Smitty's South Pacific Adventures

Moses and Norman's family

Week 11 on Port Vila

Dia Famle Blong Mi,

Wow, it's been a while! Well everything has been great here! Last Tuesday we had a lot of work to do in the office and we were able to teach Avock about the Word of Wisdom, and teach Edmas the
Baptism Interview Questions. That afternoon we also taught Norman and Moses and Elorine about Tithing.

Wednesday morning we checked in an Elder named Elder Rillang in the Airport so he could go to Malekula, then we went home to do our Studies and then we had district meeting and then we saw Matilyn. We taught her about faith and then we saw Avock and Rose and we taught them about tithing. We also taught Sele about the Baptism Interview Questions and he's very excited to be baptized! We also had the chance to see Jonassy and we taught him about the Plan of Salvation.
He was very interested and already knew quite a bit from coming to church. That night we went to Namba Tri to mama Josette's house and we shared a message in the Ensign with her and her daughter Isha.

Thursday morning we played basketball with the office elders and afterwardes got ready and had the Efate MLC meeting and it went on for 3 hours, man was it a good meeting! We got stuck in the office afterwards and didn't get out until late in the afternoon. We picked up the Elders in Pango and Elder Joseph interviewed Edmas and also Sele to be baptized and both are ready! That afternoon we visited Avock and taught him about tithing and then a new investigator named Maria and her kids about how heavenly father loves us. They were glad and we set a return appointment, everybody is so open to the gospel here!

Friday morning we studied and had to go to the office to meet with President Brewer and that afternoon we were able to have Elder Joseph interview Avock, Rose, and Anna to be baptized. We also taught Moses and Norman about the Sabbath and then taught them and Elorine about the baptismal questions.

Saturday picked up the Elders in Pango again and Elder Joseph interviewed Elorine to be baptized and then we participated in a marriage for a couple in our branch and a baptism for the Elders in
Erakor. The marriage was great, it was done by the branch president and the couple invited us to eat with them afterwards and we had biscuits and good cake! Afterwards we taught Matilyn and about 10 other kids who came and joined with the lesson about the Plan of Salvation. It was cute having them all around. One thing I've seen here in Vanuatu is that EVERYBODY believes in Heavenly Father and Jesus. There's anti-christs or anyone who just believes in science, everyone knows of Jesus Christ, I love it, the people are so faithful here.

After seeing Matilyn we taught Edmas about baptism and confirmation and she too is very excited to be baptized. Then we taught Sena about the Restoration and the spirit was very strong, she knew everything was true, without a doubt. Then we visited mama Maria and taught her, her son Japeth, her daughter Angelina, and her nephew Matthew about the Restoration, them too, knew everything was true, mama Maria has been coming to church alot as well. Then for the first time we had the chance to meet Moses and Norman's full family!

We asked them how they felt when they heard that their children were going to be baptized and they said they were so grateful. The mama and papa want to become members as well but want to wait because contention from other people might rise if they do. They absolutely love the church though and they plan to come to Moses and Norman's baptism. They hope that when their kids become members first, they will be able to come afterwards. We ended up teaching their family about family prayer and we had tea and biscuits for dinner with them. They're such a great family and I love teaching them.

Sunday morning we went to church and had time to just partake of the sacrament and go meet President and Sister Brewer at the airport to fly to the Solomon Islands. We flew out at 10:30am and arrived at 12:30am and it was beautiful but just HOT!!! Hotter than Gaua. We arrived in Honiara, Guatal Canal Island, and Elder and Sister Sampson picked us up and we got talkin'. I think some of you know a little about them already but they're from St. George, Utah as well!

We went to the area of Whiteriver and they were just finishing up with church and the people swarmed around Elder Smiler, he served in the Solomon lslands for a year and 2 months before coming to Vanuatu, so many people knew him. I was able to communicate with the people a
little bit. Some of you may know that the main language in the Solomon Islands is "Pijin". I could understand most of it but it is a little different than bislama. Pijin seems to have more English mixed
in it and they say phrases a little differently. Example, if I want to say "what are you doing right now? in bislama, I would say: "Yu stap mekem wanem naoia?" or in Pijin you say: "What nao yu doem this taem?" It's pretty funny.

Well after church we went to Elder Willoughby and Elder Liu's house and we went on splits and I went with Elder Willoughby and we taught an investigator Toni about the Plan of Salvation. I tried to do it in Pijin as best I could and I did pretty well if I say so myself. One thing that's interesting about the Solomon Islands is the people learn English in school, and they write in English, but they speak Pin Pijin. When we teach there we use English Book of Mormons and Pamphlets. As in Vanuatu, you either learn French or English in School, sometimes both, and people speak bislama. They don't even learn bislama in school. Everyone in Vanuatu somehow teaches themselves how to read bislama, it's cool.

Me and Elder Willoughby walked up to a place called Greenvalley and there were some beautiful views and we also walked down to a member's house named papa Nixon Louniu, we talked
with him awhile and I saw that he had a guitar and I started playing it and gave it to him and to my surprise he started playing songs by Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Def Leppard, and all these hard rock
bands. I don't know where he learned how to rock out but he knew how to play pretty well, if he had an electric guitar you would've been surprised! We visited a couple other members as well before going back to the house at night.

The people in Honiara aren't as bush as Vanuatu, many people have jobs and live in somewhat a city life, mostly everyone has power in their house but they still don't have too much, and they all know each other and are lovable people as well. Man I wish you could be here to see these places and meet these people.

Monday morning we hitched a ride in a bus into town to go to Zone Conference. There's lots of people in Honiara, there was some traffic there too, we actually arrived 10 minutes late because of traffic. We met in the Honiara Branch for our Zone Conference and it went on until 1pm and we had good ham sandwiches with mustard for lunch and later on we went shopping in town. We had a bus take us to the Central Main Market and I bought a few cool necklaces and bracelets they make with
shells and stuff there. It's pretty cool. I also had to at least get a T-Shirt and hat as well.

We went home and changed and played Volleyball with members and non-members at Whiteriver Branch and then went to a Family Home Evening with papa Nixon's family. We shared a short message about prayer and ate rice, Kumala, and Chicken with them. We origionally planned on eating Dog but they didn't find one to kill and eat so we had to substitute chicken, but that's all right.
(I was looking forward for at least tasting dog once:).

Tuesday morning we went to the Honiara Branch for MLC meeting with the Sampsons and the Zone Leaders and it went on for about 2 and a half hours, a very good meeting. Afterwards Elder Sampson brought us down the street to the newly completed District Church Building and it was Beautiful! It will be the new Honiara Chapel and have 2 branches worshipping there in the future. So here in the Solomon Islands there's 4 branches, 3 in Honiara, and 1 in the province Malaita. We have 6 Elders in Honiara and 2 missionary couples, and 4 Elders in Malaita. There's over 600 members of the church in the Solomon Islands and the church is growing fast!

Well we saw the new church and then Elder and Sister Sampson took us to the airport. On the way they took us to a place where old crashed WWII planes and canons were. It was pretty cool! We got to the airport and flew all the way back to Port Vila. We got off the plane and it ws alot cooler. I loved the Solomons, except for the heat. I should be going back there in July. After we arrived in Port Vila 3 missionaries got set apart and they stayed at our house for the night. One was Samson Nipikou, President Nipikou's son in Saet Siwi, he will go to P.N.G., and another one named Elder Din, from Ambae , who will be serving in Vanuatu, and another named Elder Ishmael Taleo,
he's serving in Adlade, Australia.

This morning we checked in the 3 elders to fly to the New Zealand MTC and they flew and we went to Zone Training, afterwards we went to the mission office to put some baptism records through the system and we ended up staying most of the day because 2 missionaries, Sister Tagini, and Elder Lapenmal unexpectedly arrived back from the MTC. So we gave them an Orientation and then had a tiny bit of time to teach Elorine about baptism and confirmation, and we dropped off the Elder
and Sister with some missionary companionships. Then we had time to do a little shopping and just found time to email. And tomorrow me and one of the Zone Leader's Elder Hubbert will be flying to Tanna to go on an Exchange with Elder Ross and Elder Ngatehau, we're very excited, they've been teaching like crazy there!

Well everything is......hmm.......splendid! I am so happy to be doing what i'm doing and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. I love seeing how the gospel applies to all of us in this world regardless of who we are, where we're from, and what we're like. The church is True, that's all there is to it!!! Mi lavem yufala evriwan!!!!!

Love,

Elda Beynon