LIFE IS GOOD ON A MISSION

Dear Friends and Family,
Guess who is doing this blog today--yes, boso levu bubu (big boss grandpa)!  It's been a while since I did this, not that I haven't participated in the writing, but Mary loves to put things here that I wouldn't, so she is boso vaka levu (very big boss).  First thing is to wish Hunter a HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEENAGER.  I can't believe that he's thirteen, although he did say he wanted to be 16 so he could drive, and date girls!  Man, I remember those years, good years I might add.  I did rename Hunter to boso lailai (little boss).  You are a great young man boso lailai, just stay close to the Lord the next five years,  and you'll be on an exciting and wonderful mission too.
Mary is sick these days.  She has got body aches and fever, and is gets tired easily.  She came home early Friday and has been in bed off-and-on through today.  I will give her a blessing today and then take her to a G-I doctor tomorrow if needed.  If mama ain't happy, nobodies happy.

 Mary has been domestic since living here (of course she was that way before we left) but she has made this pillow to brighten up our flat. Pretty good, right?




MY WIFE AND FAMILY IS THE BEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME.





She has been collecting fans from all the islands we have visited-Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Kadavu, Ovalou, and here in Viti Levu.  We will be  traveling again to Rabi, and some remote villages, so I'm sure this collection will grow some before she is finished.

These two wall hangings are hand-made out of Palm tree leaves
and colored by different colors of stain from the soil. That is my study desk.

 

Guess who got a new truck for two weeks?  It's going to the ZL's
in Lautoka this week-lucky Elders.  They have to go on a mission
get a truck like this-4 wheel drive ,stick shift, diesel engine.

The AP's and an Elder who has finished his mission, eating chocolate chip cookies and milk as an appetizer before their dinner.  Normal for "growing" boys!

This is Elder and Sister Whiting who served in the mission office with us.  They have left for home (Rockport, Utah) after serving 23 months.  Sister Whiting was the financial secretary, a very time consuming job, and Elder Whiting was the mission medical representative, and computer expert.  Boy do we miss both of them!

This is Sister Khattri who finished her mission and has returned to Delhi, India.  She taught many Hindi speaking people here,and was a great asset to our mission.  Her first name is Sweety.

This Elder Mayberry.  He served honorably and returned to St. David, AZ. He said he was looking forward to the DRY heat of AZ.  He served as a DL for nine months.

This is Elder Alex Olsen and his parents visiting
from Ephrium, Utah.  He was a ZL for nine months,
and said he loved Suva as his favorite area.  See, all the missionaries wear sulu's here.

 Well, here is an interesting photo.  This green bike was a brand new bike that I bought three months ago.  The Elder riding this bike had his helmet on and had his lights on (living the rules), and a truck swerved over on the dirt road he was on, and purposely ran into him.  The Elder jumped off his bike just in time  not to get hit, so he was OK, but the guy ran over his bike.  The Elders got his license plate number (it was a hit and run), and reported it to the police, who has now arrested the man.  Turns out, the guy doesn't like LDS missionaries.  Sadly, the bike frame is bent so he needed a new one.

Here I am, yes in a skirt, with my tools to go up to a Sister's flat to break into their bedroom (don't worry Mary was with me).  They had locked the door and didn't have a key to open it, so I took my trusty channel locks, and bent the handle until it broke off, and removed the the mechanism.  Now I will go back and replace it with a new locking door knob.  Just one of the many emergency calls I get from the missionaries.  Life is good.

 These two Sisters are the replacements for the Whitings.  Sister Newsom and Sister Limberg.  They were childhood friends who have stayed close over the years even when they lived in different states.  Now, when their husbands have passed away, they decided to serve a mission together (both have served with their husbands on missions before).  They are very adventuresome, willing to learn and work hard--great missionaries.  They are also learning to drive here on the left side of the road, and plan on getting their Fiji driving license.

 This is Tiatusi Lee.  He was our guard at our flat every other night (we had an Australian Embassy member living above us in a flat that required a night guard to be present for security, and they recently moved out), and now Taitusi has to leave us.  He will be reassigned somewhere else.  We have become very good friends, and he is taking the missionary lessons since we introduced ourselves to him.  He has read the Book of Mormon, and wants to be baptized along with his wife before we finish our mission.  He's a choice man who speaks English,  Fijian, and Japanese (where he studied for a year).

 A mission is very hard work, with long hours, and lots of frustrations.  Seniors are needed everywhere to help with the missions, so they need to be prepared to serve.  We are blessed because we serve in such a beautiful place, with a wonderful mission president and wife.  The best part of my service is to associate with all the missionaries here,  and to feel their spirit of sacrifice and love for the work.  They are amazing young men and women who love the Lord.  I wish everyone could serve here!  LIFE IS GOOD!  I miss all of you, and pray for our  immediate and extended family each day.  Each week I put your names in the Fiji temple prayer rolls when it's needed because the Lord loves you all, and so do I. Loloma, Boso Levu Bubu.