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