Infestation!

Yeah...... It was horrible.... Before I get to that, this week first....

Monday it rained pretty hard (I wore my brand new short sleeve hoodie shirt) It kept me drier.....

This week E. Pence had me lead everything... Don't know how much that worked out to be since we had 2 exchanges this week. The next couple days have very little events worth notice...... Just the same ol' drama in the district. This sister hates this elder, and this one is not doing anything, and all that noise..... Weirdly enough, our district is leading the mission.......

Well I went on exchange with E. Reeder. We had very little number of lessons, since people were all busy (or not home). Well E. Pence and Raju had good success. They had to go teach bible guy (that is not his real name just what we refer to him as because of how the first lesson went with him) Well after that day we had a weekly planning session where I was trying to lead it, but the ZLs Hindi Elders and the sisters kept calling E. Pence...... It was a chain of finish, then answer the next, they kept calling with new questions and concerns. Well we luckily got it done......

Well the next exchange was Saturday with another Elder. He is one of our zone-leaders.... Well we went to conference, where he kept making phone calls (which has been going on the last 5 weeks) to micro-manage the Hindi elders. Their area had just opened, and this Elder was causing more stress on them by constantly breathing down their neck...... He also has been forcing his companion to go without food for long periods of time cause all he wants to do is get numbers. Well it is causing a grand amount of hostility with his companion. 

We got back from the exchange, and went to the Sunday session... I was very intent on listening to conference, but for an odd reason E. Pence wanted us to sit in the Fijian one. Well I can hardly understand, cause the English voice in the back was too loud, he could barely make it out either, then he got mad at me for just drawing pictures. Eventually we left it with him angry with me. Well I think he forgot his previous hostility cause we are all good now. We later went out teaching to see the worst infestation ever!

We just got out of a lesson, and these termites (from austrailia) have been haunting Fiji from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. It was way bad. They were nearly as thick as smoke. They are attracted to light as well. Well I had my flash light.......... I was so smart.   I wanted to test the theory about them being attracted to light.  Well as soon as I flipped it on, I got swarmed. I quickly flipped it off, but they were all over me. They kept biting me, so it was like going outside our house at home and playing

slap the mosquitos...... We jumped into a taxi where I was picking them off me...... (now I can honestly say I have been attacked by termites) The End.

This is an old picture just can't remember if I ever sent it, but it is me posing with a sele (like a machete)

Victor of the Hunger Games!

Was this not prophesied by those before us? Did not they declare unto us that Lautoka would triumph over their zone? And make them as the dust of the earth?

 Enough of that, but we won the trophy for our Zone P-day. Wish I took a picture of the trophy. It just sits in our flat. It Had rained for the first time in a while (which when it rains here, it rains.....) You can see the rain come over the hills a distance away. It just looks like a big huge fog coming over the hills (for those who know, it looks like Dragon Age origins at ostagar)

 Anyways the events were waterballoon volleyball, dodgeball, and Capture the flag. Well we destroyed the competition for water volley, E. Pence nailed the marked man for the dodgeball win. Capture the flag the other team just sat on their flag, so the game got no where. Yet as King Lahonti in the Book of Mormon, we were fixed in our minds with a determined resolution..... to win the trophy. Lautoka bought it a while back, and Nadi won first, then Dratabu won just before I got here. Then when the tournament came, we won. Since we had won 2 events, we won the tournament.

 Anyways not much else was this week. E. Pence had his birthday, and finally got a salusalu. The cake was way good too. We were fed all over the place. We have a huge lunch, then a huge dinner, were given the leftovers, so we ate it the next day, had 3 more lunch appointments, then had dinner. We got fed so much. Essentially that is the only way to gain here, but that schedule dropped now, so we are back to normal. Good while it lasted.

 

Hope you all have a good week! Moce!

 

Pouring Rain

Salusalu

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





"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

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

 

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)

>error

Sorry no pictures this time.  The crazy asian in the shop is being a usb Nazi. He tried to run off with my sd card hahahahaha. No. The shop we normally go to is filled with kids, cause school starts for them next week. Next week, I should have more time, and double the photos.

First, I should let you all know that golfing was alright last week. It went slow, due to the wait time with the sisters going and such.

 Other than that, this was our most busy week. It was ridiculous. We could not even teach really, and teach together in that matter. Tuesday, we got out and taught very little, cause we had District meeting and such. The next day was DLC, early in the morning, then we had lunch with the luatoka leaders. We drank Otai, a tongan drink. Well, we taught immediately following, before going to the flat to do studies, which took up almost the rest of the day.

 Thursday, we woke up to do service. After service, we had to return home to do studies and eat. We then had an interview, all the way in 2nd ward in balawa side. Well we got back for our ward split, so we really did no proselyting. I went with a member named Waisea Sekitoga, and  Elder Pence went with Bro. Naceba. We met back together, then returned home to end the night. Friday was ridiculous by all standards.

 Normally, Fridays are planning day. The fact we got it done amazes me. We got up, did studies, then left to meet the 2nd sisters at the bus stand. We got on a bus for 25 mintues, to go deep into their area. Well we got to see how far later, but while there we did another interview for baptism. We then walked back to the main road, luckily a road side shop was there so I bought some sodas for the journey. The whole walk was that we walked(speedily) for 2 and a half hours straight. It was so hot, I walked with a hand towel draped over my head to keep from sunburns. Did I mention my eye hurt to blink, and it was swollen all of friday and Saturday? I just wore sunglasses those days, but I had to do a baptism on Saturday. Well, after the very long walk that took a very long time, we got to the 1st sisters to do the baptism interview for their investigator. Well we left our flat at 11:30am, then got home at 7:00pm, and we still had planning. So we had another no-proselyting day. Then we had to meet the zone-leaders for an exchange at 9:00. I went with Elder Abplanalp the whole day, and Elder Pence with Elder Painter. This was the day to teach. Well we had fall-through, drunk guy lectures, and all manner of craziness go. One of the people we visited was expecting us to show, but we never planned to see them. My eye was way swollen this morning, I took a picture, but will send next week when I can. Travis can't be the only one of us that had his eyes swollen shut. Luckily by the baptism it did not look so bad.

 Sunday is ridiculous busy always. Just before sacrament, everyone needs something at once. I would like to thank Mr. Child for teaching me what he did about music. I have been the ward chorister for the past 3 weeks. Some of the songs I have no idea what they sound like, but sight-singing is a virtue.......... Anyways, crazy week in all honesty.  Sorry the crazy asian has ancient hardware that I can not send pictures from!

 

Love,

Elder MacLeod