NABUA - Week 9

Papitaiso

Bula Vinaka!!

This week was amazing!! I guess I might as well say it right away - We had our baptisms! They're names are Samu & Nanise. They are an old couple that live a 1-hour walk into the forest... Alone. And they are the best people ever.

This whole past weekend has just filled with light and the spirit. This couple was so ready for baptism. It felt so so good to see them get into the water knowing that they were truly ready. With the Easter weekend and the baptism, I have felt so much appreciation for this gospel and our savior Jesus Christ. 

Here in Fiji, Easter weekend lasts Friday through Monday. Some of you may have noticed that I'm emailing a day late. All the stores were closed yesterday for P-day so I wasn't able to email. Easter weekend was amazing! I dunno, I guess being a missionary just gives you a whole new appreciation on the Savior's life. I feel so blessed! 

There's not many other noteworthy things to report besides a couple random things. 1- I developed a sty in my eye. Super gross, I don't recommend it. I had about 20 Fijians tell me of different ways to heal it. 2- I LOST MY CAMERA. I am so bummed. Luckily I've been pretty good at uploading pictures so that's ok, but I lost all of my videos. Lots of fun memories gone. But all is well, stuff happens, eh?

Ok, well thank you for reading my letter this week! Obviously with Easter weekend just passing us by I would like to reiterate my appreciation for the Savior. Because of Him, I am happy. I have hope. I have an eternal life with my family to look forward to. I am ever in his debt! If you haven't yet, I encourage you to go to this website:

https://www.mormon.org/easter/hallelujah

Find new ways to serve the Savior! Think of Him and His sacrifice every day. Easter is just a REMINDER for us to think of Christ ALL the time.

I love you all so much! I hope all is well! Until next week, keep on keepin' on!

Au lomani kemuni na noqu matavuvale!

-Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller

Baptism of Samu & Nanise

The baptism!

"Dr. Samu" working some Fijian remedies on my eye

Samu & Nani

Our branch president (left) and new baptism

NABUA - Week 8

Bikin' for dayz

Bula Si'a!

This week has been great! As the subject says, we biked a TON. The bikes are nice! Shipped from America. *see pictures below* Literally every person we go by just STARES at us. Haha. The tires are massive. They just roll over any rock or anything in the road, it's so handy. There is one problem though... There are no gears. And Fiji is a very mountainous country. So hills are no fun. That's ok, I'll just come home with super strong legs!

Not a ton of things to report on this week! It was a pretty normal week (for the Fiji Suva Mission). One cool did is we decided to visit a village we haven't been to yet, that's about an hour bus ride, and then a 30 minute walk away! But... we accidentally got out of the bus WAY too early. So we ended up walking for about 2 hours. Oops. But that's alright. In the village we had a list of about 10 members we wanted to see, that hadn't been to church in years. It turns out that 9 of them have moved off island, and the last one has gone back to a different church. So that was a huge bummer. But it's all chill, at least we got to see more of Fiji!

The disappointment in that village we went to was made up by the next village we visited. Some of the members told us about a little girl that might want to take lessons so we went to see her. Turns out she REALLY wants to take lessons! So we got permission from her Grandparents, who she's living with, and our first lesson went really well! The Lord truly does prepare people's hearts for us.

That's about it for this week for me! As far as a spiritual thought, I would just like to share a quote:

"Your success in life depends upon how much light you gain while you are here." -Elder Larry R. Lawrence

I love this idea. Our purpose in life is truly just to gain light. Look for any way you can do that! Serve others, read the scriptures, look to improve... Just do good! 

I love you all so much! Shout out to Jon & Amy with the new baby!! Congrats!! I can't wait to meet him. Well, until next week, keep on keepin' on!

Au lomani kemuni!

-Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller

(no pictures of bikes unfortunately… Jaxson’s computer froze during download)

NABUA - Week 7

Back to the Grind...Finally!

Bula Si'a!

Another update here from Elder Miller, in the bowels of the jungles of Fiji! This week my companion and I finally got settled back into our area. It feels so good to be back. The last couple weeks have been really hectic with our trip to Suva and Elder getting Emergency Transferred due to sickness, among other things. But all is well!

Like I said, we finally got to get back to the good ol' missionary work this past week. Things are back on track in Nabua! The work's a movin'. Samu and Nanise are doing great! (the old couple that lives alone in the middle of the jungle) Their baptismal date is scheduled for next week Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Side fact - Here in Fiji they celebrate Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, AND Easter Monday. Anyways, that couple has the GREATEST faith. For example, one day we taught them the Word of Wisdom. They drank coffee and tea regularly. But when we taught it to them they didn't even hesitate! Nani asked: "Is cocoa ok?" and when I told her of course, she then proceeded to make us to boiling cups of hot cocoa on a scorching hot day. Haha.

The only other real noteworthy event this week was that we received bikes in our area! I suggested the idea to our Mission President and he approved it. THEY'RE AWESOME!! I accidentally forgot to take pictures of them... But I'll send pictures next week. Let's just say they turn every head we go by. Haha.

Ok well, this is a shorter update this week, mostly because I forgot my journal, so  I can't review the events of the week. It's crazy how fast we can forget things! I'll use that as an in for my spiritual thought for the week. Keep a journal! Or update it if you haven't in a while! It's amazing to be able to look back through my journal and see how much I've changed, just on my mission. 

Alriight, I love you all! I miss you all tons. Until next week, keep on keepin' on!

Au lomani kemuni!

-Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller

NABUA - Week 6

Fish! 

Mauri! Elder Miller here, reporting on another crazy week in Fiji! It was a SUPER eventful week this week, but I'll try to keep it short so you don't get uber bored!

So this week we had a tri-companionship because an Elder in my district got sick and had to go to the main island where there's a better hospital. Because of that, I traveled the most I ever have in my mission! I got to see so much of Fiji, it was a blast. I even got to travel to another island! (see pictures) It's called Rabi [Ram-bi, like the animal]. They actually speak an entirely different language altogether! They speak Gilbertese, the language of the country of Kiribati. That was SO cool. We took one of those fiber-glass boats over. Way fun!

On the way back from Rabi, we ran into MASSIVE flocks of birds. And every fisherman here knows, when there are birds, there are fish. So he decided to fish. And OH MY GOSH I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY FISH IN MY LIFE. He would literally lower his pole into the water and yank out a fish into the boat. I had to hide in the little cabin at the front of the boat because I got nailed in the head by a fish. My gosh, it was the craziest experience. I'm pretty sure I still smell like fish... And that was 3 days ago. 

For the sake of time I'll just talk about one other thing even though SO MUCH happened this week. Just scroll through the pictures to see! But this weekend we spent a few days in the area called Tukavesi. It was so cool! For church on Sunday, we met in a member's house (a RICH member...) that lived in America for 15 years. Holy cow. It was so full! There were so many people that came! And almost half of them were non-members! The spirit was so strong. These people truly love this gospel. 

Here's the highlights of my week!

-Tri companionship

-Zone Training Meeting on the other side of the island

-I met a 49ers fan in a small village in Fiji

-Took a fiberglass boat to another island that has another culture and another language

-Showered from a bucket

-Used a weed-wacker to clear an entire lawn

-JAMMED out to the Frozen soundtrack

-Caught the biggest fish of my life

-Saw more fish than I've seen in my entire life combined

-Ate BAT (aka "Chicken of the Cave)

-Ate RAW FISH

-Watched as an Elder reached into a freshly caught fish, pulled out the heart, and then handed it to me to eat, which I gladly did

And much more! I'm having so many fun adventures on my mission! But I promise I'm still working hard! The missionary work is moving along so well here in Fiji.

Lastly I'd like to share a spiritual thought. I received a good reminder about my Patriarchal Blessing. I encourage you all to go read yours again! And if you haven't received yours yet, ask Heavenly Father if now is the right time for you! I know it is truly direction and guidance for our lives here on Earth. Pay attention to the the commandments it tells you to follow, and the promised blessings if you do. Ask yourself if you're really following them!

Thanks again for reading my email! I love you all so much, and love being a missionary! Until next week, keep on keepin' on!

Au lomani kemuni!

-Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller

Pres Eyring visits with the missionaries before the Cultural Celebration

A house destroyed in Cyclone Winston

Savusavu Bay

Distributing food rations to people that were affected by the Cyclone

Traveling for dayzz

The boat to Rabi island

Starting POURING rain, so we grabbed a tarp

The Elders' flat in Rabi. They're the only missionaries on the whole island

Rabi

The road on the island is alongside the beach, with the villages lining the road. It only covers about half of the island, the rest doesn't have a road. Every single village on the island is on the oceanside, NONE are inside the forest

Playing around with some Rabian kids

Dinner in Rabi. That white bowl is the raw fish. They literally just cut up a fish and put it in coconut milk

My shower

These birds follow the schools of fish EVERYWHERE

Caught a Tuna!

Pulled the heart of a fish and ate it

Had some bat for dinner!

A goat

The place we had Sacrament, a member's house who lived in California for 15 years