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.            

--

Peace Be Still

Keep it Real