Elder Zachary Harris—Fiji Suva Mission: Somosomo, Taveuni Island

Ni sa bula vinaka!

All I can say is wow! This week has been such an adventure! We left the MTC on Monday, flew an hour and a half to LA, flew 11 hours to Fiji (I was lucky enough to be able to sleep for half of it), and then took a 4 and a half bus ride to Suva. It is really green here, and it's also really hot and humid! But it's so beautiful!

We met our mission president and his wife, and then we had some orientation and went out with some of the missionaries around Suva to go to teaching appointments and stay the night with them. I got to go with the APs, and it was pretty fun. The next day, Thursday, we got our sulus, had more orientation, and then got our assignments. I was assigned to go to Somosomo, which is on the island of Taveuni. I feel pretty lucky because most of the missionaries are on the big island, and some never get to leave there. So I'm trying to make the most of it! So I stayed Thursday night north of Suva with the Nausori zone leaders, and the next day I took a plane up to Labasa on Vanua Levu, I spent that day with the zone leaders of the north zone, which is Vanua Levu and Taveuni. We drove down to Savusavu where their flat is, and then the next morning I took a 2 and a half hour bus ride (this bus was not even close to being as nice as the bus we took to Suva), and then an hour and a half boat ride over to Taveuni.

I met my trainer, Elder Hosea, who is the district leader here. He is super cool! He's from Murray, and he is half Tongan and half Tahitian. There are 8 elders and 2 sisters here in Taveuni, and one senior couple. Somosomo is the center, and we share it with the sisters (we actually live right next door which is a little weird haha). All the elders come here on PDay because this is the only place that has internet. We are in this little internet cafe that costs $4 an hour haha. Somosomo is nice because it's the only area in Taveuni with a fridge, so they didn't put me too far out in the bush yet haha.

The branch here is good. There are a lot of members, but only around 70 come to Sacrament meeting every week, so we have a lot of reactivation to do. Yesterday we had church, and right before sacrament meeting started they asked me to give a 5 min talk. Luckily I was last so I had all meeting to prepare but it was a little nerve wracking haha.

We have a big area, and it is a lot of walking, but I am loving it anyways! I realize how little Fijian I know because I don't understand anything, but I am improving I think! The food is pretty good. I have no idea how to explain it, but it tastes good and it hasn't made me sick yet so I'm happy:) Anyways, I love you all and I will give more info next week!

Loloma,

Elder Harris