July 15

Last night as we were pulling into the flat, the sisters were walking by.  We invited them in and had a lovely visit.  They were returning from a stake mission open house.  They said there were over 200 people there.  


The sisters are both from India. As we were talking I asked them what their chances were of marrying in the church.  Both told me that parents still arrange marriages in India and that that would be a problem for them as their parents are not LDS.  


I copied the following from my email to the kids.
  

In the MTC the security guy who spent 3 hours teaching us (senior couples) how to be safe kept saying, "You will never blend in. Never. Whether you serve in the US or abroad; you will never ever blend in."  Well we have had some experiences this week that testifies to the truth of what he said. 

After we had eaten in Denarau we were walking along (Scott was on his way to watch a rugby match on the TV behind the bar in the restaurant) when I heard.  'Hey, badge!  What's with the badge?"  I turned to see about 8 men and two woman sitting at a long table.  One was waving at me.  I walked over and asked if he was talking to me.  "Yup"  I want to know what the badge is all about?"  Well he couldn't read my mission badge because it is in Fijian.  So I told him that I was a representative (notice I didn't say missionary which is what I generally say) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  "Oh," one of the guys said, "Your church was started in my state, NY."  I explained to the rest of them that we are sometimes called Mormons and asked if they had heard of us.  They all had; they knew we were polygamists.  "Not any more," was my reply.  "Deny, Deny. I have seen Big Love."  said one guy.  I looked him right in the eye and said, "My church (then I named it again) hasn't practiced polygamy since the 1800s. Those people on Big Love are not members of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."   Well we talked for about 10 minutes, laughing and exchanging information.  They brought up polygamy two more times and then I finally said, "Help me out here, guys.  When ever someone says that my church still practices polygamy will you correct them and use me as your source."  They said they would.  As our conversation was winding down, one guy said, "We don't belong to a church; we are in the sinners club."  I replied, "Well when that gets old and you truly want to be happy, find someone with this (tapping it) badge.  They will help you."  They all wished me well for my 18 months in Fiji. Nice to have an opportunity to change some misinformation.   So much for blending in.

On Sunday we went back to the resort, so Scott could take pictures.  I sat in the car as we were illegally parked.  He was gone a long time and when he came back he said that he had been stopped by a Hindu lady that say his tag.  It seems her husband let her be baptized with the stipulation that she could not/ would not try to convert the children.  Her oldest in now 18 and coming to Suva in January for university and she wondered if he could connect her daughter with the Young Adults in Suva when she gets here.  "Yup!  We surely can."  We have the phone number of the mother and will keep track of developments. No blending in here.

So today we were looking all over Suva for a road map of the city.  We finally ended up in a book shop that used to have them, but no longer do.  The clerk who helped us looked at our badges and said, "I know who you are. I have read your book.......(thinking)......"The Book of Mormon."  I asked her how she liked it, and she said, "I especially liked the Book of Alma."  Scott asked "Have you had the mission discussions?" "I have not," was her reply,  "I live too far out for anyone to come and speak with me."  We got her address, and telephone number and gave it to Pres. Klinger to pass along to the Elders.  

Three times in three days of not blending in has made us really aware of where we are, how we are acting, and how we treat those around us.  Sometimes not blending in is a good thing.

Life is going well for us.  One last story.  Scott and I were sitting in the living room last week studying when we heard this awful humming sound.  Loud.  I followed it into the bathroom and discovered it was the washing machine.  It wasn't on.  It was plugged in, but here in Fiji each electrical outlet has a switch that allows electricity to flow or not.  The switch was in the off position and yet the machine was making an awful racket.  I opened the door. Nothing. Switched the power on and off. Nothing. Shook the machine.  Still nothing.  It finally just stopped humming.  Well it happened twice yesterday and once this morning.  Gremlins in the machine I am sure.  Kind of spooky!!!!

Life is good here.  Three weeks in the mission field and we have our first referral, the institute is cleaned out, we have desks and air conditioning, a wish list that someone in Auckland is going to laugh at and then hack way down, and a dream of what the institute can be.  Life is good.