Winding Down but Keeping Busy

Wow! We have passed out one year mark on our mission. It really seems to go fast. Looking back over the past 12 months has made me realize that the scripture Jackie and I choose as our "mission scripture", was perfect for us. Mosiah 2:17  "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

As we have served here in Fiji, we have grown to love the people here. Especially those in the branches and groups we work with. We travel one direction 75 km and the other direction 20 km. We have 4 branches, Tukavesi, Nabua, Savusavu and Nuku, (a 45 minutes boat ride to the island) and 3 groups (small group of saints in a remote village), Dreikeniwai, Tacilevu and Vunavesi. Our assignment is to visit each of these branches and groups as often as we can. If we visited each area it would take us 7 weeks, over 500 kilometers (300 miles) to complete the circuit. That would usually also mean speaking in sacrament meeting 3-4 times. I know that every missionary says this, but we have grown to love the Fijian people, particularly those we have worked with in the Taveuni Zone. The people in the towns that we do business with are always so helpful in finding what we are looking for. We get lettuce and English cucumbers from Grace Road Kitchen. It is a Korean owned and operated enterprise. They have their own farm with greenhouses, etc. to supply vegetables to the public and the resorts. Jackie has become very friendly with the ladies working there. The one running the kitchen is from Southern California.

We go to the gym nearby and exercise. I noticed today, more than before, that there are three roosters tied up in front of the store. Can you say "watch roosters?". Not sure why but they sure are noisy.

We had a chance to "get off the island". Well, for a few hours anyway. We we invited by the H.E.L.P. International students to a 4th of July celebration on the island of Nawi. It sits in the middle of the Savusavu Bay about 300 yards from the pier. It seemed like a lot farther away than that. We sat, relaxed, read, walk on some sand and rocks and judged a cooking contest. They all leave in August.

We are still waiting for word from the mission president as to when we will leave Savusavu for Suva. We want to spend 4-5 days being tourists on that island before we go to New Zealand on November 7th. Then from Auckland to SLC on November 20th.

We love the people and the work but most of all we love the Savior.

Kurt and Jackie

P.S. Last night was the finale of the Savusavu Hidden Paradise Carnival. We had several branch members participating so we went there around 5:00 pm. Nothing was going on at that time so we had dinner, Chinese, and I put the "doggie bags" in the truck. We walked across the street and up behind a building to the park where all the action was taking place. We hadn't been there 15 minutes when one of our neighbors, an Indian lady, came up to us to tell us that someone had backed into our truck whick was parked on the street. Sure enough, there it was, damaged so the drivers door wold not open. I could be opened from the inside. There were several witnesses that gave me the license number of the car and that it was from one of the resorts on the island. Police had been called. 2 1/2 hours later, I had been to the police station, talked with the driver of the other vehicle, talked with his supervisor, exchanged phone numbers and I had listed by demands of the resort fixing the truck and if it needed to be in the shop for a period of time that they would provide me with a rental vehicle. The supervisor had to talk to her supervisor but she was more than accommodating. I need to get an estimate and they need to get permission from the general manager of the resort.

Backup the Video Use

Apparently I don't know how to download videos for the blog or I just take too large a video. Sorry for all the confusion. I will do better these last 5 months. I am sure we will have some more celebrations with dancing, etc.

Bula vinaka, from Fiji.

Kurt and Jackie

President Layton's Farewell Celebration on Vanua Levu

Savusavu Branch Dance #1 for the celebration. These are the young adults, YW and YM of the branch. These people are great dancers. They truly love to party and everyone dances. From 8-80, it doesn't matter, they all join in and sometimes even when they aren't part of it.

Savusavu Branch Dance #2. The video was too large to post. I will try an email later.

These two girls are Young Women age. The one on the right, Makalesi, is the girl Sister Roberts has been tutoring since last Novemeber. The other one is a non-memeber but Makalesi's friend.

Daisy, Jackie and Luisa in the green dress is her mother.

Daisy is the cutest little girl. Jackie tutors her older sister and she entertains Kurt. She just think he is her grandpa. She is so confident with what she does, she acts like she is much older. She is really only 2. 

Video of the Tapa Pounding

Because it seems that the video didn't download for the previous post, I am posting it again. Hope this one works.

Tapa (Fijian paper) and Masi (printing)

Making of Tapa (Fijian paper) and Masi (printing)

We went to one of the villages and found several different ladies in the process of making Tapa, Fijian paper. It is quite a step, by step process and it takes many hours and several different skilled ladies. I hope this blog will be informative and interesting as I explain this process.

Video of the 1st stage of pounding the Tapa "paper"

#1 They cut branches, about 3-4 feet long, from a tree. They must be collected a day or two before hand. (I do not know the name of the tree). Then they cut the bark off and unroll the material inside. They might get a piece that is 2-3" wide. They soak this material in water for a while. Then they start pounding it with a wooden mallet that produces a very thin "paper" of about 3-5" wide. This might take as much as an hour to get one piece.

#2 They take several pieces of the flattened paper and continue to pound it on the edges of another piece and soon it becomes one piece of twice the size. This goes on for several hours or days, to get something large enough for their purposes. They have to also connect the ends and join them in the same way. Eventually they might have a piece of paper 5-6' long and 2-3' wide.

#3 Then the printing process begins. They make the colored dye, brown, black, etc. from the dirt or by cooking down plants into a black mixture. This is the "ink" they use. They use stencils they have made for the designs or may use a stick/brush to write on the tapa.

When they are complete, they make it into a wraparound skirt or sulu or a piece to make a wall hanging. They might weave other dried plants into it or colored yarn. They may make a tapestry that can be framed and hung on the wall. They can be large or small, but they are always given with love and are considered a great gift. The sacrifice in time and labor that it takes, might be several weeks, by many different women and girls. They usually make one of these as a farewell gift to visiting dignitaries or special visitors. We see these made for elders and sisters when they are returning from their missions. Even though they may have been in several different areas of the mission, their last area is the one that usually makes the Tapa/Masi for them. They present it to them in a celebration and feast before they leave.

You will see these in different gift shops around the islands for sale, especially to tourists. We see these when the cruise ships some into Savusavu. They are very plentiful in Suva, at resorts, and other areas that are visited by the tourists. The workmanship is amazing.

A gym Around Every Corner

A Gym Around Every Corner

We have a "gym" just down the street behind one of the small local stores. It has all the needed equipment; universals, benches, bike, orbital walker, exercise ball, free weights, etc. We go there about three times a week and spend 45 min to an hour. It cost $2/hour ($1/hour US).

Universal Gym

Pool Table outside








Orbital Walker

Stationary bike

"Let the little children come unto me."

April 2017

We are nearing the one year mark for our mission and are feeling a bit nostalgic. We knew we were going to be here for 18 months, but the time goes so fast it seems like we haven't really been here long, nor been doing much. We spend most of our time now working with inactive and part-member families and their children. Especially the children. They are so friendly and open to us to visit them in their homes. We bring with us smiles, lollies and games. We act like a grandparent. But most of all, they like the "lollies" we bring and the cookies that Jackie bakes and delivers.

This past week we had our zone conference in Labasa. It is always a joy to meet with the missionaries and listen to their testimonies. Getting instruction from President and Sister Layton is always a spiritual high. They are truly inspired to deliver the messages they have. It just happened that we were the last zone to get the training, so they have five other "rehearsals" before ours. The assistants to the president (AP's), also have a portion of the training for the entire mission. They will be great leaders in their home wards when they return. For the conference, the training is not all that the missionaries leave with after being filled. Sister Petero, Sister Cziep and Jackie always prepare a meal that the missionaries love. The baked cakes, cookies, etc. that Jackie makes are treasured. So I can safely say that zone conference is a "spiritual and temporal feast." All the other zone conferences have pizza. Purchased and brought. It is safe to say that the Taveuni Zone eats the best of the mission.

After the conference as the missionaries in our Tukavesi District, came by the flat to celebrate a birthday of Elder Amisone. We had our 6 elders and 2 sisters but we also had the mission, Sister Trainers, coming to do splits here in Savusavu. So this was a "bake and go" week for Jackie. We also got a call that they would be transferring the sisters here and they would be no one replacing them. We have to clean the flat of all mission owned items and store them with us or the zone leaders. Then a decision will be made as to who might need what we have that can be taken to other missionaries in the zone. Never a dull moment here if Fiji.

As we travel to the different villages, Jackie and I have a great deal of time to read, listen to conference talks and music and to discuss what we are doing here. We feel very blessed to be here and pray that through our efforts people will have a desire to hear more about the gospel. I tell the missionaries often that we "should make sure that we leave the people better than we found them." That is what the Savior expects from us. We may not see the "fruits" of our labor, but we must be content with the "planting of seeds". We found this was what we did in China and that we are doing it here also.




We know the gospel is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. Jesus voluntarily gave up His life so that each of us has the opportunity to repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost and endure to the end, to live with the Jesus Christ and the Eternal Father in the Celestial Kingdom. Anything less than that and we have not taken full advantage of the wonderful Plan of Salvation that was provided for us.

We have our release date of November 6th. We will tour New Zealand and be home for Thanksgiving. We pray that all are well and those that are recovering from surgery, injuries, ill health or a dip in their testimony will be buoyed up by the Spirit.

Elder and Sister Roberts
Kurt and Jackie
Pop and Grandma
Mom and dad