Bula Vinaka!

Bula vinaka!

 

      Hello from beautiful Suva, Fiji. It's so incredible here I wish you could see it. It really looks like the garden of eden haha. Everywhere you look it's green and fruit is growing. So I'll go in chronological order. First I get on the plane in salt lake and head to LA. PS taught a jewish/catholic lady sitting next to me, gave her a pass along card, we'll see how well that goes haha. Once we were in LA we had a 6 hour layover and we were waiting for a sister from maryland to join us. Her flight to LA was delayed 2 hours so she made it on the flight to fiji with about 10 minutes to spare. The flight was pretty long the sleep wasn't great. After that we got picked up by two missionaries from the Nadi, fiji area. We had some time to kill so we took elder frei to see the ocean in person for the first time in his life haha. After that we went to the local church to study. While I was reading about 10 fijian primary kids came in and we all played with them. I shot some hoops with a few while others played rugby. They were all so cute and small, they love the missionaries. After that we got on a bus to suva. It was a 4 hour bus ride through the countryside of fiji. We saw the more humble villages. I can't believe how green and lush it is here, it's just a sea of tree's and plants. After that we got picked up by the elders serving in suva. We ate and talked and crashed big time after that. The next morning we went to church here in suva. Parts of the sacrament meeting were in english some fijian. I counted 22 ceiling fans in the chapel and all the many windows were open. After that was the coolest part. They had a sunday school in english, fijian, and bislama so we went to bislama. We got to meet some of our first ni-vans. (people from vanuatu) They are such amazing people. They are so warm and inviting. They were all there from vanuatu to get sealed in the suva temple. At the end I said mi lovem olgeta yufala. (I love all of you) most of them didn't know how old they were haha. After that we met the mission president, president ostler and his wife. They're great. Too bad they'll only be here till july though. Yesterday was my favorite so far though. Elder potrie, frei, and I went around in the english speaking area here to teach with elder keenan. We taught 3 lessons to families. They were all in tin shacks. We'd say hi and take off our flip flops and come in and sit indian style on their mat. Thats the thing witht the fijian people. They are so warm and inviting, You have to pick and choose because they will all let you in and feed you and listen just because thats how they are and they love missionaries. From what I've heard it's even more so in vanuatu. These are some of the best people I've ever met. Today I meet with the boss man to find out my first area and companion. I fly out to vanuatu tomorrow to start this adventure! :) We'll see where I end up. One area is a little cooler kinda hoping for that one. My second pick would be in an area where you get cool trucks haha. It's funny the wheel is on the opposite side of the car here and you drive on the opposite side as well. I've heard so much lately about vanuatu before I go. I've never heard a bad thing and I couldn't be more excited. Anyways enough about me what new back home? Tigers @ the top of the division? How was ragnar? EFY? Keep me posted. Anyways gotta go I love all of you and your always in my prayers. Tata.

 

Elda Sea

 

(Their making me a bislama tag so this is how it will read)