I'M IN FIJI WEEK 7

BULLLA EVERYONE or should I say KAISE!! 

This week has been absolutely crazy! I arrived in Nadi Fiji Wednesday morning and right away got on a 4 hour bus to Suva. It felt a lot shorter though because it is absolutely beautiful here and so the scenery was very captivating.

Once we arrived in Suva we straight away were picked up by the APs! They're so cool! We drove to the mission home and met President Layton and his wife! They're also so nice and awesome. We had lunch and a little training and then went out right away with the Zone Leaders in the area. I went with Elder Mumford and it was awesome. He is such a good missionary. I was surprised at how much Fijian I understood. I was able to introduce myself, say the opening prayer, and also give my testimony. I also said a couple comments throughout the lesson. It felt really good and really motivated me.

Okay so that night we stayed with those elders in their flat and that was when we saw and killed that massive centipede in the pictures below haha!! 

The next morning we were going to be given our companions and first area. We met back up at the mission home and the trainers were all there waiting for us. We didn't know who's was who's trainer so it was kinda weird. We received our calls and I was the first one to open mine. It read you will serve in the Labasa Hindi Area.... WAIT WHAT!!?? HINDI!! Yep so now I will be speaking or at least attempting once again to learn a different language. This one being much more complex.

FUN FACT: I am now one of 12 missionaries in the world speaking Hindi.

My trainer is Elder Tony from Kiribati and he is such a cool guy!! He is really good at the language and so I don't feel as nervous as I first felt. The next morning we caught a flight to Labasa which is on the northern island.

It is absolutely beautiful here. The people are all really nice. Even though I will be speaking Hindi in all of our lessons, I have been trying to speak with all the members in Fijian because the ward is mostly Fijians. 

On Saturday we did service the whole day with the Vosa family. They are seriously so nice. I have only known them for 3 days but they already feel like family. They recently bought a farm so we went and were clearing weeds and planting kasava. 

OH yeah it is HOTTTT here. Like way hot. Maybe mostly because my body is used to the cold but wow its crazy how much I have been sweating haha. Like everywhere I go.

I initially was trying to filter all the water I drank but I decided that my body has got to get used to it sometime so the past two days I haven't and I feel fine so maybe I'm all good, but still wish my stomach good luck lol! 

Me and Elder Tony are whitewashing the area so these past couple days we have just been trying to talk to as many people as possible. 

I know like 3 things in Hindi... Hello, how are you? I'm Elder Hess. I am from America haha. I will get better thought. I hope. Also I will be able to read Sanscrit so that'll be cool! 

I feel like I am in the middle of nowhere. There are some sisters kinda close to our area but most of the time it's just me and elder tony. This is his first time leaving the main island so it's definitely hard because the dialect(or however you spell it) is different here. But we have the Lord on our side. 

Our ward is an English branch so that makes it really nice. I gave a talk on Sunday with hardly any notice, but it went really well. It makes it a lot easier that I could give it in English!

Our flat is actually one of the nicer ones in the mission. It pretty good size because during transfers we have a lot of other elders stay with us because we are the closest the airport on the northern island. But we still have plenty of cockroaches, mice, spiders, centipedes.Our shower is broken so we shower from a little hole in the wall that shoots out some cold water. The thing is it is so hot here that I wouldn't want a hot shower anyways so it's all good:)  

The food is soooooo good!! Some of it is really different but i have really enjoyed it so far. We have eaten with the members a lot in the last couple days so it is great! 

Anyways, I am alive for those of you who are wondering. 

I am happy to be a missionary and excited for the challenges ahead of me. 

I love this gospel.

 I am so thankful for all of your support. 

My address for letters and packages is: 

Elder Samuel Hess

Fiji Suva Mission

P. O. Box 215

Suva 

Fiji

--

Elda Hess

I'M IN FIJI WEEK 7 (pictures from week 7)

Last few days in the MTC!!

BULAAA!!!

Hello everyone! Things are really moving quick here. I can't believe it's already been almost 6 weeks! There is such an exciting buzz right now the closer and closer we get to leaving!

Our whole zone received our flight itineraries last friday and ever since that things feel a lot more real. Our flight leaves monday night at about 6 to the LA airport, and then from LA we leave to NAAADDDIII, FIJJJJIIII at midnight on monday!! Because of the time change we will be leaving here on monday the 20th and arriving in Nadi the morning of Wednesday the 22nd. So weird haha.

SHOUT OUT TO THE ONE AND ONLY BRIT WARNER! I got the news this morning that he has been called to serve in the Boston Massachusetts mission leaving June 21st, 2017. I can't explain how happy it makes me to open my email and see that! He is going to be such a good missionary. He is already such a great disciple of Jesus Christ. 

Aiden Dayton got his visa this past week and within just a couple days headed off for the Brasil MTC. I was sad to see him go but it was such a blessing that he was able to come to Provo for a couple of days.

This week has been very uplifting spiritually. I've seen God working in the lives of so many of the other, but especially in mine. 

This Tuesday we had Sister Burton who is the General Relief Society President come to the devotional. She and her husband both gave talks and they were awesome. Sister Burton talked about faith and action. I really enjoyed this topic a lot. I have been thinking a lot about faith recently and am really realizing the power faith can brings. I am going to miss so many things about the MTC, but I think the thing I will miss the very most are the devotionals. They always have such good speakers come, and they really strengthen my testimony.

Last night we had our last TRC. TRC's are lessons we teach tp other people from outside the MTC. We do this once a week and it's a great opportunity. Yesterday and the week before we were able to give the lesson over skype! It was awesome. Last week we taught Sai who is a native speaker living in Hawaii. And then last night we taught Simione who served in Fiji and is now living in Salt Lake. Both lessons went really well, but last nights lesson really felt good. Not because I can speak the language, but because the spirit was there. It taught me a valuable lesson that although the language is needed, the spirit it 10 times more important. The spirit is what does the work to change lives. Not the missionary. I just need to make sure I'm doing everything I can to be worthy to have that spirit as my 3rd companion in the lessons. I'm definitely going to need it because I am not going to impress anyone with the amount of fijian I can speak haha.

I have learned so much this week! My testimony is strengthened more and more each day. I love that I am able to go to the temple every week. I have felt blessing coming from that and am really going to miss having that opportunity once I'm out in the field. 

Thank you all for all of your support. I love this gospel so much. Oh my gosh it's so crazy that next time I write I will be in Fiji. Oh I am so excited!! 

Au vakadinadinataka ni bula o Jisu. 

Au kila ni keda na cigoma vevakaloungatataka nida talairawarawa. 

Au kila ni e lomani keda na kalou. 

Au taleitaka ogo kosipeli.

Au lomani keda

Vakanuinuivinaka.  

(For those of you who are wondering yes I know that "Elder" is spelled "Elder" in English. "Elda" is what it is in Fijian.)

Also I understand how awkward how awkward that last picture is of me Elder Aisa and Elder Scholle. That's why I put it on here haha. 

-- 

Elda Hess

Week 5 MTC

Hey guys!
How is everything back home? Thinks are going so quick here! Crazy to think that after today I only have one more Pday in the MTC! I am so excited to get out to Fiji, but I am also pretty nervous because I am still not very good at this language.

This week was really good! Even though I'm in class for 6 hours a day and then studying for probably another 3 each day, it goes by fast. I have learned a lot but it's still pretty stressful at times.

SO on Wednesday our zone got to help host the new missionaries again and while I was helping one of the elders guess who i saw!!? AIDEN FLIPPING DAYTON!! He wasn't supposed to come to the Provo MTC, but because he is waiting for his VISA he is here temporarily! I had no idea that he got switched here so it caught me off guard big time! Ahhh I was so pumped! I have been able to talk to him a lot and it's been so great!! I forgot to get a picture with him but i will take one this week and sent it next Friday!

Hey I heard Andrew Hall got called to FIJI!! That is the best news ever!! Now I will have someone to be able to talk to when we get back! I'm not even there yet but Andrew you should be very, very excited!! 

This Tuesday we had Elder Costa of the Seventy come speak to us. Him and his wife both gave talks and they were so awesome!! They are from Argentina and they are soooo funny! They told us about their conversion stories and it was really powerful. Elder Costa gave some details about the Elder that first taught him the gospel. He came from Utah and could barely speak the language, He was the only non native in his district, and he had a shy personality. The things that he did have was a testimony and was bold to share it. Even if he did struggle with the language. 

That really comforted me because I know I'm not very good at this language yet. But I do have a testimony that is stronger than ever. I have grown such a love of the scriptures. They are the word of God. I have gained an even stronger testimony since I've been here about Joseph Smith. He really was a prophet of God. 

God is really in every aspect of my life and I am realizing that more and more as the days go on! 

I am so thankful to be a missionary!!

Miss you all!

Au lomani kemuni kece!!

Elda Hess

Week 4 MTC

Dear Family & Friends,

Hello I am still alive and feeling super good! This week was great. We are really increasing the information that we get thrown at us everyday, but it's all good! I'm just trying to take in as much as possible.

The MTC is a pretty amazing place. I love it here. Although recently I have heard lots about Fiji and you could say I'm also really, really, really excited to get out of here. haha 

The language is coming good. I feel like I'm learning something new everyday even if it is something small. 

Elder Miva and Larsen left this week to the Marshall Islands and Florida and it was hard to see them go. They were both outstanding people and missionaries. They were here 3 weeks before my whole group came in they were the only two in the zone haha! They were our zone leaders when we got here and really helped us get adjusted for the first little bit. 

So on Sunday me and Elder Aisa got called as Zone Leaders. We are excited! 

FUN FACT: I am the youngest one in my entire zone by over a year!! Elders and Sisters hahaha. There are a couple missionaries that have younger siblings that are older than me!

I have grown really close with everyone here. They are all such great people and I am super excited for what good they can all do in the next two years and also just in life.

On Tuesday we had Elder Nielson of the Seventy come speak with us. He was great. He brought such a great spirit! He asked the question,"Are you sleeping through the Restoration?" He explained that the restorations is an ongoing thing. The gospel wasn't only just restored back in 1800's, it is being restored right now. I really helped me realize that this is the hastening of the work. We were meant to come to the earth at this time and I want to be able to look at my Heavenly Father after I die and tell him that I gave my whole heart the this cause. I look forward to the devotionals so much here! They are all so good!!

I love you all and love hearing how you're all doing!

Email me and tell me how things are! 

I miss all of you, but also I am very happy. The Lord has been blessing me so much these past couple weeks and I am so grateful for it. 

Au Lomani Kemuni Kece. 

Moce Toka Itokani

Ps. The picture of the name tags is our district. Out of the 9 elders we have 7 different languages!! haha so flipping cool! 

--

Elder Hess