Bula Vinaka!
I am back in Fiji this week! On Monday we had our last hoorah with a family in Tuvalu named the Kaitus. We had dinner and played games and then on Tuesday it was time to head out. We got so many shell necklaces as a going away presents. They should have only given them to Elder Key but they gave them to me also, even though I'm coming back next week. The plane ride was a bit bumpy coming back, but it was ok. It is really hot in Fiji and I think it's more humid here! We're looking forward to winter, even though I don't think it will be that much cooler than our autumn here. It's weird to not have seasons!
The day after we came back I got to attend a leadership training with President Ostler. It was a really good training! I was really surprised I got to go though, because I'm still just a new guy. I think the reason was because we need to take the training and put it into effect in Tuvalu. It was really humbling to be with all these really smart and talented missionaries and learn from them. I hope by the end of my mission I will know as much as they do and be as good as they are. We talked a lot about being more Christlike Missionaries and about Branch/Ward councils.
I got to stay in an area called Kuku while I've been here. It's like the other area I stayed in, Wainibokasi, in that it is far from civilization and the people live a very different life than the Suva Fijians. It's really bush! It was fun though to be there and help my companion in learning Tuvaluan. I really feel like we're getting a head start with him and I think he will pick up the language fast and really be helpful out there.
We got to come into Suva to meet with President Ostler about Tuvalu too and that was important. He helped answer a lot of the structural questions we had about the branch. It's different to be a missionary in a place like that. We have to worry about more than just the missionary side of things. We worry about priesthood ordinations, sunday school, branch organization.
Yesterday we went to church in Kuku. It was a really nice ward! I really felt the spirit in church and it was nice to not worry about anything with the sacrament program or anything. Yesterday was a really special day after church though, because it was Indian new year. They call it a Holi Day. Holi is when they throw all this baby powder and colors at each other and just make a mess of everyone. It was fun to watch them all celebrating the new year and a lot of our neighbors and ward members gave us Indian sweets.
I'm in Suva again today to meet with President Ostler again. I'm enjoying my time in Fiji, but I am really excited to go back to my home. I love Tuvalu! I found out I'll probably be there until July. I am really happy about that. I told President Ostler to leave me there for a long time.
I love you all! I just want to share my testimony of Jesus Christ. We watched a DVD about his life with one of our investigators this week and I just really feel so deeply about him. He is so many things to me. He is first of all my big brother. He showed me the way to follow and I want to be just like him. He is also my Father because he created this earth for us and he bought me with his life and his atonement. He has given me the opportunity to take his name upon me. He is my savior. Without him, I would be completely lost and none of us in this world would have the chance to go back and live with him and our Father in Heaven. He is my Lord. He is all powerful and because he has given me his power in his priesthood, I can do all things he would have me do. He is my friend. He carries me and helps me up when I fall and when I don't feel like I can get up. He loves me and he loves all of us. I am so grateful for him and for the price that I'm praying to get to know him. It is so worth it!
Love you,
Elder Paul Leland Hill
Fiji Suva Mission
3/21/11
3/14/11
Spared from the tsunami
Talofa!
Don't worry everyone, I am safe! I'm not sure what all you heard about the tsunami, but it didn't hit either of my islands as far as I am aware. Unfortunately, one person was affected by the tsunami in Tuvalu. They woke her up to tell her about the warnings and it gave her such a fright she had a heart attack and passed away. So that's kind of sad, but other then that, no ill effects in Tuvalu.
One of our members came to tell us there was a Tsunami warning at like eleven at night. Luckily, Elder Key was awake, otherwise I don't know if we would have woken up. He woke me up and told me there was a Tsunami warning and I got a little bit nervous. We then waited up listening to the radio to see what was happening. It was amazing how much tuvaluan I could understand when I was nervous and wanted to know what the radio person was saying. After a little while, I realized it wasn't really anything to worry about. So after saying a few prayers I felt really calm and then Elder Key and I went back to bed and heard from the radio that the warning was no longer in effect for Tuvalu.
The next morning we had a picnic with our members. It was really fun, but I was so tired afterwards! We played volleyball, rugby, and all sorts of other games. And of course there was a poly sized feast! It was great! The best thing was there were a lot of non members and a lot of our investigators who came. I think it really helped our branch come together in unity.
We found some really good investigators this week. One of them was a friend of one of our recent converts. We were teaching our recent convert and Elder Key just kept asking her "do you have a friend to share about the church to?" Then finally she came with her friend Temama. Temama is a member of the CMF church and she seems interested. Her granpa is the preacher for the CMF church in Tuvalu, but we'll see how it goes. AS for Temama, she doesn't seem too tied to her church.
We also found Kivoli. Actually, he found us. We were walking along the street and Kivoli stopped us. He told us that his wife is a member of the church and he has a lot of questions for us. So we went to visit him. The first time he wasn't home but then we went back later and he was there. He told us he wanted help to stop smoking. We said ok! We taught about prayer and shared how if he wants to stop smoking he needs to pray a lot. We have a member who just stopped smoking before he was baptized that we will probably take with us.
I am so excited to hear that Uncle David got a job! I almost did a back flip! That is so great! Prayers do get answered, even if it takes a while!
Well tomorrow we go back to Fiji. I'm really excited but I think Elder Key is really really going to miss these people. Yesterday we talked in church and he cried when he shared his testimony. I can't say I blame him. I can't bear to think of the time when I will have to leave this people. I love it here!
We'll be back in Tuvalu next thursday. So that gives us a few days to prepare and to get Elder Whipple used to the idea of Tuvalu. I am going to work him hard! He's going to feel like a greenie here, and I am going to be a tough trainer, even though he only has three months left. I'm really excited for the work.
The language is coming good. Yesterday I even shared a whole talk in Tuvaluan. I had to write it down so I didn't stumble to find words and things, but I said it and I think people understood it. At least a little bit... They all seemed so grateful that I had tried my very best to learn. It wasn't an other side of heaven experience!
Well I love you all! I miss you, but I really really love this work!
Love,
Elder Paul Leland Hill
Fiji Suva Mission
Don't worry everyone, I am safe! I'm not sure what all you heard about the tsunami, but it didn't hit either of my islands as far as I am aware. Unfortunately, one person was affected by the tsunami in Tuvalu. They woke her up to tell her about the warnings and it gave her such a fright she had a heart attack and passed away. So that's kind of sad, but other then that, no ill effects in Tuvalu.
One of our members came to tell us there was a Tsunami warning at like eleven at night. Luckily, Elder Key was awake, otherwise I don't know if we would have woken up. He woke me up and told me there was a Tsunami warning and I got a little bit nervous. We then waited up listening to the radio to see what was happening. It was amazing how much tuvaluan I could understand when I was nervous and wanted to know what the radio person was saying. After a little while, I realized it wasn't really anything to worry about. So after saying a few prayers I felt really calm and then Elder Key and I went back to bed and heard from the radio that the warning was no longer in effect for Tuvalu.
The next morning we had a picnic with our members. It was really fun, but I was so tired afterwards! We played volleyball, rugby, and all sorts of other games. And of course there was a poly sized feast! It was great! The best thing was there were a lot of non members and a lot of our investigators who came. I think it really helped our branch come together in unity.
We found some really good investigators this week. One of them was a friend of one of our recent converts. We were teaching our recent convert and Elder Key just kept asking her "do you have a friend to share about the church to?" Then finally she came with her friend Temama. Temama is a member of the CMF church and she seems interested. Her granpa is the preacher for the CMF church in Tuvalu, but we'll see how it goes. AS for Temama, she doesn't seem too tied to her church.
We also found Kivoli. Actually, he found us. We were walking along the street and Kivoli stopped us. He told us that his wife is a member of the church and he has a lot of questions for us. So we went to visit him. The first time he wasn't home but then we went back later and he was there. He told us he wanted help to stop smoking. We said ok! We taught about prayer and shared how if he wants to stop smoking he needs to pray a lot. We have a member who just stopped smoking before he was baptized that we will probably take with us.
I am so excited to hear that Uncle David got a job! I almost did a back flip! That is so great! Prayers do get answered, even if it takes a while!
Well tomorrow we go back to Fiji. I'm really excited but I think Elder Key is really really going to miss these people. Yesterday we talked in church and he cried when he shared his testimony. I can't say I blame him. I can't bear to think of the time when I will have to leave this people. I love it here!
We'll be back in Tuvalu next thursday. So that gives us a few days to prepare and to get Elder Whipple used to the idea of Tuvalu. I am going to work him hard! He's going to feel like a greenie here, and I am going to be a tough trainer, even though he only has three months left. I'm really excited for the work.
The language is coming good. Yesterday I even shared a whole talk in Tuvaluan. I had to write it down so I didn't stumble to find words and things, but I said it and I think people understood it. At least a little bit... They all seemed so grateful that I had tried my very best to learn. It wasn't an other side of heaven experience!
Well I love you all! I miss you, but I really really love this work!
Love,
Elder Paul Leland Hill
Fiji Suva Mission
3/7/11
BYU Hawaii people
Talofa! This week was absolutely amazing! It's hard to even remember everything that happened but I will try to write everything.
On Tuesday, a group from BYU Hawaii called SIFE came to Tuvalu. The team leader from the group, Toa, is our Branch President's son. They came to help build up education, leadership skills, and business skills in Tuvalu. They also came to give computers and school supplies for the students. They came on a private jet owned by one of their donors Shauna Olki. I didn't realize until they came and were talking about how impoverished Tuvalu is, that they were really right. I've been here for two months and maybe it's just the poverty here isn't as harsh as the poverty in Fiji, but I just didn't realize how much the people here truly do not have.
The group really helped the image of the church here in Tuvalu. Everyone that we've talked to since the time that they came asks about BYU. I think it is really positive for Tuvalu and really positive for the church here. There were about twelve of them that came and most of them stayed with families here to see what life is like. The families they stayed with weren't all members and so it was a really positive experience for those families.
We had a fireside with them on Friday and it was really spiritual. At first I was thinking, man these testimonies are really out of the can testimonies (referring to the BYU Hawaii students), but actually they were really sincere. Most of the students who were there had really good lives and just knew the church was true. It was really cool though to hear them and I really felt the spirit. I'm not going to lie, I actually thought about going there after my mission. I don't think I will though, but it's still a thought. Missionaries who serve in the pacific get scholarships...
We had a lot of new investigators this week too. I just want to share about one, I think I'll keep this email a little bit shorter. His name is Penitala. He is a really good friend of our Branch President. They work together and Penitala noticed that President has a really happy family and his kids are really disciplined. He also noticed that the pastor in his church had really wild and out of control children. It made him notice President Niko. President Niko always shares about the gospel too, whether people want to hear about it or not. Penitala listened and came to the BYU fireside. Afterwards we set up an appointment with him on Saturday, and then he came to church on Sunday. He is really good! I'm excited for him.
Yesterday we had about 84 people at church. I am so excited for the Branch!
Elder Key leaves next Tuesday, and I do too actually. I found out my new companion is Elder Whipple. He only has about three or four months left and he was a zone leader before coming to Tuvalu. I really get along with him, so hopefully we'll have a lot of fun in Tuvalu. I will really miss Elder Key though!
On Tuesday, a group from BYU Hawaii called SIFE came to Tuvalu. The team leader from the group, Toa, is our Branch President's son. They came to help build up education, leadership skills, and business skills in Tuvalu. They also came to give computers and school supplies for the students. They came on a private jet owned by one of their donors Shauna Olki. I didn't realize until they came and were talking about how impoverished Tuvalu is, that they were really right. I've been here for two months and maybe it's just the poverty here isn't as harsh as the poverty in Fiji, but I just didn't realize how much the people here truly do not have.
The group really helped the image of the church here in Tuvalu. Everyone that we've talked to since the time that they came asks about BYU. I think it is really positive for Tuvalu and really positive for the church here. There were about twelve of them that came and most of them stayed with families here to see what life is like. The families they stayed with weren't all members and so it was a really positive experience for those families.
We had a fireside with them on Friday and it was really spiritual. At first I was thinking, man these testimonies are really out of the can testimonies (referring to the BYU Hawaii students), but actually they were really sincere. Most of the students who were there had really good lives and just knew the church was true. It was really cool though to hear them and I really felt the spirit. I'm not going to lie, I actually thought about going there after my mission. I don't think I will though, but it's still a thought. Missionaries who serve in the pacific get scholarships...
We had a lot of new investigators this week too. I just want to share about one, I think I'll keep this email a little bit shorter. His name is Penitala. He is a really good friend of our Branch President. They work together and Penitala noticed that President has a really happy family and his kids are really disciplined. He also noticed that the pastor in his church had really wild and out of control children. It made him notice President Niko. President Niko always shares about the gospel too, whether people want to hear about it or not. Penitala listened and came to the BYU fireside. Afterwards we set up an appointment with him on Saturday, and then he came to church on Sunday. He is really good! I'm excited for him.
Yesterday we had about 84 people at church. I am so excited for the Branch!
Elder Key leaves next Tuesday, and I do too actually. I found out my new companion is Elder Whipple. He only has about three or four months left and he was a zone leader before coming to Tuvalu. I really get along with him, so hopefully we'll have a lot of fun in Tuvalu. I will really miss Elder Key though!
(Is it just me, or is this email missing the ending?)
2/28/11
Talofa!
Talofa!
This week has been really good! We have had a lot of our investigators from before either be really busy or dodge us this week. That was not good and it's kind of bad because the three that are doing it the most are from the same church. It's possible someone from their church said something about our church. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet with them and clear up any misunderstandings that may have occurred.
There was some pretty bad weather yesterday that prevented the members and investigators from coming to church. It's unfortunate because our meetings were very nice yesterday especially because one of the stake presidents from Taiwan, Brother Young, came to church this week. He was visiting for some research and saw us walking on the road and we told him about church and he came. He was really cool and had a really nice spirit with him. He reminded me of one of my friends from the University of Utah named Abraham Chung whose father is the area seventy in Taiwan. I asked Elder Young about him and he seemed to know who he was.
We found some really good investigators this week. One man is named Iosua Malona. He knows the bible really well and he pretty much was teaching us the first lesson when we were talking to him before the lesson. I'm really excited to teach him this week because I think it would be really good if he joins the church.
We also visited a lot of our recent converts from the last baptism. We shared with the Tekueia family about temples and they seem so excited to go to the temple. I really felt the spirit as we shared with them about temples and how families can be together forever. I really hope they go through the temple while I'm still in Fiji and that my mission president will let me go to be with them. We'll see!
That's something interesting. We will be having a new mission president this coming june, but who it is still hasn't been announced at least to me. So it will be exciting to see who it is. It's a big job to preside over this mission and requires a lot more creativity and stamina than a lot of other missions because the president here moves practically once every three weeks.
Well today was an adventure. I went and got my hair cut by this really crazy chinese guy. Elder Key told me his last companion had a really bad haircut from this guy. I was worried it would look really bad, but it turned out to be pretty good. I'm not too picky about haircuts. (that's why mom cut my hair almost every time I got a haircut....)
This week has been really good! I really love being a missionary and I'm hopeful that I will be here in Tuvalu for a while. President Ostler told me probably 4 months total. When we go back in two weeks that will be two months. So I probably will come back and be here until May. Then back to Fiji! I actually am saying a fair bit in Tuvaluan this week, so slowly but surely I'll learn this language.
Love you all,
Elder Paul Leland Hill
This week has been really good! We have had a lot of our investigators from before either be really busy or dodge us this week. That was not good and it's kind of bad because the three that are doing it the most are from the same church. It's possible someone from their church said something about our church. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet with them and clear up any misunderstandings that may have occurred.
There was some pretty bad weather yesterday that prevented the members and investigators from coming to church. It's unfortunate because our meetings were very nice yesterday especially because one of the stake presidents from Taiwan, Brother Young, came to church this week. He was visiting for some research and saw us walking on the road and we told him about church and he came. He was really cool and had a really nice spirit with him. He reminded me of one of my friends from the University of Utah named Abraham Chung whose father is the area seventy in Taiwan. I asked Elder Young about him and he seemed to know who he was.
We found some really good investigators this week. One man is named Iosua Malona. He knows the bible really well and he pretty much was teaching us the first lesson when we were talking to him before the lesson. I'm really excited to teach him this week because I think it would be really good if he joins the church.
We also visited a lot of our recent converts from the last baptism. We shared with the Tekueia family about temples and they seem so excited to go to the temple. I really felt the spirit as we shared with them about temples and how families can be together forever. I really hope they go through the temple while I'm still in Fiji and that my mission president will let me go to be with them. We'll see!
That's something interesting. We will be having a new mission president this coming june, but who it is still hasn't been announced at least to me. So it will be exciting to see who it is. It's a big job to preside over this mission and requires a lot more creativity and stamina than a lot of other missions because the president here moves practically once every three weeks.
Well today was an adventure. I went and got my hair cut by this really crazy chinese guy. Elder Key told me his last companion had a really bad haircut from this guy. I was worried it would look really bad, but it turned out to be pretty good. I'm not too picky about haircuts. (that's why mom cut my hair almost every time I got a haircut....)
This week has been really good! I really love being a missionary and I'm hopeful that I will be here in Tuvalu for a while. President Ostler told me probably 4 months total. When we go back in two weeks that will be two months. So I probably will come back and be here until May. Then back to Fiji! I actually am saying a fair bit in Tuvaluan this week, so slowly but surely I'll learn this language.
Love you all,
Elder Paul Leland Hill
2/21/11
Back to Tuvalu
Talofa! I'm back in Tuvalu! Short trip to Fiji and then back to this paradise where it is hotter than anything and the air is salty. I really missed it actually. I miss Fiji too. Why is it that we always miss things after we get to be there, but sometimes don't enjoy them enough at the time?
Well this week was really good. We had a few last days to do some shopping in Suva, eat some McDonalds, and then hop back on the plane to Tuvalu. We came back and began setting up appointments and trying to get back into the work. Unfortunately a lot of people were sick or busy and we haven't gotten a lot of lessons in lately. It has been so hot the past few days! Someone should look up the weather and tell me how hot it is. Heidi reminded me that it was 120 degrees in Cordoba when she was there. I don't know what the temperature is here, but I definitely can relate. I am so hungry this week too. I think that's a good sign that my body is ready to gain some weight or grow or something.
A few good things that happened this week in Tuvalu:
We had branch council. This has been the recent focus of the world wide leadership trainings and our mission focus lately. Working effectively with the Branch Council to then do our work. We planned a good picnic coming up and we got back on the right curriculum for priesthood and relief society. (they were using some really old book that wasn't very good....) We had three more people to our branch council this week and that was really great.
One of our investigators, Eti, came to to church this week even though we didn't really invite him or anything. I think his whole family would have come but they were sick.
Also the parents of two of our recent converts are going to start taking the lessons and want to be baptized. If you remember the boy I baptized, Mauesi, they are his parents. I'm really excited for the whole family to be together.
The language actually is going pretty good this week I'm saying more than I used to. I still don't know what's going on sometimes but that is life. President Ostler told me in my last interview that I would probably only be here for four months so that means when we go back for zone conference around my birthday in May, I will probably stay in Fiji. We'll see how it goes, but I might tell President he can leave me here longer if he wants. I might be going crazy by then though... I don't know yet.
I tried to print some pictures in Fiji to send home, but for some reason my memory card wouldn't work in the computers of the one place we always go. I think I'll try again next time, and if it still doesn't work I'll send my memory card home with a few other things that I want to send home, including my first mission journal. Although, I haven't decided if I want to keep my journal here or not.
Thanks for all the emails and stuff. I live for emails in Tuvalu because I don't get to talk to other missionaries or get letters. Me and Elder Key are getting along really well so far in Tuvalu. We sometimes play card games and we've had really good studies here.
Loving you all,
Elder Paul Hill
Well this week was really good. We had a few last days to do some shopping in Suva, eat some McDonalds, and then hop back on the plane to Tuvalu. We came back and began setting up appointments and trying to get back into the work. Unfortunately a lot of people were sick or busy and we haven't gotten a lot of lessons in lately. It has been so hot the past few days! Someone should look up the weather and tell me how hot it is. Heidi reminded me that it was 120 degrees in Cordoba when she was there. I don't know what the temperature is here, but I definitely can relate. I am so hungry this week too. I think that's a good sign that my body is ready to gain some weight or grow or something.
A few good things that happened this week in Tuvalu:
We had branch council. This has been the recent focus of the world wide leadership trainings and our mission focus lately. Working effectively with the Branch Council to then do our work. We planned a good picnic coming up and we got back on the right curriculum for priesthood and relief society. (they were using some really old book that wasn't very good....) We had three more people to our branch council this week and that was really great.
One of our investigators, Eti, came to to church this week even though we didn't really invite him or anything. I think his whole family would have come but they were sick.
Also the parents of two of our recent converts are going to start taking the lessons and want to be baptized. If you remember the boy I baptized, Mauesi, they are his parents. I'm really excited for the whole family to be together.
The language actually is going pretty good this week I'm saying more than I used to. I still don't know what's going on sometimes but that is life. President Ostler told me in my last interview that I would probably only be here for four months so that means when we go back for zone conference around my birthday in May, I will probably stay in Fiji. We'll see how it goes, but I might tell President he can leave me here longer if he wants. I might be going crazy by then though... I don't know yet.
I tried to print some pictures in Fiji to send home, but for some reason my memory card wouldn't work in the computers of the one place we always go. I think I'll try again next time, and if it still doesn't work I'll send my memory card home with a few other things that I want to send home, including my first mission journal. Although, I haven't decided if I want to keep my journal here or not.
Thanks for all the emails and stuff. I live for emails in Tuvalu because I don't get to talk to other missionaries or get letters. Me and Elder Key are getting along really well so far in Tuvalu. We sometimes play card games and we've had really good studies here.
Loving you all,
Elder Paul Hill
2/13/11
Zone Conference and jazz
Bula Vinaka!
I can't tell you how good it was to hear those words this week. We came back to Fiji for Zone Conference on Thursday and I had an interview with president Friday morning and then had Zone Conference on Friday. It was really great to see all the Missionaries in our mission. It's weird how the mission changes! I also heard that some things are changing back home. For instance, I heard that NaTasha is engaged! That's kind of weird and I heard that was one of my cousins proposed to his girlfriend this past week. (wow that's kind of cryptic) Weird how things change! People getting married and having babies and dying and I'm here in Fiji. I think I've changed some too...
I hate to say it but I think I lost a little bit of weight when I was sick just barely. Not so much that it's any worry but just enough for people to notice. When I came back to Fiji, Sister Ostler asked me if I'd lost weight. I told her I thought so and she made sure I got an extra cupcake at lunch. YES! I should have lost weight earlier!!! Just kidding. I'm confident my next trip to Tuvalu will be more successful for weight gain! I can only hope.
So my interview with President was really good this week. We talked about Tuvalu and about me learning the language. He told me he thinks I have a gift for languages. I told him it's hard for me to know because I don't know how other people learn. I have had to struggle a lot and there's still a lot of struggle ahead. I feel like the Lord has helped me a lot though to be somewhat successful so far.
This email got interuppted because the internet cafe we were sitting in suddenly crashed and the power went off in the middle of the email. Thank Heavens for Auto Draft Save.
This week in Tuvalu wasn't too exciting, we were just excited to come back to Fiji and see our friends here. We didn't have much work to do because of our recent baptisms and confirmations.
In Fiji, we've been staying in Wainibokasi. I've been here before but just for a week. That week was probably my hardest week so far on the mission but it was really enjoyable to come back to this beautiful place. Some people even remembered me! There's one Samoan lady who was born in Tuvalu that they teach and we taught her when I was here before. She remembered me.
I was on splits with another Samoan elder named Elder Momoisea. He got really sick yesterday though, so we had to give him a blessing in the middle of the night and this morning I had to clean up his puke in the bathroom. He went to the Doctor's today and I think he was just really dehydrated. We'll find out when we see them later today.
So something I have thought a lot about this last week is the principle of sacrifice. When we read about the apostles of Jesus Christ we read that they "straightway left their nets and followed him." They left their families and their livelyhood to follow the savior. Peter says in Mark 10:28-30 "Lo, we have left all and have followed thee." The Savior promised him that they would receive an hundred fold and eternal life for their sacrifice. I was thinking about what I have sacrificed to be here right now. It doesn't seem like that much in comparison. I think it's really merciful how God just asks 2 years of my life and my whole heart, might, mind and strength at this time. It makes me really grateful for the primitive apostles. They had to give up so much to follow the savior. He doesn't ask that much of me so I cannot complain.
I love you all! This church is the kingdom of God on the earth. It says that in the introduction to the Book of Mormon and I think it's so true! I love the Book of Mormon and I love my savior Jesus Christ. He loves us too and knows each one of us.
I love you!
Elder Paul Leland Hill
This email got interuppted because the internet cafe we were sitting in suddenly crashed and the power went off in the middle of the email. Thank Heavens for Auto Draft Save.
This week in Tuvalu wasn't too exciting, we were just excited to come back to Fiji and see our friends here. We didn't have much work to do because of our recent baptisms and confirmations.
In Fiji, we've been staying in Wainibokasi. I've been here before but just for a week. That week was probably my hardest week so far on the mission but it was really enjoyable to come back to this beautiful place. Some people even remembered me! There's one Samoan lady who was born in Tuvalu that they teach and we taught her when I was here before. She remembered me.
I was on splits with another Samoan elder named Elder Momoisea. He got really sick yesterday though, so we had to give him a blessing in the middle of the night and this morning I had to clean up his puke in the bathroom. He went to the Doctor's today and I think he was just really dehydrated. We'll find out when we see them later today.
So something I have thought a lot about this last week is the principle of sacrifice. When we read about the apostles of Jesus Christ we read that they "straightway left their nets and followed him." They left their families and their livelyhood to follow the savior. Peter says in Mark 10:28-30 "Lo, we have left all and have followed thee." The Savior promised him that they would receive an hundred fold and eternal life for their sacrifice. I was thinking about what I have sacrificed to be here right now. It doesn't seem like that much in comparison. I think it's really merciful how God just asks 2 years of my life and my whole heart, might, mind and strength at this time. It makes me really grateful for the primitive apostles. They had to give up so much to follow the savior. He doesn't ask that much of me so I cannot complain.
I love you all! This church is the kingdom of God on the earth. It says that in the introduction to the Book of Mormon and I think it's so true! I love the Book of Mormon and I love my savior Jesus Christ. He loves us too and knows each one of us.
I love you!
Elder Paul Leland Hill
2/7/11
Baptisms!
Talofa! This week has been stressful and hard but rewarding. Our twelve got baptized! It was such a beautiful service!
In the morning, it was raining really hard and both me and my companion were a bit worried. So we kneeled down and said a prayer and then we got our umbrellas and we went to the chapel for the service. The weather cleared up in time for the baptism and for the tide. Not many members came, maybe 30 or so. The important ones came though. All thirteen of the people getting baptized (One was an eight year old), came to the baptism and were ready to go in white. One of the speakers didn't show up, so last minute I got my scriptures and gave a talk on baptism. Good thing I'm a missionary and can do that without getting too worried. I hope that I can do that for my whole life because it's not good to have to talk and not know what to say. The spirit helped a lot!
We then had the baptism in the lagoon of Tuvalu. Nothing could be more beautiful than the water near the chapel on the lagoon. It was truly beautiful to see 13 new members of the church come out of the water with the confidence that they can receive a remission of their sins because of their Savior Jesus Christ. We then had the testimonies and I haven't felt the spirit that strong for a long time. I was privileged to baptize one of the boys that got baptized named Mauesi. It was really cool, he's a good kid!
Then on Sunday we had the confirmation. It took the entire sacrament meeting, but it was so worth it. President Niko, My companion and I all took turns confirming the new members and giving them the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was really cool to feel the Lord speak through me as I conferred that holy gift upon four of them and as I blessed them with a bright future in Christ.
I still felt sick this week and so we didn't have as many lessons as we would have liked. Also a lot was happening in Tuvalu this week: a funeral, a marriage, and lots of people were sick. That's just how it goes sometimes though!
I feel really good today and I think that it will help me to be more effective to be feeling well again. We're headed back to Fiji this week on Thursday so that will be good. I'll be healthy just in time to go back!
Good week! Thanks for your notes and prayers!
Much love,
Elder Paul Leland Hill
In the morning, it was raining really hard and both me and my companion were a bit worried. So we kneeled down and said a prayer and then we got our umbrellas and we went to the chapel for the service. The weather cleared up in time for the baptism and for the tide. Not many members came, maybe 30 or so. The important ones came though. All thirteen of the people getting baptized (One was an eight year old), came to the baptism and were ready to go in white. One of the speakers didn't show up, so last minute I got my scriptures and gave a talk on baptism. Good thing I'm a missionary and can do that without getting too worried. I hope that I can do that for my whole life because it's not good to have to talk and not know what to say. The spirit helped a lot!
We then had the baptism in the lagoon of Tuvalu. Nothing could be more beautiful than the water near the chapel on the lagoon. It was truly beautiful to see 13 new members of the church come out of the water with the confidence that they can receive a remission of their sins because of their Savior Jesus Christ. We then had the testimonies and I haven't felt the spirit that strong for a long time. I was privileged to baptize one of the boys that got baptized named Mauesi. It was really cool, he's a good kid!
Then on Sunday we had the confirmation. It took the entire sacrament meeting, but it was so worth it. President Niko, My companion and I all took turns confirming the new members and giving them the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was really cool to feel the Lord speak through me as I conferred that holy gift upon four of them and as I blessed them with a bright future in Christ.
I still felt sick this week and so we didn't have as many lessons as we would have liked. Also a lot was happening in Tuvalu this week: a funeral, a marriage, and lots of people were sick. That's just how it goes sometimes though!
I feel really good today and I think that it will help me to be more effective to be feeling well again. We're headed back to Fiji this week on Thursday so that will be good. I'll be healthy just in time to go back!
Good week! Thanks for your notes and prayers!
Much love,
Elder Paul Leland Hill
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