, it was the lord. My fijian is really poor, so I know that the Lord really helped me with that one. We're going back to see him tomorrow and then we'll really see how interested he is.
We went to see another family from DVD referrals and found out they had talked to the missionaries before. Unfortunately, and much to my chagrin, the missionaries before didn't keep a record of the family so we have to start again with them. They seem really interested and the fact that they called in for the DVD so we could come over shows quite a bit of interest. They're really nice and they really need the gospel in their lives. Both of their parents have already passed away and it's just five of the children that live there. So they really need the gospel! The church is kind of far away from them though, but I think if they have a hard time going to church, we'll send someone to get them.
That's basically it for the people we saw this week who show real promise. We also have three kids we're teaching from part member families that are for sure going to get baptized. So that's really exciting!
We also have a few investigators that are kind of at a dead end and that stinks for them! They will get through though, it's just nothing that we can do. One needs to get married before he can get baptized, and the other one needs to overcome family opposition. Both difficult problems! The lord will help them though, and it will happen in his time.
So this week we had our missionary Christmas Party which was three days long. On the first day we had zone conference, and President just laid it out there what we need to do better. They had a lot of really great ideas for us to improve. One that I really liked is to keep a spiritual journal, so I started one and I haven't really had much to write yet, but soon hopefully. We also talked about the fundamentals of Preach My Gospel that we have been focusing on a lot lately. It's kind of hard to do it the way that we've been talking about and a lot of missionaries complain and just don't try, but the Assistants made a good point. It is a lot like when we give the book of mormon to investigators and tell them to read and know if it's true. If we want to know if this will make us more effective missionaries, we have to try it.
On Saturday we had a Sports and Games day. It was super fun! We played touch rugby, which is super fun! We also played some Fijian games that are really fun and that I'll have to teach you all when I get home. President and some of the missionaries faced off in Chess and we also played basketball and volleyball. Man it was fun! Then that night we had a talent show and we watched a video that I will be sending home soon (we all get copies) of the summary of our mission this year. You'll get to see some of the beauty of Fiji and feel the spirit of this incredible mission.
Then on Sunday we gave a musical fireside where all the missionaries sang (accompanied by yours truly!). We also shared some stories about angels on earth and about Christmas time. I love the story about Wallace Purling. How he was the inn keeper in the Christmas Pageant but gave his room up so that Mary and Joseph would have a room. It's amazing to hear and feel of the spirit of Christmas! One story that I really liked is about a teacher who went to Russia. Shortly after the iron curtain fell and all that stuff, the Russian government wanted someone to come and teach children in Russia about Christian values. So this teacher went and taught the children in an orphanage about the Savior and about the bible.
When he taught about the Christmas story, the children and the orphanage workers absolutely loved it and listened intently. Then the teacher gave them some cardboard, a little bit of felt, some yellow napkins, and a little bit of flannel for each of them to make a crude manger. Those were all this teacher had, because there was no colored paper to be found anywhere. The children began making mangers and cutting out babies from the brown felt and making straw from the napkins. All went well until the teacher noticed that one of the children had two babies in the manger. He quickly called a translator over and asked the boy why there were two babies.
The boy, whose name was Misha, folded his arms and carefully explained the christmas story. Quite accurately too, until he came to the part about the Mary laying the baby Jesus in the manger. He then said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger Jesus looked at me and said have you come to see me too? I said I don't have a gift to give like these other people. Jesus said that's ok. I said If I keep you warm will that be a good enough gift. Jesus said that's the best gift that anyone has ever given me. So I climbed in the manger and Jesus told me I could stay with him forever." This little orphan boy who had no parents had found someone who never would abuse him or hurt him. Someone who could always help him.
I love that story! I had never heard it before this and I absolutely love it. The Area Seventy Elder Wakolo came last night to talk to the missionaries too and He told us when we go home from Fiji just to thank our parents for sacrificing their sons and daughters for two years to come and save his people.
Merry Christmas! It is so strange that it is christmas and I am still burning up! I like it though, and I will miss it someday when I come home. I love the Savior so much. Someone in church yesterday said that everyday should be Christmas in our lives, in that we always remember the birth and life of the savior. I can't even express the wonder and gratitude I feel to be in this place to know my savior. Somedays I feel like being here is like pulling my handcart across the plains, and sometimes the handcart starts pushing me, but I never once regret the price that I am paying to truly become acquainted with my Savior.
I love you! Share your love of the Savior in this beautiful Christmas time!
May the Lord bless you and keep you in this season,
Elder Paul Leland Hill
Fiji Suva Mission
