HAPPY DIWALI from Fiji(: Man this week was so crazy! Diwali is HUGE! I guess it is bigger than any other holiday here! There are fireworks and music coming from every house and people wearing sarees, which i got to try on about 5!(; But oh man, SO MANY SWEETS! And indian sweets are different.. they're kinda gross!! Haha. The only things I like are these deep fried things that taste like donuts! HAHA! I don't know what they are called but they are delicious!! When we were proselyting and walking through Nawaka, people would just tell us to come in and have sweets!! So we got fed so many sweets yesterday! Even though it was fast sunday.. you can't say no.. or they take it offensively! So we have to go in and sit, talk, and eat! We have so many sweets at our house, everyone packed some for us to take home! So we just decided to give them to our land lady! Me and one of the RM's in our ward, she goes out proselyting with us and there is one sweet that we both love! It is like a coconut toffee thingy! IT IS AMAZING! But, no one gave it to us! So Sister Seru and I would just walk up to the Indian houses and start talking to everyone then they ask us if we want sweets, and of course because I am palagi, they give us ALOT! But they would give us all the gross stuff, so we have SO MANY packages of all the stuff we dont want to eat! Its funny because all the Fijians know that the Indians just invite people in so they walk around untuil someone invites them in for the sweets! Haha(: Another great thing about Diwali , is the festival of lights! Oh man there were Christmas lights and candles at like every house! It made me excited for Christmas lights! Haha! Seriously, Diwali felt like Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day, 4th of July all in one day! But it was so fun! It was definitely a different kind of holiday experience. (:
We also got to go down to Suva this week! We had Sister training! It was so good! We got to go down and stay there and see all the sisters from where they are serving! Sister Klingler, (mission Presidents wife) talked and then our Sister Training Leaders! Then we had a role play and Sister Lavaka and I got asked to do it! Man everyone was laughing at us because we were trying not to be funny. We were laughing! Oh then since no where in Fiji has air conditioning that we are all at, we were sitting in the presidents house and listening but it was FREEZING because of the air conditioning! We were all so cold! We definitely weren't use to that! Haha(: The training was good! It definitely made me love Nadi though! I am so glad I am here and not over in the humid, rain all the time! Even though it has been raining here alot! haha(:
So cool story! We were in a store called Rups, its like a grocery/clothing/everything store.. but it is so small and kinda dirty.. but they have really good walking shoes that can get muddy! Sister Lavaka needs some more so we went in and looked! Since it was Diwali they were having a huge sale and there were so many people in there! But I started tlking to this worker about Diwali and then of course because of the name tag, she asked me what I am doing here and we started talking about why I am here and she was so interested! I gave her a restoration pamphlet and she got our number! Then when Sister lavaka was done buying her shoes she came over and we got a new investigator! We were so happy! 1st new investigator since we have been companions! We get to go and see her this week! So excited! Then the next day, we have been trying to get our members to give us referrals, and one lady, Sister Ako, gave us one! But they are both so busy we never had a chance to go see her! but this week we got to go and see her and talk to her and see if she would be interested! I was giving the over view of what we do as missionaries and we gave her the DVD Together Forever and we were talking about how our main purpose here is to help families be together forever.. then me and Sister Lavaka both kinda paused, and Jakopeci ( thats the lady we were visiting) just started crying! We sat there for a second but we just kept talking about Families! When we were done, she said THAT is what she has been needing to hear from someone! She already knows this gospel is true and we are going to go and see her this week too!!(: SO 2 NEW INVESTIGATORS IN 1 WEEK!!! WOOHOOO!! Me and Sister Lavaka celebrated in our apartment that night after we got dropped off by the Taxi! haha(: Which included jumping, screaming, and a little bit of dancing..(: haha! But we were seriously so happy!
But enough about me! it sounds like you guys had such a fun Halloween! I missed you guys so much and thought about you guys on Halloween! I was thinking about you guys literally all week! And oh my goodness!! Carly looks so grown up! Tell her to stop growing up! But she looks SO BEAUTIFUL! Sister Lavaka said she looks just like me! Haha! Oh man I miss you guys! Mom you look so skinny in the Halloween Picture!(: I can't wait for these next 2 holidays! If I stay in Nadi through these next transfers, I already have an american family that invited us over for Thanksgiving(: haha And then Christmas and I get to talk to you guys! So of course I am soooo excited for that!
I seriously love you guys so much! You guys are so amazing and just like you said mom, this gospel is true and this church is true! I love those moments where you actually realize it, instead of just saying it! My favorite part of giving lessons is bearing my testimony! because I feel like everytime I do, I surprise myself what I actually do believe in! And I feel like that is where I learn a lot about myself! I can't even begin to tell you guys how much I know this church is true! Being a missionary is seriously the HARDEST thing I have ever done, but it has been the most spiritual and beneficial thing I have ever done! And I am so grateful I chose to be here! You guys are so amazing for giving me the chance to be here and for all that you guys have sacraficed for me to be here! You guys are as much a part of this and it is as hard for you guys, as it is for me! You guys are constantly in my prayers! I am glad you guys are having so much fun! Keep being you and keep working so hard in this gospel(:
Au lomani vakalevu iko!!!
loloma levu tale mai Fiji!
-Sister Rich
P.S. About the Christmas thing.. ANYTHING these kids will love! I will see with some of the kids this week what they could get as a little present and see what i can find out(: You guys are awesome for thinking about that!(: Love you!!(:
We also got to go down to Suva this week! We had Sister training! It was so good! We got to go down and stay there and see all the sisters from where they are serving! Sister Klingler, (mission Presidents wife) talked and then our Sister Training Leaders! Then we had a role play and Sister Lavaka and I got asked to do it! Man everyone was laughing at us because we were trying not to be funny. We were laughing! Oh then since no where in Fiji has air conditioning that we are all at, we were sitting in the presidents house and listening but it was FREEZING because of the air conditioning! We were all so cold! We definitely weren't use to that! Haha(: The training was good! It definitely made me love Nadi though! I am so glad I am here and not over in the humid, rain all the time! Even though it has been raining here alot! haha(:
So cool story! We were in a store called Rups, its like a grocery/clothing/everything store.. but it is so small and kinda dirty.. but they have really good walking shoes that can get muddy! Sister Lavaka needs some more so we went in and looked! Since it was Diwali they were having a huge sale and there were so many people in there! But I started tlking to this worker about Diwali and then of course because of the name tag, she asked me what I am doing here and we started talking about why I am here and she was so interested! I gave her a restoration pamphlet and she got our number! Then when Sister lavaka was done buying her shoes she came over and we got a new investigator! We were so happy! 1st new investigator since we have been companions! We get to go and see her this week! So excited! Then the next day, we have been trying to get our members to give us referrals, and one lady, Sister Ako, gave us one! But they are both so busy we never had a chance to go see her! but this week we got to go and see her and talk to her and see if she would be interested! I was giving the over view of what we do as missionaries and we gave her the DVD Together Forever and we were talking about how our main purpose here is to help families be together forever.. then me and Sister Lavaka both kinda paused, and Jakopeci ( thats the lady we were visiting) just started crying! We sat there for a second but we just kept talking about Families! When we were done, she said THAT is what she has been needing to hear from someone! She already knows this gospel is true and we are going to go and see her this week too!!(: SO 2 NEW INVESTIGATORS IN 1 WEEK!!! WOOHOOO!! Me and Sister Lavaka celebrated in our apartment that night after we got dropped off by the Taxi! haha(: Which included jumping, screaming, and a little bit of dancing..(: haha! But we were seriously so happy!
But enough about me! it sounds like you guys had such a fun Halloween! I missed you guys so much and thought about you guys on Halloween! I was thinking about you guys literally all week! And oh my goodness!! Carly looks so grown up! Tell her to stop growing up! But she looks SO BEAUTIFUL! Sister Lavaka said she looks just like me! Haha! Oh man I miss you guys! Mom you look so skinny in the Halloween Picture!(: I can't wait for these next 2 holidays! If I stay in Nadi through these next transfers, I already have an american family that invited us over for Thanksgiving(: haha And then Christmas and I get to talk to you guys! So of course I am soooo excited for that!
I seriously love you guys so much! You guys are so amazing and just like you said mom, this gospel is true and this church is true! I love those moments where you actually realize it, instead of just saying it! My favorite part of giving lessons is bearing my testimony! because I feel like everytime I do, I surprise myself what I actually do believe in! And I feel like that is where I learn a lot about myself! I can't even begin to tell you guys how much I know this church is true! Being a missionary is seriously the HARDEST thing I have ever done, but it has been the most spiritual and beneficial thing I have ever done! And I am so grateful I chose to be here! You guys are so amazing for giving me the chance to be here and for all that you guys have sacraficed for me to be here! You guys are as much a part of this and it is as hard for you guys, as it is for me! You guys are constantly in my prayers! I am glad you guys are having so much fun! Keep being you and keep working so hard in this gospel(:
Au lomani vakalevu iko!!!
loloma levu tale mai Fiji!
-Sister Rich
P.S. About the Christmas thing.. ANYTHING these kids will love! I will see with some of the kids this week what they could get as a little present and see what i can find out(: You guys are awesome for thinking about that!(: Love you!!(:
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