Picking up in Rakiraki - 4 Jun 2017

Hello Everyone,

Currently out here in Nadi.  The whole zone is out here for our zone conference tomorrow.  All the Elders in one flat is a bit wild, but it is really fun.  Today we are going to have our P-Day on the beach of Natadola and play some Rugby out there.  Should be awesome.  Last Monday we had a zone Mini Olympics and that went well.  

So we had a baptism coming up this past week, and the investigator was a 12 year old girl named Emma from the island of Malake.  She really wanted to be baptized this past Sunday, so we spent a lot of our days riding the boat over there and teaching her along with others.  Her brother Jope is going to be baptized as well.  We taught her all the lessons in 2 weeks and she came to church 4 times.  Yesterday was her baptism and fortunately she allowed me to perform the ordinance.  I was excited!  So Sunday after Church we all headed down to Malake landing, where the boats depart out of from the mainland to the island.  We waded out into the ocean and got it done.  Was definitely an ideal first baptism for the both of us. 

We had an exchange Friday so that one of our zone leaders could come and giver Emma the baptismal interview.  I was able to go with our other zone leader Elder Gray and go have a meeting with our Stake President.  It was nice to be able to hear his advice to us. In order to better convey our message to Fijians we need to first think like them and see how we should word it and deliver it.  Have to really study them and the questions they ask, but it starts with acting like them.  He told us that whenever we are in a village we need to take off our shoulder bags and backpacks and carry them to show respect to those in the village.  Never be above anyone in the household in terms of looking down on them.  A lot of little things that the natural American wouldn't think of.  Am excited to apply it and see where it takes me.  

Had some amazing food this week.  One of our investigators, Flore, made some Babakau for Elder Dunn and I.  Its like a scone but better. She filled hers with coconut and we washed it down with some drau ni muli (lemon leaf tea).  Was excellent.  Later that day I got a little too close to a bull and it totally charged at me.  I ran like my life depended on it, cause it probably did.  

Sorry no pictures this week.  Some technical issues over here in the ghetto internet cafe. 

Great week though!

Have a nice week everyone,

Love,

Elder Richardson

One of the best beaches I have seen or been on in Fiji.