10 September
2016
We had our
first “graduating class” for our Temple Prep classes go to the Suva Temple a
week ago and we were on the dock the morning they returned. They were all
smiles and like little children at Christmas time. There were 3 couples and one
single lady who received their own endowments. The couples were then sealed to
their children. Our branch president was sealed to his father and mother. There
were 17 people in all that went and made eternal covenants. Those young men and
women that had a “limited use” recommend, were able to attend and do baptisms
for the dead. I was so nice to see how their faces had changed from the
experience.
A few days
after they had returned, I had need to be in the village of one of the fathers,
who is the group leader in that village. Now, usually we can ride the 20
minutes into town without one word, but this day was different. He told me he
had had a dream, in which he saw many of his ancestors smiling and looking at
him. He was so taken by the dream; he woke his wife to tell her about the
dream. He asked me if I had any idea what it meant? Talk about feeling the
heavy load of responsibility, I told him that I thought that his ancestors
wanted him to do the family history and then take their names to the temple. I
told him that not everyone had an experience like this after going to the
temple.
Another
sister we visit, who is less active, told us that after Cyclone Winston had
leveled their home, they re-built. It is a very small home, with two rooms that
has plywood as walls. They do have power and gas for their stove. But not much
else. I noticed a picture of Christ on one of the walls and she told us after
they re-built, that fire that burned two walls and melted one of their mosquito
nets. But she said that the other net had that picture of Christ on it and the
fire didn’t burn or melt the second mosquito net.
We have been
given a new assignment. We are facilitating the missionaries that are going
home in 6 weeks, with the Self-Reliance program. There are 12 lessons but we
only do the first 6 and they are to complete the last 6 when they return home.
We started our first group of 2 elders and 1 sister last Monday and will be
organizing another group in a village of Tukavesi. The Branch President in this
village wants to take the course also.
When couples
are called on a self-reliant mission they get a week of training in SLC after
their week in the MTC. Our training was a phone call, email and a USB drive
with all the lessons, videos, etc. on it. We were told to “teach ourselves”. I
must say that the lessons are very well organized and fortunately the
instructions are to not deviate from the lesson material. It is timed so you
really can’t go too far off course.
Today we
went to a neighboring island to do some “official business” of the mission. We
have been asked to do the flat inspections of all the elders and sisters and to
check the temple recommend books in each of the branches, to make sure they
have the only the books that are required. All I have to check is the beginning
and ending numbers of the recommends in the booklet. Some of the branches have
both English and Fijian recommends and some only have the English.
The island
we went to is called Rabi, (pronounced Rambi). We had to take an hour drive on
paved roads, then 1 ¼ hours on dirt roads, they a 45-minute boat ride to the
island. The boat was a fiberglass 18’ motor boat. Then after an hour on the
island we made the return trip. We do not stay on the island. It is very rustic
and rats in the houses. Yes, rats! Even the Elders would not let us stay
overnight.
Brother Matai and Wife
Savusavu Branch at Temple
Brothers at Temple
Sisters at Temple
Brother Sepo and Family
This is the Brother who had the Dream
Jackie and Lucia and Matai
No comments:
Post a Comment