11-26-17 Last week was good!

Kasie hei??

Dad, thank you so much for your letter, I really liked it! SO glad to know the family is back together for the first time in so long and that everybody's enjoying each others' company. It was small kine mosi hearing about the food but it's alright, we had our own thanksgiving feast this week haha.

I'm SOOO happy that the church opened its arms and doors for Uncle Juney and Uncle Dan at this critical time in Uncle Juney's life. I'm even happier that because of this act of charity and love, Uncle Juney would again embrace the gospel. Though Uncle Dan's death certainly wasn't a good thing, I think it's such a great blessing that Uncle Juney was at least able to find a good man with a background in the gospel and through his partner's faith was able to have a stronger grounding in the church at his passing. Please continue to give my aloha to the family and Uncle Juney, especially. Also give my aloha to the Aloisio's, if can! SO sick that you were able to see them! 

I always heard about the live sessions in Utah and everybody who's attended one says they're really interesting. I'm way keen on attending one myself, some day! It's pretty weird but actually really cool to see pictures of yous in front of the Salt Lake Temple! STILL pretty salty that they didn't let me go to Temple Square when I was in the MTC because both my companion and I were both Americans, but I'm glad you were able to visit your old proselyting area, dad! How cool is that? Also liking the goatee, I haven't seen that in years haha. 

Does any of your siblings speak Samoan, mom? How much Samoan do you understand? I'm really looking forward to learning Samoan when I get home. At this point (after three Tongan companions in a row), I know more Tongan than Samoan haha. Still learning, though. 

Anyways, this last week was good! 

It was Elder Tui'one's week 11, which means that he was the senior companion for the last week. He lead every discussion, set every appointment, OYM'd every person, and made almost every phone call. I'm actually really proud of him for the way he handled and lead the work beautifully, and I have no doubt that he'll make a great leader in the mission some day. I was able to see his full potential and efforts as a senior missionary. I never had my week 11 due to my stubbornness as a junior companion and unwillingness to take responsibility over the companionship/area. I remember having really sour feelings toward my companions because they never let me teach or disregarded every idea I had concerning the work. I tried really hard to make sure I always gave Elder Tui'one opportunities to grow and mature so that when I time came for him to take initiative, it'd be something he was used to. He's a MUCH more humble and ready missionary right now than I was at that stage, and I only have the Lord to thank for giving me someone with such a drive and love of the restored gospel as him.

A big part of the training process is watching The District. As a trainee, I didn't like The District. As I watched, one of the only things running through my head was "We can't do that in Fiji, the people wouldn't react well to that", or "We can't apply that to our ward, things work differently here". Now, I LOVE the district. I've been glued to it for the last 11 weeks, studying and re-watching episode after episode and doing my best to apply the teachings. No, we can't apply a lot of the precise things they do and say in The District here in Fiji, but the principle is the same everywhere. As we've applied these principles, Elder Tui'one and I have been able to see a lot of success in the work! 

Elder Tui'one and I were blessed to witness the baptism of Charmaine yesterday! It was a really special experience because Charmaine was able to be baptized by her father, who hasn't been able to attend church in over a year. He received permission to baptize her, and my hope is that he and the rest of the family will be able to and have the courage to come back to church regularly again. It was a beautiful service, and I'll be happy if I leave the area with that having been my final baptism in Nadi.

This week is transfer week, so either Elder Tui'one or I will be emailing from a different area next week. Transfers within the Hindi program were pretty easy to predict before, but President Higgins does things a different way so I have NO clue where we could go. Something tells me that precisely because I don't want to train again, President mayyy feel inspired to have me do exactly that.

Very much like 'Io, I want so badly to finish my mission stronger than I've ever been. I'm praying very sincerely for Heavenly Father to give me a companion that can help me to become better and who is willing to support me in my efforts to finish strong spiritually, mentally, and physically as I near the conclusion of my full-time service. Six months is a long time but not enough. I'm more desperate than ever to herd in as many of His sheep as I can while in this service. 

We're heading out now, I'm glad everything/everyone is going well! 

Continue to be safe, I love you all so much! Have a blessed week! 

Khyaal rakna, 
Elder Ishibashi 

11-19-17 Happiness greater than I ever thought possible

Kaise!!

Sorry the letter's so late today! For P-day today, we hit up a beach in Sigatoka called Natadola. I'm trying to get somebody else's camera for pictures, it was heaps of fun and sooo beautiful! 

This last week was pretty awesome too. We had zone conference on Thursday. One thing that stuck out to me particularly was a training given by President Higgins at the opening of zone conference. He talked about how he and Sister Higgins were invited by the Korovou zone leaders to accompany them on a P-day hike up Mount korobaba a few weeks ago.When they agreed, they expected the hike to have a nice pathway winding up the side of the mountain and to be able to enjoy the cool breeze in the Fijian heat of the day, looking over Korovou from the face of Korobaba. When they gathered at the foot of the trail, however, they found that the reality of the hike would be something different than they initially anticipated. It had rained the day before, so the dirt trail had turned into ankle-deep mud that seeped and settles between the tree roots, leaving a frame of roots about six-inches off the ground all along the way. In addition, the entire hike up was wayyy steep and through thick jungle. There came a point where the entire zone had abandoned President and Sister Higgins (the west zone would never do that, President) and they fell behind on the trail. They talked about giving up and heading back down the mountain and just waiting for the zone to come back down, but decided to go up just a little higher before deciding again. They went higher and higher bit by bit until they heard the voices of the missionaries not far off. When they reached the peak and were reunited with the zone, they were able to witness the "fruit of their labors". The view from the peak of mount Korobaba, as well as the company of the missionaries, was incredible and very much "well worth the strenuous effort". He related it to the mission. Reflecting back on how I viewed the mission before I came out, I honestly thought the biggest obstacle that lay ahead would be casting devils out or being attacked by something/someone. I thought I had the confidence to talk to anybody I wanted to comfortably by the time I left, and that I'd be able to get along with any companion the mission put me with. Every trail has an ingrown root you may trip over, but that's just how trails are. I knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park, and I knew there would be heavy rain. However, I didn't anticipate the lightning, the hail, and the flooding. The mission is hard. People won't always want to hear the message or care that you have feelings too. I've had companions that pressed buttons I never knew I had and tested my patience in ways I've never been tested before. I've only ever wanted to come home once, but on the more difficult days, I catch myself just wishing the time I do have left would fly by. President's training reiterated something very important and relevant to me, and I know that it's true. When I reach the end of my mission and look back at the last two years of strenuous effort, I'll be able to do so and say "It was all worth it." Over the last 17 months, I've wallowed in what must have been among the deepest depths I've descended to in my life, but on the other hand, I've experienced happiness greater than I ever thought possible, for myself and for other people. A lot can happen in six months, so I'm interested to see what the Lord has in store for me as I progress through the remainder of the mission. It'll be hard, but it'll be worth it. 

The rest of conference was also really edifying, a lot of good insights about how to strengthen our relationship with and gain a relationship of trust with the ward counsel. We haven't been able to meet with our ward mission leader for about three months, so I was a little salty as we went about the insights on how important the ward mission leader is in the work, but I got a humbling little smack in the maka when I found out on Sunday that he holds three other callings in the ward. We're working on strengthening our relationship with the members. 

Tomorrow, Charmaine (James's sister) will be interviewed by Elder Jackson before her baptism on Sunday! We've been able to meet with the family three times a week, which has been wayy helpful. Charmaine is definitely opening up to us, which is really nice, and she seemed to have heaps of fun with the kids at church yesterday. I'm stoked for her baptism! 

We were able to find a good handful of people last week that I look forward to following up with this week. It's Elder Tui'one's week 11, which means that he's the senior companion! I'm excited to have this breather and to see him in action as a senior. It'll be a good week!

In other news, I goofed again. I forgot about thanksgiving for the second year in a row, but thanks for the reminder, dad! Man, I'll be missing yous too, but that's a cool opportunity for Nina to be able to fly over to Utah! Is that the youngest any of us have traveled to the mainland? Please give my love to Uncle Juney, I didn't even know if Uncle Dan was sick or anything. I only veeery very vaguely remember meeting Uncle Juney once, but it's so nice that he has that desire for all the siblings to be reunited for the first time in how-many years. You guys have safe travels and have a good time in Utah! Just a side note, I've been receiving some light promptings (that I've lowkey been trying to ignore) that I need to settle in Utah. Eat lots of Chick-fil-a and Krispy Kremes for me while yous are there, those are two very particular things from Utah that I miss a lot.

I'm SO happy to hear about the boys' passion for paddling and their progression! I'm so stoked to see my YAKKED little brothers. I'm seriously just trying to come home buff so I can blend in with the rest of my brothers for the first time ever. I've gained a lot of weight over the last few weeks due to kind members and stress-ice cream. We also found out that they recently made a rule where missionaries can't work out at the gym in the morning anymore, so we haven't been going. Know I'll definitely be hitting those push-ups and cinder-block dumbbells hard for the next six months, though. WAY sick that you're a stroker, though, Lehia! I didn't have the stamina for that, it takes a lot to stroke the crew, and how sick that you're in the same wa'a as Hoku! La'i, it's funny how something you love can motivate you to do something you're a little less-than excited about. Honestly, paddling is the only thing that motivated me to get good grades in school. Here's the problem, though: I did terrible in school, so I'm REALLY scared how my schooling is gonna go from here on out haha. Do well in school so you can be confident that you'll find a good place in life after your mission. What seat are you, btw?
I do highly recommend Judo as a follow-up sport for the season, though. SOO much fun and a really good sport to learn discipline and respect for your opponents. 

Thanks for all the pictures of the babies, glad everything is going well back home! I don't have much time left and I have heaps of emails I need to respond to, so I'll leave off here. I love you guys so much, have an incredible, blessed and SAFE week! 
Ham aaplogke bahut pyaar karta hei!

Khyaal rakna,

Elder Ishibashi 

-Natadola P-day!

-Ayyye

-Nadroga district 

-team Fa'asamoa (feat. two Tongans)

-Lautoka Zone Conference

-Matthew, the sisters' investigator, got baptized yesterday!

11-12-17 HAPPY BIRTHDAY NINA!!

Kaise hei parivaar!

First things first, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NINA!! MAN It's actually really crazy to me thinking that it's been a year since you turned 8 and was baptized. Looking back, SO much has happened since I've been away... but isa, I hope you have an AWESOME day, Penina! I love and miss you so much, malama pono!

Dad, thank you for that story about Kaimi, that's actually sooo cool. I feel like that's missionary work at its finest, haha. Those have got to be the three luckiest young men in the Philippines. He payed them a small fee to hear and be involved in the gospel, and look at the blessings that came with that how-many pesos. Three lives were changed in one day, and as a result, countless more have been saved for eternity. This work is God's work, and I love it with every fiber of my being. 

This last week was a good one! Elder Tui'one and I were sick for the greater part of the beginning of the week, so we weren't able to get as much work done as we would've wanted. On Wednesday, we got a call from the Nawaka elders (the airport elders, who are responsible for transportation of packages and missionaries between Nadi, Suva, and overseas) saying they needed us to be with them for part of the day. There needs to be an odd number of elders and sisters in a car, and the Nawaka elders were told by the mission office to collect two sisters going home early for medical reasons from the airport, so we needed to be present. When we got to the airport, I was surprised and saddened to see Sister Pea and Sister Taetae. Sister pea was supposed to go home with my outtake, but she contracted a virus that required that she go home to recover. Being with them on their last day in Fiji and their seeing bittersweet attitudes, I couldn't help but get a liiiittle trunky haha. Don't worry, I've since recovered, but it was sad to see them off before we head into the appointments we had set for the day. After a few good lessons, we head into Sigatoka to blitz it with the elders. I was able to meet with and teach one of their recent investigating families, an Indian family. It was nice for them because the Ajii (grandma) doesn't speak a word of English, so I was able to explain to her what the elders are teaching her grandchildren, and it was good practice for me. Sigatoka is SOOO beautiful, it almost made me upset. There are heaps of Indians there as well, so I might kerekere President Higgins to consider opening a Hindi area there (and let me die opening it). When Elder Jackson gets to the internet cafe, I'll send you pictures. Saturday was busy. we were able to find and teach heaps of people! Unfortauntely, we weren't able to meet with Alisha at all, so we may have to postpone her baptism, which sucks because I'm most likely leaving in two weeks and I'd miss it. However, one of our YSA referred us to his 9 year old sister who hasn't been baptized yet. She's waayy keen and attended church regularly when the family lived in Suva, but since they moved to Nadi, the parents' work schedules don't allow them to go to church. The new bus system also makes transportation a lot more difficult for the family so the kids stay home with the grandma while James goes to church. She's set to be baptized on November 26th, all we really have to do with her is review the lessons and assure that she comes to church, which will be easy. She's really quiet and shy right now, but that's how all kids start. The point comes where they get so comfortable with the missionaries that they get annoying. I'm excited for that haha. 

As I approach the last quarter of my mission and likely my last area, I haven't been able to help but think a lot about home. A part of me wants the time to fly, but another screams that these last 18 months have gone by too ridiculously fast. I've started a little book, for when times get rough and I get a little trunky, called WHY. In it, I'm writing all the significant events that happened throughout my mission preparation and my mission that have shaped who I am today and have made me realize why I'm out on a mission. As I've gone about this process, I've become so appreciative of my God-given trials and how they shape us into the men and women God needs us to be. 

We're looking at another great week ahead! 

We'll be heading out now, glad everything is all well at home! Have an incredible and blessed week, I love yous so much!

Khyaal rakna, 
Elder Ishibashi 

BTW I heard Mali got her mission call!

Where's she going??

-When you have heaps of solid return appointments set for the coming week 

-When every single one falls through

-Up on the hills

-Sigatoka made me upset 

11-5-17 the Plan of Salvation

Kaise hei hamaar julum parivaar! 

Short on time again today, so I'll be brief! 

It was a really good last week. On Tuesday we blitzed the area with Sigatoka again and found heaps of people! It was a humbling day because I went with Elder Dempsey while Elder Tui'one went with Elder Jackson. We had been rejected by about seven houses when we decided to stop at a store for an escape from the sun and a drink. Elder Dempsey and I were pretty discouraged when we got a call from the other elders that they were ready to meet up. When they heard what happened to us, and when we heard that they'd just gotten 7 new investigators in the last hour, Elder Jackson decided to take me for one more OYM before we moved onto a different area. We were able to get into a house and have an awesome lesson with a really sweet family. That, to me, was a lesson of perseverance; you never know what the next house will hold, despite a day full of rejections. That last lesson was a really nice refresher and motivator, we were able to move onto the next area with a new drive and found more people. 

On Friday night, we got a pretty late call from our bishop's second counselor. Though obviously a bit shaken over the phone and in need of assistance, I was not at all expecting to hear what he needed us to do. He and his wife had just delivered their still-born baby, and he needed help digging the grave the next morning for the service in the afternoon. For such a request, he actually seemed really strong. He seemed more uncomfortably just asking us for the assistance, but of course we were more than willing to help. I know it happens often, but I can't imagine the emotional scarring that would have on someone; especially the mother. When we met with Brother Singh at the grave site the next morning, as always, he was smiling and ready to tend to OUR needs as we dug. It was hard, digging such a small grave, and especially watching them pull the tiny casket out of the back of the van. Both he and his wife looked like they were holding up really well at the burial service. Though a bit broken, it spoke huge volumes to me how strong their testimony of the Plan of Salvation is. There was another service that night at their home, and I was asked to share a bit about the Plan of Salvation. I talked about eternal families and was able to share my testimony of the God's great plan for us in Hindi to non-member family members who were present. It was an excellent opportunity to teach, and afterwards, Brother Singh gave some excellent closing remarks. He talked about how blessed he was to know that his son was able to pass onto the next life without any temptation and imperfection, and how blessed we are as saints to know without doubt that he is in the highest degree of glory with our father in heaven. He went on to say that he and Sister Singh decided that their new solemn responsibility was to keep themselves faithful and worthy to reach the same degree of glory as their son that they might achieve eternity with him. To most people, death is probably one of the hardest things anybody can go through. It's incredible how blessed we as saints are to know God's plan for us, and that death is, by no means whatsoever, the end of family. Throughout my mission, I've seen people I've come close to pass on, I've been able to dress a body, and dig/ be a part of the dedication of a grave. As I prayed about all these things, I received a bit of a prompting that the Lord is preparing me to do a lot of work for those who have passed on. 

Okay everybody else is out of time, so I'll close here. I love this gospel so much and I love you all sooo much! Glad everything back home is going well, I love yous! Have a great and blessed week! 

Khyaal rakna, 
Elder Ishibashi 

10-29-17 Keep being that light and example of Christ's love

Kaise hei hamaar julum pariwaar!

This last week was awesome! Able to meet with a lot of people we met last week and find heaps as well. I'm guilty of a pretty bad habit missionaries tend to get into over the last few weeks: When they have a few solid baptisms coming up, they tend to slack a bit and put an excessive amount of focus on those baptismal candidates rather than finding new investigators. Though we were able to find a good handful of people, we could have done better, and none of them really progressed so we were left after the baptism with a shallow teaching pool. Over the last week, we've been able to find a lot people with very good potential, I'd say. We're looking at another really good week ahead!

The internet just went out for about an hour and we have some zone Christmas fireside practice after qito today so we have to be there early so we can have as much qito time as possible. 

Dad, I'm already having second thoughts about being a pilot to be honest haha. Though my vision is a bit clearer as to what the future may hold for me, I'm open to what the Lord is ready to prepare me for. I can't wait to actually be able to speak Hindi in front of yous! Where is Sister Dalton right now? If possible, I'd looove for her to be home when I return! I want to maintain my Hindi until I'm able to get to school or something, where it'll be easier. I'm also eager to try my Kiribati on Aunty Mere Shute or something, do we have any Kiribati in our ward??

That sounds exciting, giving a religious message to military veterans! I mean, it sounds exciting to me. I honestly don't reckon I'd have been near excited for something like that before the mission haha BUT every opportunity to share the word of God and lift our brothers and sisters is an opportunity to offer and receive blessings. It may be uncomfortable, and missionary work often is, but those veterans probably need a pick-me-up so dearly. I know that yous will touch the hearts of a lot of people there, they will appreciate your time and effort SO much, and yous will receive great blessings for your ministering to the needing. 

I'm so glad everything is going well back home, MAN I can't wait to see yous all on Christmas in two months! I love that dress, Nina! And Pierce is looking happy, healthy, and strong.

Sorry this one actually was way short, but I love you all so much! When I was in Nasinu, I was reading through the ensign and really liked the closing line of one of the addresses. I cut it out and taped it to the back of my Hindi badge. It reads "We are surrounded by strangers with wounded hearts who need a kind word of encouragement and who need to know what we as Latter-day Saints know." It's so true, keep being that light and example of Christ's love to everybody around yous. Missionary work extends far beyond  knocking on doors and ministering on the street. Stated very simply by King Benjamin, when you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are in the service of your God. From cutting grass to giving a needing man your extra burger; assuring/reminding veterans of war that there is a God who loves them, is aware of their physical/mental/social/familiar/spiritual struggles, and is ALWAYS there for them as they allow him to help. 

I love you all so much, have a blessed week! Aaplogke bahut pyaar karta hei! 

Khyaal rakna,

Elder Ishibashi