Dear Family and Friends! I am sorry I did not have the chance to email yesterday. Because of Travel Arrangements back from New Caledonia I did not get a chance to email. However, blessings keep pouring in and President Duquette has gifted us a little bit of time to write our emails today! My heart always is full of joy as I think of each one of my family and friends. I will never be able to express how much your emails, love, support, prayers, and encouragement continue to press me forward.
Some Thoughts From the Personal Study I have had this week:
So, I read Alma 5: 60-62 and it really touched me. The Good Shepherd has invited all of us to Come Unto Him. We are able to do this further as we embrace the new Come Follow Me Program. I have not had much time to look through it but I know it is from God. We are commanded to not let "Ravenous Wolves" enter or lives. This can be best related to things which our in life that our not in harmony with the Savior's teachings. They will devour us and destroy us. Wickedness will never be happiness! I read in Come Follow Me that "We progress in our discipleship as we identify what we lack, change, and seek to more Fully Follow Them" (Our Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ)
I testify that if we will open our hearts to the teachings of the Savior and our Servants we will find true joy!
This last week sure has been a crazy one! I am not sure how well I will be able to summarize all which has happened. But I am giving it my best shot, so hold onto those socks.. Here we go!
We had not one but two Zone Conferences this week! One in the island of Santo( one of the islands in Vanuatu for those who do not know) and the other on the island of New Caledonia. How many missionaries can say they had two Zone Conferences in two different countries in one week? Travel sure has been a unique and great blessing in my mission!
Santo Zone Conference Thoughts: The Zone Conference had a good feel and spirit to it. I feel as if the Missionaries there are having a hard time staying positive and getting a little bit discouraged.
A big struggle of this part of the mission is working with the many branches. Due to the lack of education, leadership skills, and little experience in the church the missionaries must take a big lead in teaching the young branches of the church their how to do things.
A great blessing, which I saw from the Conference, is how the Spirit poured into our hearts and has encouraged us to keep Pressing Forward! I love how the spirit teaches through the smallest of voices and in the most loving way.
Now to explain the craziness's which occurred with our flight. We arrived in Santo on Monday of last week and were suppose to leave Wednesday Morning. This would help us to leave for New Caledonia on Friday Night and then fly back to Vila yesterday or 19th of November. However, Air Vanuatu canceled our flight due to some problems with their plane and told us the only flight they could get for us would be Friday night or the same time that we were suppose to fly to New Caledonia. It looked like we would miss our flight to NC and the entire Zone Conference! This resulted in us chartering a Flight to get back to Vila so we could make our NC flight. It was a miracle! However, as President Duquette put it, Not a cheap miracle!
The Charter Flight was one of the coolest planes I have ever been on! I have always dreamed of being on a small plane like that ever since I was little and wanted to be like Indiana Jones! Hope the pictures can show how cool the experience really was!
New Caledonia Zone Conference Thoughts: This Zone Conference for Elder Gunnell and I was a little bit harder then the one in Santo because we both don't speak French. It was a lot of sitting and not understanding what was being said. But Elder Gunnell and I did the very best we could to bring positive energy, help the missionaries, and make life easier on President. One experience, which really touched me in New Caledonia, was attending a Conference. The entire thing was in French but it did not stop me from learning much! It gave me an eye opener to how people who come to church for the first time must feel. They don't know the language we know as members, don't know people around them, and feel they are in a world they don't know or may even feel a world they don't belong in. We must reach out to help all those we can feel they are at home when they come to church.
I love you! It has been hard to explain the crazy week we have had but I hope this will do. The Lord is aware of us and loves us. We can do anything as we keep our focus on the Savior and on his teachings. I am praying for you.
Much Love,
Elder LaMont/ Shark Bait/ Your Alekken Ty
Some of the Missionaries of New Caledonia. I don't know about you but I think we look cool enough to be on a movie Poster.
Of course Elder Gunnell and I took advantage of the only McDonalds in our Mission found in New Caledonia. Bummm bahh bumm bahh We Are Loving It! ;)
New Caledonia still in our mission but as close as to the exact opposite of Vanuatu as you can get! Shiny cars, nice apartments, roads without Pot Holes, street signs, and French. All these wonderful places have stolen my heart! I Love it Here!
Reunited with Old Friends! It was good to see Elder Hable Again!
The Charter Plane in which we flew in. I think it looks a bit like when the "Magic School Bus" turns into a plane don't you?
Quick Selfie Before Hopping into the Plane
Almost ready for Take off!!
You are pretty confident you are going yo have a safe flight when your Mission President is the Co-Pilot!
The View From the Charter Flight.
Woah... That is a long way down..
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