People are happier when the sun is shining!

It seems like the weeks get better and better as the sun gets hotter and hotter!(: I swear, people are happier when the sun is shining. No matter how hot it is, as long as the sun is shining it gives you happy vibes, and that has definitely been true here!!!(:

This week was full of walking, walking, and walking! haha(: 

We had a fun week. It was hot and humid! Which means it is looking a lot like the holiday season around here(: Which reminds me... mom you cant take the Christmas decorations down until I get home! I will help!(:... haha! 

Anyways.. SO i do have some sad news.. our investigator who was supposed to get b aptized this week... she ran away from us. Haha! We don't know what happened. But she just said she will be back on Tuesday or wednesday. But since she didn't come to church yesterday.. we have to move her baptism... So theres the sad news. but plus side.. She is still wanting to be baptized and she is coming back.. hopefully!(: haha! 

We were able to get 2 new inestigators this week!!! They are 2 little boys! One is 11 and the other is 9! they are so cute and are so excited about church and us teaching them. Tehir parents are less active and they are awesome too! The whole family is just ready for change! You can see it in their eyes everytime we teach! When we went and taught them the other day, and we asked them if they would come to church on Sunday as a family and the dad said yes we'll be there and the 2 boys both said YES! haha(: They are so ready to have the gospel in their lives! 

Its so cool how me and my companion were talking last week about how we need to find new investigators to keep us busy and we said okay lets forcus on Sala, our baptism date and we will focus on finding next week. But this week, we worked so hard to see everyone, recocent converts, less actives and investigators, even some members, and all of a sudden, little investigators started popping up.. So it just shows that hard work bring blessings(: haha! 

I also got a surprise yesterday at church.. We were sitting in Relief Society. And it was ending and i turned around because someone walked in and guess who it was....... ANA MATAITOGA!!!! I wanted to cry I was so excited! haha(: She brought Junior and Tukai and they have totally forgotten me! But, I was so so so happy! It was so good to see her and to hug someone familiar!(: She said everyone is doing good and i got to sit and talk with her for a few minutes!(: 

We also had a fireside yesterday because the temple is closing down. We got to go and listen to the templ epresident! it was so awesome. They talked a lot about Heavenly Fathers love and to keep the fire of the the covenants burning in you while it is closed. It made me appreciate the temple so much! It made me realize how much of a blessing the temple is! We are so lucky to have one 5 minutes away. But these people, now they have to travel to another country! The sacrafices they will make will  be a blessing when it opens, and I hope I will be able to be here for it!!!(: haha! 

Well thats about it for this week! it was such a good week.. not much to talk about! but I can tell you that the church is true. No matter how hot and miserable the sun is, this work is real and all worth it at the end of the day!(: I have always loved walking and talking but now, it is even better because the spirit is there and I am not doing this by myself. I have Heavenly Fathers help! I love this work. I love this gospel and I know that it is true. I love you guys so so so much! 

au lomani kemudou kece! 

xoxo sister rich

Bula. Kaise. Mauri. Talofa.

Bula. Kaise. Mauri. Talofa.

Its not just Bula anymore. haha(:

This week has been so fun! Makoi is awesome. I miss Lami. But Makoi reminds me of a little Nadi! haha! So it has been fun! They transferred me over here on Tuesday evening and I got my new companion. Sister Alaga, from Samoa. She has been on her mission for about 9 months. So it will be good because we don't have to worry about training or anything. We get to just be missionaries. But, she is awesome. We have had so much fun this past week(:

The sun is still out and my skin is getting darker again!(: I am getting my permanent tan back and my feet have a tan from my shoes, so that means, we are working really hard and walking EVERYWHERE! One thing about Makoi, is there aren't busses like there has been in my last few areas. So our only option is taxi and walk. So walking it is. But it has been fun, because there are so many people here so we can just talk to everyone!(:

One thing that I have loved is that where every you go, fijians are always the same.(: They LOVE with all they have. They love more than I knew was even possible. And I hope, by the end on my mission I obtain that attribute!(: But the people here are what make this area. The members are so awesome and they LOVE the missionaries. I have met some amazing people here and I already love them so much!(: On Tuesday, I was super nervous about coming so I asked for a blesing from our District leader in Lami, he came and gave me a blessing and something he said was "you promised people before this life that you would meet them and teach them. You will meet those people." And I have, I have definitelu met those people, because I just love them so so so much!

Anyways, we have this investigator, Sala. She is 24 and has 2 kids. She is the BOMB. She has been so interested in the church because her mom and sister joined last year. She has been taking lessons on and off since her mom and sister started the lessons but never finished or progressed to baptism. This week we were able to see her almost everyday I was here and teach her. Because that is what she wanted. She kept telling us come back tomorrow. And she came to church on Sunday and LOVED IT! This week we had such a awesome lesson with her and her sister in law, who is also a new investigator. We were teaching the Plan of Salvation and they were both really interested. Both Sala, and Kalera were asking questions. And the spirit was answering.. then the next day, me and sister Alaga went back and taught Sala and invited her to be baptized. She didn't even have to think about it. She was more than ready to be baptized. It is amazing to me how people are just prepared to hear and accept the gospel at a certain time. She could've made it this far last year with her mom, but for some reason, she is now ready. I am so happy I get to be apart of it.

So this week was awesome. Still settling in, but loving it. I am still studying the atonement and am LOVING IT! This week I read a talk from Brad Wilcox "His grace is Sufficient" and I LOVED IT! If you can go read it, because it is awesome. But, something I learned from it, is that the atonement doesn't only save us, it is so much more than that. It is the hope to know that everything is going to be okay. It is the love that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ has for us. It is the reason for us to change. Sometimes I am so self critical on myself, and something that I have read over and over again since studying is to "see myself through Heavenly Fathers eyes". I know I am far from perfect, But because of the atonement, i know, past my imperfections, he still loves me and everyone else in this world. Like it says in D&C 67:13 "...continue n patience until [we] are perfected". So the Atonement is real. Its up to us how we use it.(:

So this week was good and awesome. I love you guys so much!! You guys are seriously the BEST FAMILY EVER!!!(:

Au lomani iko. Hum tum se pyaar carta hey. i tagiriko. 

Sister Rich

Pictures September 7, 2014

What Time is it??!!! Summer time!!

What time is it?! SUMMER TiME!(: 

Well this week, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the kids were laughing, and the beach was so tempting!! Haha! But, it was ok because it was warm and I LOVED IT!(: I took every opportunity to be in the sun I could get. And as a missionary, that isn't that hard.. since we are walking everywhere! But, its ok when it doesn't rain. And this week there was NO RAIN! So it was a good week!(: 

We had a baptism this week! It was Joy, Toga and Apisai! Man, it was so good! Baptisms are the greatest thing ever! And especially when they're kids, because to me the light of Christ is just so strong in them already, they just GLOW after baptism!(: It was such a sweet baptism. They get there and they brought their mom! Which was like the coolest thing ever.. because we haven't been able to get her to anything. But, she had  no excuse this time! haha!(: So they brought her and there is just something about a baptism.. the spirit is just so so SO strong, its like when Joseph Smith says "I knew. and i knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it!". You can't deny that there is a special spirit at baptisms! Its like heaven is having a party and since they can't celebrate yet, they just send the spirit!(: haha! But it was a good baptism and the kids were so happy. I really love that family. And I really hope the mom recognized that spirit. I think she did because she came to church yesterday! YAY!(: 

But, for some other news, Heavenly Father has a really funny sense of humor. haha! He sends me to Lami, and then, the says "ok.. 6 weeks in the best place ever is too long. So now..... I'M TRANSFERRING YOU TO MAKOI!!!" Yes, I am getting transferred.. It seems like since I left Nadi, i can't keep a companion for more that 6 weeks! haha! Constant change! Which is sometimes a good thing. But, Lami has just been so good and I have had AWESOME companiosn who have helped me so much, I am scared to leave! But, I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me in Makoi.. SO BRING IT ON!!!(: Makoi here I come! 

So something I have really been studying and reading about is the Atonement. This month we are focusing on being grateful for the Atonement and applying it more to our lives. Something that I tend to do a lot.. is seriously carry all of my burdens myself. And as I have studied more about the atonement, is I have really come to appreciate the scripture, "take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." There is a talk that I have LOVED since before my mission, because I watched it on YouTube.. It is missionary work and the Atonement. President Eyring says something like this.. "When ever you feel like you have finished a hard task... I remember my savior.." He goes on saying more, but to me that is the most powerful line. He then talks about how the savior never stopped working. He had determination to finish. I have learned that this life is hard. I have been so blessed in my life, and haven't had to face a lot of things like other people. But, one thing i know is that Heavenly Father sent us his son so that we could have hope when things get hard. When things seem like they are never going to end, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. And all of that because the savior took our burdens upon him and he loves us more than we can even know! That is just something I have really recognized this week as I studied the Atonement. I don't think I will every be tired from studying the atonement!(:

I hope you guys know how much I love you! Thank you for your love and prayers! Even though I am an ocean away, I can still feel your love!(: YOU ARE THE BEST! 

LOVE YOU! 

Sister Rich