You Say Goodbye, I Say Bula (Matei/Qeleni Area, Week 17)

Last picture with old District

Transfer week! No changes with me and Elder Jonutz, but the rest of the island changed! Elder Noble went to Naulu area, training/District Leader, Elder Brown when to Tuvalu (my DREAM area), and Elder Sarufa went to Korovou to train. Our new District Leader is Elder Afatasi, who's Tongan from Salt Lake City, Utah. He's way cool. The new Vuna Elders are Elder McClean and Elder Dunn, and we have two sisters on the island now, Sister Malito and Sister Fanene! This is like the best district ever!

First picture with new District

We were stuck in Somosomo most of this week, except for three days, because we had to wait with Elder Tera for his new companion. It was pretty fun, but also really boring, and all Elder Jonutz and I wanted to do was go back to Matei and get back to work. It was an interesting time to endure, but when we got back to our area, that's when things started happening. I'll talk about just a few things that happened this week.

Translation: Welcome to Taveuni (I drew the dragon - not bad eh?)

We tried to see Dipika on Wednesday, but she was MIA, so we were about to head back when Elder Jonutz said, "Hey, why don't we say hello to Brother Celua?" Brother Celua is our Unit Leader here in Matei, and I thought, hey, why not? We got there and he told us that he had a question about a verse that he'd read in Ether chapter 3. It wasn't a testimony-shaking question, but I'm glad the Lord helped us come answer his simple question.

Way crazy, though, Elder Jonutz and I went to

Elder Jonutz and I thought this house looked cool.

see the Lasaro family, and I don't know if I mentioned this before, but last lesson they Bible-bashed us, so Elder Jonutz and I had lost hope for them. But when we went to see them, they were so happy to see us, and it turns out they had actually been reading the Book of Mormon. In past lessons the Spirit had been noticeably absent, but that day, it was definitely there. The truth of the Restored Gospel is real and powerful - I love sharing it every day here in Fiji!

There's so much potential here, and I know my purpose. I read this morning a verse in 1 Nephi chapter 21, verse 8:

"Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time have I heard thee, O isles of the sea, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages."

These are the isles of the sea, and I am the servant the Lord has sent. I am one of many, but I know that I was sent to Fiji, and Fiji was ready for me.

Have a great week!

Elder Barnaby

Elder Tera surfing on concrete

Wet but happy - during the great flower hike last week!