Missed you All. Sorry I could not email last week. Shark Bait big news!

My dear family and friends!! I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to write some of my feelings and keep you updated on the wonderful work, which is happening here in the beautiful paradise of the Vanuatu Port Vila Mission. 

Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to be able to write you last week but I am grateful now for the small opportunity, which I have been given to share some pretty amazing/crazy experiences. 

Transfers this last week has been crazy. President Granger has taken me out of Zone Leader and has told me he feels inspired to put me as an Assistant to the President. I have been placed with my two new companions Elder Piol and Elder Hable. Elder Piol is a seasoned Veteran, as he will be going home very soon. The role that President wants us to play is Elder Hable and I take over things and if we have anything we can not solve on our own then we have Elder Piol to help us.  This means I will be traveling with my new companions (and the Mission President) throughout the 3 different countries of the Mission. Different islands of Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands to give training, I will be trusted to help train the Zone Leaders, and will be teaching in all 3 languages of our Mission (French, Bislama, and Pidgin) We have a lot of responsibility and roles to fulfill. Despite this extra work I try to remind myself of the wise words, which come from the White Handbook, explaining that an Assistant to the President is no different than another missionary. We all have the same call but different assignments. I want to stay humble and teachable. I desirous to teach with love and learn from all those I will have the ability to meet. In answer to your question Dad, we will not go everywhere with President Granger but most of the time we will join him in his travels. We have a lot of places we will be going for Zone Conference this upcoming month. And when President Duquet (the new mission President) gets here he is going to want to hop on a plane with us to visit every place in the mission. We will be going to New Caledonia next week (So excited!) 

The new area is wonderful! The Assistant's area is called Nambaru. It is actually an old area I had as a Travel Elder. Many of the members came rushing up to greet me once again. My heart is full of gratitude to be able to work with the wonderful people of Nambaru again. This week we have been in the Office a lot of the week. We had several meetings with President in regards to an emergency transfer we needed to make. We were also able to help President with the new missionaries who came in. Although it was difficult to be out of the office for so long it provided a wonderful opportunity to meet new missionaries and get them excited about the amazing work we get to be a part of. The ability to work with President Granger has once again shown me how inspired The Lord's chosen servants really are. Trust in those God calls. They are not perfect. They try their best and are inspired. I know God lives and talks to those He has chosen. 

Before leaving my old area (Black Sands) I was able to witness a miracle. I woke up one morning on an exchange with a District Leader (One of my old companions Elder Burbank, who were help teaching to become the next Zone Leader for when I left) and felt a small feeling that we should go see a recent convert of ours. This recent Convert is a young girl named Christina Hillaman. For the longest time she was not allowed to be baptized because her Father is very much against the church. I am so glad I listened to this small feeling. When we arrived at her house the mother was practically in tears, telling us that she had been praying the missionaries would come. She speedily brought us into the house to show us to Christina's Father who is very sick. He asked us for a blessing which we were happy to give. He took a lesson from us as well and we were able to set a baptism date. The Lord works through amazing ways and I testify He is involved with His work. The family gifted me a custom Vanuatu Matt before I left. I love them and I love The Lord and His inspired work. 

Hope you are all doing amazing! I am doing fantastic! Although I miss my family and loved ones I have never been happier. I LOVE this work. 

So much love to all of you, 

Elda LaMont/Shark Bait/ Island Boy/ 

PS. Keaton you’re a stud! I love you and Luci! Good luck with the new job! Cheering you on from all the way across the ocean.

Shark Bait's Exchanges with The APs and Mama Fred's Baptism!!

Dearest Family and Friends,

Again I am more than excited to tell you of the wonderful week in which I have had on the beautiful island paradise of Vanuatu. It has been an incredible week with challenges which have brought me new incites to this beautiful gospel and have blessed my life. 

One of the very best parts of this week would be the exchange I got to have with the Assistants to the President. I was put with Elder Hable who was able to teach me many things. He is a very humble and powerful teacher and I enjoyed becoming more his friend. He taught me more about the importance of Companionship Study and how we can find answers to the soul from the Book of Mormon. We had a powerful study of the Book of Mormon before being able to go in his area of Nambaru (which actually was once my area my first transfer here as a Travel Elder) Throughout the many lessons we tried to have we used what we learned from the Book of Mormon. It had amazing and powerful results! We were even able to set a baptism date with one of his investigators and find new precious souls to teach! I testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the peace, light, and happiness it can bring to our life if we will just open it. Our Heavenly Father wants to talk to us and this is how he does it along with his chosen leaders. I loved what Elder Hable was able to teach me about exchanges. He followed the White Handbook to give me specific and direct things I do well and what things I could work on. He is eager to help me with a new leadership role that President wants me to work towards. I am so glad I got to work with him! The Lord continues to bless me. 

Another wonderful blessing of this week would be the baptism of one of our investigators Lamala Fred. She is the mother of our Recent Convert Nicole Fred. We are so excited for her and have seen the amazing blessing the Atonement and Gospel of Jesus Christ has brought to her and her family. How my soul is filled with joy to see her and her Daughter come into the fold of God. I was unable to attend her baptism since we were on our exchange with the Assistants. But my companion Elder Hardy said that as she came out of the waters of baptism with tears of joy. I was told that she even shared a powerful testimony during her baptismal service. This Gospel is true. Is it not amazing how this perfect and everlasting Gospels blesses us so much individually and as a family! We are so blessed! 

I love you all. I pray for you. I work hard for The Lord and for you. Keep enjoying life and smiling!

Sorry, no pictures for this week. I forgot my camera cord back at our house! Next week for sure!

So much love to each and everyone of you.

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

Pictures from Zone Conference

The Miracle of Thelma's Baptism Shark Bait Hits the big One Nine!

Dearest Family and Friends, 

I am so very thankful for this opportunity to write and share some of the thoughts of such a fantastic week! Many great things made up one of the best weeks of my mission! I almost do not even know where to start!

One of the great things for this week would be Zone Conference. Although planning out Zone Conference is not the easiest thing for Elder Hardy and I we had a fun time. We had the Tanna Zone come as well so we had to plan for more Elders! Zone Conference really was amazing! Elder Hardy and I also were given the opportunity to give some training. We came up with a pretty good idea, which we thought turned into a decent training! We had a lot of help from our prayers! For our training we called up two Elders. We had one Elder extend out his hand and the other keep his hand close to his body. We invited missionaries to explain some of the hardships in which they have had while on their missions. As they shared some of the trials in which they have faced we started adding books and weight to each of the Elder's hands. The Elder who had his arm far from his body really started to struggle to hold the weight of the books. The Elder who had kept his weight close to his body still had a fair amount of weight to hold but looked just fine. We did our best to use this to testify of the Savior. As missionaries, and sons and daughters of Our Heavenly Father we are as the arms of The Lord. We at times are asked to take on some heavy loads, of all sizes. When we are close to our Savior He promises to make our burdens light. When we do not accept his help the weight is unbearable at times. I testify of the truthfulness of this important eternal doctrine. The Savior and Master Jesus Christ is ready to help make our burdens light. I pray you have had an opportunity to think more heavily upon the love He has for you this special season. 

The next wonderful part of the week! The baptism of Thelma Jack and my 19th Birthday! What a day! Thelma is a miracle. There are times as a missionary when it gets hard and you ask yourself why you are here. It is beautiful people like Thelma who remind me quickly of the importance of this great work. Thelma has read the Book of Mormon and has come to know of the reality of the Love which Our Father In Heaven has for her. She has changed to follow the Savior Jesus Christ. I see the light of The Holy Ghost fill her soul with joy. Watching her come out of the waters of baptism makes me so thankful for this great plan of happiness. All things are possible through God! My soul is filled with gratitude for what Our Father in Heaven has given Thelma and all of us who are willing to accept his divine plan! What a great life!

Thank you to all of you, who have reached out to wish me a Happy Birthday! Thank you thank you. You have brought me so much joy! I am truly blessed and I am loving my mission. I know my family is blessed for their sacrifice. I love them and all who have helped me. Know that I think of you often and love you all.

So much love, 

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

Elder LaMont, Thelma, and Elder Hardy

Happy Birthday treat!

Shark Bait Helps Plan Zone Conference and The Miracle of Thelma

Hello to my Dear Family and Friends!!

I am again more than happy to report that it has been another fantastic week! I am so grateful for the time, which I have to reside in the beautiful islands of Vanuatu and with these even more beautiful people! I am blessed further to have so many family and friends cheering me on.

This week has been a busy and we have done a lot of contacting looking for more people to teach. As our dear Mission President says the work can not start unless you find someone to teach. We have tried this week to do just that. We have had much success and have found new people. We found a a large family from the island of "Tongwa" and they are so kind. Elder Hardy and I saw a new road in our area covered in thick Island Bush (or grass) and decided to adventure. We were not sure what to say to this large group of people we found in this village. Our favorite thing to do is to make them laugh... Which Elder Hardy and I are pretty good at doing. We have found we can laugh with the people and love them it makes the work even better!

While contacting down the Pot hole invested dirt roads (surrounded by beautiful Island vegetation and flowers)  of part of our area called Sweti we meet two boys named Rico and Junior. When they first saw us about a week ago they asked for a Book of Mormon (or Buk Blong Momon) We were surprised but gladly gave them one. We decided to follow up and teach them about this special and true book. We had a great lesson with them! They are actually huge fans of Soccer! They asked me if I knew who Paul Pogba, Anotine Griezmann, Neymar, Christiano Ronaldo, and many others. They were shocked when I told them yes and we had a great talk about the beautiful game of Soccer! When we taught them we included as much soccer terminology as we could into the lesson.

I have a testimony of this great and Restored church. It is watched over by the good Shepard, who is The Lord Jesus Christ. Through His living Prophet Russell M. Nielson he watches over his flock and desires all to come unto Him. It is my great privilege and honor to be about His work. The work, which is most important. It has been a great Easter Holiday to reflect on all that He has done for us.

I love you all so much. Thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes which have made my day and already my week.

Love you all so much,

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

Thank you so so much for the wonderful package from home!!! I love you so much!

I was reunited with a dear friend named Elder Bybee. He is going home soon and this mission is going to miss him.