The Promised Picture - Elder Leishman in a Sulu!

Elder Leishman in a Sulu!

Elder Leishman is standing with a member of the Branch Presidency 

in Nadua, Vanua Levu, Fiji.

Elder Leishman walking to greet a mmber of the Branch Presidency-

 The covered structure that you see in the background is our chapel.  Primary, Relief Society, and Young Women's are all held under a shade tree wherever we can find shade.

Sunday dinner with our missionaries

Elder Po'ana and Elder Moka are sitting on the left side of table.  They are both from New Zealand.  Elder Hancock and Elder Smith are both from Utah.  Elder Smith's family just moved to the Washington Fields a few years ago.  Sister Ongesel is behind Sister Chong.  Sister Onegsel is from Pomepei in Micronesia and Sister Chong is from one of the smaller Hawaiian islands.  Elder Po'ana and Sister Chong are the greenies of group.

First Week in Fiji

Our ride to Suva, Fiji

After our 8 hour lay-over in Nadi, we boarded this plane to fly to Suva.  As you can see, it was very overcast.  It rained on and off the whole time we were there.

Suva Temple

We stayed overnight in Suva in Temple Patron housing.  The Fiji Mission Office, patron housing, the mission home, and the temple are on Temple Square in Suva.  We had dinner with the mission president and his wife, the Klingers, and also the mission office couple, the Hogges.

After a good night's sleep, the next leg of our journey took us to Labasa (pronounced lahm-bah-sa).

It was just a short 45 minute flight from Suva.

Our first view of our new home, Labasa, Fiji

We were met at the airport by Elder and Sister Terry, who have been the senior couple in Labasa for 23 months.  We are their replacement.  We were taken on a whirlwind tour of our apt., then given about 30 minutes to go repack our bags for a 4 night trip to another island for District Conference.

We stayed overnight at a hotel called Hot Springs in Savusavu, which is the 2nd largest city on the island of Vanua Levu.  The next morning we got in the truck and drove a couple of hours on a very rough road to get to the tip of the island, Buca Bay, where we got on a small ferry boat for another 2 hours to take us from the island we were on to the island where the District Conference would be held.

We checked into a very nice hotel called Garden Island resort.  There were 2 other senior couples that stayed there as well as the mission president and his wife.

I was standing out on a pier to take this picture looking back at our hotel.  Our room was behind the big tree in the middle.  This island is beautiful, but I didn't see any gorgeous swimming beaches like the ones we had in Tobago.

A Taveuni Sunset

Truman took the picture below after the Sunday session of the conference.  The two couples in the middle are the Klingers, mission president and his wife, and the Walkers who are also serving on our island in Savusavu.  The Klingers are the couple on the left.  Elder Wakolo is on the right edge of the picture.  He is the Area Authority for Fiji.

In the middle are Sister Klinger, President Klinger, Elder Walker, Sister Walker, and Elder Wakolo

Elder and Sister Leishman with Elder Wakolo.

The mission sisters are from left to right, with the Elder standing behind his wife:
 Sister McFadden, Sister Terry, Sister Walker, Sister Klinger, a branch president's wife, Sister Leishman, Sister Howard.  The McFaddens are the Senior Couple on Taveuni.  They hosted us for lunch at there apt. after the conference was over.  The other Fijian men in the picture are the outgoing and incoming district presidency.

Our Ferry back to Buca Bay on Vanua Levu

Monday, Sept.4, 2013. We said good-bye to our family for the 3rd time in 5 years to go to a foreign country.  There were lots of smiles while this picture was taken, but afterwards many tears were shed.  It's always very hard to leave, but it is always well worth it as we go forth, once again, to do the Lord's work.

We arrived in Nadi, Fiji early in the morning of Sept. 4, 2013.  We were greeted by Elder Gadd and Elder Smith.  Our flight to Suva was still hours away, so they took us to get some breakfast and then took Elder Leishman shopping for another Sulu (that is the 'skirt' the elders are wearing, which is acceptable dress for men in the Fiji mission.  They are much cooler than long pants.)