Fishing at night, floods and perfect friends in Fiji...........

Good times on splits

Night time thunder storms are beautiful

What we caught

Bringing in the nets to see what we caught

Happy Holidays...with a big sting ray to eat

My Fijian Christmas was well spent. We had lovo with lots of different members where was just ate fish and things of that sort. It is my last Fijian Christmas on my mission and I am sure going to miss it. People here aren't huge on gifts but they always make a nice meal. I mean nice. My taste buds are now in Fijian mode.

Skyping home was really fun. I think that it made me a little trunky but that's just part of the mission life. Everyone has been so kind to us in Navua. I love this area but I think that we are going to get whitewashed because Elder Fa'amoe tells me that he is going to finish his mission here and I believe it. But I am loving the members and the people we teach. 

Some of the YSA in the ward have recently come back from missions from the Philippines and they try to debate that their missions are the best but I always defend FSM. Elder Traill and I have been jogging a little this past week. He is going to try out for the All Blacks when he gets home and I am going to try to walk on at the Portland Trailblazers. Try to give my boy Damian some open looks. I have also try to change my diet, but ya know, I gotta sweet tooth and when it starts crying, I gotta give it what it wants.

What else is new? Not much really. Our new Mission President and his wife just got announced. It will be President and Sister Higgins from New Zealand. I will have them for just like a month at the end and then I will leave. Kinda weird to think that things just keep on going. 

Some members have been telling us about some crazy black magic stuff. I'm scared like a little girl. And later that night I woke up to adjust the fan and Elder Traill grabbed me from behind and scared me. I about gave him smack. But then I cooled down. I hate the heat. My bed sheets be soaking wet. Also just realized that it was my destiny to serve here because my birth mark is shaped like the Fiji Islands. What a beautiful world.

This new years has really made me reflect on my mission and to look to the future on what I want to become and the things I want to accomplish. I have been reading more in the Book of Mormon and it really does bring peace to my soul. It's never been a crazy feeling or a vision or a dreamed a dream type thing but I always feel a gentle peace when I read that book. That's how I know it's true. I encourage all of you back home to read it daily. I encourage all of you back home to read it daily. Yeah, I didn't stutter, I just wanted to emphasize lol. But nah it really is the best thing to make you go from gloomy to happy.

Love you all. enjoy the pics. remember all of the traffic safety rules in these cold conditions.

Kalougata tiko na wekaqu

Our Zone, with President and sister Layton.

This was a sting ray that we had for dinner one night, it was amazing.

Fiji Temple.

Not our bathroom

Church offices

My mom sent me the 12 days of Christmas and this was the first one I opened.

Lots of flooding right now.

Elder Traill in the rear view camera on the truck.

Our new truck.

Feeling very happy.

Beqa

Bad day for a tour.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for Indian barbers
November 20th - 26th

I had to cut my hair because it feels like a sauna out here right now. I literally change shirts on multiple occasions because it get soaked through of sweat, even if you are just sitting in the shade. So yeah, I just told the Indian barber to give me a 2 and that's what he did. The young girl we are teaching sat with us during sacrament meeting and asked why I cut my hair. I told her that it was too hot for long hair. She then told me that it was a bad idea and that I looked better with my other hair. I was a little but hurt for 5 minutes but then I got over it hahaha.

Not many people here have cars so the kids here love it when we drive up in the truck. Sometimes I let them feel the air conditioning and they are amazed haha. They always follow us out to the dirt road and when we leave they all yell "spit, spit, spit" then I burn out on the dirt a little and spit the rocks and they all yell and laugh ahah.

 

This week was actually really good. We taught lots of lessons and are seeing some good things happen. In Fiji there are a lot of less active members so we also to a lot of reactivation. Some people here live so far away from church that it is hard to go, but many of them walk long distances to go to church. They are a great example to me.

Some of our best investigators this week were in Suva. I have no idea why but they were just chilling in Suva. We are teaching this girl Meri and her mom Losalini. They want to be baptized but the dad isn't too keen. Hope he will change his mind.

We have a really good investigator named Koto. When we teach her she actually listens and I know that she has felt the spirit. She needs to be married but I don't know how easy that is going to be. 

This week we also did a lot of finding. Hopefully there is someone that we saw that will turn into a progressing investigator.

Love you all

Love Elder Jones

My new haircut.

Elder  Traill, my new companion.

Creepy doll pinned to a tree in the middle of nowhere. Take special note of the doll hands.

Looking over to Beqa island.

My little piece of paradise.

The dreaded centipede that are everywhere.

Transfer Week
November 13th - 19th


Well, it was only for a short time, but I have to say goodbye to Toga Rewa. Holy moly how I'll miss that place. The members there are top notch, the people we were teaching were top notch, and the boat rides to Vutia were top notch. Simelie, Mere, and Amelia are ready for baptism next week. I found them, taught them, helped them, went to church with them, and now I won't even be there for their baptism. I am actually way sad about it. 

Although that has been hard for me, I am now in Navua. It is a good area and I am going to try to make the best of it. From what I have seen of the members, they are all really nice. I hope that there will be some people here that I am destined to meet and help to be baptized. 

My companion's name is Elder Traill. He is from New Zealand. He is 26 years old and has been out on the mission longer than I have. We don't really have that much in common but he is nice so we will get along I think.

I know that obedience brings blessings. Jesus Christ will never forget us. We just have to do our part to reach out to Him. I urge all of you to find Him. If you think that you have already found Him, just remember that there is always more we can do.

Love Elder Jones

There are always puppies everywhere.

Goodbye to our investigator family.

The docks

Saying goodbye to my boys from Nasautoka that were staying in Toga. 

I love these kids

One of my fav. families