Week 3 on Tanna October 20, 2014

Dia ol famle blo mi we mi lavem tumas!

So when you last heard me, Elder Child and I drove south to Greenpoint and saw a perspective missionary who would be giving a talk at district conference.  He's a good kid and will be serving in Mississippi in a few months. We walked up a very steep hill to his house, I've been there before last December just before I transferred to Gaua, so I was familiar with that area.  Afterwards we had to drive from Greenpoint to Whitegrass (about a 2 hour drive) and we met a mechanic who serviced the truck and changed the brakes.  After the service we drove to Lenakel to a member's house and taught their niece named Linda about the restoration.  It was a very powerful and clear lesson, the message of the restoration is just so true!  We ate dinner with them before going home for the night.

 

Friday we stayed in Lenakel and took some time to go shopping because we weren't able to shop last Monday.  Then a ship dropped off a watertank for the Whitegrass branch but no one arranged a truck to take it so we found a transport and loaded the big tank in the back and we rode with the truck and the tank to Whitegrass.  Then we came back and taught our recent convert Royal.  This kid's awesome! He remembers everything!  And we hope to go to his house for famle haos naet tonight.

 

Saturday morning we drove to a tourist resort called "Whitegrass Resort" and we picked up President Brewer and his wife to go to Whitegrass for District Conference. The first District Conference in Tanna!  We went there and many members were already there waiting to start.  I saw many members and friends from Saet Siwi and Port Resolution and I was so happy to see them.  They grow so fast, it seems like yesterday I was serving with them.  We had Priesthood session for the first 2 hours and there were some very good talks.  The priesthood is so strong here and many people came.  Then they had the adult session which was very good also.  After the sessions we waited for Mission President to do all the interviews needed.  Then after he finished my best friend and I from Vanuatu named Katum from Saet Siwi went through his mission papers.  I am so happy for him,  his papers should be finished in a few months.  I was happy because I remember the second night in Saet Siwi this kid talked to me (in English) and he told me how he wants to serve a mission, and now that day is coming!  This kid used to follow us around everyday in Saet Siwi and teach with us and translate to investigators who didn't know Bislama.  I am so happy for this kid!

 

Afterwards we drove President Brewer and his wife back to the resort and we went home and I made spaghetti for dinner.  It was alright, I've made better spaghetti, I think that I made the sauce too thin. We gave the leftovers to some members because there was just so much!  I hope they liked it.

 

Sunday we did the same thing in the morning and went to Conference.  But yesterday sooooo many members came, it was awesome!  The chapel couldn't fit everyone,  about 700 members came!  I think there's about 1400 members in Tanna and it's growing fast!!!  It was a great conference.  After Conference was over and we went and taught an investigator about the Sabbath to help him know why we worship on Sunday.  The Seventh Day Adventist Church is big here and the sabbath is a topic that needs to be covered every once in a while.

 

Well this morning we went to Whitegrass Resort For MLC (Mission Leadership Council) Mission President bought me pancakes for breakfast and we had our meeting.  It was a very great meeting and the president told us some really cool church history stories.  And then we dropped them off at the airport and then we came here to email. 

That's about all that happened last week.  But I bet you are wondering what it's like or what the Zone Leaders do?  So as a ZL, we represent the mission president in Tanna.  And the level of service that we give is increased.  Example when transfers happen,  we bring them to the airport and organize everthing for elders and sisters to come and go.  Sometimes we can't teach because we have something else that the mission president needs us to do.  This Friday we hope to go to Port Resolution to find out what's available (community wise) and where missionaries can stay if they want to put Elders there in the Future. 

 

We also work with the District President, we need to meet with him every few weeks to help him know needs of the branches and other things.  And we look over the 2 district leaders here.  We do 1 exchange with each one every 6 weeks.  Sometimes there's a lot on our shoulders but the lord prepares the way and everything has been going smoothly (in a busy way).

 

Well know that all is well and I am loving it here in Tanna again.  It's such a privilege to be with  these people.

I love you all and hope all is well.

Love,

Elder Beynon