April 27

Today was Liva's baptism.  Liva is an old school mate of Kami (kah me) Musaka who has been off his mission in New Zealand for just about a year.  He saw Liva down town one evening and stopped to talk with her.  She was in distress.  It seems that her live in boyfriend had just left her and she had no idea how she was going to provide for their two children--girls ages 3 and 5.

Being the good missionary he is Kami invited her to a church fireside.  She felt the Spirit and asked for more.  He started bringing her to institute to the Eternal Marriage class he attends.  She was like a sponge.  She also began the discussions.

About two weeks ago we got a little worried for her and for him.  It seems Liva had transferred her love (probably dependance) from the old boyfriend to Kami.  Kami was not interested.  It took an extreme amount of courage for him, a Fijian, to tell her that he was not interested.  He did it and we were sure she would quit studying with the missionaries, because she quit coming to class.  We are so grateful that she did not.  Today she was baptized.  She had asked us last week if we would come and then yesterday the missionary sisters called and asked if Scott would speak at her baptism.

Scott did a marvelous job!  He taught truths in a simple yet spiritually rich way.  It was a wonderful baptism, and Liva looked so alive, so fresh, so new.  Anyone who has seen a baptism knows that when baptisms are done in the Lord's way-immersion-and with the Lord's authority-the priesthood-that it changes people right on the spot.  Liva could not stop grinning.  She was so happy.  As are we.

                                                                         

Sister Raloka, Liva, Sister Tsakia

Me, Liva, Scott

We are so privileged to participate is these eternally significant occasions.  We appreciate the sisters and especially Liva asking us to be there.

Sister Raloka is a Fijian sister who had been a member of the church just one year when she began her mission.  She is quiet and unassuming, but bares a powerful testimony.  Sister Tsakia (sah key uh) is Samoan and also quiet, but is a hard worker who puts her whole soul into the work.  We count ourselves blessed to know them.