Halo Bonjour Dearests Family and Friends! How are you doing?! My heart is filled with joy to think of you and write you this email. You are all awesome! I don't know if I will ever be able to express how much I love all the emails, letters, and prayers which are sent my way from you. They give me hope, help me feel of your love, and help me stay strong. I feel your prayers support and lift me during the hard times. I love my mission with all my heart. It gives me so much joy to do this work! I know The Lord loves and supports His missionaries. I know there are angels on our right and on our left protecting us from the dangers of the adversary and temptation, which are ever lurking. Remember to read the Book of Mormon and pray often. You can do all things through the Lord.
I would like to share some things, which I have learned from my studies. I have again started reading the Book of Mormon from the start. You can never read this amazing book to many times! I am going through it as slow as I can and seeking for ways I can truly study and feast upon the words of Christ. One of the biggest blessings I feel which have come from my mission is my renewed love for Scripture reading. I did read the scriptures before my mission but I feel I sometimes had a feeling/attitude like it was more of a choir rather than a blessing.
As I have reflected upon the message which we missionaries share everyday about the Restoration of the Gospel. I have been able to realize more of what we have been blessed with. My mind has reflected upon the all the sacrifices of so many so that this wonderful book could be in our hand. Wither it be Nephi, Nephi's Family, The Sons of Mosiah, Joseph and Emma Smith,Early Latter-Day Saints, The Armies of Helaman, The Anti-Nephi-Lehites, and even my own ancestors and Family who have all given so much so I might serve my mission, and have this great knowledge. My thoughts have reflected upon the Savior, His ministry, and Atonement. I reflected further on how much Our Father in Heaven has personally given to me and all my family. It was not long before my eyes were full of tears and a heart full of gratitude. I know the Book of Mormon is truly the word and voice of the Lord. Our Father in Heaven hears our prayers and speaks to us through this amazing book. We are so blessed. I owe so much to loving parents, amazing friends, my wonderful siblings, countless Priesthood leaders who have helped me gain my testimony. Thank you thank you.
My heart is full of gratitude for all my blessings. I cannot even express how happy I am. I feel my mission has further open my eyes to how much I have and how much I can serve and lift others. The Lord loves you. You have talents and abilities, which can lift and build up others. Our lives can be filled with we joy as we serve others. I often wish I could be better, more loving, quicker to forgive, and ultimately more like the Savior. Sometimes I just have to finish the day on bent knees explaining I tried my best and need strength and help to make it tomorrow. I testify that the Lord does see our efforts and will make our weaknesses into strength. We must continually trust in the Lord! I have realized more this week the love which our Father in Heaven personally has for each of us. I feel my thoughts can be best explained through what Nephi felt in 2 Nephi 4:15-16. These scriptures truly touched my heart this week!
Elder Gunnell and I have worked very hard in the area this week. Let's go through some of the highlights!
The Efate Zone Conference was a success! We have worked hard with President and Sister Duquette to come up with ideas, which can help the missionaries to further bless the lives of those they teach. We had an awesome idea of having role plays and it went so well! So often I feel like our Zone Conferences are not very interactive and some of the missionaries loose interest pretty quick. This is an inspired change and I feel it will have positive results.
The kids in our area are a blast! I love them so much. They have given both nicknames. The word for "Gun" in Bislama is Musket. So Elder Gunnell's name has become Elda Musket and the kids like to call me Elder Lemons better than LaMont. Whelp, team Lemons and Musket are still going strong! I love those adorable kids! :)
We had a pretty crazy experience this Sunday. We went to go and see Ianick and Eleeyn, whom is a couple we have found and working with. We told them we would walk with them to church. The rain has been pretty bad here and it looks like we are getting a Tropical Storm. All this means is tons of rain. We were worried that Ianick and Eleeyn would not want to come because of all the rain. However, they got ready and we acted as their guide as we all walked all the way to church. They came the entire way bringing along their 10 month year old little girl Lisa. We only had one umbrella and a rain jacket. I am amazed at the faith they had in coming and the faith all newcomers have when they come to church for the 1st time. We offered them our umbrellas and ended up being soaked. They did not want us to give our umbrellas but we coaxed them into taking it so they could be dry as they arrived in church.
I had been praying earlier in the day for help in thinking of the Savior as we arrived in church. The spirit taught me something really amazing. I hope I will be able to explain. The Savior has offered all of us Umbrellas (or His Atonement) to keep us dry from the sorrows of sin and guilt, which will leave us miserable and wet. He took on the rain himself so that we wouldn't have to. He acts as our guide leading us back to Our Father in Heaven. No matter how hard the wind blows or how hard the rain comes down we will be safe as we follow him and use the Umbrellas which he so graciously gives to us. The Savior never has and never will leave our side. How wonderfully blessed we are! Stay on the straight and narrow path. We can do this.
I love you all so much! I am praying for you and cheering for you all the way across the Ocean. I love to hear of your success! I miss you and know the Lord will bless you as I work hard and give all I can. You have got this. I have got this. We can do all things because the Savior will walk us through any storm.
Love Forever,
Elder LaMont/ Shark Bait/ The Whitest Elder in all of Vanuatu/ The Comeback Kid with the Sideways Smile
Health Update For Momma: Still staying healthy! I have gotten into a very good routine of working out and I am feeling stronger as the weeks go by! Other than an elbow to the face during Basketball last P-Day I am at 100 % full health! Don't worry about me, you should see the other guy! ;) What doesn't kill you makes you stronger... except for bears... Bears will kill you.
You are the beast Mom! I mean the best!
Hello to you wonderful people! Here are the pictures of the week! Hope you enjoy them!
The Crazy Family that we are... The Tanna Zone!!
If you have a camera... chances are other missionaries will want you to take a selfie with them..
Elder Ficklin and I! What a stud!
More Zone Conference Pictures!
The Squad!!! I love these kids so much! Because they can not remember "LaMont" so all that comes out is Elda or Elda Lemons!
Sister Tucker our Mission Nurse will be going home soon! So grateful for how she has helped me through my challenges of illness on the mission. We make a good team! Dengue, Bed Bugs, and Edema did not even stand a chance! ;) We are unbeatable!
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