Rain and Service and Exhaustion and Conference Travel Coming Up

November 5, 2017

This last week was quite a week. We had some super long services on Monday and Wednesday that had us pretty exhausted and thrown off schedule, and it has been raining quite hard and constantly for the past several days. Though I struggle to stay happy and comfortable when it's cloudy all day and rainy and uncomfortable, most often the sun comes out a little bit and I get better. But no matter what happens, the day always passes and we have another one to work in. So while I can't control the weather, I can always do something in the during, and look forward to the after, because no matter how long it takes, the after will come.

This week is a short one for us in Levuka - we are heading to Viti Levu for Zone Conference and other conferences/things so it'll be nice to spend time with other missionaries and get off the little island for a week (yeah - we leave Wednesday early morning and come back next Tuesday).

But to be honest, I find it pretty hard to be on this island by ourselves. I try my best not to complain to myself. One of the big things I've found is that I feel bad whenever I don't have people to talk to. I have this big fear, and it is that I'll spend huge amounts of time in places alone and away from other missionaries, and that I won't know/understand people's Fijian well enough to converse and get to know them as well as express myself. Fear that I won't be able to talk to anyone for very long periods of time. But I guess I try to remember that language takes time and take faith in the promise that the language will come eventually.

But aside from that I still am having great experiences and seeing very neat places and things - and learning a lot form my studies. I'm ok - it's just a rough spot for me right now I think.

                         

Thoughts in response to Elder Hatch's sisters:

Studying and preparation are a very big part of finding success - which as I write this is something we learned from an old Jeffrey R. Holland talk at a BYU devotional this week. I hope you guys try to find it because it's great (he talks about Thomas Edison's entertaining response to a huge fire). https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland_times-trouble/

Holy Emails!

October 29, 2017

Today's been a crazy P-day - super busy helping with some service - so I don't have a whole lot of time left but HERE WE GO:

Things have been OK for me - still improving and getting better and better in so many ways. My Fijian is starting to pick up I think. Last week was a pretty hot week - as you'll see in one of my pictures. 

I hope you guys may look at a map of Ovalau to see where exactly these places are that I'm going - we went to Arovudi (ah-row-voon-dee) which is pretty much on the top of the island and as part of our walk (we didn't walk the whole way don't worry) we were pretty high on a hillside where we could see out into the ocean and the other islands. 

It was then that I really started to realize that I am SERVING ON AN ISLAND IN THE OCEAN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. But it's ok because, as I mentioned, my Fijian is picking up so I can do more out here and start helping/serving as I see things need help. Not quite yet but soon. 

But OH - I went to a funeral last week and on Thursday we had a cultural/traditional proceeding that I got to sit in for where gifts were presented to the village chiefs? and Yaqona (yahn-go-nah, kava/grog) was served (I was offered some lol it was awesome but I was super scared because I didn't know how to decline so there was a man holding a cup of yaqona in front of me and I looked to Elda Rakatia and back to the man and back again and I don't remember exactly what I did but he understood (Elda was with me after all). It was ok don't worry - I didn't drink it and it was awesome. The funeral was very sobering though - it was a man whose family we had been seeing who was 72 and had had a stroke. There was so much to remember about the experience, and most all of it reminded me of the funerals of family/friends in the past. I can't wait to tell you guys about it in more detail and in person.

"I'm not tryna hit a kid today!" You know, that's something I had to get used to here that still startles me sometimes - the cars and pedestrians don't share the street like they do in America. I've been passed by trucks that have gone probably within a foot of my body. It's just the way it is though, they know how not to hit you - they just drive close. Not to be mean, not to disrespect, it's just how they do. The roads are narrow (maybe like 15 feet) and sometimes they have to drive past a car. WHEN you guys come here someday I'll make sure to have you close your eyes in the vehicles. lol

I think about time still a lot NOT because I don't like how much I have left but I think about just so many different things about time and it's so weird. Like how long ago I did ___ or that it's already been __ days since last p-day or man it's already the ___ of __[month] (those ones especially - the days might crawl sometimes but they go fast and you don't get them back). Like when I was a little boy [no joke] praying that someday I would like mashed potatoes so I would be ready for my mission and now I'm already PAST 3 MONTHS IN AND IN FIJI!

And you know what? That prayer was answered. I'm gonna take a little time to write about that because that's one of those memories that has come back to me out here. I'm remembering so many tiny details from so much of my life, and I'm becoming more and more aware of how many mistakes I made and how ignorant I was and how many missed opportunities and wasted time I had. But you know I also see how [undeservedly] merciful, loving, and blessing Heavenly Father has been to me. Even when I was being so much less than what He wanted/needed me to be He still has given me so, so much. Anytime I remember that I want so badly to make up for what I didn't do. I start by doing the very best I can here, for the right-now. Because it really gets me whenever I think of how regardless of my pride, ignorance, selfishness, what have you, Heavenly Father still helped that little boy to like mashed potatoes.

The Lord truly does love us, and knows that we are so, so much more than we see ourselves as. I'm glad that, although it hurts, Heavenly Father is awaking me to the mistakes I've made and the weaknesses I have - so that he can make weak things become strong.

There's so much I've learned that I want to share with you guys, and as I find how I should go about sharing those things - in order to invite you guys to do things - I will, but for now I think that's been a big thing I want to share.

Frogs, Spiders, and Rain

October 22, 2017

Thoughts from the mission and answers to family emails:

You know, those really are great goals to pray for (make someone happy, make someone smile, find someone to serve, and find a way to share something about the Gospel with someone. As I read them, I thought perhaps they can be summed up into one thing: Love One Another, the way Christ did. I've found that when you do that, you're doing all of those things: making someone happy, making someone smile, serving someone, and sharing the Gospel. For me, I don't really know how to talk to these people yet, so the best thing I can do to love them is often to just smile to them - passing on the street, talking in the lessons, etc. 

Still having great experiences here in the 'historical port town of Levuka.' You know, the more time I spend here, the more I just can't wait to come back after the mission and bring you guys here to see it - and finally talk to the people in fluent Fijian! There are so many great things here I may not see again for the rest of my mission, and more and more I find ways that this place, though nearly 6000 miles away, is just like home. You know I guess there is a lot that could be improved here when compared to America, but compared to the rest of Levuka and Ovalau we live like kings with our support and our flat.

You know, a lot of the time I find myself thinking "I can't wait to leave this place" because of different circumstances - but when I move my thoughts away from complaining and being selfish I find that I don't want to leave here because I have yet to be able to talk to the people well in Fijian. I find that there are a lot of things I could do that I want to do badly - grow closer to the people, teach with more power, strengthen the members, etc. - that I'll only be able to do as my language improves. Then I'm encouraged to go out and listen and study and do all I can to do just that. With my situation (away from other native English speakers, companions with a native Fijian, 'stuck' on an island where we don't leave and see other English speaking missionaries much and where 99% of people are native Fijian) I have an excellent environment to learn the language very quickly and Fijian-ly, and there's much to take advantage of. Anytime I have thoughts like that, where I see how I was put into this/these situations to learn, I don't worry about time or selfish interests - so I try my best to be grateful for things in my heart as often as I can, and it always helps.

Thanks for the hymn - I've been finding lots of Hymns that apply to my days, serving as a missionary or trying to be grateful or positive or turning my thoughts to those who came before me or to the gathering of Israel or to the Savior.

Last week was Dipwali (day-wally) on Thursday the 19th. It's an Indian holiday, and they celebrate by dressing up fancy in the evening and eating 'sweets' which I thought were going to be candies but they're little baked goods that can be anything from a craisin doughnut-hole to some spicy thing and I wish I took pictures to show you. At night all the peoples' houses have lights like Christmas but more colors that look hilarious compared to America because its sort of jank but they shoot off fireworks from the streets and it's pretty crazy because they're so low and loud and there's so many people shooting them off (it's not like a constant barrage but maybe like an average of one every 5 min, a set of fireworks is lit). It was pretty neat.

Most common ground animal: frog. Second most common: squished frog. Yeah I just see dried squished-flat frogs in the streets and roads all over the place, from people stepping on them or cars going over them. I've only seen a fresh one once and it was gnarly to see - I was gonna write what it looked like but it was graphic so nevermind. Maybe when I send a Christmas package home I'll bag one and send it to hang up somewhere :D (I keep thinking that would be hilarious - and very feasible).

There's the picture I put and I took a video I'll show you someday but there was a massive spider in our flat just chillin' and I was gonna kill it but then Elda said it was sort of tabu (forbiden) to kill spiders because they wove a web at the entrance of Christ's tomb so the soldiers couldn't go in. IDK how accurate that is but it took a lot of courage to leave the flat while the spider was still there. I wound up escorting it outside with a broom later that evening though, not killing it.

We eat mangos all the time and they're seriously one of my favorite things about Fiji and especially Levuka because the trees are all over and we've got one at our flat - so we just get mangos and eat them you know no big deal.

I'm reminded of memories with family all the time and it's awesome but I'll have to write more about it later - this is long and I don't have time but I love you guys thanks for the emails send picture more and more I love you - bye!

*Note:  We don't have the back-story with these pictures but apparently Elder Hatch was in a rain storm.  :)

Yet another great... ITS 6 WEEKS?!

October 15, 2017

Elder Hatch had a great week this week but most of his email home was in response to emails our family had sent him.  So please enjoy some of the pictures he sent home, though we don't have his commentary to go along with them.

Great Week

October 8, 2017

Well I ran out of time faster than I thought I would, so here's my email to everyone and everyone can read everyone's stuff and yeah just go for it. If there's something else you want me to tell you or that you want to tell me, don't forget it and don't let me forget it!

The people are always very inviting and polite. Though they may not have an interest in the message, they are always willing to accept you in and hear a message/spiritual thought. This makes things tough at times because we want them to progress and act, but its better than nothing.

There's a cemetery here that we walk past on our way to Natokalau and it's always very sobering to see and think about all those people - the lives they lived, the people they touched. Also, sometimes there are graves in the middle of (not exact middle, just within) the little villages we see. It reminds me, and makes me grateful, that all those people will have a chance to be with their families again.

That was actually fish and tavioka (cassava). It's the Fijian equivalent of potatoes pretty much because they eat it with like everything, or else there's another root in its place. It's pretty plain, they just peel and boil it, but I really like it with salt on it. I'm just a salty guy. :)

Glad you could have waffles - that's something I miss but Elda Rakatia makes a great Fijian equivalent of a pancake that is SO GOOD with peanut butter and syrup, with cocoa on the side. I sent a picture of it - I wasn't even able to finish half of my serving but last time he made it I ate all of it and still had room left over. Eating/food has changed drastically for me, can't wait to show you in two years - yeah I'm eating pretty well - sometime I'll have to go into more detail about the things I like to eat.

We actually just got back from the small island today - I'm sorry I didn't tell you about that earlier! We left Saturday and came back this morning after we were unable to come back yesterday. I have some fantastic pictures and it was a really neat experience - can't wait to tell you more!

It doesn't matter how fast or slow your time goes - what matters is how you spend it. that's something I've learned this last month that's changed me. So remember (and this can go to everyone): There's always something to be grateful for! and since there's always something to be grateful for, there's always something you can thank someone for.

Count your many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly-

And you will be singing as the days go by.

Hey Hey Hey!

October 1, 2017

FIRST OFF: QUESTIONS FROM LAST WEEK

• Did you actually get to go to the temple in Suva?  The pictures you took there were beautiful!  That will be cool to attend there from time to time (maybe once a quarter?) - We didn't go to the Temple while we were there :(

Elders Hatch and Slack (MTC companions) in front of the Suva Fiji Temple

• How big was that bug you took a picture of - looks like a moth.  We couldn’t decide if it was really huge or really tiny!! ;) - Lots of the moths are pretty big - a couple inches wide and long.

• The sky and water are so blue!! And there’s so much green!!  No question there - just an observation.  - Yeah the sky and water are blue - but I think Heavenly Father had in mind that my favorite color was green when he decided to send me here :)

• So what’s the story with the rugby trophy on the ferry to your island?  Were the guys you took the picture of the team members that won it?  That’s kind of cool. - The story behind the trophy is that the school that won it was Elda Rakatia's school, and those men were coaches and teachers.

• Love the little girl you took a picture of in your doorway.  What’s her story?  Does her family live near you guys? - I'm pretty sure she's our neighbor but I could be wrong.

• You took a picture of a family - a girl and two men and another with your companion with two kids.  Are you teaching them?  Are they members?  They look like humble, lovely people. <3 - That picture was from a birthday party. some of them were the family that lived in the home, others were friends/members. But they're all members. and yes, they are truly lovely, humbly living people.

• What is the building like where you attend church? - The building we attend church in is... interesting. I'll have to try and get some pictures of it, but it's a little (big for Fiji) building with stackable chairs for the chapel room and a few smaller rooms for the branch president's office and classrooms.

This last week was pretty good - as I mentioned we had exchanges with the Zone Leaders, Eldas Gray and Tupe. I was pretty scared because I still don't know Fijian well and I was going to have to lead them around to our investigators and other places, but things turned out OK and we had a great time.

I'm learning a lot still. From scriptures, from council and words from friends and family, from Preach My Gospel and other words from the Prophets, and from acting on my faith. I love you guys.

-Elda Hatch