It's all Worth it!!

Oi lei has this week been exhausting but SO GOOD! It was full of a lot
of goods and bads. Which is what we experience every week... but this
week it was literally like we would be at the most spiritual high,
where it felt like we we're able to change this persons lives and we
were so in tune with the spirit during the lessons and Heavenly Father
was literally just pushing us to go and talk to this person!! And then
we would go into the lowest depression where it felt like no one would
listen to us, no matter how many doors were slammed in our faces or
how many people cussed at me in Fijian.. (Yes that actually happen again
this week..) or how aimless we were with nothing to do, no one to
visit, and no one on the street to talk too.. We literally felt every
emotion you can think of this week. But no matter how dark it got, it
seemed to have that light at the end of the tunnel thing people talk
about. So let me tell you guys all about it! haha(:

Well it started off good! We went and visited a less active who has
really been struggling and asked us if we would come and study D&C
with her.. So of course we said yes! I have never  really studied D&C so it
was really good to ready it in depth.. It gave me the hope for a new
week(: Haha Then we walked to our next appointment which is like 45
min away and we decided we would OYM in this area, because we never
have before, so we oym along the way, and literally i just felt like
we needed to go and talk to this guy.. So we did! He invited us back
tomorrow and I am looking forward to it. He didn't seem super
interested but I just felt like I needed to talk to him and so I did
and we will see what happens tomorrow! THEN we went to the Singh
families house. The whole family is taking lessons and they are
planning on getting baptized THIS SATURDAY!!!!! YAYYYY!!!! I am so
excited for them! So we were on a spiritual high!(:

Then it just kept getting better from there! We went and saw our
investigator we found from service last week and she wanted to read
the book of mormon.. Man I felt like she was really just prepared for
us and for this gospel! We are so excited to follow up on her reading
of the Book of Mormon and see her this week! So our spiritual high was
just at the HIGHEST! Then we had to find something to do, so we said a
little prayer and we got the impression to go and OYM again in another
area. So we went over there and for about 3 1.2 hours we walked up and
down these streets, OYMing everyone we saw. We OYM about 15 people and
only got 4 return appointments. It started raining and I felt like no
one would listen to us.. woohoo spiritual depression.. haha then we
had a lesson where we went to Sister Ihakas house and we are teaching
that cute little babies mom, you saw on facebook, and also her house
lady! Sheis a fijian. And the lesson was that God is Your loving
Heavenly Father. And at the moment it was just so strong to me that
God really does love everyone of his children. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF
THEM! Me, YOU, THE PEOPLE HERE IN FIJI. Each of us. And the spirit was
so strong again! We were able to feel the spirit again. And we were
able to keep going.
The next day, we had an appointment with an investigator, we were
supposed to meet her at her house and she just told us the Lot number
she stays at... Which in Fiji I guess is enough. But we literally
walked on every street in Waqadra looking for that house. We said,  well I
can't even tell you how many prayers. We asked so many people and we
never found it. It pouring rain so we got soaking wet.. then the
elders called us and wanted to check on us because of the rain.. and
then we get this text saying "FLOOD WARNING! Nadi river flooded and
broken its bank. Flood water expected in town and surrounding areas.
Evacuate and move to higher grounds immediately. " Can you just
imagine me freaking out like a little white girl.. and thats exactly
what I was doing! haha the elders came and picked us up and luckily
our flat isn't a flood zone, so we went to our flat and it was raing
SO HARD! I was scared just a little bit.. haha But then so many prayer
from all the members and especially from Ana whose house can get
flooded easily. The flood went down and it didn't flood or effect any
of our houses. SO YAY!!!(:
Oh and I got to go to another funeral! Haha I think that is my 4th one
since I have been here!! It was Bobo, our recent coverts dad. It was
really sad! We were able to go there and support her and then she
wanted to leave so we took her on a walk and just talked to her. We
ended up at the beach! (no idea how that happened (;) haha we sat down
and had a lesson with her and it was probably one of the strongest
lessons with the spirit. She was crying and I was crying and mila was
crying! It was just the perfect ending to a not so good day!
THEN at another appointment we had probably one of the worst lessons
ever. The spirit just wasn't there. It was so hard. Because without
the spirit it is so hard to teach! You really can't teach without the
spirit. We were teaching about the Plan of salvation and they were
just asking questions that weren't relevant to what we were teaching.
They weren't listening to us and they didn't agree with the fall being
a good thing. SO I just closed with my testimony and asked them to
read the pamphlet and next time, we will start over. So we did exactly
that. When we went over yesterday, the spirit was definitely there. We
were able to answer all their questions. Heavenly Father really knew
how much I needed that lesson after the week I had and he gave it to
me! It was the best lesson with the spirit just bein so strong. They
finally understood their purpose and they agreed that that fall was a
good thing. Without it we wouldn' t be here right now. It was so good
and I am so happy that that is how the week eneded.

We had a lot of ups and downs this week and even though we still
aren't out of the tunnel, and I may never get out of the tunnel, I
know that the light at the end of it is worth it. Something I remember
everyone saying is that they loved their missions. No one told me it
was going to be this hard. No one told me I would face what I have
faced since I have been here. But the things I have learned and the
things I have been able to obtain have been so much more worth it. "It
wouldn't be worth it if it wasn't hard" right? So this week i know
will be a difficult one, i have no doubt about that, BUT it is worth
it. Every second, every door that gets slammed in my face, every bad
word that gets said to me, and everytime I feel like I can't do this
anymore is worth it. Because the love I have for this gospel and the
love I have for my Heavenly Father and Savior is worth it. IT IS ALL
WORTH IT!

I love you guys so much! I can't even begin to tell you guys how much
I have missed you guys this week! But, like my leter has said, being a
missionary is worth it. Keep being you and keep living this gospel!(:
Be an example to your friend and everyone! Because the impression you
can leave on someone will be everlasting! I love you guys! I really
have the best family EVER!!!(: YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!(:

LOLOMA LEVU
Loloma mai viti!
Sister Courtney Rich