Finding a Gold Mine!

Our district activity last Monday in Fanafol

So I'll start all the way back at last Monday!  Right after emailing I went with my district of 14 to Fanafol (a small village about an hour away) to go on a hike for a district activity.  Sista Manly, Rivera and I had previously been on the hike and were able to get us to the destination, a cave, within an hour. We then had the chance to play volleyball and play with the pikinini for a few hours before we had to head back so that we could be back at home before dark.  A few of the missionaries thought we should take another route back because we were running out of time and so we decided to follow them. . . even though they had never been to Fanafol before. . . we ended up getting lost and walking through the bush until we came to a water pipe.  We were able to follow the water pipe to a small village and the people there were able to direct us back to where our bus was waiting.  It was a miracle that we found the pipe and were able to get home before dark!  God was watching over us for sure!

We had exchanges this week and I was able to work with Sista Rivera in my old area, Second Canal.  It was really fun to see my old investigators and friends there.  Sista Rivera is a great sista and never fails to teach me something.  

Zone training with all the trainers and trainees

The rest of the week Sista Ouamambare and I spent working hard in the area.  We were able to find and teach 14 new investigators!  This week we are hoping to find 20.  Our area is full of people, but they haven't been reached out to.  Another major problem we are finding with our area is that it is an hour’s walk from the church.  This means people have to sacrifice either financially to pay for a taxi to go and come with money that they don't have, or walk an hour to church and another hour back.  We've talked with the branch about this problem and they have stressed the importance of helping our investigators realize that they need to sacrifice some things in order to gain other things of more importance.  All the members in Showground are solid and I really believe it is because they sacrifice so much to be part of this church.  On that note, yesterday in church the topic was sacrifice.  We had three wonderful talks about sacrifice.  One was given by Sista Terahati (the district president's wife), another by Mama Jocelin and another by one papa.  They all had amazing stories they shared and I learned so much.  We have so, so much and are so blessed, yet sometimes we fail to recognize our blessings.  I am going to work on recognizing them and thanking my Heavenly Father more often!

This morning I was reading in Alma chapter 8.  This is when Alma tries to teach, but the people reject him.  He prays and even "wrestles" with the Lord to soften the hearts of the people so that he can "baptize them unto repentance," but their hearts are strong and he seems to get nowhere.  He leaves the city but an angel appears to him, comforting him and then telling him to go back and teach again.  Alma immediately turns around and goes in by another way to teach once more.  He finds Amulek and is successful in teaching the people.  This morning the part about "entering in by another way" jumped out to me.  Sometimes we try the same tactics over and over again and pray that they will work.  We need to ask God for His point of view and then try it His way.  That's when miracles happen.  This applies to missionary work, personal issues and many other things.  We need to TRUST the Lord and His timing.  His thoughts truly are higher than our thoughts!  I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Giant spiders of Vanuatu

Showground!

Me, Ruth (She served a mission in Boise, Idaho) and her little girl

Right after I emailed last week, Sista Jeppson and Ouamambare and I headed out to Banban for a branch family house night to celebrate the work of Sista Jeppson, Sista Rivera and Elda Tuavao in the branch as missionaries.  President Tarihati gave a small lesson about all that our Heavenly Father has given to help us as we go on in our lives to do new, challenging things.  Afterwards all three missionaries had the chance to bear their testimonies.  It was very sweet.  Those three missionaries are each incredible and have done so much during their few months in the Banban branch, and will continue to do great things in their new areas.  We finished off the night with Vanuatu Kakae (food), baby powder, and lots of mamas crying. 

Sista Jeppson and Elda Tuavao

On Tuesday Sista Ouamambare woke up and was feeling super sick.  She said her heart kept beating like: boom, boom, BANG and after the bang she felt super sick and tired.  We called the mission nurse, but there are no doctors here in Santo for the next two weeks so she told Sista Ouamambare to just rest.  Sista Ouamambare slept for almost two days straight!!  I was super concerned and so was the mission nurse, but we didn't really have a choice but to just let her sleep.  She is slowly getting better and her heart isn't banging quite as much.  Hopefully by the time the doctor gets here we won't have any problems.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Mama Roda, Sista Jeppson and Julio

During the small time that we had to work this week we contacted the small family of Papa Kalo and Mama Shila.  We contacted mama during the day and she said she'd love to have us come over on Saturday because that's when the Jehovah's Witnesses come over as well.  We agreed!  The lesson went wonderfully and the spirit was so strong!  Papa Kalo is just like Papa Shem and is even a captain of his own ship!  We go back on Thursday so I will let you know how things progress.

We tried to visit Anna and Rudh this week but Anna was very sick.  So we'll swing by tomorrow to see if she is doing any better. 

Exciting news!!  Our branch was finally given a time to go to the Suva. Fiji temple in November of this year!!  All the members are getting ready to go and a lot have noticed many challenges coming into their lives, but they don't let that hold them back. These people teach me so much about faith.  They don't let anything get in the way of what they believe.  Their sights are set.  I love what I am doing and I love you all and hope you have another wonderful week!

Suva. Fiji Temple

A.J.

I hope you all had a great week!  This week was a pretty normal week, so this email will be short and sweet:)  

We had the chance to teach A.J. again, but unfortunately not Rudh.  A.J. expressed that she had a lot of concerns and the opposition she has been facing from her family and friends since she started taking the lessons and going to church.  She asked us why all this was happening when she is doing what she feels is right.  Sista Jeppson bore a powerful testimony of the power of God and that when the devil sees we are trying to become better, he hits hard.  He doesn't want us to be happy, he wants us to be miserable just like him.  We then read Joseph Smith History:

"I soon found … that my telling the story had excited a great deal of prejudice against me among professors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no consequence in the world, yet men of high standing would take notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and create a bitter persecution; and this was common among all the sects—all united to persecute me.

It caused me serious reflection then, and often has since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones of the most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling. But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of great sorrow to myself.

However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.

I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it."

It was a powerful lesson and we continue to work and pray for her.  She has the potential to do so much good!

Well, that's it!  We did a lot of contacting and found a few new people and will continue to do so!  My time is up! Love you all.

Showground Week 1

Zone Conference

 This week was full of contacting and getting to know my area.  We contacted a bunch of people and at the moment have six new investigators and a bunch of potential.  Two of our golden finds were Anna and Rudh.  Anna is 19 years old and Rudh is 21.  They live in Vila right behind the chapel at “Numba tu.”  They've watched all the people going to and from church for years but have never gone over themselves because they were scared.  They both came to church on Sunday and loved it!  The young women welcomed them with open arms as did the leaders.  We asked how class was after church and they said it was "lovely."  We then asked what the topic was and they said sexual purity.  So I'm glad they thought it was lovely and learned a lot! J  They're fantastic and are so interested in learning more and more.  I'll keep you updated on them for sure! 

A giant spider in our house!

Other than that, the area of Showground is very, very big and we walk soooooo much.  My skin is nice and red because of it, but it is wonderful and the people here are the best.  I wouldn't mind staying in this area until the end of my mission.  My companions are fantastic and we laugh so much together.  Sista Jeppson teaches me a lot every single day.  She is a master teacher and when she bears her testimony you have no doubt at all that she is 100% certain that what she is teaching is true.  Sista O. is slowly improving in Bislama, but is very timid and so we've continued to work with her.  She is so helpful and sweet and studies, studies, studies!  She wants to improve soooo much and I really admire that.

Well, that's all that I have for this week. . . I love you all and hope you make it a great week!

Sister O. and me

Back to the Bush!

So this week I got to meet my pikinini, Sista Ouamameare!  She flew in on Friday afternoon and is from New Caledonia.  She’s an absolute doll!!  She is 23 years old and just joined the church two years ago.  She is the only member of her family who has joined the church.   She has grown up Catholic.  She wants to work, work, work, and I just LOVE it!!  We moved into Showground (the name of my new area) with Sista Jeppson Friday night and stayed up late cleaning out the house.  I thought Banban was bad when I moved in, but this didn't even compare!  I've seen at least four super fat rats since I've been here.  I found a centipede in my running shoes yesterday morning. . .

I think I might die in Showground!  Sista Jeppson has had lots and lots of fun "chicking" me about rats.  One night I was lying in my bed ready to sleep, and as she was walking to her bed she stopped and looked under my bed.  Then she stood back up talking sweetly to a creature under my bed, "You better get out before Sista Draper sees you.  She doesn't like rats."  I jumped up on my bed and started screaming, "Kill it!! Kill it!!" and she just died laughing.  I didn't think it was too funny but Sistas O. and Jeppson sure did!

My first full day with my two new companions in my new area fell on my birthday!  Wahoo!!  I'm now officially NOT a teenager! J  We went and visited a bunch of investigators as well as a few less actives.  After teaching them we all decided the next two weeks will be dedicated to contacting every single house in our area.  Showground hardly ever baptizes, and we think one of the main reasons is because they have just been recycling investigators for years and years.  Finding is what we really need to focus on.  Showground is fantastic though!  I feel like I'm back in Banban and in the bush again!  The members are soooo solid and love working with the missionaries. So I am very excited to be here.  I also have loved being back in the Banban branch seeing the people I taught and baptized.  Thomas and Rosline are getting married and baptized this week!!  It makes me so happy to see the work continuing to go forward even after I transferred out.

That night a bunch of the sistas took me to dinner and made a cake to celebrate my birthday.  It was super sweet and thoughtful.  Thank you for all your sweet emails, letters and/or packages to make my 20^th birthday special!

Zone conference was Monday and Tuesday (that's why I'm emailing today).  We focused a lot on the mission map and the five steps to becoming a mission of miracles.  It was a lot of reviewing what we learned at MLC, but I still feel like I learned quite a bit and have a lot to apply and improve on.  We also played sports together and had a flour war which was pretty fun!

One quote has been on my mind a lot this week:  "Sometimes we have to fall down lower than we've ever been in order to stand up taller than we ever were."  Whenever we face hard times remember to FROG

F-forever

R-rely

O-on 

G-God

He's the only one who is there for us constantly!  We just have to open the door to Him.  I love you all, have a great week!

District Conference and another transfer

All the Branch Presidents from the islands of Santo, Ombae and Gaua

 This week felt super long and I don't even know why, we were busy all week!  On Tuesday night we got a phone call from the zone leaders informing us of an emergency transfer.  I will be leaving Sista Manatau and will be going to Showground (in Santo—same island) and training a new sista from New Caledonia as well as be in a trio with Sista Jeppson from the U.S.A.  I'm  super excited to go to Showground because that means I am back in the Banban branch!!  I get to see all my investigators and recent converts again!!  I had a lot of mixed emotions, but I think it will be good.  I will miss Sista Manatau like crazy!!  She is so much fun, and has taught me so much in the three short weeks we have been together.  It's a good thing we're still on the same island and that we live so close to each other back at home in Utah.  We will for sure be lifelong friends!

Saturday and Sunday of this week was district conference.  We spent the majority of the week hunting down less-active members and inviting them to come to the conference.  We started by showing them the Mormon Message "Because He Lives" and then bearing our testimonies of Christ.  Saturday night a few people came, but on Sunday morning there wasn't enough room in the church to hold everyone!!  We had two less-active families show up:  Charity and Anaple (a family that Elder  Matthew Thurbur, my Dad’s cousin, taught while in one of his first areas) and Mama Salaine and Papa David as well as another Sista, Marilyn.  I couldn't stop smiling the whole conference because I was so happy that they all came.  Papa Anaple even came up to me and said that he hasn't come to church for months and months but that today was a new day and he wasn't going to miss another one.  We'll continue to work with them and help them so they can reach that goal.  Ugh!  I'm really sad to be leaving Second Canal!  I've only been here for three weeks, but I already love the people and consider them family.  While we were at conference they reorganized the District Presidency.  President Tarahati is the new District President!!  The former Banban branch president!  I was super happy because he is one of the most humble people I know and will do a great job.  Now we just have to wait and see who will be our new branch president in Banban.

Anaple, Me, and Charity at District Conference

We taught Zino the Plan of Salvation this week and he read the majority of the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon.  During the lesson he was bringing up part of his reading such as Alma chapter 40 while we discussed the spirit world.  He is so interested and knowledgeable.  However, he never showed up to church on Sunday.  We had members go to pick him up.  We also called and texted him, but he never replied.  I hope he didn't move or something!!  We'll try to track him down tomorrow and see what happened to him. 

We found one new investigator this week that has been waiting for the fullness of truth in her life.  Her name is Mary Klode.  She is in her 40s and has heard about the church from a previous neighbor, but has never been taught by the missionaries.  We taught her yesterday, along with her two little boys.  They are so sweet and are so prepared to be taught the gospel. 

Well, that's about it for this week.  I hope you all have a great week!

Visiting Mama Angela at the hospital

Second Canal (the name of my new area)

Sista Manatau at Champagne Beach

This week has finally felt like an actual week of being a missionary again.  The last two weeks have been crazy so it was good to get back into our area and get back to work!

We've continued to work with Zino this past week and he was able to come to church!  A family was married and baptized this past week.  They were confirmed during sacrament meeting. In between their confirmations, Zino leaned over to me and asked when he could get baptized.  He is now set to be baptized on my birthday, August 27th!!  We're super excited!  He loved church and found out that he knows a lot of people there as well.  As an only child he's grown up following his parents, but now he wants to help his parents follow him.  He's amazing and such a blessing to Sista Manatau and me.

The marriage of Marta and Harry
this past week- one of Sista Manatau's
 previous investigators in Pepsi

 We had some great visits this week with quite a few less actives in our area and we thought they would come to church. . . but not one of them did!  On Sunday morning we walked around the area reminding and inviting all of them to come to church.  Some said they would come and others didn't answer when we sung out to them.  One man even told us that we were forcing him, and he was going to call the police because we were forcing him to come to church (that's a first ever here in Vanuatu!!).  We put together some plans for this week and have dubbed Saturday our "Rescue Day."  The areas of Second Canal and Sharpi are full of less active members so we have a lot of work to do!  The members in the Luganville branch are a huge blessing.  We have two members teaching with us today and another one teaching with us all day tomorrow.  They are so supportive and willing to help our investigators.  I've never had that in a branch before, so I am very, very thankful!

We just finished having zone training at the chapel.  We focused on the five steps to reach miracles:

1. Be obedient

2. Be faithful

3. Work hard

4. Achieve the goals you set

5. Never give up

The zone leaders taught the first two steps and then Sista Manatau and I taught the last three.  We finished the training with the Bible video called "Because He Lives."  If you haven't watched it yet, look it up.  It is amazing and teaches us that we can do all things with the help of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I know that this is true and although I don't know the meaning of all things, just as Nephi, I do know that God loves His children.  He is constantly there to help us if we accept him.

I was having personal study this morning and I found a scripture in Hebrews 12:1-2 that made me think of enduring till the end of the challenges we are given.  It says, "let us run with patience the race that is set before us."  My thoughts were then pulled to D&C 122 where we are asked, "He (Jesus Christ) descended above all these things, art thou greater than he?"  This hit me really hard because I have been struggling a lot with WHY Heavenly Father has given me this challenge with my ears. Even after doing all that can be done I still am in constant pain.  I have been on my knees praying for an answer and asking why over and over again.  But I've come to realize that it's not time for me to know the why.  It’s just time for me to trust.  And so that's what I'll do.  I'll continue trusting, and in God's time- not mine, I will know why.

I love you all.  Have a wonderful week.

Elder Hyatt at the clinic after he sliced open his wrist
with a bush knife.  He got five stitches.