OK, so here's what's happened.
Last Monday evening Elder Kalio and I received a call from the Assistants telling both of us to pack all of our things, and to go to Suva as soon as possible. We were both E.T.'d out of Levuka. There are now no Elders in Levuka. For how long, I'm not sure. maybe just till next transfers, maybe in a couple days, maybe for months. Elder Kalio was sent to a new area, Tamavua, and I am now companions with a halfway-trained new Elder, Elder Shumway. His first "father" went home halfway through training, and his second had two elders to train: one brand new, and one halfway-through. So instead of sticking as a trio for the transfer, he and I were sent to our new area, Navatuyaba, in a completely new zone for each of us (Nausori Zone). We are whitewashing the area (two new-to-the-area elders).
We also found out that the area has been kind of trashed from the Elders who have been here within the past few months (one of them being my most recent companion unfortunately). Very poor behavior on the elders' part before led to elders being removed from the area (around October/November I'm guessing - he left that area to go to Levuka and now I've just arrived in it). It wasn't empty for long though, maybe 3 weeks, before two outer island (Rotuma) elders were assigned there while they waited out a very sinful tradition. They were a bit better I guess but still pretty bad. Our flat was a complete mess, definitely due to months of things not being taken care of. Our gas was empty, there was no food left for us, our electricity was almost out, and all kinds of stuff was just broken and dirty and just trashed. Some makes sense now, seeing as they were thinking the area was gonna be closed for a while, but it's been a challenge to get things started up there. BUT we've been able to get tings figured out really well. We have the help of our Zone Leaders for any emergencies and the members are great.
So - Monday night we packed our stuff. Tuesday afternoon/evening/night we got a long boat and bus ride to Suva. Wednesday afternoon we met with President to see what was happening next. Thursday morning/noon we got to our new area(s).
SO after the events of this past week I am now serving in Navatuyaba with an Elder Shumway, I am finishing his training (this is his 2nd transfer) and we are whitewashing the area. Yay!
OK random thought: the university I went to was likely bigger than the city-town I served in (Levuka). The city in which that university resided was likely bigger than the entire island of Ovalau on which Levuka resides. And then, the state in which that city is situated is larger landwise than the entire country I serve in. OK I JUST GOOGLED IT ARIZONA IS A LOT BIGGER - Fiji: 7,055 ARIZONA: 114,000 (what's 114/7? Arizona is 16x bigger)
The 26th marks six whole months of serving my mission. Considering the way you come home a little bit before exactly two years I'm sure today or sometime the next couple days is the legit 1/4 mark but the days all run together anyway so yeah. January is already two-thirds over - more than that - and before we know it next Friday will be our zone conference and then a few more weeks and transfers again - and this time it's guaranteed that one of us will leave because it's the end of a training.
Everyone here is rumoring that there will be another coup with the coming elections - either April or later in the fall months. If that happens we all get shipped off to New Zealand! So that would be exciting that the one place I felt safe from political turmoil may actually have an emergency while I'm serving a mission there/here. Yay!
Elder Billings is one of the Korovou zone leaders - he and Elder Tupe went out and did exchanges/baptismal interviews for those two girls we baptized two/three weeks ago. We were exchanging with each other and we got splashed with water as part of the New Year's tradition in Levuka. Everyone just tosses buckets of water on each other. Up to that point I was doing well at keeping myself from getting sui'd (mostly for the serious aspect of hey I'm a missionary we're not really gonna do that [though my companion did - more stories for later]) but then the older girl we were interviewing got us. My planner was pretty soaked and Elder Billings got hit hard. Just my left side got wet though.
Dad, everything you said about Jesus Christ being our source of peace is so true. I just keep trying and trying to put him at the center of my work and my life. I definitely struggle, but I noticed there were a few weeks where anytime I felt troubled I would start singing "The Lord is my Light" and I would always feel noticeably better by the time I hardly reached "then why should I fear?" I think sometimes I doubt that I can receive strength from Him so I look for other sources of peace - but I think I need to improve my faith in Him and His Love. I always think "well there's no way just thinking about the Savior is going to help me [something temporal/logistical], that's just not how it works" but I remember something President Higgins taught us form last Zone Conference: we have all these responsibilities/things we need to do every day, and sometimes we get caught up in all of it.
Remember the Savior. Put him first. Then, with your diligence and His help, everything else is going to fall in place. It's like I've been telling Elder Shumway: It's all about faith, works, and grace. Have faith in the Savior and that He'll help us, work our best to show our faith and diligence, and then He's going to always come through and pick us up to heights we never thought possible. But we need to do our part!
Thanks for all the inspiration and encouragement. I feel just as blessed to have you guys with me on this journey.
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