WOW what a week. I can't even explain my happiness this week. This is what missionary work is really all about...helping people change their lives! So we started this week having a goal to get Diva baptized. She had showed the desire so we worked hard visiting her everyday preparing her for her baptism. There were so many things that we had to help her through. Wow she has had a tough life..so many bad things have happened to such a good girl but throughout the week we helped her through all of them, and throughout each and every lesson she was just excited to be baptized and put all of it behind her. Saturday came and she asked me to baptize her. The font was a bit dirty because it's an outdoor font, the water was cold, and she had to be baptized twice because her foot came up the first time. To an outsider it may have looked like an imperfect moment, but actually it was quite the opposite. She was made perfect in that moment. Later that night we visited her after the baptism and we asked how she felt. All she said was "free." It was just a powerful moment. This gospel is amazing. I have still yet to see someone live by its precepts and not change their lives completely. That's exactly what happened with Diva. Although her journey isn't over, she still has a lot to do in this life, it was a great first step on her path to eternal life!

This last transfer has been great. I've been with one of my best friends Elder Forbush and I have learned so much. It's also been one of the hardest transfers I've ever had. I've had some of the lowest of lows and I think that's why I've had so many learning moments and so many happy moments as well. Just like Lehi, there is no way he could have known the sweetness of the fruit without knowing the darkness of the path. This church is true everyone, and I love it!

Elder Mumford

Baptism of Diva

Doing some baptismal interviews in the bush!

And another pic with a member

We have our district meeting at a little primary school and I wanted a snack so catch me being the biggest kid in the lunch line hahah

 And #doublechinfitlife

SUP FAMILY,

So its been a great week over here in Fiji. Finally after like two weeks of straight rain the sun has been out which is pretty much all you can ask for. #SunsOutGunsOut hahaha but great week just working hard. Me and Elder Forbush are pretty much just like best friends, which is making the work so much fun. This transfer has been filled with fall throughs, which can sometimes be discouraging but this week we put it all behind us and just went hard trying to find those that want to hear the message. We have this one investigator, her names Diva. She has been coming to church and really opening up to us about her life. She is half Tongan and half Samoan but adopted into a Fijian family. She's had heart problems all growing up and just kind of a crazy life, but through it all she really is the sweetest person ever. Just so great. But this last week her adopted mom got admitted into the hospital for surgery on a boil on her lung as well as her kidney. She had surgery and was just in a really bad state and I think that kind of really had her think more of the Plan of Salvation that we taught her. This week she had to take over care for all her adopted siblings and basically just be a mom and go to school at 17. She was coming home late one night just crying and one of our members was at the bus stop when she got off. Our member doesn't even know her but she just got her to open up and Diva just opened up to our member, and ended up just staying at their house because she needed a place to stay for a few days. So amazing. but anyways Saturday night she told us the terrible news that she would be moving in the next few days. We were heartbroken because she was making such big progress. But we just kept praying for her. Sunday she went to church and felt the spirit so strong in all the classes. After church she asked us for a blessing for the things she has been going through and then after the blessing we taught her a small lesson. During the lesson she just stopped us and was like "Elders I have something I want to say. I've been thinking about it and I really want to be baptized before I move." We were just shocked. We hadn't recommended that she do that but the spirit drove her to make that choice. She has become literaly a changed person in the past week all because of her just living the gospel. Holy cow this church is so true. We will see what happens but hopefully she will be baptized on Saturday! It's just been such a testimony builder to just keep going. The Lord has his own timing and the Lord in the end is the one that gives us success in the work. The key is whether or not we will continually do the right things whether we have success or not! SO ya that's what's going on here! Life's great. I hope its going well for you all as well! Love you guys!

Elder Mumford

Pics- The first time the sun came out we decided to sun bathe while doing language study.... hahaha

me and my boy Elder Amisone on exchanges

Elder Forbush was a little sick and a little tired this week so I figured I would take a good pic hahah

The elderly couple gave us brownies and movie theatre popcorn

Me drinking chocolate milk out of the carton #Health

I found a cactus

And me and our investigator, Diva, who is wearing a pistons jersey #swag

Well fam great week. The mission is great and I'm just trying to keep improving and keep pushing the work. We had zone conference and man I learned so much. Really just working to humble myself and get out of the way of the spirit when I teach. Got some pics for you guys as well.

WOOOOOO......

FISH ON CHIPS

Me whipping it in the ten passenger van #SWAG

And me with a cute little kid!

Milk ice blocks #Wonderful

 Curry night with our ward mission leader!

#under armour

Hung up the new pics I got in the most recent package #FAMILIESAREFOREVER

PICS

Random pics

Ya that's a calzone.... best thing I've ever eaten

Oh and ya those are my stylish shoes #SWAG

Me with a great Fijian family in the ward

And me all business mode looking over baptismal records hahaha

FAM

What's up people?! This week was all good. Me and my comp Elder Forbush are just getting out and doing heaps of tracting to go find those that are ready for baptism. Life's just good out here and time is absolutely flying.

Here's some good old pics of cute kids

Valentine's day cake

Me in a rainbow umbrella # manly

And me and my boys Elder Amisone and Elder Jones all rocking that Columbia jacket swag in an empty swimming pool #soHipster hahaha

FAM

What's up fam? Not much time to email today but wow it's been the craziest week ever. My companion went home on Tuesday so the rest of the week I was tagging along with other companionships until I got my new comp on Thursday. My new comp is named Elder Forbush and we are pretty much best friends so life is good. We have had a crazy week with transfers and running around baptismal clothes for zone members, but it all payed off in the end because our zone set a goal for 25 baptisms and we got 28! SO amazing! It was just a great transfer and it was no doubt because the great elders and sisters we have in our zone and the Lord just working miracles in our area. Love this work!

Last dinner with Elder Paki and taking him to the airport. So fun serving with him! I love that guy!

And a picture we all took for an Elder named Elder Amai, who recently got home from this mission and died in a car crash. Love that guy so much. Heavenly Father just needs his service up in heaven!

Good ol' farming

Me and my new comp Elder Forbush

We have a lady that we helped become active again in church and she had a temple recommend interview with Bishop. Before she went in she gave us her baby to watch for a few minutes. So cute!

Pics

Hey guys not much time to write today. Way busy with some other things but here's a few pictures of a pizza night we had with our AP's. #STILLLOVEPIZZA

And Elder Pakis last weekly planning because he goes home this week?!?!?!?So crazy!

Love this work. Love you all!

Elder Mumford