11-4-2018

Hey everyone!

 

Things are going great here. It has been a week or two since I have emailed, but things are great and time is just flying by. This past week we had transfer week and me and Elder Tu'ifua will be staying together here in Samabula. I am excited for that because I feel like our work together is not finished yet! We are really excited for the next 6 weeks! Other than us though there were a lot of people who got transferred this past week! We had 22 new missionaries come in from the MTC and it was so fun to have them all come. We have been waiting for them for a while and it was cool to see them get all their trainers and go out to their first areas. We also had to say goodbye to 11 missionaries who have finished their missions. They are some of my best friends and it was so hard to see them go.

 

Yesterday in church we had a great turn out. We met a new guy named Rishay this past week who is really cool. He reached out to President Goundar who lived in my last ward in Nausori and said that he want to find God for himself. This week we had 2 great lessons and he is really gaining a testimony so quick. He is what you call a golden investigator. He came to church yesterday and loved it.

 

Bini also came to church. We teach her about 3 times a week and she is progressing really well towards her baptism which will be on the 17th.

 

Some others that came to church yesterday were Tanu and Kassi. Tanu is the sister of Nakita one of the other people we are teaching, and Kassi is Nakita's daughter. Up until this week we have always been focused on Nakita and not put as much focus into inviting the rest of her family because they never really showed much interest in the lessons, but recently Nakita has been sick and so when we have gone over we are able to meet with the rest of the family and really build a strong relationship! Well God's vision is much greater than our, because yesterday both Tanu and Kassi came to church and loved it! They fit right in PERFECTLY! After church they even accepted a commitment to be baptized!! It helped us once again learn that God's ways were never man's ways.

 

Well I love you all and am thankful for all the love. I know that this church is true. I know that the doctrine of Christ bring power and blesses us all with knowledge from heaven. I have witnesses the strength of Christ in my life and the lives of many other and I am so thankful for this experience to do so.

 

Talk to you all next week! 

 

Elder Hess

10-21-2018

This past week has been really great. On Monday we got to go up to The North again for exchanges with the Savusavu Zone Leaders. They are doing so awesome up there. While in Savusavu we met with one of the people they are teaching whose name is Joape. He has been through many trials on his journey toward baptism, but the Elders in Savusavu along with President and Sister Ford(one of the coolest senior couples)have been a great support and kept a hope and faith that he will be able to be baptized to start his journey down the covenant path. AND Just this past week Joape was able to take that step and be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was a great opportunity to see how the gospel has blessed their family as Joape has prepared for his baptism over the past few months.

Savusavu is beautiful. I feel so bad that I didn't take too many pictures, but I do have a couple that I'll send down below.

While there we were able to participate in a handing over of a water tank to a small village near Savusavu. It was donated through LDS Charities and there was a ceremony of the Church giving it to them. It will support an entire community and a school with clean water for many years. That is the great thing about the gospel. It is more than just the spiritual things. I love the verse in Mosiah 2:41, because it help us see that the Gospel blesses us both spiritual, but also temporally as we keep the commandments attached. 

Me and Elder Tu'ifua have seen many miracles in our area this past week. The highlight of the week was Bini, one of the people we have been teaching, accepting a baptismal date for Nov 17th. We were so happy for her and she is so excited. She has grown so much through the gospel and it is such a special thing to see. When we extended the invitation she actually looked at us and said with a really big smile,"You really think I can get baptized?" In church yesterday the ward really helped us out as they have just taken her in as one of their own.

 

Last week we had the opportunity to host 23 Methodist ministers who came for a visit and to learn more about our church. No one totally knew what to expect because this is the first time this has happened, but it turned out to be such a cool day!! They took a tour all the different facilities here at the temple compound. The best part was at the end of the tour we went up to the temple waiting room and watched a video about temples. The Spirit was so strong and it was definitely a highlight of my mission and a day I won't ever forget. Throughout the day we mixed and mingled among them and answered questions that they had. As we took them into the mission office they were very interested and asked lots of questions. One things that they liked the most was that as missionaries in the Fiji Suva Mission we are called to serve all over Fiji and even in other countries near by such as Tuvalu. It was really cool because of the 6 missionaries there(The Suva Zone Leader, Sister Training Leaders, and us) we together spoke 8 different languages. Fijian, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Maori, Hindi, Samoan, Tongan, and English. They found that very interesting and cool. They were all super respectful and nice. Yes we have differences, but was special to be able to come together with a love of Christ and a knowledge of Him as our Savior and build upon those things we do have in common. This was the overwhelming feeling throughout the whole day. Here is an article that was posted regarding that day. 

 

 

https://www.mormonnewsroom.org.nz/article/methodist-theological-students-visit-church-service-centre-in-fiji

 

 

Alex, Derril, and Isaac are all preparing good as well. We are visiting them as much as possible as we work towards their baptism next week. They are really good kids and love the gospel.

 

One of the pictures sent below is a pretty funny story. So we were in a shop and there was this Indian guy who I started talking to in Hindi. He then pulled us back into the back room and was excited to introduce us to about 15 Indian woman who work as seamstresses there. He turned out to be the boss of the store, and we all talked and just had such a fun couple of minutes. They were all just so shocked that we were speaking Hindi. Sister Ford who was with us made sure to take a quick picture haha.

 

Anyways. We've got to head out. We are leaving to the West today for some more exchanges and so that's going to be really good. Love you all and thanks for the prayers. I know the church is true. Heavenly Father is continually reaching out to us, His children, in love. I see it everyday. I know this church is true. I love you all.

 

Elder Hess 

10-7-2018

Hello! This week has been so exciting! We had Zone Conferences in the West as well as The North! It was my first time going to the West and it was so much fun! Also I was able to go back to Labasa in the North! It was a really cool experience to go back after almost a year and a half!

In the West two really cool things happened. I was able to go on splits with the Nadi Hindi Elders and while we were together we met a really great couple. We went and knocked on their door and met them, and it turned out to be one of the coolest lessons I've been a part of. The woman told us that she doesn't speak English and because of that she has never been able to understand much at church. She was really surprised we were speaking Hindi, and we were able to teach her and her husband about the temple. We even were able to use her Hindi bible to read together. We don't get to read Hindi in lessons very often, but this was one of those special instances. They were super receptive and it made me wish I could be serving there to go and see her again. But the Elders out there are awesome and I'll keep you updated as I hear from them how things are going with them two. Also I took a picture with them and will send it below.

Right after that lesson we were walking down the street and we had a Japanese boy run up to us yelling saying,"missionary, missionary." He couldn't speak any english, and so it was hard to figure out who he was or how he knew the missionaries. But there is a girl in my last area who served in Japan and just recently returned who we were able to call. They talked on the phone and then she explained to us that his name is Sogo, and that he is from Japan here to study English, but just recently arrived. He knows the missionaries really well back in Japan and has been going to church for 3 years now, but his parents won't let him be baptized. He was so nice though and we even took him with us to our dinner appointment. We then showed him where the chapel is and I just heard yesterday from the Elders that he brought 16 people to church with him yesterday!! I have a few pictures below of Sogo that night we met.

Getting to go back to Labasa was definitely one of the highlights of my mission. Because that was my first area it was so exciting to be able to go back up there and just remember all the stories from when I was there. Elder Shin (my son) actually serving in that area right now and is training another missionary named Elder Andreason who just started a few weeks ago. They are both awesome and we had so much fun with those two. We went on 2 exchanges with them over the 2 days we were there. First I got to go on an exchange with Elder Shin! It was so great! His Hindi has gotten really good and so that made it fun because last time I served with him he was in training! It was just like good old times and it really helped me appreciate how cool of a person he is. We sang "The Boxer" and harmonized together as we walked the streets and it was a moment that I will never forget haha! Although it was pouring rain it was one of my favorite exchanges. Then the next day I got to go with Elder Andreason! He is an awesome missionary! We were out walking in Siberia and started talking to a family and it turned out that they were a less active family!! They hadn't seen the missionaries in a long time. The grandfather has one leg amputated, and so since then they haven't been able to come to church. The grandchildren have wanted to but never had a way of getting there and so the elders out there are going to start a shuttle to be able to pick some families up out there. Also one of grandsons wants to be baptized!! There is also a picture below of me with them. After that we went up and I was able to see Pria!! I don't know if any of you remember me talking about Pria, but she was my first ever investigator! When I was serving in Labasa we would see her really often. The problem was that I was never able to really talk to her unless I had someone to translate or if I just repeated the same memorized phrases every time is saw her! It's hard to explain how happy I was to be able to actually talk with them!! I was finally able to really bear my testimony and explain what I have always wanted to tell them. We taught about the temple and they committed to pray about it as a family. Elder Shin now knows the house and so I will keep you updated with them as well.

Things are going good in Suva as well. We had the confirmation of Jasmine yesterday and so that was awesome. 

We are really excited to be able to watch conference this weekend! We have heard about the changes but are going to have to wait until Saturday to start watching the sessions. 

We are in the process of finding a new flat. We just came from the one we are wanting to move into. It will be a lot closer to the temple/office and so hopefully that works out. It also is a lot cheaper than the one we are in now. 

This week we have our quad  Zone Conference! For all the missionaries on the main island other than the west. Me and Elder Tuifua's training is about lesson plans. It has been really cool to be able to teach about this because it is a way to add more tools to the tool box of missionary work. It is also something that Elder Ardern emphasized when he came last month.

Everything is good! I love you all. I know that this church is true and the work of salvation is the most important work on earth. I love so much to be a part of it.

Have a great week! Love you!!

Elder Hess

9-30-2018

Hey guys I'm sorry but I've got to go! We are heading out right now to go finish up our training, and then this afternoon we are headed to the west for zone conference. From the west we will be going up to the north! I'm gonna get to go to Labasa again which is so exciting!!! I honestly can’t wait! Also the cool thing is that Elder Shin is serving there right now and we are gonna go on exchanges with them! It's gonna be awesome! Hopefully I can go back and see some people I used to teach and now actually be able to talk to them haha! Sorry about the dry email! Feel free to correct anything before you send it out if you want because I feel like I am not writing very good emails anymore due to time. Love you guys so much! Hope all is well! BYE!

 

Thanks for all your support. I know he appreciates it as well. He would love to hear from you all.

He asked that I forward the group email and photos along to you all.

Jason

 

 

Samuel Jason Hess <samuel.hess@myldsmail.net>

To:Marianne Hess,Jason Hess

Sep 30 at 5:10 PM

 

Hello everyone! Sorry for no messages for the past few weeks. Things have been pretty crazy here! But in a good way haha. Everything is going really good! This week has been awesome! I got shifted areas last week and so I am now in the Samabula area! I love it here! It's pretty funny though because this ward is like almost a mini America haha. Everyone speaks good English and most of them work in the US embassy which is just around the corner. It's way fun though and I am really excited to be here.

 

There have been so many things going on, but it honestly feels so good to be engaged in the work of the Lord. My favorite part of the week this past week was teaching lessons. We had a goal as a companionship to visit all of our people this week and teach 20 lessons. We made sure to do the best we could and saw lots of blessing from the effort. We were able to teach 21 lessons this week and visit every one of our investigators at least once. And visited some of them more than 3 times. We were really happy about that. I am the happiest I've every been. Also the busiest I've ever been, but I think those two things go together well. When we are busy doing the Lord's work we just feel happier because the Spirit is with us and we are avoiding being idle.

 

He are some pictures down below! I try and send more if they will load. I love you all and am thankful for the prayers and support. Life is good when we are engaged in the work of the Lord. Have a great week!

Pictures:

1&2. After one of our lessons with Anji this week.

3,4,&5. Bridge in the Makoi area from exchanges this week.

6. First time wearing pant in 1.5 years

7&8. The Gounder family. The first one I set the timer and then, after it was too late, I realized there was nowhere to sit down haha! 

9. Uma and Sunil are taking self-reliance class right now and just started up there own business. They sell Indian sweets from home and already made over 10 dollars their first week!

10. Sister Maivanualala(the fijian) just found out they got her visa and so she will be flying to Zimbabwe this week/ She is so excited! 

11. This is our new chapel in Nausori!! It's so nice! 

12. Had to take a picture because this is the greatest example of how fertile Fiji's soil is! These fence post that were just stuck into the ground are now turning into a tree. Farming in Fiji honest consists of just sticking sticks into the ground and waiting for them to grow into food.

Love you guys! Sorry not much time today so I thought I'd just send some pictures from the week because I wasn't able to last week! Life is good! Rishap, Shidhant, and Michael are looking forward to their baptisms this week! I'll keep you guys updated! Have a great week:)

Love,

Elder Hess