Week 14 on Gaua March 31-April 6, 2014

Monday I did some laundry and while I was washing I started to get very tired.  My body was starting to get very tired.  We went and taught a lesson and came back and at this time I was exhausted and didn't feel good.  I used a thermometer to see if I had a fever and my temperature was 100.2 degrees.  It was indeed a fever.  I took some peradol and rested all day.  That night I didn't eat.  Food did not sound good at all.  We called a sister missionary who used to be a doctor to get some info.  She told me to rest and see how I feel tomorrow.  We think that I got sick because I've been drinking no filtered water for the last week.  Our hand pump for our filter broke so we just drank water from the tank.  We should have boiled it. 

Tuesday I woke up and felt a lot better.  My fever was gone but my body was still a little sore and I still had diarrhea.  We decided to hold district meeting so we walked to Eapot to the branch and had district meeting.  Then we went on exchanges.  I stayed with Elder Ransika and Elda Leva and Matu went to Koska.  We were only able to teach one lesson but that night.  We ate kimala and fish at an investigators house.

Wedenesday morning we went to the branch presidents house to give his son a blessing.  He was diving in the ocean to spear some fish but his hand came down on a sea urchin.  Then we went and taught two lessons that afternoon and after we finished someone was watching "Tom and Jerry" on their phone so we joined them.  The people here love Tom and Jerry, many people have it on their phones. 

Thursday me and Elda Ransika went to an area called "Namasari" to do service for a mama.  She needed us to help her get some Natangora to carry to her house, so she could make some roofing.  Natangora is a tree similar to a palm tree but shorter and the leaves are wider than palm leaves.  The people make roofing for their houses with these leaves.  We walked to the mamas garden and she told us to cut down one Natangora tree.  Elder Ransika used a bush knife to cut it down.  It didn't take long because the wood is so wet and soft.  Then the tree fell and we cut off the leaves and stems and wrapped the leaves in big bundles.  The tree gave us three bundles that we carried back to mamas house.  Then they fed us rice with big salt water snails.  The snails aren't my favorite because the taste is different and it's hard to chew, but I can still eat it.  The people call them "shell" here.  After the service me and Elda Ransika went to the branch presidents house to wait for Elder Leva and Matu to come.  They came, and me and Elder Matu went to kaska and Elda Leva went with Elda Tansika.  We got home a little late and talked a while, then went to sleep.

Friday we taught a lesson then went to teach a recent convert and they were all playing cards.  We joined them for a while and played "7-lock".  Everyone in Vanuatu knows it.  I haven't heard of it before my mission.  It's a fun game.  Then we taught a recent convert about baptism and confirmation.  Then we taught two more lessons that afternoon.  Then for dinner I made spaghetti.  I've made it a few times before and this time I think it was the best.  I don't want to brag but it was pretty dang good.  But it doesn't beat Mom's spaghetti!  Nothing beats your spaghetti mom!!!  Then we watched a church movie called " turn around" which is about a teenager who made many bad choices and had a bad attitude and then decided to change and repent of all he had done.  It was a pretty good movie.  We watched it on our portable dvd player. 

Saturday we baptized a mama that has been waiting for a date to be set.  She was very happy during the baptism.  It's the sixth one we've had in Gaua!  After the baptism, Elder Matu interviewed two investigators to be baptized next week!  We taught one lesson then we walked to Eapot so Elda Leva could interview a couple of investigators of the other two elders.

Sunday we went to church and I realized that the church is now 184 years old!  You all probably watched conference and I wonder if they talked about church history a lot?  We don't have any access to watching conference here in Gaua, but in a few weeks the zone leaders will send us dvd's with all the sessions in bishlama. Well, while we were at church two investigators came for the first time!  We've invited them to be baptized but we are waiting for them to pray and think about it first.  It was testimony meeting so they probably got to see something that other churches don't do.  Me and Elder Leva bore our testimonies and many other kids did as well.  Our unit is kind of our ward, the youth have strong testimonies.  Then we taught three lessons that afternoon.  Then we ate turtle soup because it was Brushy's daughters birthday.  We had turtle, kamkava, soup and rice.  It was good food.

This week was probably just as good as last week.  The work is still great and we have great investigators.  Gaua is just awesome!  I want to let you all know that I'm not coming home until my mission here is finished.  Everything is great and I am very happy here.  I love you all so much!

Love, Elder Beynon