Cola Vina!

This week was a really good week, but it is really tiring to be out of my area. I have kind of bad news. My companion, Elder Poleka, is pretty sick and won't be able to return to Tuvalu. He had an ear infection or something a few months ago and it never healed completely. He probably will need surgery, but that kind of surgery is not available in Fiji. So I don't know what will really happen with him. I will be going back to Tuvalu with a new companion, Elder Momoisea, another Samoan. I think I'm destined to serve with every Samoan in the mission. We will be going back to Tuvalu at the end of the month by boat. It takes three days to go from Fiji to Tuvalu by boat.

I was in Ba this week for the first two days. It was fun and I was sad to leave. Then I rode a bus from Nadi to Suva. Let me tell you! Long bus ride! I had to ride alone too, because there were no other Elders coming from Nadi to Suva. Luckily, there was a member on the bus who I knew his family. We talked a little bit and he even bought me a soda. It was like the Lord still provided me a companion even though I thought I would travel alone.

Then I was able to serve in my old area, Suva third for two days. I went and saw the Rao family. I think I sent some pictures of them home. I love them so much, but the parents have stopped coming to church. So I went to visit them and I just felt a lot of sadness and stress when I went to their home. I feel bad for them, but I hope they will go back to church. That undoubtedly helps those kind of problems. It was really strange to be in Suva 3rd again. There were people I honestly had forgotten. It is so strange to go back to the past.

Then I served in Lami for a few days. I really like it in Lami and I got to serve with my old friend Elder Ethington. He came to fiji with me. We went to a town called Navua one day and I really felt the Lord's help again when he sent a taxi driver to us who was driving from Sigatoka to Suva. Elder Ethington already knew him too. What a blessing!

Something I was reading today was Joseph F. Smith's story of when he had a dream that he was in a dreadful rush to get some place. All he was carrying was a small bundle and he came to a large house. He saw a sign that said bath. He went in and bathed and then opened the handkerchief to reveal white garments. He then put them on and entered into the house to meet the prophet Joseph Smith. President smith said, "Joseph you are late." He replied, "Yes, but I am clean -- I am clean."

I thought of how much I have learned about repentance on my mission. We go among the sinners as missionaries. Among people who have committed a variety of sins. However, the process is the same for all of them to become clean like the dream of Joseph F. We have to be cleansed through the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Just as it says in 3 Ne 27 I think it's verse 19. No unclean thing can enter the kingdom of God. We must repent and be baptized and become clean in the blood of Christ. Through the atonement of Christ we can become without spot. I feel like I have learned how to do that better on my mission. I also have learned to take of the sacrament to renew our baptismal covenant. A sister said something that I thought was perfect. She said, "I don't have to be perfect to take the sacrament. I just have to do it with a humble heart and a spirit of repentance." I thought that was absolutely perfect. I have felt the cleansing power as I have prepared and taken of the sacrament. Repentance is real, and we can become clean.

I love you so much! I hope you have a wonderful week and a wonderful day!

--
Elder Paul Leland Hill
Fiji Suva Mission