Smitty's South Pacific Adventures

Monday, June 22, 2015


Elder Smiler going home

Week 14 on Port Vila

Dia famle blong mi,

First off, HAPPY FATHER's DAY!!! Last week was great! we were very busy with transfers as you know and on Thursday morning we checked in Elder Mesui and Elder Taleo at the airport to transfer to malekula. Then we went home to do our personal study and we went back to the airport to pick up Elder Esplin, and we brought him to the office and then me and Elder Dakunimata had some time to teach so we visited Edmas and we taught her how the church works with auxiliaries and how it's possible that she could get a calling. then we saw Sele and Mimo and taught them about the priesthood, he's very excited!

We also went to Jonassy's house and we saw him and taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we invited him to be baptized! So now we have 5 investigators with baptism dates. We hope to baptized them on July 11th.

Friday morning we did our studies and weekly planning and had the chance to teach Bella again. We taught her about the Sabbath and she still wants to be baptized and we were glad to see her again. Then we went to Nambatri to find people to teach.

We had been praying for the lord to place people in our path to teach and we started walking to the futbol field to go play with some kids when a man named Cyrus carrying a bag of rice looked at us, shook our hand, and said "Gud Aftanun", and we asked how he is and then he said "my house is right down there if you want to come." The lord had answered our prayer!

He immediately placed someone ready to hear the gospel in our path and we played futbol with some kids and then we went to Cyrus's house and we talked with him, got to know him, and taught him how the gospel blesses families. Then afterwards he showed us some of his art, he has the talent of drawing and painting, but no one really knows about it but he showed us some cool things he's painted and drawn with his bare hands. He's a great guy and we hope to teach him again.

Afterwards we visited Moses and Norman's family and we taught them both about the priesthood as well. then we taught maria and her kids about the law of chastity. It got dark and then we went to the airport on behalf of President Brewer to pick up President Mahit, them district president in Santo and we took him to the Melanesian hotel where he'd stay so he could witness the Stake Conference. All the district presidents in vanuatu would come for the conference. President Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy had also come earlier in the day.

Saturday morning we studied and picked up President Nalawas and checked him into the Hotel with his wife and then taught Avock about Following the Prophet and then we went back to the airport, picked up President Vanu, district president of Malekula and we checked him into the hotel.

Then we drove to Blacksand's Branch where the church was holding an activity for every branch on the island to come together one last time before the Stake is Created and ward boundaries change and everyone gets put in their new wards. The activity started at 3pm and all the missionaries were invited and i'm guessing 1500-2000 people came to the activity. Each branch had members do a custom dance and danced for everyone. It was really cool. There were custom dances from Pentecost, Banks Islands, Malekula, Tanna, and North Efate, it was a lot of fun!!! It went on until about 8pm at night.

Sunday morning we went to "Le Lagoon" again and helped usher the people inside the big building so Stake Conference could start. SOOOOOOO many people came probably 2000 or 2500 people! Members from other islands around the country came to Efate on Ships, some on plane so they could see the Event and see the Stake Presidency sustained! It was an amazing conference. President Johanssen of the area seventy talked, the new stake presidency bore their testimonies, and Sister and President Pearson both gave talks to the people. The spirit was so strong and it's taken about 36 years for Vanuatu could get to this point.

Many members and Families have been enduring through all these years with their callings so the church can grow, and now they can have the fulness of the priesthood keys in their country, held by their own people to help the church grow. It's amazing how fast the church is growing here ands so many blessings will continue to be poured as the church strengthens, NOTHING will stop the lord and his work.

After the conference we dropped President Mahit off at the airport so he could fly back to Santo and then we picked up Sam Matua, a friend of ours from Saet Siwi and he taught with us while we taught
Matilyn about the Plan of Salvation and we also taught Sele about Temples.

This morning President Pearson and his wife met with us missionaries and talked with us for about an hour before they would fly back. Man you can always know the disciples of the lord just from when they speak, I love how we have a living prophet today and his servants! Well all is great here in Vanuatu, the people are being SO blessed and we're excited to see what's to come!

Dad you are such great example to me and you have been such a great Papa to me! Happy
Father's Day! Mi lavem yufala tumas!

Love,

Elder Beynon