Hello from Fiji October 29, 2017

Hey sorry it's been 3 weeks! I bet most of you didn't even notice though until now! 

Things have been crazy here! In a really good way though, well mostly! 

Elder Hariprasad finished and went back to India! I miss him lots but I'm just thankful I got to be with him for a transfer! 

As of two weeks ago I am with Elder Shin from West Jordan! He is the man! He has only been in Fiji now for a week and a half but he is killing it! We have had tons of fun together already and have seen lots of success! 

Raj's baptism was on Saturday and so that was really awesome! He is 9 years old and just a stellar kid! He lives near the chapel and is already super involved in primary and so it's been a good transition! 

Also we saw another miracle this past week! Kala the aunti who cannot walk showed her faith and came to church by being carried on a chair. It was so powerful! Well exactly 2 days after that act of faith we stopped by a recent converts house and he told us he had received a wheelchair for Kala!!! Like it was so random and an absolute miracle! I believe that it was only possible because Kala showed so much faith just 2 days before. We have been looking for a wheelchair for her for 4 months now and I know it wasn't a coincidence that it was right after the act of faith! Her baptism is coming up in 2 short weeks! It has been a long time coming but will be so worth it!

One heartbreak was with Domonik. He is a boy from Kiribati who is staying here in Suva. Well we heard news from Christmas Island that his family would not support him in the baptism and so for now we are going to have to wait until the Lord provides another way! 

Just yesterday we showed up to our Suva 1st ward and you won't believe who was there!! Well it was the whole Pacific Area Presidency(President O. Vincent Haleck, Elder Ian S. Ardern, and Elder Craig A. Cardon) AND every single Mission President and their wives from the whole pacific!! 17 of them! So that was a little crazy, but also really, really cool! I'm just glad we were there early!! Not everyday that you have 3 General Authorities and the 17 Mission Presidents in your sacrament meeting! 

Saturday night was one of the best finding nights of my mission so far. We found 10 new investigators from 5 different houses in just 2 hours!! I think that's got to be a new record for the hindi program in Fiji! 

Things are really good! Elder Shin is the man! He's already picked up some hindi it's awesome! We are working hard and just living it up! Love you all! Sorry it's been a long time!! 

I know there has been heaps more that has happened I just can't write it all right now! 

Isa Hum aaplog se pyar karta hei. Ii zinagi bohut acha hei. Hum kushi lage jaab hum cam kare bhagvan ke liye. BYE!

No letter from Elda Hess this week, just LOSTS of AWESOME of pictures October 22, 2017

October 15, 2017

Love you all sorry i dont have time today to do anything except let you all know that i am alive and well! We are doing a big celebration this week as a zone! Things are good! I got to see some of the things you all sent! Love you guys! Have a great week! So sorry for this!

--

Elda Hess

8 Months!! October 8, 2017

This week has been fantastic!

I have enjoyed so many things, but probably the best part was conference! I loved general conference! I feel so uplifted because of the words of the prophets! I really wish I had appreciated it more fully my entire life up to this point! It is amazing how true the church is. Like wow it is so true it's crazy! 

I loved what my grandpa shared with me:

One of my favorite scriptures is "Look unto me in every thought doubt not fear not.” That is a commandment which may take a lifetime to  achieve but I think me meant what he said.  D&C 6:36   In verse 34 He said, therefore fear not, little flock; do good;  let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. The great question we need to ask ourselves when confronted with decisions in life is, "what would Jesus do.”

I love this what my grandpa sent me because Christ is the way. It is so special to know of his true church on the earth today! I also really loved Elder Holland's talk. It gives us hope that we are not expected to be perfect. We are in a fallen state right now, but that is what the atonement of Jesus Christ is for. It makes it possible for us to overcome that spiritual death that comes from our sins. I know that it is not easy but because of Jesus Christ we have hope. Don't get discouraged just keep working. It will all be worth it!  

We are leaving soon to do a hike as a zone which is going to be really fun! 

Love you all! Sorry not many details! 

-- 

Elda Hess

October 1, 2017

This week has been really good!! 

Me and Elder Hariprasad have been doing lots of walking as usual! It is starting to really get hot during the days so usually we are pretty dehydrated by the end of the day, but what's new ay!

This week we have put in lots of effort to find a wheelchair for Kala. You couldn't imagine how hard it is to find a wheelchair here. We see them everywhere, but it is nearly impossible to find one for cheap. Satan is just working hard to try and stop us, but Kala is so awesome and nothing is going to stop her! We have narrowed down the search though and we should be able to get her her very own wheelchair soon! But if any of you by chance have a connection to someone with a wheelchair in Fiji just let us know!

This week we met James! Well actually James came up and met us! He stopped us on the road and let us know that he wants to be married in the temple!! Well that doesn't happen everyday!! We met with him on Friday and he is awesome! Baptismal date for next month! 

We were walking home from a dinner appointment the other night and we saw a sasa(broom) on the side of the road! And this thing looked just like the Nimbus 2000 from Harry Potter and so we took some pics and then brought it home with us! 

We got invited to come to dinner with some members at Tiko's Sea Food and Steak House!! It was so good! The restaurant is right in the middle next to the ocean and is actually on a boat!! I felt more like a tourist than I did a missionary because it was a fun experience!!

Well things are going good here! I really love Suva! The members are so awesome! I love the work! 

I have been reading in the book 'Our Search for Happiness' by Elder Ballard and it really is eye opening. It has helped me look at things through the perspective of an investigator or nonmember and that is cool! You all should definitely read it! 

Okay love you all! Sorry not a very detailed email, but I'm always running low on time! 

Hum aaplog se pyar kare hei!

Aagle haafta na! Namaste! 

Pictures:

1. Nimbus 2000

2. Almost took this with me home

3. Suvaaaa

4. Tiko's 

5. Skux district with Aunti Gina

6. Eta's baptism

7. Pt 2

September 24, 2017

I only have time to send a couple pictures this week! Sorry! Things are so good though! I'm loving it here:)

Pictures:

1. Walking in one of the settlements 

2. Dogs of Fiji. It's pretty sad sometimes how rough they're looking! Also random side note... we got chases by 4 dogs yesterday and I hit one with my new umbrella and the top broke. 

3. This is little Jason! He is a stud and I call him nogu yaca bc of my middle name!

4. During service went and got some coconuts!

5. Good looking district!

6. Repping Brazil at dinner!! Let's go! I hear Neymar is killing it at PSG! 

7.With some of the YSA from Suva 1st! 

-- Elda Hess

September 17, 2017

Kaise?

This week was good! Loving it here in Fiji! Honestly it's a dream being able to live here for 2 years!

We are trying to enjoy the nice cool weather right now because from now on every day is going to be getting hotter and hotter! The seasons are the opposite of Utah and so that's kinda cool! It's also cyclone season coming and so it's going to be raining lots! I bought a new umbrella this week called the "Better Brella". It opens up upside down haha! Number one recommended from members and so yeah! Okay sorry that was random haha!

This week we have been doing lots of work! Elder Hariprasad and I have both lost weight in the last 2 week because we have been walking everywhere! We hardly ever even bus so it's pretty exhausting! 

We found a broken down wheelchair on the side of the road and we asked if we could have it from the owner, and he told  us to come back and so we are really excited and hoping that works out! That would means that Kala would be able to come to church:) We would definitely need to fix it up first, but we are hoping we can do that this week! 

We met one lady this week and she is really cool! She is a way strong hindu and she has a massive hindu idol in her front room, so we didn't have much expectation in the beginning, but we have now met with her twice and it's awesome! We have already become close to her and it's great! Sometimes it takes a couple times for a hindu meeting a Christian for them to start to understand that we aren't just really weird people running around trying to drag Indians out of their beliefs and culture! It's amazing to see that barrier break down and to help them realize that we are people just like them!

One amazing thing about the Hindi program is we are able to teach every day about who Jesus Christ is! It is so special to help people understand the very fundamentals of the doctrine of Christ. Especially what he has done for us! Everyday I am so surprised at how many people here know so little about Jesus Christ!! And so I really feel blessed to be a part of them learning of their Savior:)

We got to go to a wedding reception on Friday and it was awesome!! They were sealed in the morning and then the reception was that night! Fijian receptions are lit! They go all out! It was a member from Suva 1st ward named Api! They rented out the whole vodafone arena! If you don't know what that is look it up on Google! Half of Suva's population was there it felt like! Tons of food and yeah it was just a great night! 

Yesterday we were walking to the hospital to give a blessing and we saw George's wife from Labasa!! She is from the middle of nowhereon a completely different island, and yet I saw her in the middle of Suva!! She screemed when she saw me! Then she ran up and kissed me on both cheeks haha!! It's been about 3 months since George died but she looks happy and so that made me really happy! She is staying with her son right now and so things are good! We hurried and took a picture but it didn't take on time so it isn't good, but I'll try and attatch it!  

Alright well I don't have much time but this week has been good!! Thankful to hear from you guys! I know the Church is true! Missions aren't easy whatsoever, but they are worth it!! 

Hum aaplog se bohut pyar khare hei! 

--

Elda Hess

Pictures:

1. With the Kama's for dinner every Monday night! 

2. I am the shortest one out of these guys!! 

3. Me and Elder Tony and Elder Latu(most humble missionaries in FSM)!

4. Elder Tony my dad!! 

6. Wedding!! The Masi they are walking on is 3 thousand dollars... Fijians go all out! 

7. Cheeky kids from Suva 3rd ward! 

8. Ay me and George's wife!!