Shark Bait Still Has Christmas Trees/ Chantel's Baptism/ MLC

Dearest Family and Friends! I hope you have been having some great times in this month of January! I am still loving not shoveling snow and the beauty which the South Pacific provides.

This week we have been doing all we can to help Chantel get ready for her baptism! We really have loved working with her and her Mom, Harriet. Before we had the baptism, Chantel expressed to us how she was nervous about the upcoming day before the interview. We explained to her how her Father in Heaven is so excited for her and is proud of her decision. We shared the experiences we had during our own baptisms and it was able to help Chantel feel more excited. The baptism went very well and although Chantel did not say much her smile was enough to make my heart filled with joy for her!

Another great part of this week was having a Mission Wide Leadership Council or "MLC." The Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders from the island of Santo, Efate (our Zone Leaders and STLs), New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands all came in to Vila. The purpose/ Our Game Plan was to think of ways to improve the mission, assist the other missionaries, examine goals, and to share ideas. It was a lot of fun and I felt the spirit as we talked about how we could help the other missionaries.

One of my favorite things from the MLC is when President taught about how  we are the branch and how the Savior is the Vine. We are the Savior's Hands in helping our Brothers and Sisters. As we stay connected to Him we can not only bless our own lives but help those who struggle around us. I know as we rely on the Savior and receive strength from Him we can take this to our brothers and sisters. I love how The Lord works through us in order to help others!

Elder Gunnell and I have talked about how we miss Christmas. But one of the awesome things about Vanuatu is these trees they call Christmas Trees. They have this beautiful red blossom which looks like a jewel among all the lush green. We have been told they only have these blossoms during the Christmas time and they will soon loose their lovely flowers. I feel it is a way The Lord is extending our Christmas, showing His love for us, and telling us to keep going!

I hope your weeks are amazing and you find a way to bless and help others. There are so many signs of Our Heavenly Father's love around us. I hope this week you can try and find some of these signs. Just like Elder Gunnell and I's Christmas Trees!

Much Love,

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


Pictures:

Chantel's Baptism 

The Christmas Trees!

This is Aita who is a young woman in our Ward. We love to work with her family (Her Dad is the 1st Counselor in the Bishopric) and we often have Family Home Evenings with them. She will be going to school in Samoa so this will be the last time we will see her! So, we made sure to grab a photo.

Shark Bait Sees More Miracles/ Packed Together Like Sardines/ Things

My Dear Family and Friends, I hope you have had a wonderful week! This is a really exciting time to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Days. We have seen many things revealed by Our Savior through His Living Prophet Russell M. Nelson. The New Come Follow Me Program is so exciting and  has already been a huge blessing in our ward. How is it going for you and your family? I hope you are able to take in every part of this great gift from Heaven.

Both Elder Gunnell and I have had a great time working hard in this beautiful part of the world! We were able to have the entire week dedicated to working in our area. We have done our best to talk with as many people as possible and testify of the Savior. It has been hot and humid but talking with others is what refreshes us and brings joy!

One of the biggest blessing of this week has been continuing to work with Chantel. To understand how we meet Chantel I wanted to share how we met her Mom. Let's recap real quick! Just last transfer Elder Gunnell and I met a lady named Harriet Vatu. While contacting we saw Harriet working in her yard and decided to give her some help. As we talked with her, it was not long before we found out Harriet had been baptized only a few years ago. However, Harriet started to fall away from the church and back into old habits.

Since our first meeting with Harriet we have worked extremely hard with the ward to help her come back. Amazing efforts from the ward members have now helped Harriet to enjoy the blessings of church attendance again! I have seen the spirit able to come more inside Harriet's life and it has brought her great joy! It has touched my heart to see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ truly fits perfectly into all of our lives to help us find peace, love, and support from Our Father in Heaven.
Because of Harriet's attendance back at church she has wanted her eleven year old daughter Chantel to meet with us. We have done our best to teach simply and to help her understand the lessons. Chantel has loved the lessons and reading her Book of Mormon (Buk Blong Momon) She has progressed so well that we will be having her baptism this Saturday.  We are so happy for the Vatu family and they are a wonderful miracle!

There were even more blessings this week! Our ward is usually very small and we meet inside a school. We had several of the people we are teaching come to church! And on top of this the Ward's efforts to reach out with less actives and minister has brought many back to church. We had to go in search of more chairs for people to use because of how many people came. It is safe to say, we were packed together like a bunch of Sardines.

We are working hard and enjoying great success! The Lord is blessing us and His people here. I did not have a lot of time to email today so I will get to everyone that I can next week. I am sorry but pictures will also have to be next week but we will have some awesome ones because of Chantel's Baptism. Please know the Lord loves you and will support you. Keep praying and staying close to Him. I love you all so Much and hope your weeks will be amazing!

Love,
Elder LaMont/ Your Alekken Ty/ Shark Bait/ Island Boy

Shark Baits Contacting Adventures of 2019/ Milo Instead of Tea/ The Golden Opportunity

Dearest Family and Friends! We have all arrived in 2019! I can still hardly believe it and it really does not feel real. I hope your weeks were amazing and you have been enjoying the gift which is this new year!

It has been yet another busy week for Elder Gunnell and I! This transfer because President and Sister Duquettes Passports have been filled up there will not be any Zone Conferences or traveling for us. We recognized this as a Golden Opportunity to work very hard in the area and talk to as many people as possible. We also had the opportunity to welcome new missionaries to the mission this week. I love how much excitement they have and desire to help others Come Unto Christ!

Most recently, we have been contacting in a new part of our area. On New Years Day we meet a lady named Augustine. As we chatted with Augustine we found out she had once had lessons with missionaries many years ago when she was a little girl. She is now in her 60s, so we think she must have meet some of the very first missionaries to ever be in Vanuatu! Crazy huh??
 This week we had a follow-up appointment with her! She must not have remembered much about the missionaries because when we first arrived she had some bread for us to eat and also made tea.

It took her by surprise when we politely explained how we could not drink her tea and she became more fascinated by us as we explained our age and our desire to share our message. Augustine really opened up to us! She started by sharing her success and how she had obtained a degree as a lawyer. As Augustine continued, she explained about her divorce and many other experiences which had left her with many times of sadness. The spirit really guided our lesson and we shared how she could find more peace and happiness as our messages would help her come to know Her Savior.
We invited her to read more about Joseph Smith and to pray about what we have taught her. We are excited for our next appointment! She even joked by saying next time she would have Milo (Best explained: the South Pacific's  version of Hot Chocolate/ one of Elder LaMont's favorite things) ( Mom you would love Milo! :) )

This lesson personally touched me. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ! I know He has come to help each and every one of us individually. He can heal us and give us strength to do hard things. We can find great amounts of joy through Him. He has given us the way to become like Him and return to Our Heavenly Home. We are so blessed!

 I was reminded of a scripture I read this week in Alma 11:40 which says, "And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else."

Another very powerful experience we had also came from contacting. We had been going door to door not finding many who seemed to interested. However we came to a house with an old couple inside. The woman gladly let us in and explained how her husband has been having some serious Kidney problems and they would be going to the hospital soon. We knew the Lord had provided someone for us to help! We were able to give him a blessing and testify of the Savior. By the end of the blessing the couple was in tears and thanked us for coming. They said they knew we were sent from God and happily accepted a Restoration pamphlet. It is a great blessing to be able to be among this wonderful people and to help them in any way we can.

I love you! I am so grateful for you. I pray you are finding joy in this wonderful time to live. Thank you for your prayers and belief in me! I look forward to talking with you next week.

Love,

Elder LaMont/ Your Alekken Ty/ Shark Bait/ The Island Boy

Getting to try Crab! 

Yours truly scratching my very first coconut! 

 Elder Gunnell and I's team effort to scratch all the coconuts

We are teaching this couple (Evalyn and Max) and they made us some Lap-Lap. I thought you would like to see a picture! 

 Just when you thought Lap-Lap could not get any better they add Coconut Milk to make it taste Sweet

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Shark Bait Launches into 2019/ Coconut Adventure/ Becoming a True Islander

Dearest Family and Friends!!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I just love the feeling of Christmas and the great time it is to reflect on the Savior's birth! As a missionary I feel I really have been able to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas in a special way. This morning I found an amazing scripture in Alma 33:11 This scripture is Alma the Younger's teachings to the Zoramites and he shares the words of Zenos. It talks about how we can always cry unto to Our Father in Heaven. He will help us find great amounts of Joy through His Son even in the midst of affliction. I know this is true! I know that despite any weakness we have, no matter what pain we feel, or the endless amounts of worry which sometime come to our mind; joy may be found in Christ. Healing can be found through the Good Shepherd! We will never be alone as long as come unto Him and partake of the blessings He and Our Father in Heaven want to give to us. I testify the Savior lives! I know He loves me and you. And because He lives we too will live again! We can have the chance to be with our Family for all time and Eternity because of Him. Truly, in all ways, the Savior is the greatest gift given to each one of us.

Can you believe in just a few short hours (Deepening on what Part of the World you are) we will be entering the year 2019?! Where has the time gone? As New Years approaches I have been able to reflect on my missionary service. What a great blessing it has been and continues to be to wear the name of My Savior on my chest and to be his servant here in Vanuatu!

Christmas truly was the best! My favorite part of the Christmas extravaganza here in Vanuatu was being able to speak with my family. LaMont Crew, you bring such joy into my heart! Being able to speak to each one of you made me feel like the most blessed man in all the world. I am so proud of each one of you and what you are doing! I wish I could even come close to explain the feelings of my heart. A million times over, I Love you.

A lot of this week was once again contacting and looking for new people! Although it can be really tiring (especially with some of the Heat Waves which have been hitting us) I find a new wave of energy to testify of the Savior. No doubt these are the angles around us who help us keep going! We took sometime to visit some members who invited us over for meals during the Christmas time. I am amazed by their love! These people do not have much yet they find ways to give in the most loving of ways.

Just today we had an opportunity to help a Mom prepare for a big feast she is having tonight! Right away we went to work scratching coconuts! It was my first time believe it or not! I think I can officially call myself a true Islander/Island Boy now! I have had a hard time with photos today. I promise to get to them to you next week!

I hope you are having a great week and it will finish off amazing! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! WHOOHOO! Here we go into 2019!! I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder LaMont/ Shark Bait/ Your Alekken Ty/ A True Island Boy Now!

The Visit of Elder Nattress/ Christmas Closing In/ The Lord Loves Shark Bait

Dearest Family and Friends! I continue to pray and hope you are enjoying this wonderful time of the year! It is almost Christmas!!! Are you excited?? So am I! This is truly a wonderful time which we can reflect on the Greatest Gift ever given; Our Savior Jesus Christ! 

One of the crowing moments of the week was a visit we had from Elder Nattress of the 70 and His wife. It is amazing how much they brought the spirit through their wonderful testimonies and experiences. Elder Nattress reminded us the great importance of our call. He testified to something my wonderful Dad told me an email a few weeks ago. That as missionaries we all have been called to serve in places we were ordained to before the world was created. It reminded me of how special my call is. My love for the mission and the people here continues to grow! 

This week has been a hard working week for us in the area. We have done a lot of contacting and trying to find new people! It has honestly been very hard! We have talked to many and been able to set some return appointments. We have had many of those return appointments fall through. To be honest I felt a little bit of discouragement but I have found great source of comfort through the Book of Mormon. 

I was reading about Alma the Younger's trip to Ammoniah in Alma Chapter 8. It explains how Alma went with great faith and wrestled with Lord in prayer that he would be able to baptise them and help save them from their wickedness. No one would listen to Him and it says he was weighed down with sorrow. He was cast out of the city. In Alma 8:15 an angel of the Lord comes to him and says: "Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice" The spirit taught me so wonderful things from this verse. I realized that I have so many reasons to rejoice. I am exactly where the Lord needs me about His great and important work. The Atonement of Jesus Christ has provided me a way to continue to be better every day. I have a testimony of the Restored Gospel and have the opportunity to share it everyday! I also have a beautiful family which I can be together with for all time and Eternity. How more blessed could I be? I am so happy the spirit taught me to focus on gratitude. I know the Lord loves me. I know He love you. 

I know when we read the Book of Mormon with the thought of what we want to Learn From Our Father in Heaven that we will truly speak to us.

One experience which was the highlight of the week: We were going from house to house trying to find new people. Many of the people did not seem interested. As we moved into a new area we offered a prayer. We asked the Lord to help us find those who He had prepared for us. Right after our pray we got We walked into a yard of a lady named Eria. Right away she opened up to us and explained how her husband had left her, her financial troubles, and how she was continually praying for God to help her. As I saw fear in her eyes and tears start to come down the spirit filled my heart. I know we had found who God had wanted us to. We told her our message could bless her with the peace and knowledge she needed. We testified of God's love for her and she accepted to meet with us again! I am excited to meet with her! 

I love you all! I hope your weeks are amazing! Know I am doing my best and the Lord is continuing to bless me. 

Much Love,

Elder LaMont/ Your Alekken Ty/ Shark Bait 

P.S. We also had a Ward Christmas Party! I have sent pictures for you to see!

Mama Tebu and I at the Ward Christmas Party! 

Custom Dances which were at the Christmas Party!

Elder Gunnell and I with some adorable Children 

The BEST TIE (tie reads "Rather be pushing sand than snow") in the world which my family sent in a Christmas Package!! Haha it make me laugh so much! It is pretty incredible how well your family knows you! 

Busy Times/ Zone Conferences in the Most Wonderful Time of the Year / Shark Bait Meets The French Agnes

Dearest Family and Friends!!! How are you?! I hope and pray the month of December has continued to be a wonderful adventure full of love and joy as we approach the time of the Savior's Birth. I love to receive your emails

For those of you concerned with all the excitement of the earthquakes and tsunami warnings I wanted to report we are all fine! We have indeed felt the ground shake and there was a warning in New Caledonia for a tsunami. However, the earthquakes have caused no damage and no tsunami hit New Caledonia. The Lord continues to bless and protect us here.  We traveled there on Wednesday and came back this Sunday. I am still kicking and going strong! Thank you so much for your prayers.

This week was quite a busy one! Hope you are up for a recap of a wonderful week packed with adventure and more traveling!

The start of the week we just got back from the Christmas Zone Conference in the Solomon Islands and headed straight for making Zone Conferences in Efate. Each has been filled with wonderful feelings of the spirit. I love this quote from Henry B. Eyring: "The Savior's Birth is the Gift that makes it possible for the Father to give us Peace in this World, and Eternal Life in the World to Come."

Right after we finished the Efate Zone Conferences (Tuesday and Wednesday) we flew straight to New Caledonia. The Zone Conference there was also amazing. Although Elder Gunnell and I could not understand most of it because it was in French we did anything we could to bring positive energy and the spirit into the Conference.

One amazing part of the Zone Conference we had was being able to go out and work with the two Elders who hosted us in NC. Elder Richards and Elder Baker. We had some experiences with them. Despite the lessons being in French, I felt the spirit and we did our best to share our testimonies, even if all we could do sometimes was give the biggest smile we could to share the love of the Savior.

I really felt a love for an adorable member family we taught while in New Caledonia.  I could not speak to them but while we were eating dinner I tried to talk to the little girl in the family. Do you remember Agnes from Despicable Me? She is exactly like her... just the French version. We went back in forth teaching each other. She would teach me a few things in French (such as colors or numbers/ or things around the table) and I would teach her English. She became my best friend!

I am sorry this one is a little short today!  I pray it will help you feel of my love and know the Lord is continuing to bless with me with wonderful experiences. If nothing else, I know This church is Christ's Church upon the Earth. I know Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary and came to the world to save us. He lived a perfect life and had provided a perfect Atonement which can succor us and help us to become perfect one day like him. We are sons and Daughters of God who loves us more than we can even imagine. They will lead us back to Our Heavenly Home as we have faith and try our best to follow them.

Much Love Forever,
Elder LaMont/ Your Alekken Ty/ Shark Bait/ Island Boy

Lychee! An incredible fruit which grows in New Caledonia! One of the very best things!  

Our Dinner with members in New Caledonia.  

When it's the most wonderful time of the year and you realize talking to your family is just around the corner!

Right before we left New Caledonia. #Modelstatusacheived

Shark Bait Becomes A Book Worm/ The MOST Wonderful Time of the Year/ What Will You Give

Before I begin...... HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEATON!!! The Big 22!! Love you Best Brother. Hope your birthday is magical!!! Miss you my Brother! I hope it is one of the best yet! Your Best Friend is thinking about you! 

Dearest Family and Friends! I am thrilled to write to you this week! How have your weeks been? I pray you have had wonderful adventures and been able to see the hand of the Lord in your life. I testify like Alma (Alma 30:44) that all things testify of a Living God. He want to be a part of our everyday lives and calm even the smallest of our fears. He loves us and we can feel of His love through the Holy Ghost. I know with all my heart the simple words "I am a Child of God" ring true for you, me, and all you have and ever will live in this world. How could blessed we are! 

This week has gone by pretty fast! Can you believe it is already December?! As popular Christmas music explains, "It is the most wonderful time of the year!" 

The plan for this week was to have our first set of Christmas Zone Conferences. This week we flew into Solomon Islands. Trips to Solomon make the schedule especially busy because of the lack of flights to and from the Solomon Islands. If we fly in one week we won't be able to come back until the next week. Thus we flew in last Wednesday and left today (Monday For us) Arriving back tonight from our flight and spending most of the P-Day made for a busy day. Now we got a chance to email! :) The rest of the week will be an Efate Zone Conference over the next two days and we will fly to New Caledonia until this coming Sunday! Busy times to be alive! 

Before we traveled to Solomons on Wednesday we got in some wonderful lessons with Melia! She continues to progress well and we are confident she will come to church as we are away in the Solomon Islands. She taught us how to make Lap-Lap Banana! Pictures to follow. 

The Zone Conference in Solomons sure was a success and loads of fun! President and Sister Duquette wanted the Zone Conference to be a time we could really reflect on the Savior's Birth and Life/ The Real meaning of Christmas and have the chance to relax a bit!

A powerful theme of our Zone Conference was a question President Duquette asked the entire Zone. The Spirit touched my heart in a very special way as I reflected again and again on it. I know as you reflect on this question and try to apply it into this Wonderful Time of the year, you too will find a great joy which comes from the Spirit of God! The question is: What will I give the Savior this Christmas? Instead of what will I get what can I give?   

I implore you with all my heart to go and do good. Give and lift those in need. You do not need to go far to find those whom need healing. Remember the best place to start is in our homes. I promise as you think of others and of the Savior you will experience great amounts of joy, grow stronger bounds with those you love, find new people to love, and come to know more your Savior Jesus Christ and God The Father. 

As we went to the Solomon Islands we usually are pretty busy helping the Zone Leaders get ready for Zone Conference and after the Zone Conference we have some good opportunity to do some exchanges. However, the day after Zone Conference I got sick with a Fever and pretty bad Headache (Hey Mom! :) Totally back to good health now. Don't be too worried. Love you!)  Those who have been sick on the mission know it is one of the worst things. However the Lord provided me a way to still make good use of the time and strengthen my testimony! 

We had an extra copy of the Book "Saints" in the house, which is (for those of you whom don't know about it yet) a history of the early saints and Joseph Smith written through Journal entries. I read the entire 600-page book during the two days I was sick and it is one of the best books I have ever read! Truly my testimony has been strengthened of this Restored Gospel. I know with all my heart and soul that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. He did through the Power of God bring back the Gospel of Jesus Christ, once lost to this world, that all of God's Children might gain eternal life. I know Jesus Christ lives and directs His work through modern day revelation. Only by and through His Atonement can we become clean from our Sins and become Saints. This book really opened my eyes more to these powerful truths. I implore you if you have time to read it! It is awesome! 

I hope this was a good highlight of a great week for me! I am glad to be back in Vila for a few days and for a goods night rest tonight. I love you! I pray you will find great amounts of joy and will come closer to Our God whom continues to beckon to us to come unto Him and partake of His blessings. 

Much Love, 

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