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

The Last Transfer - 24 January 2016

This is transfers week for the mission. I will remain, but this signifies the end. I am reminded constantly, and it is upsetting. I am trying to focus and work hard, but I am repeatedly reminded that "the end is Nye at hand." I just ignore it for now, cause it is easy to just give up and coast through the end, but I ain't about the coasting life.

I did not take much pictures this week, but I have the picture for my last planner. There were exchanges for much of this week. I was in Ba for half the week on exchanges. Lots of traveling again. This week we go to Lautoka again. There is a missionary broadcast for us to attend.

The temple is having an Open house currently. Lots of good comments. We already have one referral from it.

Other things involved dedicating a grave. Now I have done something for a house, and a grave.

Elder MacLeod

Roaches Emerge - 17 January 2016

To start this week off, I was hardly with my own companion, because of Train the trainers and exchanges. On one exchange I killed 3 mice in one day, but the next morning killed another, to make 4 within 24 hours. The choice of weapon was 2, 500mL, Fiji water bottles. The first was smashed, the next I barely got which smashed his limbs to where he could not move, the next smashed on the run, then finished off, and the last was in a little empty ice cream container that I flipped over to expose him, then one fatal strike. Water bottles are effective for internal bleeding purposes, no external nastiness.

At another time, (yesterday), we were with the Ba elders, and we were in one room, then we came out, where my companion said, there will probably be 15 roaches in the kitchen. I thought that was an exaggeration, and that maybe 5, then we checked only to find far more than 15. We used a lynx body spray (the variation of axe here) and matches, a wooden spoon and a broom, with a cloth. You will see that there are matches and roaches everywhere. Now they were poisoned, but they were not dying fast enough.

 

In other news I recently took a picture at the Fiji Water plant. It is within my area. I am sure many of you have seen Fiji Water, here it is cheap. When we tell the Fijians the price in America, they are very surprised. This last week I have spent a lot of time driving these road-trips for meetings and exchanges. I took a picture off the side of the road out to the open ocean. Very nice looking place this side of Fiji.

Elder MacLeod

T.H.E the hardest ever? - 10 January 2016

This last week we had a baptism. We saw many people, an we are seeing things pick-up for us in the district as a whole. Next month will be so packed full, that time will be gone. This means that every second will count while we are here. This week we have the Train the Trainers meeting, among other. Next week the Temple open house will be for Government officials, and the following will be for the general public, coupled with transfers for the group just ahead of me to go.

Then Feb 6 will be the last day of the open house. The mission will all return to their areas, then Feb 19-22 the mission will all be in Suva except the Rotuma elders. We all would then return to our areas, where it would be a full week, then a ZTM week, followed by the last week for me. A busy schedule, but the time we are back will not be very plenty, so we will have to work smart.

This was a very good week in terms of all around good. Un-stressful, just going forth to do work. I also received my package. It was a nice package, when I had first seen the pillow, I thought it was store bought til I read the letter. Going to have to keep that one. Thanks for the good week!

 

Elder MacLeod