Smitty's South Pacific Adventures


Futbol

Port Vila Week 19

Halo Famle Blong Mi,

Well all I can say is that we've been BUSY BUSY BUSY BUSY BUSY!!! Lot's of things happened within the last week. Tuesday last week we had an orientation in the morning for two new missionaries Elder Leong and Sister Lainos. We gave them the orientation and then we had lunch at "Seaview Takeaway" and had some burgers and we got our office work done. We visited Donovan and taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then we had a Famle Haos Naet with Sele's Family and we taught the family about enduring to the end. Then we packed up before we went to New Caledonia.

Wednesday we checked in the airport at 4:30am to fly to New Caledonia and we arrived at 8am and it was beautiful!!! We flew to "Tontouta" and there was a line of big mountains to the north and it
was gorgeous!!! The air was nice and cool and not too humid. Elder Kelly and Elder Teriihaunui, the Zone Leaders and the other zone leaders were there to greet us and they drove us a half an hour
southeast to the main city of Noumea. The roads were big too and I felt like I was home honestly. There was a lot of land and many big buildings, it was really developed honestly. Oh and we passed a Mcdonalds as well! Everything was written in french though. The main language there is french and not many people know english. I wish I knew good friends. I just learned the basics.

We arrived and checked the Grangers in their hotel and we stopped by Rivier Sale'e to the stake center and it was really nice. The elders and sisters were there waiting to interview with president granger. there's many elders and sisters from Tahiti, Samoa, and the United States. And I've heard there's 3 different kinds of people there mainly. There's the natives, called "Kanaks" which are native to the country, there's the French who were born in New Caledonia, and there ancestors come from France, and there's the French who move from Europe all the way to New Caledonia. There are many other people from different countries there but those are the main 3 from the country.
There's 47 missionaries serving in New Caledonia now. While President was interviewing we followed Elder Kelly and we ran some Errands with them and saw some of the church buildings with them and we picked up other missionaries so they could be interviewed. We played some basketball with the Elders for awhile and the interviews went on until dark.

The ZL's dropped everyone off and we went with them and a few others to McDonalds for dinner. I got a Boss Burger Meal and a McFlurry and the restaurant was busy but I got my food within 90
seconds no kidding!!! We drove to an area called Triano where there's a big cross monument and President Thomas S. Monson apparently came there to dedicate the ground for the preaching of the gospel. It was alot of fun. We stayed with Elder Kelly and Elder Teriihaunui for the night.

Thursday morning was our big missionary meeting and we all met at the stake center and we had a headset with channels that let us link to hearing someone translating what they're saying in french to
english. So most of the testimonies were borne in french. A few in english too. I met many other missionaries and I found out i have a few connections with some of them. One of the Elders was named George Lasike from New Zealand, and if I'm not mistaken, he said his brother is Paul Lasike who plays on the Arizona Cardinals Football Team! Weird huh? I also met a Sister named Maggie Gunn who apparently is a cousin to the Eastman family. I think Sister Easman is her aunt if
I'm not mistaken. Chance, you need to talk to Cayden Eastman and let him know I met his cousin in New Caledonia, what a coincidence!!!

Oh and just another side note for ya, did I tell you that I found out I'm related to Sister Stoddard, the Education Specialist here? We got talking one day and I told her that I had some ancestors who were
in Parowan and Beaver and she said she did too. She said that she had some ancestors in Parowan named Jesse N. Smith!!! And I told her that they're part of our family too. It brought back memories of when we went to the tour of their house. I have many connections here for some reason. Oh and I also met an Elder in New Caledonia named Elder Sage Stubbs. He's from Denver Colorado but said that he went to BYU and met my cousin Jordan Smith, and she told him to look out for me! Crazy huh?

Okay well after the meeting we had a good lunch that some members prepared and after all the interviews were done we went with President to the "Magenta" chapel and it's also next to the small office they have in New Caledonia. We showed him the office and then joined in a meeting with some auxiliary leaders. I couldn't understand much of what they said though, I really wish I knew french, It makes me want to learn more languages now. The Country is pretty modernized but
when you get to the north or the outer islands it's pretty bush. We have some missionaries out there as well.

Friday morning we checked into the airport at 6:45am and we flew back to Port Vila, man was New Caledonia beautiful. We returned and went straight to the office and got some work done there and then we went to Nambatu and saw Edmas and we taught her about Baptism and Confirmation and helped her remember of her baptismal covenants. We also went to Seaside to the futbol field where kids were playing and doing some activities for "Children's Day". We talked with some
members and people there and then that afternoon we saw Moses and Norman and we taught them about obeying and honoring laws.

Saturday we witnessed some baptisms in Port Vila 1st Ward and then saw Madlene and taught her about enduring to the end. Then we went to Beverly Hills and taught a couple of new investigators named Lindsay and Paul. They were part of the big group of people we taught last week. We taught them more about the Book of Mormon and committed them to pray about it. Then we saw Sele and taught him about callings in the church and then we all played Soccer with the boys there. Most of them are from Ambrym and they are really starting to like us missionaries.

Sunday morning we went to church, and went to 'kaikai sakramen" and then we flew to Honiara again to the Solomon Islands. We arrived and Elder and Sister Sampson dropped us off at the Burns Creek Branch with Elder Liu and Elder Jhonny and we went on splits for the day. I followed Elder Liu and we taught many investigators and less actives. we kept busy the whole day! We taught a few part member families about prophets and a mama about Service. We also taught a papa about the
word of wisdom and then a boy named Pita about the restoration. I also started catching on pretty well with the pidgeon. I can understand it really well now.

Monday morning we all met at the new district center in Talise and had our missionary meeting there. We got there on a couple buses and the meeting was really good and afterwards had lots of sandwiches, bananas, popo, and pineapples for lunch. Then President interviewed with everyone and we went back to Burns Creek in the afternoon and played Futbol with some boys there. The people there are alot like the people in Vanuatu. Very open, humble, and they like you for who you are regardless where you're from and what you look like.

Tuesday morning me and Elder Dakunimata went on a bus to Talise to Elder and Sister Sampson's house and we went with them and picked up the Grangers and showed President the White River Chapel and we had lunch at the Sampsons before they brought us to the airport. At the airport was an Elder who just finished his mission in PNG named Elder Jackson Nipikou. He's President Nipikou's son in Saet Siwi, and his other son Samson Nipikou who was just set apart as a missionary last
month is already serving in PNG. It was great to see Jackson Nipikou. When I first served in Saet Siwi they told me all about him. We all flew back to Port Vila and on the plane they showed the movie "The Flash" and I had to watch it. I thought it was cool but it was reallly short though. Do they plan on making another sequel to it? I remember seeing the weird ending. Well at least I can say I've seen "The Flash"!

Today we had district meeting and Jackson Nipikou was released as a missionary. We had our office meeting today as well and got stuck planning out our trip for tanna at the end of this week and we got
lots of office work done. We have alot to plan for with president for the end of this transfer and it's gonna be a crazy couple weeks. And then my good old friend Sam Matua returned from Fiji where they worked on getting him a Visa and President Granger set him apart as a missionary and he will serve here until his Visa comes so he can go to the phillipines.

Well we've been keeping busy with all the work with the mission tour and it was fun to go to the other countries. You know we all live in this world, we're all different, we come from different
countries, we have different traditions and customs, but the gospel is for EVERYONE, Every Nation, Kindred, and People. It's so amazing to see the blessings of the gospel in the lives of so many different people in different places. I love you all and hope all is well.

Love,

Elder Beynon