Week 18-January 24, 2016

Bula Vinaka,

Man, this has been a week of miracles! But you'll have to wait to find out why, because first I have to answer your dope questions!

So, a bunch of Nativities came in the mail and they all included an awesome note or letter. I can't tell you off the top of my head who sent them... just a bunch of people who love me I guess.

So transfers are tomorrow. Yeah, frick, I am nervous.  It's whatever though, we'll just see what goes down. There will definitely be changes.

As for why I love President and Sister Layton...it's more like what don't I love about the Laytons. Like, he is the best President I could have asked for. Sister Layton, well she's just the bomb. It's hard to describe, they are just way awesome.  I love them.

I hadn't heard about the crazy blizzard in VA.  That sounds intense. It was like 36 degrees here all week so not much snow. (Which is 97 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Okay so first miracle, I FINISHED TRAINING. As of today, I am a full-on missionary of the Lord in the Fiji, Suva Mission. Man it feels good. Okay so on to the real miracles. 

So on Sunday night I went on splits with one of the young men from the ward, and after a long day of having "doors slammed in our faces" we were walking up the road when a lady and a man stopped us. She told us that she had recently moved to our area and she had been praying and hoping that she would find the Elders. She isn't a member but she told us how badly she wanted to get baptized. We got very limited contact information from her and she went on her way. The next day my companion and I went to go find her house. All she told us was the street she lived on and that she lived across from a Seventh Day Adventist church. We went and we couldn't find her. While we were searching we attracted the attention of a group of young kids. They asked if we needed help, and being out of ideas we said yes. They told us to go up to the Seven Day church building and ask the Priest who lived just behind the church. We were slightly nervous, so nervous that I had to take the lead on talking to the Priest, but we went up to the house. We called for the Priest but his wife came out, and she didn't seem to happy to see us. We greeted her and asked her if she knew who the girl we were looking for was. She asked us if we were going to teach the girl about Jesus Christ. We, obviously, answered yes. She smiled and said she would help us find her and soon the whole neighborhood was looking for this one referral for us. We eventually found her and we have set up appointments to teach her and her family. 

On Tuesday we got a referral from a sister in our ward.  Her daughter lives in an outer part of our area, somewhere we never really visit. When we showed up at their house, she was so excited to see us.  She's a less active member bur her family are all non-members. We have an appointment to go and meet with them as well.

 We went on splits again with two of the YSA from our ward and again we found a golden investigator. Plus on Sunday we had lots and lots of people in attendance. This area is about to boom again. I can feel it. I will be way bummed if I get transferred, which means I probably will be, but I'm excited for the adventures that lay ahead.  

I love this work, I really do. It makes me happier than I ever have been. I'm always smiling. Sometimes I feel dumb, because it's 30 degrees, pouring rain and I'm still smiling. I love Fiji. I can't wait to come back after my mission and bring my family (yes ladies, my wife too). Alright fam, I gotta bounce. Until next week. Au lomani kemudou sara vakalevu.

Elda Jasen Dawson

P.S. Tell Emma to write down all the scary movies she watches so we can watch them together when I get home. We'll start with The Forest.            

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Peace Be Still

Keep it Real

Week 17-January 17, 2016

Cola Vina,

Vosoti au for the lack of an email last week. We were helping the Rakiraki Eldas move into their new flat. It's way sick. It's got the prettiest view!

Rakiraki view!

So the week I forgot to email you, nothing exciting happened. Like, it was just another week in Fiji. I started feeling way better! Elda Visawaqa made me drink that's weird tea-ish kind of thing.  It was easily in the top 10 grossest things I've ever had to drink, but it made me feel way better. 

So yeah, on Monday we went up to Rakiraki and helped our boys move. Then on Tuesday, we went down to Tavua for District Meeting. I gave an insight, kinda like a devotional, that I prepared on the bus down, on good memories. I crushed it, I think because I'm everyone's favorite memory...so....

On Wednesday Elda Visawaqa and I went and did some proselyting, but we left for Lautoka at about 6 to spend the night with the Zone Leaders, Elda Tiarua and Elda Thomas. Elda Johnso got transferred to Nausori. Elda Tiarua is a way nice dude though. We played that jelly bean game where you eat those gross jelly beans and I got Skunk Spray and Vomit, that was pleasant. We went down to Lautoka, because the next morning we had a "train the trainers" day.

So all the trainees and their trainers from our zone came in to Nadi for a meeting with the AP's and President Layton. I love seeing President. He's more than awesome and he's got a more than awesome wife! 

On Thursday we just had some training and than we had an awesome lunch of pizza, fruit, and juice. After the training, they handed out packages and letters and such. I got 23 letters in one day. Elda Tairua and Elda Boyack(an Assistant to the President) said that it had to be some sort of record. I have to admit, I teared up a little looking at who sent letters.  I also got my new name tag. It's freaking sick!

The illest of the ill!

On Friday I had exchanges in Tavua with my District Leader, Elda MacLeod. He's way cool and is super genuine, which I learned, goes a long way with missionaries. We taught an older lady and then we went back to their flat and he showed me pictures from all of his previous areas and gave me tips for the FSM. 

When I came back to Ba on Saturday Elda Visawaqa and I went out to Varako/Nailaga/SavuSavu Place. We went and visited Brother Cabebula. He gave us some Lemon tea and we watch rugby 7s for a while before we taught him a lesson. Than we headed over to Sister Lucy's house. Waiting for us there was Elda Visawaqa's little sister. We spent some time there and covered all of the commandment lessons. 

Elda Visawaqa's sister!

Sunday we went on splits with Joeli, Daniel and (former Elda) Kumar. It was way awesome and we had a way productive day. Later that night the Rakiraki Eldas and the Tavua Eldas came down for the night, because they are going to hang out with us today for P-day. It's just kind of been a rad week.  

Transfers are next week so we are all kind of living it up, for next week some of us will die. Just kidding, but some of us will leave, so we are just going to work hard and have fun. I love you guys so much! I miss you so so much, but don't worry about me, I'm doing great. 

Au lomani Kemudou

Elda Dawson

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Peace Be Still

Keep it Real

Week 15-January 3, 2016

Bula Vinaka,

So I know that in my last letter I said I would be writing a lot today, but I am super sick right now, like way sick, so this letter is going to be a quickie.  I actually thought about not emailing today, but I just love my dedicated fans to much to let some nasty stomach bug keep my beautiful words from your computer screens, lol.

So I did, end up burying Papa. It was a little awkward, because they started doing Hindu rituals, with 6 LDS missionaries there. Weird but interesting. His family is doing fine.

Mom,

I've gone a little stagnant with my training, but I'm picking up speed again.  

I do have New Year's Resolutions. Things like being more obedient, and listening to the Spirit better.  Also I plan to get completely yoked this year, so watch out.

As for my week, it's been pretty uneventful. We went up to Rakiaki on Thursday night to help, Elder Ogden and Elder Kintstone move into their new flat, but the tenants got a two week extension, so we came back down on Friday.  

We had a cyclone warning on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so no one really wanted to let us in, but that's okay because the rain made us not want to go out. So yeah, as for today, I'm just way sick.

I guess I don't really have anything left to say, so I'll just leave you with a brief testimony.

Au kila ni e bula na Kalou. Au Kila ni e lomani keda na Kalou. Au vakadinadinataka e kaukauwa na Yalo Tabu.  Au kila ni o Josefa Simici e parofita dina. Na Vola I Momani e vola dina ni Kalou. E sloia Keda na Kosipeli baleta e lomai keda na Kalou. Au lomani kemudou sara vakalevu.

I share this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Dawson

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Peace Be Still

Keep it Real