MTC Week 3 - It just gets more and more....everything

Ni bula vinaka! Vakacava tiko?

Another week come and gone. The language is getting harder, the lessons are now completely in Fijian, and I'm learning a ridiculous amount about the culture, the people, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In lessons, Elder Masoe and I have extremely broken Fijian, but we try our best to use it without notes. We still use notes, but less than other companionships. It's so hard to converse, though, because we have to try and translate their answers to us and it's absolutely ridiculous. We understand like two or three words at a time, and have to write down new vocab every time we hear something we don't understand in a lesson. It's so crazy. And I love it.

My testimony has grown immensely this week. I was sick with what the doctors here diagnosed as a "Viral Respiratory Infection", which kinda sucked for five days. But I'm better now! When I was first getting sick last weekend, I thought I could just ignore the sickness and move on. I thought that if I just lost myself in the work, I'd be fine. But I was humbled after getting a blessing from my Zone Leaders. The Lord can't bless the lives of others if you physically cannot get up and bless them by your efforts. It's a good lesson to learn here rather than in Fiji, where my life would actually have been in jeopardy if I'd done that.

Our Heavenly Father really loves us. A lot. I can't tell you how much He loves us, because there are not words to describe it in any language, English or Fijian or otherwise. He loves us enough to give us an entire universe and dedicate all His efforts towards our eternal life and joy. He loves us enough to sacrifice His Son so that we could be saved from our own mistakes. He loves us enough to give us the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead. He loves us. He loves us. He loves you specifically. He loves me specifically.

I love you specifically. Stay strong, and always remember.

Elder Barnaby

"There are lives to brighten. There are hearts to touch. There are souls to save." - Thomas S. Monson