Dearest family and friends,
Merry Christmas to all. We are thinking of you and the love we share. As you can see it is not winter or cold in Fiji. It is really warm. I have sent you a picture of our one and only Christmas decoration, a Fijian nativity that we bought from a member in our ward. The temple grounds are beautiful and we wanted you to see the red blossoms on a Christmas tree, named that because this is the time of year they bloom. 

Dear Ones, 
This is our Christmas Message to you from Fiji. We would like to echo Elder Bednar's words, "Be firm and steadfast in the Faith of our Savior". Samuel the Lamanite taught about the Light of the Savior, his birth and life to his people just as we do today. What he said did happen as His Second Coming will also happen. What a glorious day that will be! The Savior said: "I am the Light and Life of the World."
I love this song: HE SENT HIS SON
How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness? He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness. 
How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go? 
He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.
How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice of death? 
He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath.
What does the Father ask of Us?
What do the scriptures say?
Have faith, have hope, live like His Son, help others on their way.
What does He ask? Live like his Son!!!! 
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL. WE LOVE AND MISS YOU!!!
Elder and Sister Smith in Fiji

We had our December dinner with the other Sr. couples at the mission home. Sister Layton had their tree and their home decorated beautifully. We took the opportunity to have our picture taken by their tree for our Christmas message. 

You may not believe it but we do work many hours in the Self Reliance office everyday but we also do lots of fun things. Sonny's Nausori Stake had another Self-Reliance graduation and dinner. Sister Willis and I spoke at it. Suva North Stake's graduation is this Sunday and Elder Smith and I have been asked to speak. 

Tuesday we drove to the Lautoka Stake (4 hrs) to attend the Stake Presidency's Bishop's training and instruct on the Self Reliance Initiative. That stake is just getting the SRI started. The drive back to Suva, was a scenic drive up over the top and the eastern side of this island (4-1/2 hrs). Now we have gone all around the island of Viti Levu. It is beautiful to see fruit growing on trees year round and also blossoms on trees and bushes year round. I wanted to show you clothes hanging on lines in most all the villages and everyone so friendly driving past the villages. Instead of the # of stop lights, it is the # of speed bumps in each village. 

When we drive to Lautoka we stay with Elder and Sister Tanner and before we left for our drive home we helped to fix breakfast for the Elders and Sisters serving in that area. Transfers had come through and most of them were leaving the area and wanted to be together one last time. They had lots of success serving together and were sad to leave.

 Everyone is so nice to us and are inviting us to their ward Christmas parties. Parties is something that is not lacking here. The Fijians and Indians are very fun loving people.Our ward had a very fun Christmas party that was well attended. Pictured are friends and missionaries

from that ward party. The bishop handed out treats to the sweet Primary Children.

This is a message from our mission president, Pres. Layton said: Please tell all your friends that we will be needing 5 Senior missionary couples between April to July to serve in Fiji. If you are interested, please email us and he can contact you. Please also let your senior friends know. 

Much love, 

Elder and Sister Smith

Dearest Family,
It is so strange to hear Christmas Carols when it is sooo hot, especially on the West of Fiji, near the International Airport. We shared with some of the family that we would be traveling to Lautoka (4 hr. drive) to teach and give the Stake President in that area a better understanding of the Self-Reliance Initiative. We also met some of his Bishops on Sunday. He has a great vision of where he wants his Stake to be by 2020 through this Initiative. Area wise, his Stake covers over 1/2 of the Island of Viti Levu. He is very intelligent, a great leader and so is his wife. He wants his wife to learn everything and be with us to train the people in their stake. He told her, "this is an assignment and not a calling and will be as short as the people are trained, maybe 2 months".
Our second reason for going to the West was to meet and be chaperons for 23, P-13 students from the Island of Vanuatu who were attending the Church College in Samoa. They had to fly into Fiji and stay overnight in a hotel that we also stayed in, eat dinner (pizza), have breakfast and be taken back to the airport to fly home. There is always details that have to be taken care of that we helped do. Everything went quite smoothly. Twelve of the students graduated and most are planning to go on missions. Eleven will fly back in Jan. to go to the Samoa LDS Church College again because they are younger and have 1 more year of school. These students had not seen their Island of Vanuatu since the cyclone hit in March. They were great kids: very appreciative and thoughtful. They gave us a hug and wanted pictures with us before they left. They have so little and are so grateful for the blessings that being a member of the LDS Church brings to their life and also their family.
On our way home we went to the Denarau Island or Resort Island (separated by a river) where all the really nice hotels/resorts are, near Nadi. The West side of the Island is desperate for rain but it is still beautiful especially in this Island. Yes, we took pictures. We will be going back to that area at Christmas time when several Sr. Missionary Couples take a 45 min. boat ride to Treasure Island for a day. We leave from Port Denarau. We also attended the Navua Ward's SR Class on our way home. They were happy to see us so we could assist and help. The class lasted 21/2 hrs. So we got home about 10pm.
We found out today that the Self- Reliance office and people will be moving to the building by the first church that was built in Fiji near the downtown area (we call it Cornell's church) . The building was the original Mission Office in Fiji. This move will be done before the middle of January. It will be a lot further to drive and crazy traffic at 8 am.
Our friend Sonny gave us a print out of the talking points today about the temple to be learning because we will be helping to host during the Fiji Temple Open house. We are really excited about that. We love all of you and hope Christmas preparations will not be too stressful. People here do not stress over material things and their life is much more simple. Some barely have enough to live. We love all of you and Wish All A Wonderful Christmas (Christ - Filled) Season! Dad and Mom (Elder and Sister Smith in Fiji)

The couples that serve at the mission home

They call this tree the flaming tree or the Christmas tree because it Blooms around Nov to Feb. It is in full bloom at Christmas.

The next four pictures are taken of resorts around Port Denarau, Nadi, Fiji

For two days we were the chaperons for 23, P-13 students from the Island of Vanuatu who were attending the Church College in Samoa. They landed at the Nadi airport.

Dearest Family,

Nov. 25-30, 2015

  On Thursday we went to the USP Culinary School and had a great buffet with several other Sr. Missionary couples for our Thanksgiving dinner. The food and service was great!  

  

Saturday, the Sr. Couples celebrated Thanksgiving at the beautiful Fiji Mission Home with Pres. and Sister Layton. They are great and we all contributed. I made a sweet potato casserole that everyone seemed to enjoyed and a veggie platter, also with fresh pineapple slices. As always there was plenty of delicious food. Elder and Sister Tanner from Lautoka, 4 hours away, stayed with us for 2 nights and was able to be with us. They serve on the West side of the Island near the International Airport. 

  

 We had our Thanksgiving dinner at 1:30 but, at 9 AM I left our flat and drove to our Stake Center taking other sisters to our Stake RS' Musical Presentation (Where Can I Turn For Peace) and Fair. The program was very inspiring. These sisters have been practicing on this music for several months. The music was all about the Savior. Milika Taito, Ned our manager's wife is the Stake RS Pres. She is a loving and lovely person. She is also the receptionist at the Service Center and we see her every day.

   At the Stake RS Fair today we did a Self-Reliance Booth. Many wanted to know more about SR. Sisters in each ward had matching tops and skirts. I also had one made that matched the sisters in our ward. 

   Sunday, we spoke at the Navatuyaba Ward on what is means to be Self-Reliant and how the Lord will help us to become SR. This ward is 45 min. from here and we were there before 8:30 AM. This area is referred to as the Bush and was a new experience. The Bishop works at the SR center and came in an told us a non member was there and said he really appreciated our talks and he learned a lot by listening to them. They always like the donkey story that explains the word initiative. The Bishop wants us to come again in the future. Right after, we drove back to Suva to Foki's ward (Nasinu 1st). She is the Stake SR Specialist and she is special. When we got there, the primary children were doing their Primary Presentation. They were all dressed in white or black and white. They spoke, sang, and looked beautiful. After the program we helped Foki with the 5th Sunday RS/Priesthood combined on Self-Reliance. The chapel was almost full with brothern and sisters in their ward. It is an active and large ward. We both bore our testimony of the blessings that come through becoming self reliant and the classes that are being taught. People made comments and also asked questions. We also showed 2 videos, faith and tithing. Everyone loved them. One brother came to the SR Center this morning that was at the class to talk to us more about SR and how some of the ward members in his ward could be helped. He is a the ward mission leader.  Love you all much, E. & S Smith (DAD and MOM)    

Dearest Family, (Nov. 20-22, 2015)

Here are few thoughts we would like you to think about and share with your children for Family Night.

To give people that which they do not earn is to make them think less of themselves and of you. The only way to help people is to give them the opportunity to help themselves.

When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed. Can human hearts be changed? Why of course! It happens every day in the great missionary work of the church. It is one of the most widespread of Christ's modern miracles. If it hasn't happened to you it should. The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of the people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature. Ezra Taft Benson Conference Report October 1985.

  We have enjoyed another busy and great week. We were invited to attend the Church College graduation (grade 13)and their dinner and prom that evening. That was very enjoyable. The students welcome parents and visitors. The girls were in their beautiful, modest prom dresses with their escorts. 

  We attended Self Reliance classes during the week and we also spoke in the Suva 4th Ward (Fijian speaking ward) on Sunday. This ward meets in the building that Cornell (Carolyn's husband- Dad's sister) helped build and attended the dedication by Pres. David O. McKay, about 1959. This was the first LDS Church built in Fiji. It is a beautiful building with white coral rock.

  Heavenly Father loves each one of us and is a God of Miracles. We must always give him the credit. He wants each one of us to be happy and successful. We are teaching faith and prayer, obedience, tithing and education are key components to Self Reliance. 

  Scripture power keeps me safe from sin.

  Scripture power is the power to win.

  Scripture power! Ev'ry day I need. 

  The power that I get each time I read.

  Because I want the power His word will give to me.

  I'm changing how I live, I'm changing what I'll be.

We are sending our love to each one of you. 

                                 Dad and Mom (Elder and Sister Smith) 

Dearest Family,

   So much has happened. Diwali, one of the biggest holidays in Fiji was 11/11. To compare it is like our July 4th, Christmas, Halloween and prom in one holiday. Fireworks all day and night everywhere, beautiful lights on homes, beautifully dressed women and children caring lanterns and knocking on doors or gates for treats. We spent the day at Maui Bay Resort with the Maiwiriwiri family about 2 1/2 hours from here. They were so good to us and treated us like their family. Yes, they fed us well. Elder and Sister Jensen went with us. They are another Sr. couple who serve at the church college.

 Friday the Willis' invited us to their ward cultural night. They have some very talented young people in their ward.

 Tuesday we were able to share the value of and our testimony of the Self Reliance Initiative to the Suva North Stake Presidency and to some of the bishops that attended the meeting. That stake is catching the vision and is going very well. Classes are being taught in many of their wards. We are scheduled to share the SRI with the Suva Stake and bishops on Tues. Dec.1. That is also the stake we are assigned to until the end this year. We will be speaking in the Suva 4th ward this Sunday.

  Sat. the Sr. couples went down the Navua River. We were in long motorized canoes going up stream. The scenery was beautiful and being on the river didn't get us nearly as wet as the rain did that day. Here in Fiji the rain is warm. We did not have jackets and we were fine. We also experienced a bamboo raft river ride and ate wonderful Fijian food at the Village. We are traveling to Navua again tonight to visit the ward SR class. They have just started classes there. It is about 45 min. from Suva. 

 We came from the river run and got ready to attend the Fireside for the YSA with the Gen. Presidency of the YM and SS teaching us. We attended the returned missionary class on Self Reliance. I loved the perspective Elder Ashton (Gen. SS) taught on Self Reliance. He said we can do everything better, (schooling, work, life, etc.) when we have a strong personal spiritual foundation through prayer, a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father and through personal daily scripture study. The Lord will magnify our abilities. He also shared with us that the Lord has reveled that we need to ask HIM for more help. He is willing to help us, but we need to ask. 

Nauva Self-Reliance Group

 Monday evening we fed the Hindi E​​​​lders serving in the Suva 3rd ward. They were very appreciative and said this is like Christmas dinner and wanted to take pictures. Tuesday,we were invited to attend a Zone Conference with the missionaries at the mission home. Pres. and Sister Layton are great and do wonderful training. It was a good experience to hear their training and be with the young missionaries. Tuesday evening we did go up to the Navua Chapel and assisted and observed their Self Reliance class. They teach one class on Tuesdays and another on Thursdays. They have 7 non members attending these classes. They expressed love and appreciation for us being with them and sharing our love and testimony of this revealed initiative (SR). Today along with our office responsibilities, we have helped to prepared lunch for Sis. Fei and our group, she is leaving to serve a mission in Dec. She is a sweet widow and serves with us at the Service Center. 

 I will include some pictures that go with this letter. We love all of you and pray that all is well. May the Lord blessing be upon each one of you. We think of you often and love to hear from you. We appreciate your responses to our letters. I hope they don't bore you too much.  Much much love, Elder and Sister Smith