Blessing in Fiji... But Ready to Get Back to Work!

Mangos in Fiji

Dear Mom,

Soooo... Today is our last day in Suva, it has been a pretty fun/boring/fast/long week!!! hahah I got to do so much work inside the temple it was amazing! Thursday when Elder Miller and I were walking I had the thought to exchange my personal funds to Fijian money at this one store, and guess who we ran into? The first counselor in the Temple Presidency, who told us that they were going to go downtown and do their shopping but had the feeling to go to this store instead. He told us we were the reason they had the feeling to stop.  He told us that the visa waiters had an appointment at the Temple at three o'clock but they couldn't get a hold of them.  Over the week I have been here I was able to go through 4 endowment sessions and take part in over 50 baptisms,mostly in Kiribati!  I was able to confirm in Kiribati, it was soooo cool!  I witnessed for a lady from Kiribati as she sealed her parents, and then afterwards she was sealed to them.  I had conversations with the entire temple presidency, and received personal revelation in the Celestial room.

Oh and I learned how to prepare huge tuna to eat! Let's just say it is pretty brutal and really messy!

Preparing Tuna

I did use personal funds this week because I felt bad using mission funds for food and clothes.  This last week was a week of miracles!  I did some studying a little everyday, we went to the town, and Thursday through Saturday we spent most of the time in the Temple. When we had free time we went to Suva town, which put me in a little bit of culture shock cause it is nothing like Kiribati!! haha

Going through the temple with these guys was such a humbling experience, it really made me appreciate everything that we have back home.  I just wish I would have realized how blessed we are to have so many temples so close to us back home, I definitely would have taken more advantage of it if I knew.  I am just so blessed to be able to go, Elder Miller and I are probably some of the only elders who has been able to go to the temple serving in the Marshall Islands Majuro mission!

I was having a hard time at first staying for a week and it really freaked me out but being here, but I have found so many blessings and I know that is the reason I am here.  It has been a blast, hard because we didn't teach, but amazing anyway!

I love you so much mom,

Love your son,

Elder Johnson

Chilling with Ronald

Dad,

Tell everyone hi for me and that I love them!  That is so cool how well Ana is doing that makes me proud of my lil sis! (Ana is playing water polo like Jeff did when he was in school.) 

I am way too ready to get out of Fiji, it has been good, but I haven't done real missionary work for a week.  I just want to get back out and teach. It has been amazing however to be with the Kiribati gang, they are way to fun, and super humble! I loved going to the temple.  I didn't think that I would have a chance to go while I was on my mission.  It really made me appreciate all those temples that are sooo close to our house.  One gift of the spirit I really need in order to be a more successful missionary is definitely the gift of tongues.  It was kind of frustrating because I couldn't understand a lot of what the visa waiters were saying, but that is okay, I still had a great time.  I even learned how to prepare and cook tuna! and yes that's fresh from the ocean.... XD hahah

Miller is an awesome kid, he is really funny and super nice.  He is really good at the language, and connects really well with the people.  Everyone loves him.  He was really sad he was finishing his time in Christmas, he had a hard time getting on the flight last week.  I don't blame him, he had influenced so many people there.  I'm just glad I have such a long time left!

The thing we did the most is go to the Temple, and to Suva town!  I gave away one more pair of pants so I am down to only two, so for my birthday package, I need pants! (Jeff has given away about 8 pairs of pants and a bunch of shirts to Kiribati missionaries going to the US or to investigators that were worried about how they dressed coming to church.  6 months into his mission and he is out of pants!)haha and I am bringing one of the Elder's pants that is working on Kiritimati, and they are sooo nice, they are the Nike golf pants, they are super cool, (as in not hot when you wear them) and easy to sit cross legged. 

Our flight is tomorrow at midnight, so we are going to bus back to Nadi today after we run a few errands here in Suva,

I love you dad,

Love your son,

Elder Johnson

Sometimes we wonder about the pictures he chooses to send!

Some messages we received Monday afternoon:

Just wanting to let you know that I made it safely to Nadi, and two of the Kiribati Elders had a hotel room that are going to the MTC today so we got to sleep with them last night, everything is looking good for the Flight to Kiritimati we just have to wait until nine tonight to check in for our flight!  Know that everything is going well and I am being well taken care of by the Lord!  We just were given a super sweet missionary opportunity to spend some time in Fiji!!!!

We know the mission is changing him, but some things will never change!

Quick Note From Fiji

Elder Johnson is on his way to Christmas Island.  The only flights between Tarawa and Christmas Island take him through Fiji.  There is only one flight per week, and regrettably they did not make the flight.

Mom,

First off, sorry I didn't write yesterday, I had to be at the airport by nine and didn't get to Fiji until 3. By that time all the internet cafes they were all closed so I am emailing today haha. 

Investigators are solid, and I made this last week my best week in Ambo, even though we didn't have a ton of lessons! haha We had two new investigators come to church and my understanding of the language sky rocketed!

So we have a dilemma here in Fiji, our flight to fiji was a okay.... but our flight for tomorrow to Kiritimati was not confirmed and they only have one flight a week from Fiji so we could be staying for a week here..... aaand our hotel Raffles was only booked for one night.  You guys should look it up its waaay nice! hahah  So we will see what happens tonight we are on a waiting list so there is a small chance to leave tonight at midnight! haha

I love that you are  continuing with your reading that is going to help you way more than you know!! That verse that you sent me is amazing, and it helped me to know that everything will be alright no matter what, as long as I am doing what I am supposed to be doing! 

I love you mom,

Love your son,

Elder Johnson

Dad,

Well I'm in Fiji baby!! ahahah you were right about me not getting time yesterday, but I do have time today!!

Flight went good but like I told mom, we might have to stay a week with no hotel.... so we will have to travel four hours to Vula and stay with the Kiribati visa waiters.... no work..... I really hope we get on tonight... hahah

Carrington left last Saturday, Elder Stone, and Elder Aru are taking over the area, I worked with Stone the last couple of days so that I could show him around the area it went pretty well. 

I love that experience that you had with your friend, it is really an answer to my prayers.  I have been praying that you would have more spiritual experiences to help you know that the Lord is always there. Anyway I love you, I don't have a lot of time, We are going to do a few things before we fly out!

I'll update you next week!

love your son,

Elder Johnson

Letter sent Tuesday night:

soooooooooooo didn't get on the flight.... which means Elder Miller and I are stuck in Fiji for one week.  But the bright side is that we get to stay with all the visa waiters from Kiribati, and we get to go to the temple baby!

Visa waiters are missionaries going to america for their missions from Kiribati. As of right now I am across the street from the temple emailing you.  President Weir told us if we didn't get on to find the Visa waiters. and the cool thing is they are all getting their temple endowments right now, and the AP's here have a few investigators that speak Kiribati, so we might go with them sometime!!

I love you all!