This last week was awesome.
After our P-day in Savusavu, which was SO much fun, the district split off into different areas and companionships that would work out better for travel during transfers. We had our zone leader, Elder Tamasese, with us all week.
Elder Tamasese is an exemplary man to me because of his work ethic, his drive, his powerful testimony, and most significant to me, the love with which he goes about his responsibility. He is the only zone leader I've ever had who shows his unyielding dedication to the work and to the Lord, and numbers are not his primary focus. He's the first zone leader that hasn't chastised me for not reaching my companionship goal for investigators found in one week or saints brought to the fold over the transfer. No matter the numbers I report, all he needs to know is if we felt we put in our all, did what we needed to do to help those people realize the significance of the baptismal ordinance, and assisted them in taking part in it. I've been called to preach the gospel and invite others to come unto Christ. If I've brought the message to them and they've rejected it, I can rest peacefully knowing that their agency to choose whether or not to accept the gospel is out of my hands, and I've done my part. It certainly is a sad thing when they reject the gospel, knowing the blessings they'll be missing out on, but when there's nothing more that we can do, because of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, they will be given another chance to receive and accept the message.
Having Elder Tamasese with us all week was such a blessing. I'm still not great at knocking on doors whatsoever, so he showed us several other modes of finding people to teach, by which we were able to receive a lot of names and find a lot of people. Elder Tavake and I received some good, constructive, and very useful criticism that we'll be incorporating into our work in Labasa.
The district received their transfer calls on Wednesday, for a change. Sadly, we lost some critical members of the district, but it happens. Sister Kalamafoni (Tongan from Oregon) was replaced by Sister Naivanawalu (from Lami, Fiji. First Fijian sister I've ever served alongside and she's way cool) in the Labasa Sisters' area. Elder Olsen (Utah) was replaced by Elder Guymon (Arizona) in Seaqaqa. Elder Felt (Utah) was replaced by Elder Kalio (Pohnpei, Micronesia). Elder Tavake and I stayed together. I'm looking at a really good transfer, SO many awesome things are happening in our area right now. Remember when I talked about the Naduna unit we went to a few weeks back? Apparently, since that day, the priesthood holders of the unit have been returning and administering the sacrament. As a result, significantly more people have been returning to church and bringing non-member family and friends. On Sunday, the sisters received a call from the unit presidency saying that a man has been coming to church for several years, but they just discovered that he hadn't been baptized. Given that he only spoke Fijian, and Sister Kalamafoni is the only non-native missionary fluent in Fijian, they took the reigns. All they had to do was simply reiterate to him everything he already knew from attending church over the last three years, I had Elder Tamasese interview him, and he was baptized on Saturday. Also baptized was a woman the sisters had begun teaching just last Saturday. The first Sunday we attended the unit, the Vosa family brought with them a cousin and her young family. We didn't know she wasn't a member, until we found out last week that while we attended the Labasa Branch on Sundays, she continued to go to Naduna. After two weeks, the Vosas called and confirmed that Iva had been to church three times and could be baptized. What a pleasant surprise that was for them, haha. Anyways, a counselor in the presidency was overjoyed when he found out that we speak Hindi, and referred us to several less-active and non-member Indian families in the area. We'll be making our way back over to that area to follow-up on some current investigators and find those referrals tomorrow. Our current most promising investigator is George. We find George because Bola (the man that was baptized on Saturday) is Goerge's wife's uncle, and he lives with them. When we went to review the lessons, she asked us to start teaching her husband. George is from the Solomon Islands and has been living in Fiji for about six years. He's a more quiet, reserved man, but his faith in Jesus Christ is unreal. He seemed to like and accept the principle of eternal families, and we'll be visiting him tomorrow evening to teach about how the power of God, by which the sealing of families is possible, has been brought back to the Earth after having been lost following the death of the savior.
Anyways, yesterday we were asked to return to the Naduna unit to assist in the confirmations of the new members. A carrier picked us and a bunch of other members up and took us up into Naduna. It was SO COOL to see that little wooden platform completely full of people with chairs pouring out the back and sides of the chapel. After sacrament meeting, we all sat and ate and talked together waiting for the carrier to return and take us back into Labasa. We started to see really thick, grey clouds roll over the mountains coming in our direction and the winds started picking up, so we started singing Fijian hymns to lighten the mood. As the clouds rolled closer and the rain began to pound, we unrolled the tarps around the sides of the chapel that acted as walls to keep the rain out. The roar of the heavy rain outside banging on the tin roof and the tarp walls filled the air. Still, we sang powerfully. The louder the bang of the thunder, the louder our voices grew. It was a really solemn moment for me, sitting in that humble little wooden chapel looking out over saints singing their hearts (and lungs) out under the faint, blue tinted light of the tarps surrounding them. Nothing compares to the spirit and energy you feel when Fijians gather in song and praise to the name of the savior, Jesus Christ. It was such a peaceful and beautiful hour, and one that I feel I'll cherish for a very long time.
I'm excited to see what work will get done this transfer by the new district, Elder Tavake and I are looking at a very busy transfer (stoked)!
We're off now, thank you so much for the pictures, dad and U'i! I can't wait to smush Talia's fat asian face in my hands goodness gracious. Also, I'm seriously considering joining a dojo when I get home to advance in judo. So excited for Lehia, judo is SOOO much fun. Just a tip: judo is a Japanese sport, play it respectfully. Respect your body, never intentionally put it in harm's way, put respect your opponent's body as well. Never aim at an obviously weak or injured joint for the sake of winning a match. People will say that's a part of the game, but that's poor sportsmanship and lack of respect. Play and win by skill and power, not by cheap shots. I've faced judokas that knew about my weak elbow and twisted it uncomfortably, and I've watched opposing judokas stomp or kick out my teammates' braced ankles and knees. That is technically legal, as well, and one will not be penalized for committing such acts, but be a man on the mat and play fair. True success and victory comes from genuine skill and hard work. That's something really special that my sensei taught me. You're gonna kill it, I don't think I'll be home in time to see any matches, so send me videos!
I'm glad all is well back home, glad you're safe, dad!
I love you guys so much, have a great and blessed week!
Khyaal rakna,
Elder Ishibashi
