The Week of the Sea Cucumber (Tavua Area, Week 4)

Look, mom no utensils, and I love it!

Bula vinaka! Oqo Elda Barnaby!

Well, what a week. It was kind of a slow week for us here in Tavua. We had a lot of teaching appointments set up, but almost all of them fell-through last minute. Because of this, we didn't get to see any of our investigators this week. For those of you who don't know, we call the people we teach who are interested in learning about and joining the LDS Church "investigators". We have about 7 or so of these people in this area, and we weren't able to see any of them this week.

For me, it was a little disappointing, our week. We tried to hold a youth activity at the Chapel, but it kind of flopped. We met none of our goals this week either. For me, this has been a very encouraging thing.

What did he say? That's right, encouraging.

This is Vileame, one of our youth who goes out teaching with us sometimes. 

There's a talk given to Mission Presidents by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In it, he talks about how mission life isn't easy. It's physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually demanding. There isn't always success. Nothing we do as missionaries is easy - from walking all day to teaching others the gospel in another language to just getting up in the morning. Many people don't agree with what we do. Many people even take extreme measures to tell us this. Elder Holland said, "When they are rejected, when they are spit upon, and when they are made a 'hiss and a byword', [missionaries] should know that they are standing shoulder to shoulder with the best Life this world has ever known:That of the Savior, who experienced the same thing." He says that the Savior suffered more than we will ever comprehend - and that we, in order to be the missionaries we need to be, will have to pay some token of that same sacrifice. I've seen it happen to me. I've never been more exhausted, or frustrated, or saddened, or lonely. And yet, because of that same perfect Person, Jesus Christ, I've also never been more energetic, or optimistic, or confident, or joyful. I've never felt so loved and never felt so much love for other people.

This is my life for the next two years. The two hardest years of my life - and the two most rewarding. I hope you all understand how much this means to me. I've seen lives brighten in ways I didn't even know possible - and most of them have been tiny, little, seemingly insignificant events. But I know that they may have changed the course of those people's lives for GOOD.

I suppose you're wondering about the title. We ate Sea Cucumber this week. It was downright disgusting. And that's all I have to say.

Until next week,

Elda Barnaby

This is my companion, Elder Beilman, and I - drinking from coconuts after some service!

This one's for my mom - I'm holding a sele, or Fijian machete :)