TC Winston - 21 February 2016

The week has finished, man was it boring........ The beginning of the week was fast with exchanges with rumors of a cyclone that passed and was coming back. Not much was thought of it.

 

We later took a bus down to Suva. The next evening we were to stay indoors. Everyone was kept inside for a time. I rushed with the 3 with me to get a news paper. The cyclone was to go straight for Suva. We sat around for a while, waiting for confirmation to go to Samabula. When we got the message we rushed to Suva. President Eyring and Elder Cook came to speak real quickly, then took a photo with us as a mission.

 

 

We then had lunch before they put us on a bus to vodafone arena. The original plan was to do it at ANZ arena. We started early to avoid the storm, as we got through a few dances, they said they will be doing the finale, as winds started to pick-up. We went outside to hard rain, and strong winds, able to push a little as you walked. We quickly jumped on a bus, then jumped out as close as it got us to the flat we stayed in. We walked a ways, drenched a little, then sat inside for a time. Luckily that morning we decided to buy food. Most missionaries had no food for Sunday, but we had plenty for ourselves. The curfew caused that no one could leave the flat. We did a session, then returned to the flat and stayed there.

 

Staying in the flat was not my favorite thing. I just wanted to walk around outside..... I just didn't have enough clothes for that though. Now we can not return. We saw a little bit of pictures of the west..... I am pretty sure we will have water damaged stuff when we return, but that is it for us. I am worried about the SD cards I left in Tavua most haha, then my bags, then the car parked in Lautoka. We will see what happens when we return. This may cause for a change in plans.

 

Elder MacLeod

 

 

Maim Train - 14 February 2016

For Sunday school we did the maim train. I will have a picture, but this caused for team work, though encumbered by adversity. The commitment to the young men was to assist and help each other to get out on missions. To explain what it is, it causes for a certain incapability to each person. The one they put in front could not speak. Some only had one arm and one leg, others no arms, one was even blind. They jumped right in, one rule is you must step on the white papers to go through a course, but when they ran out of papers, and put the one in the back with no arms, it caused much problems. A few did not make it to the end, but they realized they will have to work together to make it to the end.

In other news, I probably got what would be my last haircut in Fiji this week. We will see though, if it gets long, I will trim it down again. We go to the temple celebration this week. Again here is the link with the time. Reminder to please update the blog with this link for those who would like to watch the broadcast.

The Temple Celebration will be streamed live over the internet. You can send the following link to family and friends, if they desire to view it: https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/fiji-temple-celebration/2016/02?lang=eng. The broadcast will begin streaming live on Saturday, 20 February 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Fiji Time (Friday, 19 February 2016 at 8:00 p.m. MST)

 

Elder MacLeod

 

 

 

The District - 7 February 2016

The sisters are coming back today, so we will be shuttling them and their stuff later today.  The temple broadcast link will be here with info.

The Temple Celebration will be streamed live over the internet. You can send the following link to family and friends, if they desire to view it: https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/fiji-temple-celebration/2016/02?lang=eng. The broadcast will begin streaming live on Saturday, 20 February 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Fiji Time (Friday, 19 February 2016 at 8:00 p.m. MST)

 

The temple open house, has come to an end. Tavua had 3 charter buses go. Many people were able to go see the inside of the temple. Temples are definitely my favorite. I am anxious for the celebration. The mission will be doing a walk-on at the end of the celebration, we will be the last part, for those of you who wish to watch. To my family, please get a recording of the stream, I would like to have that for afterwards.

This week we visited the 1st counsellor of our Ward. It had been some time since we saw him. I went to Rakiraki then Ba for church weeks ago, so it had been 4 weeks since we had seen him, but we heard from Bishop that his leg was amputated because of his diabetes. We went to bishop and said we will bring bro. Amoi sacrament yesterday. We went inside and said hello. He was very surprised to see us. We gave him sacrament, and afterwards he bore the most sincere true testimony I have heard. He told us that he was wondering where the elders were, and had thought he was forgotten, tears in his eye he shared a testimony of Jesus love to us all. I was very glad we decided to take him the sacrament we will continue visiting.

Elder MacLeod

Brock Robert Nakulanikoro - 31 January 2016

I met my trainer's yaca for the first time (yaca- namesake). During transfers we stopped by I took a picture with them, and invited them to return. They have long since not gone to church, so I again committed them to go. It was nice to see some old faces again. Then we returned to Ba to finish moving people for transfers.

 

 

The other picture in this email, is our district with the former Elder Kumar, now Bro. Kumar. He was the district leader in that district before I got there. The only change that occurred to his district was that we swapped out the sisters.

 

Other funny things this week was painting Rishi Deo's house. After the first coat the kids were playing, and we were waiting to put the 2nd coat. Well long story short all of Rishi's grandchild now call us "Fufah" which is the hindi word for uncle. So as we were leaving these kids would say "nay jao fufah!" Which is don't go uncle. It is funny cause the younger ones speak straight hindi to us like we know it. I never fully learned that one. I know a few words, and can guess what someone says at times because of context, but majority of the time I just shake my head at appropriate times.

 

Elder MacLeod

There was a tri-ward fireside in Tavua, we stopped by real quick before driving to Ba.

Sunset picture from the Chapel in Tavua