ANOTHER NUMBA WON WEEK LO VPVM

OSIN WANEM FAMILE BLO MI?? MI WANTEM LO TELLEM YU MI LUVEM YU TUMAS.

My dear family and friends! It is once again this amazing time I get to email you. I am so grateful for a Loving Heavenly Father who has provided us with a way to stay in contact. This week has had its ups and downs and I am grateful for what I have both learned and experienced. When they tell you a mission is not easy. They are not lying. This is the hardest thing I have ever done but I have never experienced more joy and satisfaction then I am now.

This week Elda Gray basically gave me the reigns on Travel Elder. I have been in charge of making and issuing all flights driving the bus around the crazy streets of Port Vila and so much more. I am not perfect and have already made a few mistakes however Heavenly Father is a patient and loving teacher.

Sunday was probably the best day of the week! I have been trying my best to learn how to takeover things when Elda Gray leaves. Updating the area book in Bislama was a pretty amazing experience as I was able to see just how far I have come. During personal Study I read in the Buk Blong Momon about Captain Moroni and I taught a lot of the lesson on Sunday with what I learned in my study. I did my best to express the importance of putting on the armor of God.  I had a friend testify to me that Personal Study is a time we can have a personal tutoring class with our Savior. I testify of the truthfulness behind his words. The Master is very much alive and involved in His work. I testify that Jesus is The Christ and the only Begotten of The Father. He did give His life for us and conquered death so that we might live again with our families. Come unto Him and you shall find rest and peace.

Thanksgiving was amazing! If I had more time I would share picture of what we ate as a District! Unfortunately I had a hard time with pictures so my time is very limited today. Our District leader is from Tauhiti and he made a Tauhitan dish made out of raw fish. It was amazing!

I want you to know I love each and everyone of you. Please remember your importance to Our Heavenly Father. You are one of His children.

Much love,

Elda LaMont/Shark Bait/ Your Alekken Ty/ Island Boy

Fresh Haircut 

Shark Bait takes the reins of Travel Elder/ The Baptisam of Leiwia and Grem

OSIN WANEM FAMLI MO FREND BLO MI! MI LOVUM YU TUMAS!! MI HOPESE YU SAVE FINIS

I am not sure if my Bislama spelling is perfect yet but that was my best attempt! I love you all so very much! I have learned so many things during this week and our Heavenly Father has blessed me so very much! The most amazing thing which happened this week was the baptism of Leiwia and Grem. We had worked so very hard to accomplish all the things which are required to be a Travel Elder and still make it to our area. It is not easy and there are many times it feels like we just can't ever climb the mountain of things which we need to do. But I testify of the reality of our Heavenly Father in our individual lives.

The Lord provided a way for us to teach all the lessons we needed to Leiwia and Grem and although there were many things which tried to stop us we were able to help the Lord bring Leiwia and Grem to the font this last weekend. It was an amazing experience when they laughed and reminded me of the time I couldn't communicate with them at all and now I am cracking jokes in Bislama!! The Lord does bless his servants who do their best to have faith in Him. I know this because I have been experiencing it. Grem asked if Elda Gray would perform the baptism and Leiwia asked if I would perform hers. It was my first time and I won't lie to you, I was pretty scared. I said a quick prayer to our Heavenly Father asking if He would help me say the right words in Bislama. The spirit was there that night and the baptism went amazing! Never have I felt such a greater joy and satisfaction for the hardest work I have ever been a part of.

The next day Leiwia and Grem were confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And as Grem received the Gift of The Holy Ghost and walked back to His seat at church his smile was so big and tears were streaming from his eyes. Never in all of my life have I been so happy. Tears filled my eyes as I praised Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ for what they had provided me and now Grem and his family. This Church is true. Jesus is The Christ and I testify He lives.

This week was really hard but worth every second. Elda Gray this week insisted I drive more and put me in charge of doing all of the responsibilities we are entrusted with. I made a flight in the wrong time, killed the bus many times in the streets of Port Vila, and was given many more learning opportunities, which we then needed to fix. Elda Gray is an amazing companion. He is so full of patience for me and I love him like a brother. He has set me up perfectly to fill his shoes when he leaves on December 16th. I want to thank Jordon Hunt (Studly) and my Grandpa Wilkinson for teaching me to drive a manual. I want you to know I can drive manual now and am doing it all the time in the streets (more like dirt roads/ broken up/ pot hole filled most of the time streets) of Vanuatu.

They do not celebrate Halloween here or Thanksgiving but as the Office District we are planning on doing something for Thanksgiving. I wish I had more time, but I am grateful for what time I have had. Know I love you. Know that I am doing my best to serve God and I am happy and healthy. I miss you all. But I know I am supposed to do this. So, I will keep wearing out my knees and rolling up my sleeves.

Much Much love,

Elda LaMont/ Bubbos/ Shark Bait/ your Alekken Ty

Conquiring Hell week/ Shark Bait lives thorugh Hell Week

Dearest Family and Friends,

TALOFA LAVA FROM THE FUTURE!!!

Your favorite Island boy is back! ;) I am so grateful for this chance I have to write to you. Guess what?! Elda Gray and I lived through "Hell Week!" Not going to lie it was not exactly the easiest week of my life but I am glad The Lord is helping me become stronger, smarter, and more humble. I testify we do have a Loving Heavenly Father who cares. Never ever forget He is there and will help you through His son Jesus Christ.

This week we sent off the old missionaries and were able to collect new ones! We also were in charge of hosting, transferring people, making/booking/issuing flights, driving people to the airports at many different times, making sure Elders and Sisters had enough money to get home, and so much more. This week we only had 2 lessons but worked 75 plus hours. I love this busy schedule though and it is an amazing thing to be on the Lord's errand. I love The Lord for the opportunity he has given me to be a Travel Elder. I do wish we had more time for lessons but I know what we are doing is also helping The Lord's work press on.

We did have an opportunity to go and see Lewia and Graham. We have plans to hopefully get them towards baptism this week!!!!!! I am so excited! We tried to have a lesson with them last week when we got a tiny time to go to our area but they could not have a lesson with us since they were having a custom they do here in Vanuatu. The custom is to give a huge feast (Won big fala Kake in Bislama)  or to those who helped with the wedding. After the food they had a little ceremony of such where they invited people to come up one by one and they were given "Island Calco" or Island fabric. After they were given the fabric (they also gave away baskets and matts made from hand) they would pour baby powder on the necks of the people receiving the gift. I honestly have no idea what it means. To our surprise we were given some Island Calco and were thanked. Lewia and Graham are just awesome awesome people.

Lewia and Graham are just amazing. And if they are baptized this week, we teach all of their pikinini  (or kids) the lessons, and Graham receives the Aaronic Priesthood he could baptize his children. Great blessing are in store for those who come into this great gospel. I know it is true. Remember what matters most in life my family and friends. Know that I love you and think of you often

Love,

Elda LaMont/ your Alekken Ty/ Island Boy/ Shark Bait

Shark Bait enters "Hell Week" with nothing but a smile :D

ALOFA LAVA FROM THE FUTURE MY BEAUTIFUL FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!!

This last week has been incredible for me!!! So much has happened and I have been so very blessed by our Heavenly Father. Elda Gray and I have done so much work in the office. We had very few lessons this week but logged about 62 hours of work making sure everything would fly (Haha Did you see that pun in there ?:D)  smoothly for the upcoming transfer as well as taking care of Leavers and Arrives. The madness will start tomorrow. We will be driving people to the airport at all times of day and night, hosting Leavers and Arrives, transferring people on the island of Efate (which is where we are), making sure missionaries have enough Vatu (or money) to get home (I did some accounting this week in regards to this! I am proud to say I am a mini bean counter! The apple doesn't far to far from the tree!!) , and trying to put in some missionary work when we can. Elda Gray told me with a smile, "This is Hell Week! Hope you are ready!" Ready I am! I did not exactly expect to do this kind of work in the mission field but I know God has called me to be His Travel Elder. I will do everything in my power to do exactly as God wants, welcome the new missionaries, and make sure the returning missionaries get home safe. I will do my best to do all of this with a smile!

One other thing I would like to talk about is our investigators Lewia and Graham. They have waited 3 years to get married so they can get baptized. They have the strongest faith I have ever seen. They have truly inspired me and are great examples of our Savior Jesus Christ. Lewia's Father would not permit them to marry unless they did a Custom Vanuatu Wedding which costs money they do not have. Through their faith and the power of a loving Heavelny Father the Dad allowed the happy couple to get married this week. This was a miracle from God. Elda Gray and I were invited to go and we got to join in the celebration. It was amazing! We ate Laplap, talked and joked in Bislama, and celebrated the marvelous miracle! Despite our busy schedules we plan on being able to help Lewia and Graham obtain their goal of baptism so they can head on to the road of eternal happiness! What a blessing from our Heavenly Father.

I am teaching and talking a lot in Bislama on a side note! Yet another miracle from God. People in our ward often ask me, "So where did you transfer from again?" They are often shocked to hear this is my first area and that I already am understating and speaking in Bislama. It is not perfect yet but it is coming. Heavenly Father does answer and hear our prayers. It is through His power that I am learning this language I love so much.

Jesus is the Christ. Heavnly Father lives and wants you to be happy. They are blessing me and guiding me through the Holy Spirit. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true. I miss and love my family but God is giving me strength. Thank you for everything my family and friends. I love all of you.

Much Love,

Elda LaMont/ Shark Bait/ your Alekken Ty