Sunday, September 28, 2014

CSI Lautoka "....Won't Get Fooled again!....."


This week opened with a bang, and closed with a....., well it closed didn't it?

 Well it all started a late Monday evening, all was as a normal Sunday. We got back to our flat about 8, mosquitos were swarming our flat. I went to the back room, and noticed the screen was cut. So I closed the window (not thinking much of it cause of the darkness) We grabbed a mosquito coil, and smoked out them stupid bugs.

 The following morning we awoke, and I started my shower. Well E. Pence noticed the back window (the one I closed) was busted (it had a metal cage around it that was cut and bent). It was to the size that a man could jump in. Well we called our landlord, and they called their friend (a police investigator) to come check it out. As soon as they pulled up, I started singing, and I bet you can guess the song. Well long story short, I had to do I police statement....... It was soooooooo.......... Boring..... He never got in so that was good!

 Well Our landlord was scared out of his mind (I am thinking well duh? I mean the compound is not made to keep people out really) He told us he would get some guard dogs, and he hired some guys to put re barb bars on the windows. Well he got some dogs....... Or the most skid-dish puppies of all time....... Named thunder and bolt. One was yelping at elder pence walking toward him to pet it. It almost peed itself.....

 I got a $3 dollar hat for Zone P-day today.... Picture below, and I made a hood out of a towel. I call it Missionaries creed.

 Our investigator got baptized, his wife and him shared great testimonies.
 
Also we had kraft macaroni!
 
Til Next Week


A taste of Home


M for Macleod or Missionary?

Homemade hat out of towel



Sunday, September 21, 2014

"Lord of the Goats: The Two Hours"


This was a pretty good week. Not too many pictures, but I got some good videos. Unluckily, I cannot send videos........(just wait , only 18 more months until we can watch)

 Anywhose....... Lett-uce start at the beginning. Qito (sport) was lame on Monday. We went to climb a coconut tree, E. Pence did at least, right after Timone the dog attacked him. The weirdest part is he just layed down to the side like nothing happened. Stupid dog. Well we got 20 coconuts, and gave them all to the sisters. We got two really nice ones later, that we still haven't used. We will use them for miti. 

 Next we shall move onto Friday. We werewere'd,(cutting grass with a machete) and nothing is a better forearm workout, than werewere'ing. (Amist the conflict of these strange events there were many lessons involving 3 baptisms, 1 more this Saturday, and one more set for October. So we do teach n' Stuff) Everything really pointed to Sunday (more particularly 2 hours) to get an event. 

 On Sunday we got up like a normal Sunday, we didn't have much food, so I did not eat. I drank Milo instead. After church (which I still am temporary chorister for, they just now told me they will look into giving some one a calling. On top of that the presiding authority chose a song only he knows, so I quickly sight read and learned it, but it ended up being only the 2 of us singing......... I am very grateful Mr. Child........)
 
But! if you buy 14 complettos, its only 14 dollars. But! we went with the Hindi Elders to Lovu, in one of the far reaching points of our area. While there, Elder Reeder became the Goat whisperer (picture below). I also got a video of him and E. Pence chasing the goats around. The next bit was way funnier, we left the Member-family's house out there to go drop some pots. E. Pence and I have been here a couple times, and knew the dogs to be psycho. I don't have pictures, but I felt the need to start filming as we walked up. Well E. Pence noticed the gate open, and the dogs no where to be found. As soon as you hear the barks in the video, you see 4 missionaries (or rather 3 since I am filming) scatter. E. Reeder jumped into the member's truck, E. Pence was attacked, and broke his shoe, E. Raju locked the car doors (so no one could get in when our plan was to get in) and ran halfway down the street. I jumped on the back of a car to get an angle on E. Pence fending off the crazy dogs. The owners came out with sasas (brooms) and started whacking them to chase them off.

 The reason for it being 2 hours is just before, we went into our house, our landlord was outside on his laptop, when we returned (2 hours later he was in the same place, so we related the story) They watched the video later that night..... Good stuff. Anyways that was the week

Amen.

The Goat Whisperer

new sunglasses

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Some catchy title.....


Man it is hard to think of stuff once I sit down, but as I am going through the week, I can get great titles.

 Anyways, this week was slow. Since the change, we had to move to another flat. We packed our stuff up at like 10:30 pm when we got called. Our flat is a bit smaller, but still alright. It looks way more homey than the last one, that's for sure.

 We said goodbye to most of our district. We played volleyball at our chapel, wish we would have earlier. Our volleyball poles are way better than 2nd wards. Well.....

 So this week was alright it was boring and uneventful....... Why can't something happen right? Or is it a good thing nothing happens? Makes it too easy I say. 

 The really big things were

Stake conference, the lifesaver, and the possible curfew thing. Well that and dumping alcohol out with our investigator after the lesson on the word of wisdom. We have a video of most of it, but I got a picture of E. Pence dumping wine.

 We will go in order shall we? On Thursdays, we do a split with the ward to visit less-actives. I went with Bro Naceba, and E. Pence with Rohit Prasad. Well as I was walking to a members house, I noticed a man sitting in the door (it was dark outside) of the big building on my right. I said bula as normally I would do to some random passer by. He responded with excitement and a bit startled:" Ni sa bula vinaka." At that point I thought nothing of it, cause we had planned to visit someone, but I was completely constrained to talk with the man. I felt as if I lost control walking over to him. Once up to him I was stunned in a sense. He said, "do you have any spiritual advice for me, I have tried to commit suicide." I nearly shut down at this point. Bro. Naceba turned and all he could say was "kua, kua ni cakava ya." I pulled out my handi-dandi aivola i momani, and asked "E rawa me keirau wasea e dua na ka baleta nai vola oqo?" (can we share about this book) He asked us in, we were there sharing about the Book of Mormon a while, and giving him scriptures to help him. He said to me he had filled a basin with water, and put an electrical cord in it, but he couldn't quite jump in. Bro. Naceba said, "It is not your appointed time." Those words settled strongly in the man's heart. He said we saved his life. And that was my Thursday excitement.

 Anyways, we had a great stake conference, yet afterwards everyone needed us at the same time, then they were mad at us cause we didn't come to them when they wanted, then the schedule went all out of whack.......... Glad it is over. Then our lesson the same day. Our members said that there was a curfew on Wednesday because of voting. I don't know how serious that is. People here are way superstitious because of the number of coups they have had. Mostly I just don't trust peoples word here, cause no one keeps their word. We pretty much have to hold everyones hand......

 Until next time

Donuts made for us

landscape pic

Make shift doorbell
Word of Wisdom lesson
 

Sunday, September 7, 2014

The walking dead........


This has been a week for helping less-actives. Not as many investigator lessons. We put in our miles though. If anything is for sure, my legs should be jacked at the end of my mission haha. Well as for the week's stuff:

Alright so transfers were Saturday (which has a huge surprise) and a(n) cancelled open house. Members getting mad at us for things we have no say in, and blessings?

So I will start with the members. I do not know what it is about the people here, but they expect missionaries to be able to solve every problem (non-gospel as well) exactly when it comes around. Missionaries in the majority of their eyes are perfect. Others think they can lie to us cause we got hit by a stupid stick or something......

 Well anyways after that, we had an open house. Well we told everyone to invite people to come, well it comes to time, and they thought people would "magically" appear at the thing........ Honestly........

 Blessings, we got many of those to perform..... We give blessings like candy.  haha. Somethimes people ask us fora blessing right when we have like 10 things to do in 2 minutes. I don't know math to well on that, but I am still sure that a man can not do so much that fast.

 Now for the huge surprise.... Drum roll....... E. Pence is..........Staying! Huge surprise. We have been companinons 4 months. By the next transfer we will hit 5 and a half months together. We are the only companionship that has not changed in the west. We are the "qase" or old guys. Yeah so we will still be here.

 Now for the reason of the title. In the transfer, the sisters area was shut down. We are loaded with dinners, but now we have the biggest area of the west. Good luck eh?

 Loves lots from dat Elda in Lautoka!

ZTM lesson

Eye infection

Fijian Driver's license

Drinking a coconut ( not quite as sweet as I thought)
Another pair of sandals bites the dust. (3rd pair in 5 months)