February 17

Kami Musuka is a YSA who is also the mission leader in his ward.  He had asked us weeks ago if we would bring the YSA choir out to the Makoi (McCoy) Ward's Missionary Fireside to sing. We were thrilled.  He requested that we sing "Folofola Mai Sisu" which made it easy.  What did not make it easy was transporting the young adults from Suva to Makoi.  The YSAs do not have enough money to get out there and back, so we asked to borrow the APs van three weeks ago. They got back to us on Friday night late.  The answer was only missionaries may ride in their van.  Scott is so even tempered.  I was ticked that they waited nearly three weeks to get back to us with a no.  Scott just called Sulu Kama who is in charge of the cars here in Fiji. He asked if we could borrow one of the school's vans.  Again the answer was no.  So here we are Saturday morning without any way to get the young adults out to the Makoi ward.  We were so blessed that we had decided to have the YSAs get to the Samabula ward house by 3:30 for the 5:00 meeting.  We figured that we would have time for Scott to drive out and back twice.  We were sure we would not have more than 20 show up.

Wrong!!!  When we drove into the chapel parking lot there were already 25 YSAs waiting and we know these Fijian kids well enough to know that there were many who would be late.  We crammed 14 YSAs plus Scott into the van which is only supposed to hold 11.  While Scott was gone, eight more YSAs showed up, so now we have 16 waiting to ride out--impossible.  Some of them offered to ride the bus which meant a walk of about 10 minutes and then the bus ride of 20 minutes; we did not have a choice, so I sent them off.  For the second trip out we had 12 crammed in including me.

While we were waiting for Scott to get back to pick up the last of us, we decided to sing our song.  While we were singing a man and a woman walked into the parking lot and stood there listening.  We sang the song twice and they begged us to sing again.  The couple were LDS from Utah on a cruise and had gotten someone to help them get to the temple.  I guess they heard us from the temple and came to see.  Fun.

Practicing once altogether in the Nasinu Chapel parking lot.

Because some of the YSAs who lived out towards Nasinu met us at the church, we had 45 sing with us tonight--a record.  It was so awesome.  We sat in the front six rows of the chapel with the men closest to the podium.  The women sat behind them.  Maggie stood them up and then turned them around to face the congregation which put the girls in front.  I cried when they sang.  This is Fiji's Army of Helaman.  The Spirit was so strong.

Three of the speakers (Lillian, Peniette, Viliame) who taught about the restoration were YSAs from the Institute.  At these missionary firesides they always ask recent converts to bear their testimony.  Onny bore hers and it was so powerful.  We are so privileged to be in the presence of these strong choice sons and daughters of God.

Instead of driving back and forth again, I just got all the change out of our van and began giving the YSAs enough bus fare to get home.  When the money was gone the rest had to pay their own way home.  We gave one gal $20 to get a bunch on the bus and we figure we gave out at least another $30 in change.  Worth it!  We only drove 11 home.