Dearest family,
Sorry I couldn't write last week. I enjoyed reading all
your letters. When I think about my home and all the things I knew before it
really seems like another world. I forget what watching sports was like. I've
forgotten most of the music I like. Occasionally I really miss watching baseball
in the basement with dad or I miss listening to the music I like. Being here is
different. It's so completely opposite in every way. Nothing is similar.
Because of that, nothing jogs my memory of home. I know it's going to be weird
coming home. I hope some day you guys can see this place. If you guys came at
the end of my mission you would love it. It would be unforgettable for
sure. I'm aware it's way expensive haha. So everything here is pretty good. Not
great but good. I've been here in Etas for about a month and a half now. Still
with Elder Samuel, thank goodness. I survived a transfer, just barely. It was
going to be me or Elder Bacon going to the island of Tanna to take the place of
a He's going to love Tanna. It's the fastest
growing island as far as the church and missionary work here. Elder Bacon is
such a good missionary. I'm so glad I got to serve with him and find a great
friend for now and after the mission. I talk to him a lot as we exchange ideas
and help each other out. I should be here for a good while longer. I've heard I
stayed for a reason and that they have a plan for me, haha, but we'll see. I like
it here. I like being District Leader because you really get to know the
missionaries better as you serve them and it motivates me a lot. We're facing a
bit of a struggle now. The members here are so awesome. They're the pioneers of
the church here in Vanuatu. They know the church well. I've befriended lots of
them and have had some great conversations. BUT they don't help their
missionaries out for some reason. They kinda take missionaries for granted. My
companion and I have spent this whole time trying to rally the troops if you
will but it's yielded exactly 0 referrals and 0 help in missionary work. Our
branch president has a big work load in this branch so I don't want to trouble
him. I've realized that honestly if we want to get any success here it's Elder
Samuel and I and the Lord. We're working really hard, I think we'll get there.
Yesterday was a bummer kinda. We're teaching a young girl named M. She's
17 and she's from Tanna. She comes every sunday and loves the Book of Mormon.
She know's the church is true. She came here to Vila to go to school. She was
raised in Tanna by her grandpa. Before she left tanna he told her "remember
don't go to any other churches". Her grandpa is a strong SDA. We weren't aware of this as she's been coming to
church for a long time now and has been coming to all the activities. When we
found out, she said she would get baptized secretly. We told her she had to get permission from her grandpa (basically dad). She told him and he was really angry and said
to never call him again and basically said he was disowning her. I felt
horrible. I fasted last week in her behalf and I've been praying really hard for
her. Of her own free will she wants to join the church and has a testimony. I
told her to pray every day and read the Book of Mormon every night. On the other
hand, our two investigators, S and E who just got married should be
getting baptized. They should be already. We've worked with S for a long time
to let go of Kava. He stopped for a long time and he told us he was ready to
take his interview and be baptized. We showed up with the AP's and he was drunk
and very ashamed. The next day we were sure to let him know we haven't given up
and that we still care. Poor E, she's ready. Besides them we're trying to
find honest people. We're trying lots of ideas and meeting lots of people. (Here
everyone will say yeah you can come BUT the amount of people who are sincere is
about the same as other places) We're trying our best and I'm praying hard.
Anyways not lets get to a lighter note. I'm getting bigger. I have meat on me
now and I look like before. Last night I made taco's! I found taco seasoning and
tortillas. The smells made me feel like home. Ok here's a funny irony. I don't
know if I already told you this but I'm getting payback for years of picky
eating. Now I'll try anything and all I eat is vegetables. My companion can't
really cook (I can barely) so I do most of it. I'll find white people food at
the nice store and cook it and he won't try it, or he'll be afraid and stubborn.
I try to tell him it's so good and I know he'll like it! I kinda know how you
feel now mom haha. Today Elder Samuel and I bought some knock off ray ban
glasses with the Vanuatu flag trim on it. They look super awesome. We'll be
pretty "FLASH" once we wear them in our truck this week. I had a sad
realization. My english is awful. It's ok when I talk to Elder Bacon. The other
day Elder Samuel asked if we could talk only in english so he could learn. I
struggled so hard to tell a story. I felt weird and felt so much more natural
telling it in bislama. Last night I had a funny chat with Elder Samuel. I found
out how dating and courtship is done here. It's pretty middle schoolish haha. If
anyone see's you they'll talk about you so bad you'll want to move so it's
almost done in secret. This morning I chatted with Jansen and his family again.
From time to time he'll call. The church is doing great over in Gaua now that
they've moved in to (my) the new chapel. They would welcome us back for sure. He
says all of my converts are dong great. Also something kinda negative here is
that lots of people are terrified of me because I'm white and tall. They think
I'll speak in english. We taught this one family and for some reason the mom is
terrified of us. One time we were walking on the road by her house. She saw us
but it was too late for her to run away now beacuse we were close. She's a large
woman. She hid behind a small pillar. Then she darted out behind another house
thinking we didn't see her. She was then out of sight but then her small son
followed her and stood right next to her and was saying her name hahaha. Then
another time we were teaching S and E and she was going to cross through
their yard. We were in the middle of a lesson and we had our backs to where she
was. S and E saw her see us and inhale huge like she had seen a lion. She
started climbing through a small barbed wire fence instead of passing through,
meanwhile we had no idea and we're teaching hahaha. Also we taught a guy named
L. He thinks he's a prophet. I think we made a mistake teaching him about
prophets because he claims he's one now. He got a cold and said he's suffering
like the prophet Job. We were teaching him and we found out he wouldn't be
accoutable enough to be baptized. We heard a story about him watching the sky
and counting stars for two days in the middle of a public park. He's really kind
though. Also at our house we have been proselyted 3 times now by Jehovah's
Witnesses. We live in an area where it's semi nice so they like it I guess (they
don't go out into to bush). The first time they came I was inside the door
talking on the phone and Elder Samuel was riding a bike in circles in the yard
in normal clothes. They approached him and he sent them at me haha. When I told
them we were missionaries they were pretty suprised. Ok those are some random
funny stuff I could think of. I'll make an effort write more down. Love
ya'lls.
Elda Sias
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