Monday, April 30, 2012







Earthquake!

Ni sa bula vinaka na noqu matavuvale!

This week was a little bit of a tough week. There has just been soo many people
that just aren’t home or are busy when we try to go see them so that was way
frustrating. We worked our butts off though and ended have a pretty decent
week. We were able to set 2 more baptismal dates so that puts us at 8 baptismal
dates for this next month. A lot of things still have to happen for them all to
work out but a lot of the people are doing really good. But first I will
explain the subject of this email haha I saw that you said that Lupe said there
was a small earthquake and I totally felt it! It was way sweet! I was laying
down on the floor of the flat after weekly planning and everything just started
shaking, it was only for like 5 seconds and it was too hard but it was way
sweet. I jumped up and yelled earthquake! haha it was awesome. I called Elder
Stock to see if he felt it but he said they didn’t. I thought I might have just
been astro trippin' but later we were at these peoples house and I asked them
if they had felt it and they said yeah so I was glad to find out it wasn’t just
me tripping out haha O yeah, Dad, the other new Elder that is staying in the
box from us has been to Cortez a bunch of times and he has family that live in
Ignacio. I told him I would ask you if you know any Palmers from Ignacio. Me
and him were talking about Durango and stuff haha it was pretty funny. Small
world.
So one Thursday of this week we did a way sweet service. We just walked over to
these peoples house that just live down the road from us and I took my sele
(machete) and we asked them if they had anything we could do for them. The one
older boy was just about to go out to do some work so we just went with him. We
went out into the jungle with our seles and chopped down a bunch of these like
pretty skinny trees and then we carried them out and used them to build a fence
for some baby pigs that are about to be born haha It was way fun. And then they
fed us a way good lunch after, it was really good fish. We have had fish a ton
lately but I love it so much haha That night though we were trying to teach
lessons and like everyone was gone. We finally found out it was because at the
school they were doing a concert thing. So since no one was home anyways we
just went to the concert haha It was way awesome. All the kids were doing mekes
which is just like Fijian dances and singing songs and stuff and there was a
ton of people there. It was way cool to just see some more of the Fijian
culture. One of the way funny things about their culture is in performances
like that people from the crowd just go up and mess with the people performing
like throw powder on them and stuff like that and the people performing cant do
anything about it hahah they just do it to be funny.
Another funny thing that happened was on Tuesday night we drove out to that one
village that we are going to open up soon to have dinner with the one members
that live there (that sweet picture of like the sunset with that dirt road is
on the way to get to that village). So on the way back it was super dark and I
took a wrong turn and we ended up in some other village and there was all of
these other little kids standing there and they started freaking out because we
were in this sweet truck and there was a white guy driving it haha so they all
came running up to the truck and I was just speaking Fijian to them and then
they were freaking out even more because I was speaking Fijian haha it was way
awesome. Fijian kids are the bomb. Most of those kids have probably only seen
white people on the movies and definitely never seen a white kid that can speak
their language haha
On Sunday we went to church in one of the units we cover in a village called
Burerua. There is a guy that lives not too far from there and his wife is a
member and he has been taking the lessons for over 2 years. They haven’t gone
to church forever, so in that unit it is always just the one family whose house
we do it at that are there. So we have really been pushing for him to finally
get baptized because he has a way strong testimony and stuff and his wife is a
really good member too but they are always just too lazy to go to church. So
this week I told them that we were going to come park the truck at their house
in the morning and then we would all walk together to go to church. The guy
said ok but that he wouldn’t be there because he was going to a different
village that night but I figured we would go anyways because his wife is less
active too. So we went that morning and we parked the truck and the two little
girls came running down the hill in their dresses and they were so excited to
go to church with us. I asked if their dad was coming too and they said yes so
that was way awesome. We all walked to church together and the one little girl
would not let go of my hand haha so she held my hand all the way to church
(that is what that picture is, that is the nicest road in Fiji haha it is the
Kings road that goes around the whole big island.) And it was really good
because they really loved church and remembered how good they feel when they go
so hopefully they will keep going!
One other cool thing I found out this week is that Brother Bavoro, the one old
Fijian guy that I baptized while I was in Naulu just became the 2nd counselor
in the bishopric in that ward! Pretty awesome!! He is the man. His wife, who we
also baptized is in the relief society presidency too which is way cool. They
are the bomb. I feel so lucky to have been a part of bringing such great strong
people like that to this gospel.
Well I am way excited to talk to you guys in 2 weeks! It is insane that it was
already 5 months ago that we skyped on Christmas. The time just flies by. 10
months next week man. Insane! I am loving life. There is no place else I would
rather be. Au lomani kemudou!!

Loloma, Elder Hawk

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Konfiredi ni iteki (stake conference)

Ni sa bula vinaka na noqu matavuvale!

Man.. the weeks are starting to just feel like one day. Time is going by WAY
too fast! This week went by especially fast too because we had a lot of extra
stuff going on. I am SO excited to skype you guys again in 3 weeks! I can’t
believe that the last time we skyped was already almost 5 months ago! That is
so insane to me. That email that grandpa wrote is awesome haha he is the man. I
am so excited that they will be living right there by us all the time when I
get home. It sounds like you guys had a ton of fun in Florida! That is way
awesome. How did you like the island life for a week!? It’s the best haha
Well, this week was filled with trips to Suva. I know last Monday I told you
about how we were in Suva for our truck registration thing, I can’t remember if
I told you this story but the guy at the car place looked at my tag to see what
my name was and for whatever reason he got the Elder part right but he didn’t
read straight across he jumped down to the word "Jisu" and so he kept
calling me Elder Jisu and I just let it happen because it was so funny haha it
was some Indian guy. So he called me on the phone to tell me the truck was done
and he was calling me Elder Jisu and I was cracking up haha it was awesome.
So on Friday all of us trainers and all the other leaders in the mission got to
go into Suva to mission president’s house (which is the nicest house in Fiji)
and we had leadership training. It was the bomb. We had a ton of way good
trainings and it was just way fun to be with all of the other leaders and
stuff. There are so many way awesome Elders in this mission. We have so much
fun but we still work hard and get the work done. Before the training Sister
Klingler made us all waffles and pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast. It
was amazing ha and then for lunch we had hamburgers and thick milkshakes and
fruit salad and stuff like that. Definitely the best meals I have had since the
MTC.
On Saturday we went to this Koro called Dakuinuku where not many missionaries
have been before and it is like right on the ocean and we went to find this
girl who is a referral that we got (ends up she is a member) but she wasn’t
there but there was just this old guy in the house and I just got this feeling
that we should ask him if we could share a message with him, and he is Fijian
so of course he let us in and said we could. So he is like super old and has
been in the Methodist church forever just like most of the old Fijians but we
started sharing about the restoration and he was WAY interested in it. The
spirit was so strong and I was just spitting out Fijian like I have spoken it
for years. I know that is one of the best ways for me at least to know if the
spirit is in the lesson, how well my Fijian is. The spirit is the biggest part
of learning a language this quick and there are so many examples of it every
day. So he was way into it and then one of his other daughters who is older too
was in there too and she was way into it too so we gave them some BOM's and we
are going back next week. I really hope it works out. It was way awesome.
Another way awesome thing this week is that we finally got to go to this Koro
called Naloto which is also right on the ocean and it is a huge koro. There is
just one member family there but they are probably some of the best members in
Fiji. He is in the High council and she has a stake calling too. They are the
Rokotuiloma's. So this koro has a lot of people that want to take lessons but
it was been closed to us missionaries for a long time but last week I was
talking to Bishop and some other people and they said it is ready to open. So
we just have to get it cleared with mission president and the stake president
and they will find a tabua (whales tooth) and we will get to go do the sevusevu
ceremony where we present the village the whales tooth and then we will be able
to go and preach there. It will be SO awesome. The Rokotuiloma's said they will
help all of our investigators in there go to church and stuff every week so it
will be so sweet. I am way excited for it. The picture I sent of the ocean and
those houses is just where we parked the truck to walk into the koro. I will
get some more sweet pictures out there soon because it is so beautiful.
We also had stake conference this week. It was an area broadcast for the whole
Pacific. The General Primary President, and one of the counselors in the
General Sunday School presidency spoke. And then Elder Baxter of the seventy
spoke, and then Russel M. Nelson spoke. It was way good. There was a TON of
people there. We just had 2 of our investigators that were able to come down
for it. It could have been alot more but the carrier that was supposed to go
get the people from Waimalua couldnt get there because the bridge had flooded
haha
Sounds like everything is going awesome at home. O yeah I also finished that
journal that you gave me mom! Filled the whole thing. I am pretty proud of how
good I have been about writing in it. I wasn’t that great at doing it every day
at first but the last few months I haven’t missed many days. I know that I will
be so happy to have it later on in life. I have already started on my 2nd one
haha I got to keep it up! Alright well you guys are all the bomb! Thanks for
always supporting me so much! Au lomani kemudou vakalevu sara!!

Loloma, Elder Hawk

Monday, April 16, 2012




Veiqaravi Vinaka (good service)

Ni sa Bula Vinaka na noqu matavuvale!

I can't believe that it is Monday again already. The time is just flying by.
This week went by especially fast for some reason. And we will have a lot of
stuff going on this next week too so I am sure it will be another fast week
too. I still haven’t gotten the package with the poison rules shirt in it,
which I am way bummed about, but hopefully I will get it soon. We are in Suva
today with Elder Stock and his comp because we had to come get the registration
on the truck renewed, and Stocks comp had to get some stuff so that he can get
his Fiji drivers license.
This week was a really good week. We haven’t been having quite as many lessons
lately as we were before but a lot more are progressing better now and we also
got some new good investigators this week that will hopefully work out. We have
been teaching this one family for a while, when we first started teaching them
the mom was awesome and she always asked a ton of really good questions. The
last few weeks though they have seemed not really interested but the mom always
said that she was still praying about the Book Of Mormon and stuff so I knew
that she would get her answer at some point. So this week we went to teach them
and I asked her if she was still praying and she said yes, so I asked her if she
has felt like she received an answer and she said yes, I really thought she was
going to say she received an answer that it is not true, but she said that she
knows that it is true because she has been praying about it and whenever she
thinks about it and prays about it she feels peace. It was awesome. So we
should be setting a baptismal date with her and probably 3 of her kids this
week. The husband is a really nice guy but he never sits in on the lessons, so
this week I decided we would go and do service for them on Thursday morning
because that is our time for service every week. They live in a village that is
not too far from our village if you walk along a short cut that just goes
through the bush. I had never been that way because we always just drive but I
decided it would be cool to take it. So I got my sele (machete) and we took the
short cut. That is where we found that sweet river where I am standing at that
little water fall type thing in that one picture. So we were trying to find our
way up to the village because we didn’t even tell them we were going to come or
anything but we finally made it up and I could see the village just a little
ways off, but we ran into this other guy from the village that I have talked to
before and I told him where we were going and he said "O their dad is just
right up on that hill working in his farm" so we just went up there to
find him and help him for service. So we get up to where he is and it ends up
there are like 10 guys from the village there clearing this big hill for
planting tavioka. So I ask them if we can help and they thought it was way
awesome. So we helped them clear off like the whole hill side and then planted
some tavioka. I think they were way shocked at how hard we were working haha
they kept telling us to take a rest but we wouldn’t. So then after we were all
just sitting up on the hill resting and they asked me to say a prayer and stuff
so I did. It was way cool because I think a lot of them didn’t really like the
missionaries and stuff before but now they have a ton more respect for us. And
hopefully it will soften the dads heart too so that he will take the lessons.
We also had a way cool experience at church this week. We went out to go to
church in Waimalua, at that tin shack out in the bush that I sent you the
picture of last week. We just set a baptismal date with a young couple that
lives out there and they haven’t ever gone to church yet so I told them they
need to go to church a few times to be baptized. They live way out in the place
that we have to hike to so to get to church they have to hike that trail too
and they have a little tiny baby. So we got to church out there and there was
like no one there but the family that lives at that house because it was
dumping rain. So we just started church and then a little later one of our
other investigators from out there showed up so that was awesome. So some more
time goes by and then Solo and Va show up! That is that couple. It was awesome.
They walked probably an hour, on a crappy muddy trail up and down hills through
the jungle, in the rain, with their little baby to get to church. It was
awesome. It really made me realize how little I really appreciated the gospel
before my mission. I know I probably wouldn’t have been willing to do that and
they aren’t even members and they did it.
Well those were really the highlights of the week. We also went to this really
cool village that is like right on the ocean that I don’t think missionaries
have ever really been to before so that was pretty cool. We had a referral out
there. I also gave a few blessings to some sick ward members this week and it
was awesome because I did it all in Fijian. I don’t think that many Elders do
that just because they are scared they won’t be able to say what they want to
or need to, that is how I was before but I just decided to go for it last week
and I gave one last week and it was awesome, and I gave 2 more this week. It is
way better than doing it in English. I think it means a lot more to them when
we do it in Fijian. Sounds like everything is still going good at home! This
week we get to come into Suva again on Friday for Leadership training so that
should be awesome. Me and Elder Stock will get to go because we are training.
It should be way fun. Sister Klingler always cooks amazing food for things like
that so it will be awesome haha Well keep being awesome! Au lomani kemudou!!
Loloma, Elder Hawk

Sunday, April 8, 2012





The tin house at the top of the hill is where we hold church
Just walking in Waimalua

First X-Ray!!!

Ni sa Bula Vinaka na noqu matavuvale!

Well as you can probably tell from the subject this was a pretty crazy week, as
always I guess haha So on Monday we were all playing sports like always at the
chapel and we were playing touch rugby and I had kicked the ball and so me and
another Elder were chasing it and we both kind of like dove for it and I
reached out for the ball and my hand was on it and he fell right on top of my
arm and it bent way back farther than it ever should, and I could hear and feel
like a crunching. (but my hand was on the ball for a second and it was in the
try zone so I did score... haha) So I got up and I could not move my arm at all
and the whole thing was totally numb. I wasn’t really sure how bad it was
because I have never broken my arm but it definitely didnt feel too good. So
everyone was kind of freaking out about it a little bit and I was just like, no
worries it will be alright ha but it was hurting pretty good and the AP's were
there so they called the mission nurse guy and he said I should go into Suva
and get it X-rayed. So the AP's took me and Elder Tamuera into the hospital in
Suva and then they take me into the X-ray room and they wouldn’t let the
mission nurse guy or my comp come in so it was just me and this young Indian
girl in this dark little room and then she told me to take my shirt off. I kind
of thought she was joking at first but she wasn’t. So I took my shirt off and
then she comes up behind me reaches her arms around me and puts the protective
skirt thing on me for the X-ray. It was really awkward especially being a
missionary haha and she definitely wasn’t being shy about smiling and staring
at me. So then they are taking all these x-rays and another Indian lady comes
in and they are speaking Hindi to each other and just giggling and then they
tell me they are doing another x-ray and the lady said "alright now put
your arm up like this like your flexing your muscle" and they both were
giggling haha so I had to do that and they took another x-ray like that. (not
really sure if that one was necessary ha) But it ended up it was anything with
the bones so that was good. It still hurts at times but it should be all good
soon. I asked the doctor if I could take the x-rays so I have them haha
So that was a pretty exciting start to our week. After that there was the big
huge funeral in the village by our flat for that old lady whose body we took to
the hospital dead body freezer thing last week. Funerals in Fiji last like the
whole week and they just feast like all day every day and drink grog. But the
lady was the stake president’s mom so they had the funeral at the chapel up in
that village so on Thursday we were the ushers at the funeral. There was a ton
of people there and after it we got to go to the big huge feast and it was way
good. They had just killed the cow and they just chopped it into huge chunks
that were just hanging up. It was pretty sweet. So because of the funeral and
stuff we didn’t have a very good week as far as teaching goes just because
everyone was doing stuff but for that but it was still a pretty good week.
On Wednesday when we went out to Waimalua (which is that way bush place we hike
to) the member guy that always goes with us wasn’t there because he was at the
funeral, but we hiked out there anyways and we took a lot of way awesome pictures
that I will send to you guys today. We set 2 more baptismal dates out there so
that will be awesome. Another day we had taught a few lessons but mostly
everything was just falling through and it was like 730 at night so I was just
going to head back to the flat but I just felt like we should go see this
investigator named Simi. He is like never home because he is always working but
I just felt like we should go try. So we went and he wasn’t home but as we were
walking away another girl came out of the house and asked us if we could come
in and teach them. So we ended up teaching a really good lesson to her and
these 3 other boys and they were asking if they could come to church next week
and stuff so it was awesome. It was one of those moments where I was so glad
that I had listened to that prompting from the spirit to go and see Simi even
though that wasn’t even who we were meant to see.
Yesterday we came down and stayed in Wainibokasi with Elder Stock and his comp
because we went to watch conference at the stake center in Naulu. The place was
packed and so like all of us missionaries were sitting down in the isles of the
chapel on the floor haha It was really cool. Conference was really awesome, as
always. I cant wait to watch the Saturday sessions and especially the
priesthood session, that is always my favorite. Hopefully we can figure out a
way to get copies of them. This week I also finished reading the New Testament
and the Pearl of Great Price. So now all I have left to read in the standard
works is the Old Testament which I started today. It has been really awesome to
be able to read and study all of that. I have never really known a whole lot
about the Bible but I have really liked reading it. I know the some of the Old
Testament might change my mind about that though haha
So last night we went on splits with Wainibokasi and I went with Stocks trainee
Elder Ledoux. We went and taught this really young couple and they are soo
awesome. Probably some of the most prepared people to receive the gospel that I
have ever seen. Elder Ledoux is brand new too and so I had to do most of the
teaching because it was all in Fijian. We taught about the spirit world and the
resurrection and the three kingdoms. They were asking all kinds of these really
deep doctrine questions and I was just spitting back all of these awesome
answers all in Fijian. After the lesson (which was one of the funniest lessons
I have ever taught just because the spirit was so strong and they were such
good investigators) I was just driving and thinking about how amazing it is
that I was just explaining all of these crazy things all in Fijian and I didn’t
ever feel like I didn’t know how to say something or anything like that, it was
all just flowing right out. It is so amazing how much the spirit helps us
missionaries in learning these languages. And it is so fun being at the point
where I can just communicate with the people normally and say really anything
that I want. Just more reasons why I am having the time of my life!
Well this is a really huge email so I hope you enjoy it haha
That will be way awesome if you get to see Sister Maiwiriwiri and she can
translate that stuff!! Hopefully she will think my Fijian is good haha
You guys are the best.. seriously, conference talked a ton about families and
I just kept thinking how blessed we are to have the best family in the world!

Au lomani kemudou!!!

Loloma, Elder Hawk

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Fishhead for Soup.......yum!


Sa tau bi na uca!! (Raining hard!)

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka na noqu matavuvale!!

Well this week has been crazy. It was pretty much like a miny hurricane this
whole week. The whole west side of the island is totally flooded again..and
this time they said that it is worse than the one that happened in January. And
the rest of this week there is supposed to be another tropical cyclone that is
going to hit that side. It is going to be crazy. So this week that stopped the
work a little bit at times but we still had a way awesome week.
So on Wednesday we always go out to that way crazy bush area called Waimalua
where we like hike through the jungle for 30 minutes and it was raining of
coarse ha but we went on our hike anyways and got super muddy and wet but it
was awesome. Once we got down there we got 2 new investigators that just showed
up at the Toroca's house for church last week. Then when we hiked back up we
went to another house and there was probably like 10 people in there and about
5 of them were members but the rest werent and so I just asked if we could share
a message and I ended up teaching the whole restoration to them and they were
all like way into it and said to come teach them again when we come out there
this week. It was awesome. Then we got back to the Toroca's house and some guys
there said that a huge mango tree had fallen in the road and that we wouldnt be
able to make it back. So we thought we were going to have to sleep out there
again but we went to just check and the people had come and chopped the tree
all up and moved it out of the way. It was a HUGE tree though.
So we also had 2 of our baptisms this week. The other 2 that live out there in
Waimalua went into Suva for a funeral so they weren’t able to get baptized but
they should be back soon so it will still work out. But the story about the
baptism is pretty crazy. So on Sunday it had already been raining for like 4
days straight and it was POURING. So we went up to the chapel to get ready for
the baptism and I get a call from the stake president who is from that village
that our church house is by and he says that his mom just died that morning in
that village and asked if we could take her body to the hospital. So we went
with Bro. Tabua and they put her body in the back of the truck (she was at
least small enough to shut the tail gate so no one had to sit back there like
the last dead body we had to take) And it was pouring rain so we just like put
a tarp and stuff over her and drove her body to the hospital. That is already
the 2nd time in 2 months that I have taken a dead body in the back of that
truck haha pretty crazy.
Well after all that we went back up to the chapel and bishop said that we were
just going to do the baptism and then have sacrament meeting and be done. There
was a ton of people there so it was way awesome. I got to baptize Luisa and it
was way cool to do the baptism prayer in Fijian. There were some members from
Waimalua and they were supposed to get a carrier to bring them into church at
the Korovou ward this week but no cars could get out there because it is totally
flooded so some of the members swam across the flood and walked probably
another 10 kilometers to get there. Way awesome. Fiji is the bomb.
Everything is going good with the training and everything. Elder Tamuera is the
man. His knowledge of the gospel and the lessons and stuff isnt that great and
so I told him he should study PMG a lot and pretty much any free time we have
had (which was more than usual this week because of the floods) I have seen him
studying from PMG and like writing notes on it and stuff. It will be so cool to
see him progress and be part of helping him do it.
O so that picture of the fish head is from a YSA activity that we organized. We
cooked a bunch of fish heads like that up and ate them. It was awesome haha
Alright well I hope you guys enjoy this huge email this week. haha Au lomani
kemudou!!

Loloma, Elder Hawk