Sivia na Koniferedi, Sivia na Marau (Matei/Qeleni Area, Week 19)

Another day in paradise - what should I do???
Maybe sprain my ankle again!
Maybe we need to start praying for Max's Ankle!

It's kind of hard to describe the word "sivia" in English. Basically, it means "exceedingly much", or in more modern terms, "a ton". Translated, the title means, "A ton of conferences, a ton of happiness".

This week was absolutely nuts (or should I say, Jonutz) - and of course, it started out with a nice new spranged ankle. The same one as before. Obviously there was a lesson that Heavenly Father was trying to teach me before that just didn't get across or something. When I fell this time, I was walking on flat ground. So. It's even less cool of a story than last time. This time, though, when they sent the crutches, they were too big and didn't adjust any smaller. Thankfully, it's not as bad as last time.

More importantly, we had the Taveuni District Conference - all the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Vanua Levu Island (second biggest island in Fiji), Rabi Island, and Taveuni Island come to Taveuni for a two-day spiritual feast (and a few literal feasts, too). This time, Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Quorum of the Seventy (one of the main leading bodies of the Church) came to visit and speak to the Saints in Taveuni District. Elder Pearson is currently the President of the Pacific Area of the Church, so the Taveuni Saints were really excited for this event. We also had our Zone Conference in addition to the big member-attended District Conference, so from Thursday until Sunday we had meetings.

The Sisters fed us well!

District Conference was simply filled with joy. I can't describe the wonderful feelings we had as we saw the Somosomo Branch Chapel overflowing with members. So many wonderful people came to the Conference from all over Vanua Levu and Taveuni. So many less-active members we've invited to church a thousand times finally came to meet together and hear the word of God. It was a priceless experience. Elder Jonutz and I were all over the place on Sunday - greeting members, saying hello to everyone, even helping out an elderly Sister Mariana to get safely from a taxi into a wheelchair and then into the chapel. The best part was, these people were so happy to see us.

And they kept feeding us - ymmy!

Lots of food for the District Meeting

Members were happy to see all of their favorite missionaries from the different areas they serve here in the North Zone, but I felt special and priveleged to serve the people in Matei and Qeleni. As we greeted and served them on Sunday, there was a special spirit that radiated from every member we met, and they all were so happy to see us. They were so happy that our new Zone Leader, Elder Fong, who served previously in Matei, came up and gave me a hug, thanking us for taking care of Matei and Qeleni. It was a special experience that I don't want to forget.

Junior and Hinckley, two youth from Matei

I just wanted to mention some of the things that Elder Pearson and the other speakers told us in the various sessions of the Conference:

"We're not proving anything to Heavenly Father - He's proving to us that we can do more than we think we can." - Elder Pearson

"We can open the floodgates of heaven if we help the missionaries." - President Petero

"The reason we as men receive the Priesthood is because it's Heavenly Father's way of helping us to become more like His Son. If, as Priesthood holders, we look and act like the Savior, others will see an example of Him." - Elder Pearson

"The Lord calls you because He loves you, and He trusts you, and He wants you to do His work." - President Kalougata

"We are not objects; we are agents." - Elder Pearson

Elder Davis and I with our trainees!

 Elder Davis and I are in the center - we were friends in the 

Mission Training Center and haven't really seen each other for almost 

a year!

And too many more to put in this update! We were so richly blessed this week. Next week, Elder Gifford Nielson, also of the Seventy, will be doing a "Mission Tour" of the Fiji Suva Mission - two General Authorities in less than two weeks! I love it here!

I felt and had faith that the Lord would bless Taveuni as a result of this Conference. And the blessings are already on their way. Let's see what Elder Jonutz and I can do.

Vakarau tiko? (Ready?) Sa Set? (Set?) Lako (Go)

Elder Barnaby

Consecration Nation (Matei/Qeleni Area, Week 18)

I love Taveuni. Maybe I should just stay here.

This week was...so...AWESOME.

I don't know if I can describe it all. It was crazy, I'm going to have to pick and choose, it was all just so good. Elder Jonutz and I decided to "consecrate" ourselves this week - in other words, give it our all, be exactly obedient to the commandments and mission standards, and just let the Lord lead us. And it worked.

Monday was great, the LDS couple from America that are now living in Matei for the next 6 months, the Czieps, fed us way good food, and on Wednesday we were able to go with them to visit a few members of the church. They'll be coming with us every week to help us out and visit members and investigators with us. We're way excited. After going with them on Wednesday, we were able to see Roberta, our new investigator in Matei, and share a little more about our purpose and missionaries and our message. She let us know

The Vono family

that she likes to do her research and not believe things just because she hears them, and we were so excited because that's exactly what we encourage everyone to do - to read and pray and find out for themselves. That's when our Father in Heaven can bless us with answers to our prayers. We also saw the Vono family, who have officially been members for one year. It was real inspiration from the Holy Ghost to go there, because Sister Vono was suffering from a lot of pain that day and they had no pain killers to help her. But I had started carrying them around with me, and they expressed what a huge blessing it was that we came by.

Photo creds again, to the wonderful, Elder Jonutz

There was a public holiday, Diwali, this past week, 

and the Vono family (recent converts in Qeleni) 

got into the spirit with sparklers and fireworks. 

Thursday was our absolute best day all week - we saw so many people, it was nuts, the Lord was just using us like crazy. We did service with Sister Taylor and had a cool object lesson that involved a card trick (I'm proud to say that it was me who did the card trick, and they were definitely tricked). Later on, we saw a recent convert Ela, who came with us to see Rosi, a 17-year-old girl who we met a month or two ago but haven't had the opportunity to sit down with. She's really sincere, I'm super excited to teach her, I think the lessons are gonna go great. I did leave two fresh pineapples at her house by accident, though. Elder Jonutz wasn't pleased.

Elder Jonutz walking with Marika Vono after church.

My loyal, $5 Fijian crocs broke this week. 

Time for a new pair!

Work in Qeleni-side was tough this week, but as we worked hard and endured, the Lord was able to help us to meet new people and help others to draw closer to the Savior. Brother Tabaiwalu, who hasn't been to church in a long time, said hello to us in Qeleni village and said he would come to church on Sunday. And he did. We met new people to potentially teach - Wani in Qeleni village, Luisa in Navakacoa village, Maria in Korovou village, and more. The Lord wants us to do work there - to really work hard to bless those people!

We just had such a good week, and I know that it's because we chose to consecrate ourselves - to give ourselves up to the Lord and let Him lead His work. All I have to say is...let's do it again.

                                                                            Love you all!

Some members were going to cook this guy - 

they barely touched him and he went all Sparta on us!

Elder Barnaby

We got some fresh fruit from members!

 We ate like healthy kings all day 

(they were gone by the next day)

This is our store in Matei - the grand Sun City.
They sell Mars Bars! (and I love my Mars Bars!) 

Photo creds to Elder Jonutz

This is the Catholic cathedral in Qeleni Koro - one of our new investigators said
they spent 13 years building it, all on their own power and
out of their own pockets! What a sign of faith!

FIJI IS PRETTIER THAN WHATEVER PLACE YOU'RE IN AT THIS EXACT MOMENT!!

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!

Just. Miracles. Everywhere. (Matei/Qeleni Area, Week 16)

This is me and Tukai, one of the youth in Qeleni, at the Qeleni chapel.

I can't even begin to describe all the miracles and blessings that happened this week. So many wonderful miracles, I just feel like the Lord is spoiling me! I'll share a few from this week.

Washing up in a river after the hike!

There were some way crazy things that happened - which mostly happened on Thursday. Elder Brown from Vuna Area came up for exchanges this week and we went to find someone we'd met on the street, a man by the name of Banz (yes, that is how he spelled it). We went to where he said he lived and met a nice girl there named Roberta. We asked her where Banz lived, and she said that she didn't know anyone named Banz. There were all of like 4 houses in this area, so we were way confused. We came to the conclusion that the man was either trying to avoid us, or he was drunk. But we got to sit down a little bit with Roberta, and she was way cool! She had a really interesting story, and from what she told us, the message of the Restoration is just what she's mission in her life. That was cool.

Peniasi Vono! The coolest kid!

One sad thing that happened was that we visited Phoebe to see if she could be baptized this week, but her mother let us know that Phoebe would not be taking lessons anymore, and that we didn't need to come by to see her again. That was way sad, I've been trying for about 4 months to help Phoebe get baptized, and it's rather disappointing. But it wasn't wasted time. It's never wasted time when it's the Lord's time.

Elder Jonutz got new sunglasses

This is a picture of Viliame Driti, from Tavua. 

Elder Beilman and I found him, 

Elder Carlson and I started teaching him, 

and finally, after 6 months, 

he got baptized. I'm so happy for him! So so happy!

Another miracle that happened this week was when we visited Sister Koroi. She's really active in the Church, and her husband is taking lessons right now. We were waiting for her husband to come to the lesson, but he was a little busy, so we decided to share a little message with Sister Koroi, just because we knew that we would have to leave. I just shared about what I learned in my own personal study of the scriptures - how in 1 Nephi 11, the angel answers Nephi's questions about his father's vision by showing him the Savior's life. I compared it to us as people, how as we put the Savior first in our life,

other questions and problems are answered. After the lesson, Sister Koroi started crying and shared with us that meeting us today was an answer to prayer. I felt the Holy Ghost so strongly in that lesson. I was so happy to have been in the right place at the right time and been worthy to bring a message that would touch the heart of a daughter of God. Simply amazing.

Found it! Here's the Tagimoucia flower!

Tagimoucia means "Come cry with me"

As for fun things that happened this week, we went on an adventure today to find the fabled Tagimoucia flower, which only grows on the tallest mountain on Taveuni Island. It was way fun! Wet, muddy, I'm covered in scraped and bruises, but I have the pictures to prove it! Way fun!

Transfers are this week! We'll see what's up!

Loloma,

Elder Barnaby

We went on a district hike today - Elder Noble and I are the worst, aren't we?

Cabin Fever Unlocked (Matei/Qeleni Area, Week 15)

This was not my choice of title for this week. This was all Elder Jonutz. Though it does kind of describe our week - in several different ways.

-Jese and Taufa think they look like "kai valagi"(white people) after covering themselves with baby powder. Way funny!





This week was a lot better than the past few weeks! We got out and worked hard, it was so uplifting and fun! Tuesday was an extremely disappointing day - our "golden investigators" Tabale and Polonia would hardly let us talk and just preached to us about their beliefs as Pentecostals. That's fine that we can share about our beliefs - questions and discussion invite the Spirit of the Lord. But they just brought everything we said back to the same concept - their belief that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are one being. I respect those that believe such, but as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings. As a
missionary, we do our best to avoid confrontation and "bible bashes", and

the beautiful thing about the message of the Restoration is that all those questions and doubts can be answers if one just prays to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. But Tabale and Polonia weren't really listening to us - as Elder Jonutz and I bore our heartfelt testimonies of the truthfulness of our message, we felt the Spirit, but were still unsure if they would accept the message. I was so disappointed, but just like our Heavenly Father, I will not give up on anyone so quickly. I love them, how could I give up on them?

Elder Vermeeren came to inspect our flat - and we
passed inspection!!

Thursday and Friday were great days - Elder and Sister Vermeeren went visiting with us, but as we went, we passed right by our planned-out lessons. I didn't feel any moving need to go see those people. Instead, I felt prompted to visit two older sisters in the ward, Sister Mari and Sister Rosa. Turns out they needed a good visit, and they needed help getting a constant supply of fresh water, which Elder and Sister Vermeeren were happy to help out with. Every visit we had on Thursday was unplanned, and yet we were guided to the people that needed us the most. I love the Lord and His work.

This is Navakacoa village - a rugby field surrounded by houses. 

It's just up the street from the chapel in Qeleni.

Friday we were in Qeleni and it was way cool -

Elder Jonutz and I went to this little settlement called Pagai (which was originally settled by Tongans), and we were invited into the first house we saw. We had a great visit with some lovely Fijians, and then one of them pointed to the older man present and said, "He's the chief of the village". I almost peed myself, here I was, talking normally to this chief and I didn't even know it! In Fiji, culture is everything - as missionaries, we try to respect it as much as we possibly can, including using extremely proper, respectful Fijian when addressing a chief (known as a "Tui"). But it turned out all good, and they invited us back as we were leaving. Way cool day, we walked away very happy.

We had a picnic on a bridge in Qeleni, 

and we watched some Fijian kids having some fun.

By the end of that day, though, I had a massive headache, and we'd forgotten the ibuprofen at our flat in Matei. On Saturday it turned into a bit of a head-cold, which was then joined on Sunday by another fever. I can't seem to catch a break! But I asked Elder Jonutz for a priesthood blessing, and he said something very interesting as he pronounced the blessing. He felt prompted to bless me that I would
find answers in the scriptures. Afterwards, I read my scriptures. Right now, in addition to reading the Book of Mormon, I'm reading the New Testament. The chapter I read on Sunday was a direct answer to that blessing. Romans 5:3-5 taught me that these tribulations will teach me patience, which will in turn give me experience, and such experiences will give me faith and hope. I've said it before, I'll say it again and again: I love my Heavenly Father and the miracles he pours out on His children every single day. I testify that He and our Savior both live and love us all, so much.

Just as much as I love you all!

Elder Barnaby

***Some pictures provided by Elder and Sister Vermeeren***