Week 16 on Gaua April 14-April 20, 2014

Dia ol famle mo frien blo mi,

Monday was a lot of fun.  The zone leaders were coming so we put our money together and bought a pig for $80.  We went to the Branch Presidents house and Elder Leva prepared everything to cook the pig.  Elder Leva decided that he will make "bunya" a style of cooking here in Vanuatu, Tonga and many other islands.  We killed the pig, hung it on a tree, scraped the skin and fur off the pig, then gutted it cleaned it and cut it into pieces.  While they did that, others dug a hole about 2 feet deep and just a little bit bigger than the pig.  They started a fire in the hole and put many stones on top of the fire.  The mama's cut manyoke into pieces, and by the time the stones in the hole were hot, we put manyoke and pig on top of the stones and covered it with banana leaves and then dirt.  While it cooked we went to the airport and the zone leaders came.  We let them prepare for a while then we went back the the branch president's house.  By the time the food was ready, it took 3 hours for it to cook in the ground.  The zone leaders brought bread again so we all ate pork sandwiches with manyoke.  It was awesome!  I just needed some bbq sauce.  Then we played volleyball with the members and all who ate with us.  Then I showed them the pictures that dad had sent.  They loved it and I taught them a little more about our country.  It was a fun p-day.  It would have been cool if you all were there.

Tuesday I made some pancakes for breakfast.  We had nothing to put on them but butter and peanut butter.  But it was still good.  We walked to Eapot for district meeting and zone training.  It was unbelievably hot!  We got there drenched with sweat.  After the meeting the branch presideng made soup for us to eat and then we went back to our areas to teach.  We taught four lessons that afternoon and we taught a new family who wanted to hear our message.  Then we went to the store to buy some "twisties" they are a snack a lot like cheetos.  There is cheese flavor and chicken flavor.  Then we ate fish that Brushly speared for us.

Wednesday we walked back to Eapot because the zone leaders would be flying back to Santo.  We got there and ate lots of peanuts that we bought from a mama.  The people here grow lots of peanuts and sell them.  It's cool.  After the zone leaders left we bought noodles and spicy tin tuna and gave it to the branch president to make soup for us.  We also ate bread that they made.  We then walked back to Kaska and all of our investigators were gone.  So we didn't teach any lessons.

Thursday we did our studies by the ocean because it was too hot.  It's weird because our house is about 100 feet from the ocean but up by the house it's always hot.  But down by the ocean there's always a nice breeze and it's cool.  We do our studies down there a lot.  We taught only two lessons that afternoon and I made some french fries and we cooked some fish.  So we had good fish and chips that night.

Friday was just like Thursday but we ate octopus instead of fish.  Brushly had killed one while diving and they milked coconuts and boiled it and we ate it with rice manyoke and bread fruit.  It was good.

Saturday morning our neighbor Phillip drove us to Eapot so elder Leva could interview and investigator to be baptized.  When we came back we taught three lessons and taught a family about the restoration.  After the lesson they fed us "simboro" it is ground up manyoke wrapped with island cabbage and boiled with coconut milk.  It's really good and I hadn't had it for a while.  We have many families to teach here now.  That's the primary focus of teaching families because if the whole family is converted they can live together for all eternity.  After teaching I hung out with some of the kids and they taught me how to roll my "r's" while talking and after a little practicing I was able to do it! Everyone here, even the kids can roll their r's.

Easter Sunday we went to church and our unit leader taught us about Jesus Christ's atonement and we shared some things as well.  During sacrament meeting I gave a talk on the word of widsom because many members struggle with drinking "kava".  Then Elder Leva gave a talk about repentance.  Then after church we went to Mama Judy's house and they fed us bread that they made with coconut milk.  It was nice and sweet, very good bread.  Then we taught a couple lessons and then we got home I made some spaghetti.  It came out very good and I made garlic bread too.  I cut up garlic into very small pieces and put butter on bread and put the garlic on the butter and heated it in a pan and "voila" garlic bread!

The people here don't really have any traditions like Easter egg hunts to celebrate Easter.  The only tradition I know is that the Anglican church uses Friday as a day of rest.  Because of the day that our Savior was on the cross.  But there's no other traditions that I know of.

I hope Easter was great for all of you.  Make sure to tell me about it.  Everything is great here and I'm having a lot of fun.  I love you all and hope all is well.

Love, Elder Beynon