Fiji Suva Mission

Fiji Suva Mission
July 2009 - December 2010

Nasinu 1st Ward

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

May Update - Hello From Fiji!


Neelam's Home
Missionaries coming and going.  Last week we had 11 new missionaries.  We fed them and they spent a lot of time "hanging out" at the office waiting to be sent to their various areas.  They broke 3 of our office chairs and left their suitcases and stuff strewn all over.  What a great group but we were so glad when they left for their individual areas. 
Next week we have 13 missionaries going home.  It will be a huge void when they all leave but one that will quickly be refilled with new missionaries.  We will be involved with them when they go to the Temple.  Fixing them  their farewell Dinner at the Mission Presidents home and with  their Farewell Testimony meeting.  These are  some of the highlights of our mission. 
 
On top of all the new missionaries coming we had zone conference.  It went well.  We served beef Stroganoff with rolls and cabbage salad.  Ice cream and Home made Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert.  The missionaries loved it.
  We are always glad to see Zone Conferences come and then glad when they over. I had a great Birthday!  Dave invited the Senior Missionaries that we do things with over to our place for a BBQ on the deck and then we played games.  He did a great job and I appreciated his thoughtfullness so much. 


The other wonderful experience we have had is with Neelam, our friend from Jack's. She has been continuing with the lessons and she came to church with us last Sunday. It was her Husband's Birthday last week so she wanted us to come to her house after church to celebrate his birthday. When Dave told her that it was also my birthday she was excited and said she wanted to celebrate both birthdays We went Sunday and had Roti, green beans, rice, coleslaw and Chicken Curry. And of course a birthday wouldn't be a birthday without birthday cake so we brought a Chocolate cake with candles for dessert. It was a wonderful day. She loved church although it was a little overwhelmimg for her. She talks about when she gets baptized and that someday her husband will change over to the Mormon Church too. It has been a wonderful experience to share in her conversion.

 
Neelam


Celebrating Birthdays - Sister Seare and Neelam's husband Billy






I can't remember if we told you about our experience with Dr. Lavenia and Russel M. Nelson's book but just to fill you in.  Sister Schern (one of our Senior Missionaries) was over here from Vanuatu for some health issues.  On one of her Visits to see Dr. Lavenia she had Elder Nelson's book with her.  When Dr. Lavenia saw her reading it she lit up and was distracted by the book.  She had studied Dr. Nelson in Medical School and had great admiration for him.  Sister Schern came back to the Mission Office and told us of her experience so we went on-line and ordered the Book from Deseret Book.  It came last week so we took it to Dr. Lavenia at the Hospital.   When she saw what we brought her she hugged me and had tears in her eyes.  She couldn't believe that we got it all the way from Salt Lake and that we knew part of his family.  She hugged me again.  Along with the book we left her a note expressing to her that we hoped she would feel the spirit of the Gospel as we know it as she read the book. 

Dr. Lavenia and her Husband Dr. Craig have been the main doctors that we have used for the missionaries here.  Unfortunately for us they have been offered the opportunity to move to Australia to continue their medical careers.  It is a huge blessing for them and we wish them the best.  We expressed our appreciation to her for all of their help with our missionaries.  We expressed to her how overwhelmed and scared we were when we arrived here in Fiji because of responsibility to care for the medical needs of all the missionaries here.  We told her that They were truly an answer to our prayers.  Through their exposure to us and the missionaries we have had the opportunity to teach them a little bit about our church.  Hopefully we have planted a seed for them so the next time they become exposed to the Church they will remember us with fond memories. We do plan to send their names to the Missionaries in Australia.



Life is good here in Fiji.  We are going into our winter which isn't really much like winter at all although it is cooler and very rainy.  We both stay busy with all we have to do.  We can't believe that it is May already.  We don't know where March and April went.   

We miss home especially with all that is going on with Jeff and Cassie's wedding but we also feel that we as a  family have been richly blessed.  Thank you all for all your love and support. 

Loloma, 

Dave and Becky 
Elder and Sister Seare

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