Sa Qai Dola na Vanua ko Qeleni (Matei/Qeleni Area, Week 12)

Title Translation: "Qeleni Area is now open"

Cool picture in Qeleni - look at this tree!

Qeleni Chapel

This was a way fun week - Elder Jonutz and I are having a great time together here on Taveuni, and this week lots happened! We did a lot of walking - poor Elder Jonutz has some nasty blisters on his toes - but lots of work got done! We had some great visits, especially with Dipika, Siteri and Paula, some of our investigators. I may have mentioned Dipika before, she's reading the Book of Mormon and believes it to be true. We taught a little about the Plan of Salvation this week and she really enjoyed the lesson. Siteri and Paula are so great - I love their little family. It was way good to see them again. We taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and about the Book of Mormon. It was a powerful lesson, and even though Elder Jonutz can't really speak Fijian yet, his simple testimony brought the Spirit of the Lord into the room. Way good.

This week, Sister Talica came back from Suva with her newborn baby! The baby's name totally
escapes me, but it was way fun to see her again and her family. We see her family often - two or three times a week - but it was extra special to walk up to their door and hear Sister Talica say, "Elder Painapiu!" ("Elder Pineapple!") Boy, I love the members here in Matei.

Elder Noble and Elder Barnaby

Coolest part of this week, though: Elder Noble and I went on exchanges and reopened Qeleni Area, which borders Matei Area (my assigned proselyting area).
Qeleni was closed for reasons unknown to me, but we came in and started work there from scratch, after no Elders being there for something like 4 months. It was way fun! Elder Noble and I started up the work, got some teaching appointments, and had fun navigating unknown villages! It was way cool. Loved it. 

Put the straw in the coconut and drink it all up!

But anyway, that's all really for this week. Way fun week. Right now, we're in Savusavu on Vanua Levu Island right now, we have another meeting to go to tomorrow. But I love being a missionary, and I really renewed my testimony of the sacrament this past week at church. If you come to church with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, ready to change your life, Christ can and will change you! It's amazing! I feel so full of the Spirit right now!

Love you all! Loloma yani mai vei au!

Elder Barnaby

Walking in Fiji-Wonderland