Week 11 Island of Tanna December 15, 2013

Dear Mom,

Sounds like everything is crazy but good with you guys. Christmas is always crazy! I desperately need a flashlight by the way. They have some here but they are all big and expensive.  My hard drive and flash drive came this week. (Thanks for all the sweets too!) I wouldn't send any more syrup, it broke in the package so when I opened it up, things were sticky but my flash drive and hard drive were okay.  So this is how things will work for christmas. I will be calling you on the 23 or 24th to set a time for you guys to call me. I will give you the number to call. We will set a time and date for when you guys call. So if you get a call from an unknown number, answer it. 

A senior couple will be coming to Tanna and our district will come to Lenakel next Monday for P-day and tuesday(christmas eve here), will eat a big meal with our district. Then we will hang out on christmas day and the day after.  After christmas, transfers will be happening next week. So I will stay here all next week.  Elda Samuel goes back home on the 26th. He's done with hes mission then.  I don't think that I will transfer, but I should get a new companion during transfer week.

It doesn't feel much like christmas because of the snow and I'm really jealous by the way!!! 

These last 2 weeks have been great!  We made activities for the branch and held a fireside.  We did three legged races, relay races, and other fun activities.  So now President Brewer has decided to let us go to Port Resolution more often. He has decided that when we baptize enough people, it can become a branch, and a house for new missionaries will be built. I think it will happen in the next couple months.

Last Monday me and Elda Samuel and some friends decided to go to the Volcano because Elda Samuel has never seen it.  It was about an hour and a half walk.  Now I've been to the volcano 3 times!!! It's not as cool as it used to be. It doesn't fire up as often but it's still cool.  Oh and that night I made fried chicken!!! I made it myself and it was so good!

The people here have never eaten fried chicken before and they loved it!  I have also been making pancakes. Kenzie gave me her recipe and once again the people love it!  There's no syrup here but I put on peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk and it is very good. 

Me and Elda Samuel have found many investigators these past few weeks and my teaching has improved a lot! Elda Samuel is a great trainer. We went to Port Resolution last week and we taught many lessons. Last Saturday I had my 2nd Baptism!  It was for a guy in Saet Siwi.  We baptized him in the same river but different place.  Kids were swimming at the other area and the water was too dirty to baptize so we walked upstream and found another place to baptize. Elda Samuel baptized him.

So we got good news!!! We hope to baptize about 6-8 people this Saturday. We have 4 investigators in Port Resolution and 4 in Saet Siwi.  We just need everyone to be interviewed.  If things work out, we will go to Port and baptize them in the ocean!

Just know that things are going well and I can't wait to talk to you guys! I love you and hope all is well. I love you so much!!!

Love,

Elda Bainon