THE WORK IS MOVING

Well another great week in our area this week. Definitely had some interesting things happen including a bunch of Muslims trying  to hold an official bible bash with us..... hahahah so weird and we also built the finest looking stairs you will ever see #ImBobTheBuilder. hahaha But we really did just put our shoulders to the wheel and push along as hard as we could. It was a grind but man it payed off this Sunday. 

We were really feeling a little down after our weekly planning on Friday because we have been working way hard to build up the area here but all the people that we are working with just don't seem very interested or have a big problem they're facing. We kind of just tried to shake off the bad feeling we were feeling and keep working and Sunday we were so blessed. The 3 main investigators that we have been working with all came to church! aAd then on top of that another one we weren't expecting to be there showed up as well. And on top of that 2 other families brought a non member to church and gave us them as referrals! Overall 6 non- members at church when we were hoping to get 1 or 2. Oh man it was amazing. I learned so much from this experience. Mostly just how the Lord multiplies our efforts. Really when it comes down to it me and my companion did such a small part in getting these people to church. All that we did is worked our hardest and the Lord picked up the slack and did the rest and more. it was just amazing to see! I don't have too much time to email today but I just want you all to know that the church is true, and that when we humble ourselves and just give our best effort, that's when the Lord comes in and blesses us! I love you all. Have a great week!

Love Elder Mumford

CHURCH IS TRUE

Man just another amazing week out here, just unreal. Me and Elder Kubera are just trying to give everything we have day in and day out to the Lord and man is Heavenly Father answering back with so many blessings. I just feel so loved and blessed by my Heavenly Father.

This week on Wednesday I finally got my license! No more pounding the pavement for us! LETSS GO. However it has been a real blessing having to walk considering how much we get fed in this ward. #ALWAYSFULL. In other news an elderly couple fed us sloppy joes this week #Blessed But what I really wanted to write about is the miracle that happened this week. So we went and visited a couple that have been really progressing in the gospel. Their names are Tui and Nina. I have only ever visited them once before this week so I didn't know them too well. But at the end of the lesson she said that her parents lived in an area that we used to cover in my first area in Nadi and that they were members of the church. She tried to explain to me where they lived but it's been such a long time I just couldn't really remember the area too well. But then she told me their names "Eta and Jone." When I heard that it literally knocked the wind out of me and I couldn't speak I was just so excited. So Eta and Jone were some of our most golden investigators in our first transfer in Nadi. The only problem was they just weren't married yet so we were trying to make it happen. The next transfer sisters got moved into that area and started teaching them. But Eta and Jone were adamant that they wanted me to baptize them. That next transfer they got married, but sadly they were baptized the week after I went to Rabi. Although I was excited to be on Rabi I was a little cut about the whole situation because I really wanted to be their for their baptism. They are such a great family and we just had a really special connection. But throughout the rest of my mission since then I have been keeping tabs on them through sisters who have served there in the past and they were always just so strong in the gospel, even feeding the missionaries every week! But it wasn't till this week that I found out I was teaching their daughter. After the lesson I was just overwhelmed because I have never felt the love of God so strongly in my life ever before. I would have been fine just knowing that Eta and Jone were still strong in the gospel, that's all I needed to know. But because he loves me and knows how much this family means to me, he sent me here to this area so that I could teach their daughter! I was just overcome that day with a feeling of love and gratitude for my Heavenly Father. This work is true and he loves each one of us more then we can imagine. The work is moving and I love being apart of it! Have a good week everyone!

Elder Mumford

me about to eat some sloppy joes, an apple and some other food #LifeIsGood

And us walking in the rain before we got the license back......

License!

Me and Elder Kubera out proselyting

And my study set up! I'm trying to make like a wall of pics so if anyone wants to send me any awesome pictures  in the mail (because I'm too lazy to print them here hahah) send them and I'll put them up on the wall!

LIFE

What's up homies?

Man it's been such a busy, and crazy week but I figured I would get my group email out first to try to explain a little bit  of all that happened. Life is so crazy but man it's so fun. There is no where else I would rather be then here doing missionary work!

So Monday a mini hurricane hit Fiji, which made rugby heaps of fun in the rain and mud.

Tuesday was just a headache of a day. So a majority of this week has been spent at the LTA (Fiji equivalent of the DMV) because I need to get my license like pronto because my comp doesn't have his. So the test was scheduled for Tuesday but they pushed it back to Thursday. I don't even know why.... but we did the drivers test on Thursday and then they said we would have to wait another week for the results to be processed.... Seriously these drivers places are the same everywhere you go, just horrible... But this means that me and Elder Kubera are walking until we get that drivers license.... And man we don't have a very small area so it's been fun to say the least. Suva is just so humid and wet and man it's taking a toll. We come home with our shirts completely soaking wet no joke... hahah But it's been fun!

Wednesday we got up, went for a run and got ready and then Sister Layton called to wish me a happy birthday. I seriously totally forgot it was my bday until she called. But I'm 21 now so that's pretty neat. We had a leadership training meeting that day which was amazing and they had pizza and brownies so my life was good. Sister Layton put a candle on mine and they all sang happy bday which was fun.

Thursday- Sunday were literally all spent tracting no joke. We had so much fun just trying to teach as many people as would want to listen. Because everyone is so passionate about their religions here in Fiji, we get denied a lot, probably because we are so bold. But this is the true church so we have to proclaim it! haha

Saturday I got to go on exchanges with the AP's. I went to their area and worked with Elder Harris, which funny story we actually stayed in the same building in the BYU dorms for the first semester I was there but he left on his mission after first semester. He literaly lived right above me. small world. But anyways he is the best Elder. We had such a great exchange.  I learned so much and it was just awesome.

Sunday man this is such a great ward. About 80 people showed up to church which is unheard of and our Bishop is so on top of his calling. It makes missionary work so much easier its unreal! One of the biggest highlights of Sunday was one of the less active members we are teaching named Brother Vulono came to church! This was his first time back. Me and Elder Kubera had a great lesson with him where we promised him that if he strived to read the scriptures and pray daily, then go to church on Sunday that Heavenly Father would help him with every single problem he had in his life! And sure enough he came to church! His first day back our bishop gave him a calling to count the attendance in Sunday school and it was awesome to see how excited he was to have a calling in the church again! Man it's just so amazing to see the gospel of Jesus Christ change lives. This church is true, there is no doubt about it! I love you all. Have a good week!

Elder Mumford

Ate some oyster clam things and they gave intense diarrhea.... 

LTA (like the DMV)

These are some pictures of us putting in that work walking #WeightLoss

Me and Elder Alonzo who I served 6 months with in Rabi.  He's my district leader now and it's great.

and then exchanges with Elder Harris!

I found a DR Pepper and I almost cried because they are pretty rare in Fiji #Blessed

Our flat. Man a real big upgrade from three months ago showering in a bucket.... 

These are my new little friends I found at church. Gosh little Fijian girls are the cutest.

SUP EVERYONE

Man it was such a crazy week this week.. like I don't even know where to begin.... I'm just overwhelmed and relying on my Heavenly Father for everything that has been put on my plate... So we had a Zone meeting on Tuesday in Savusavu, which was a great meeting, but Tuesday was also transfer calls, which we really weren't even thinking about because I was only half way through training my son Elder Giacalone.  But I guess this is just another lesson that Heavenly Father never lets us as missionaries get comfortable where we are. He always wants to stretch us and man that's what he did. We had just got back to the flat after the meeting when we got a call from President. I was so surprised and confused why he was calling but when I picked up he told me that he was extending a calling to me to be a Zone Leader in the Suva North Zone... He asked if I thought I was ready, and I told him I would rely on the Lord and try my best to fulfill this responsibility. 

So after the call I had the most hectic week of my life. After frantically saying goodbye to everyone in the area (I'll send some pictures of that) I flew down to Suva and started my responsibilities as a zone leader. This area isn't like any of my other areas, mostly just all city. This area is actually where the temple is which is so awesome to be able to see it everyday! We had heaps of transfers to deal with and one of the hardest parts was I was just thrown into driving this huge van on the streets of Suva. In my last area there were heaps of just big dirt roads with no traffic at all and it was just so easy to drive on, but now...... I'm driving this huge 12 passenger van on these big city roads with lots of street lights and traffic etc... wow its testing me... hahah but no crashes so far. Life is just crazy. Right now I feel more strongly then ever that God calls inadequate people to do his work so that they will rely on him in their weakness and be able to do great things through him. Yet another challenge lies ahead but as alma said "I Know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak, therefore I will not boast in myself but I will boast in my God, for in his strength I can do all things." Life is crazy but the church is true! I love you all!

Elder Mumford

My district saying goodbye to me at the airport!

And having to say goodbye to my son:( Love you Elder Giacalone

 Me Dabbing

Me and my new comp! Elder Kubera. He is just the man. He  is from Hawaii and has been my Zone leader before. I never thought in a million years I would be able to serve with him but I'm so excited. And we are actually in the mission office for this picture. That's where we email now #fancy

And I got to watch all of conference in our ward this time which was awesome!  Just sipping hot cocoa listening to the living prophet! #ChurchIsTrue

New Missionary Assignment

10 October 2016


Dear Elder Mumford,

Thank you for accepting the assignment to serve as a Zone Leader for the Suva North Zone. I am grateful that your work to this point has qualified you for such an important leadership role in the Mission. You have developed the qualities of faith, obedience, diligence, and charity. You in turn can help others develop these virtues.

This call represents a significant trust in you.  Your sphere of influence has been expanded.  We trust you to be the type of influence the Savior needs you to be.

You have responsibility for missionaries who have dedicated up to two years of their lives to serving the Lord. You can help them make the most of this service. Lead by example, by instruction, and when necessary, by Christ-like correction.

I have attached a list of zone leader responsibilities. Please review them and consider how you and your companion will apply them in your zone. D&C 121:34-46 contains excellent advice for leaders. You have been chosen for this responsibility and by applying these principles you can develop the unity and strength in your zone that will realize the promises of Preach My Gospel.

I look forward to working with you. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

With appreciation and love,



LaMar L Layton, President Fiji Suva Mission

Well guys sorry emails have been so spotty lately.  We have just been so busy with different travel and things like that. But as always I'm just living the dream out here in Fiji. There is nothing else I would rather be doing then teaching the only true gospel to these amazing people of Fiji.

 I don't have heaps of time to write but I just wanted to share one great story with you guys of what I consider a miracle. So last transfer me and my old companion were proselyting and we talked to this guy, just a quick "Hello. How are you?" type thing and we thought he was kind of off but we never thought anything of it. So the next week we were in the same village talking to some members and they told us that the guy we had talked to was so excited that we speak Fijian because he thought we only spoke English and that he wanted to join our church. They also told us that he is completely deaf.... that's why our convo was a bit off with him. There was no way I was going to let this opportunity pass but we wondered how in the world we were going to be able to teach him. But we just said a prayer and went anyways. We got there and found out that he is really good at reading lips however our lips move a bit different when we speak Fijian compared to natives so he couldn't understand us very well. So anyways after a few weeks of thinking as hard as we could me and my comp came up with a new strategy to teach him. SO what we did is we brought a white board and a dry erase marker into the lessons and then our whole lesson written on strips of paper. So what we do is we just give him one strip of paper at a time to teach him and then use the whiteboard to say anything that we feel the spirit prompting us to say. Not going to lie our lessons were pretty rough at first trying to get used to teach on a whiteboard but after some adjusting  and way too many prayers we found some great success. He has now received the first 3 lessons, reads the Book of Mormon everyday, and wants to be baptized this month. GUYS I don't know what else to say besides this church is so true. It is able to bless every single persons life on this earth, and I just love to be able to share it to all the world. I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Mumford

Me and Elder Giacalone in the car. In other news we actually hit a goat head on yesterday. Pretty freaking crazy... hahaha

And me crying with happiness because the Elders brought Burger King for me and my comp up to the north for zone conference.

THIS IS ME AND MY DISTRICT. Literally the most fun district I've ever had. We just all have way too much fun being missionaries!

And this is us showing off our smooth legs. Elder Halbert always waxes his legs so I decided to give it a try and before you know it we all pretty much did it. Lol I'm not really sure why I did it and I still feel a bit weird about it but hey my legs are smooth. hahah Don't judge me #LegsofADolphin