Week 1 on Malekula

September 15, 2014

Dia ol famle mo ol frien blo mi mo hapi birthday sista blo mi!

Tank yu Tumas blo ol birthday wishes!  I don't feel like I should be turning 20 yet.  Time is just flying by!  I bet many of you probably feel sorry that I'm not home for my birthday but I haven't worried about that at all. Life's good, I get to spend my birthday in tropical islands in the south pacific. Just Kidding, I just thought i'd make you a little jealous.  Yes life's good here in Malekula and I like my new area. And my new companion.

Well my new area is big.  There's a village an hour walk north, another one where my house is, and another village a half hour walk south.  So I will be walking alot again.  And I will be able to lose some weight.  Many members in my new area are related to many people in Uripiv. And the people are all very nice (as always, everybody's nice and kind in Vanuatu!)

In my new area there are many less actives that we want to work with. There's probably more work to do here than while I was in Uripiv.  But I'm glad to be here to help the people here. I've seen many people
come and go from Uripiv as well. Well our primary focus right now is the members here, we have some
investigators that we will work with but we want to especially strengthen the members and branch.  I already know quite a few people because of all the exchanges.

Last thursday we went to the 1st counselor's house where we cut firewood as a service for him.  We walked to his garden and used an axe and bush knives to cut dry branches off of dead fallen trees.  It was fun.

Friday was Zone Conference and we went to Norosup to a beautiful small bush chapel.  Our conference was focused on "Finding People to Teach" We discussed different ways to find people to teach and learned many things from the mission president.  I love our zone conferences.  My mission president is one of the most spiritual people I know. Whenever he speaks, the spirit is very strong. Also during the conference, an Area Seventy from Tonga named Elder Tuku'afu came.  Saturday and Sunday we would have District Conference. Satuday we came on a transport and went to District Conference in a City building in Lakatoro.  We don't have a District church building yet.  The Saturday session was focussed on the Priesthood and hastening the work of Salvation.

Sunday we went to Lakatoro again in the morning and over 300 members came to Conference!  It was awesome.  It was only an hour and a half long because Elder Tuku'afu and the mission president would be flying out right after. But it was really cool and the church here is growing soooooooooooooooo fast!  The lord is hastening his work here and it's amazing how the work is going ahead so fast! After the conference we went to the area of Potindir and we taught a member and she helped us know of many members that we can help there.  One thing that we are going to work on is going to our areas and gaining people's trust. Especially here in Vanuatu, trust is very important.  Me and my companion are new to our area and we need to try our best to talk to everyone (members, non members, investigators etc.) and we will be able to help the people here.

Well know that all is well and that I'm happy to be serving where I am.  I can't believe I will be turning 20 and I'm so grateful to be serving the lord here. I love you all and hope all is well.

Love,

Elder Beynon