Mai, Vakarorogo vua na Parofita Bula (Samabula 2nd Area, Week 9)

View from our flat - this is basically what Samabula looks like, but we work a lot in the "squatter settlements", where there are a lot more tin houses and Fijians.

Conference Weekend here in Fiji! Boy it was so good - such a great General Conference! Saturday morning we got ready to go to the chapel to watch the first sessions of Conference and I was like jumping around the house, saying, "Man, I'm so pumped for General Conference!" It was enough that my companion said, "Elder, now I'm way pumped for General Conference too!" And the hype-up was on point - it was way good. In fact, for our District Meeting this week, we're going to have "General Conference Jeopardy".

This is the Lami chapel, where we usually have our Zone Meetings

We had some really cool lessons this week. One was with Viliame, one of our investigators, who sat

down with us along with some of his extended family. When we were introducing ourselves, I said, "Na yacaqu o Elda Barnaby, ia na noqu nickname o Elda Painapiu" (My name is Elder Barnaby, but my nickname is Elder Pineapple). They all busted up laughing, and then Viliame's uncle said, "Na yacaqu o Sepo, ia na noqu nickname o Esipero" (My name is Sepo, but my nickname is Aspirin). We laughed even harder - he was way funny! They were also way interested in the Book of Mormon, it was a way cool lesson, especially when Sepo said that he believed that God's word can't be contained in the Bible alone. It was really cool seeing their attention, even the teenage girls that were sitting to the side, they were fixed on the lesson. Way good lesson.

Another cool lesson was with Sisa. We talked about the Prophet, and invited him and his family to come watch General Conference on Sunday to hear a prophet's voice. He said he really wanted to experience it, but he didn't come with his wife on Sunday. That was disappointing, but we were happy to see his wife, Sister Korologa, who is trying to come back to full activity.

Look at this. Yes, this is 

real Smuckers jam. We were just as surprised.

Probably my favorite talks from General Conference were "That I Might Draw All Men Unto Me" by Elder Dale G. Renlund, "The Price of Priesthood Power" by President Russell M. Nelson, and "He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (see https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04?cid=HP_SU_3-4-2016_dPFD_fGC_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng). They all had a profound impact on my and my desire to serve the Lord better and better every day. These days are days of change, and I'm hoping the Lord sees fit to bless me to change for the better.

To close, here are the words of the Prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson: "As we contemplate the decisions we make in our lives each day, if we choose Christ, we will have made the correct choice."

Loloma mai Viti,

Elda Barnaby