Me and my companion on the beach by Potindir

Week 2 on Malekula September 22, 2014

Dear family and friends,

So first off, the packages from you and grammy came!!!  Thanks so much for all the candy, kool aid and magic stuff you sent!!!  Well, you have probably been wondering "how was your birthday?" how was your birthday!"

So last Monday after I emailed you, I bought some chocolate ice cream to prepare for the occasion.  On my birthday, I did my laundry (just as every Tuesday) and then during the afternoon we walked to one of our areas called "Tevoliout".  It's about a 30-45 minute walk south of our house and that's where many members and auxiliary leaders live.  So we walked there, and just talked with some members.  We talked and gained trust and just went and tried to see the people there.  Then that night we went back to the house.  Like I said, I bought chocolate ice cream but i forgot candles!  Luckily we found a matchbook with matches and stuck a few matches in the ice cream, lit them and I blew them out, and dug in.  I was very satisfied with the ice cream, it made my day.  It was a really good birthday, nothing to complain about, we just did the lord's work and all went well.

Wednesday we walked an hour north to the area of "Potindir" and we taught a few less actives there.  It's sometimes hard for the people there to come to church because it's so far.  We also got a chance to walk by the beach and take some pictures.  I will try to email some to you.  

Thursday we went to Tevoliout to go do some service and plant some yams at an investigators garden.  They weren't home though so we walked to a place called "Mapbest" plantation.  A field with tons of coconut trees for cutting and selling Kobra.  Kobra and cocoa are the biggest ways of recieving income here. Through cutting and selling Kobra (The inside's of coconuts), and selling Cocoa.  There are tons of Cocoa tree plantations and the people cut them open and sell the seeds inside by the kilogram.  The people call places for cutting kobra and cocoa plantesens. (plantations)  So if I say "mi stap go lo plantesen blo coconut lo wei" i'm saying that I'm going to the coconut plantation over there.  Malekula has many coconut and cocoa plantations.  Malekula produces the most kobra in Vanuatu.  I hope I didn't confuse you.

Well we walked through a big coconut plantation where there were many cows to find a store that was close to the beach at "Mapbest Plantation".  So we walked all the way there and back to Tevoliout. When we got back to Tevoliout, our investigator was home so we followed her up a hill to her garden.  Many gardens are planted on the side of a steep hill here.  So we walked up a hill and helped her plant yams.  It was fun.

Then that night when we got home, me, my companion, and our friend named Harold made "Lastic" (slingshots).  When it was dark we walked in the bush blo go shutim ol pidgeon mo flying fox, which means,  "we went in the jungle and tried to shoot bats with our sling shots".  We had no luck but it was a lot of fun.

Friday we went back to Tevoliout and we carried our lastics with us, so now whenever we walk to our areas we try to shoot some pidgeons (birds) when we get the chance.  It's fun.  In Tevoliout we were able to teach a lesson with the couple who we planted yams for and then we also taught a less active member.  Saturday we went back to Potindir and were only able to teach 1 less active family. It was good though.  They could really feel the spirit and it's amazing how a small little lesson with a less active family can invite the spirit in a home.

Sunday we went to church and then went to Tevoliout again and just talked with people and tried to gain people's trust.

Know all is well and that I love my new companion and my new area. Things are going great and I'm so thankful to be serving here.  Can you believe I've been out just about a year! Thanks for the packages and birthday wishes.  I love you all soooo much!.  Take care.

Love
Elder Beynon

P.S. Sorry the end is short, I need some time to send pictures.

Me and my companion with our friend Jason at the beach