Thanks for the worst update/letters ever haha. Please keep writing, I need updates from you guys to keep me going. I know you guys didn't get a letter from me too but it's because I typed one and just as it was time to send the internet here went off and only half of the letter was saved. I'll just give you a small update of what's going on with me here in Malekula.
Here all things are well. I really like my area. Tuluwe is a small branch of about 4 families and the average attendance is about 27. Leviamp is a unit under Tuluwe and is about an hour and fifteen minute walk from the branch. We live with the branch president, Mark Nori and his family. We have our small house in the middle of lots of other houses. Our house is in the middle of lots of coconut tree's. I fit in very well here. I've been here for about 3 months now. Missionaries before used to come here occasionally but never lived here. The first two were put here and I was the third missionary to serve here our of 4 now. I am the only one who hasn't gone to "DIVA" (scuba diving to shoot fish in the ocean). It seems like now everyone knows me here. Everyone is very kind. Volleyball has been a huge success. We got 2 big logs for the posts and hung the net there. Now every afternoon in front of the church is the social hot spot. Lot's of people come to play. At first it was mostly students from the school but now mostly adults. Play is competitive. I wish I was better at volleyball haha. I'm decent. There is a tournament coming up at the beginning of next month. We made a team with my companion and I with some of our buds. We will register and contribute to join the tourney. Should be fun.
Work here is still slowly progressing. I've been in other areas where tons of people are interested to hear the gospel. Here it seems as if no one is interested. To find someone to teach has been hard. No one has ever shown interest or inquired that we could teach them. It's all us contacting. We've gotten a small number of referrals but all from the branch president. I know some areas here in Vanuatu which are closed because of the lack of missionaries currently. Is it a waste for missionaries to be here struggling for one person to teach when others desperately want/need missionaries? Well, I do know I'm supposed to be here and it's Heavenly Fathers will. Why that is I'm not sure but I accept it. It's a tad disappointing. I'm used to being busy teaching all the time. Now we're struggling to teach a few lessons a week. Over half of our appointments fall through and they aren't there. I want to finish my mission working till the very end.
I only have a month and a half or so to go! Sad. I'm trying my best to be focused but it's hard when you have nothing to do all day and aren't busy. I am working as hard as I can under the circumstances. The other day we went to teach an investigator who had an appointment. He wasn't there so we went to a nearby family that we've befriended quite well. They invite me to everything and always want me to be around. I finally invited them to hear the Gospel but they said nothing and one father just said, next time, next time. No one will agree for us to come to their home to teach them. The major churches here are Presbyterian, catholic, s.d.a., and a.o.g. If only we had some support from the members. PS, have you contacted sister axcelline samuel in the MTC? please do so.
Currently in my studies I'm in the New Testament again. What a treasure it is. My companion and I have been assigned a training in Zone conference (Thought I would be off the hook since I'm no longer a zone leader haha). It's from page 26 in Preach My Gospel, "Why do people have trials and suffering?". We're supposed to get all involved separated into 4 groups to discuss and find answers from personal experience and the scriptures. Should be fun.
I have loved my mission so much. It has been a life saver literally. I have learned so much. Like it says in my patriarchal blessing, My mission will a big impact on the rest of my life and set a pattern for it. I've learned so much about Charity which is taught by everyone here. From being with these people and serving with many different companions I have learned about everything that Charity includes in Moroni 7 and 1 Corinthians 13. I feel like I'm not a very good missionary. I don't have great ideas and I wish I was more productive. But I do feel I really enjoy teaching the Gospel and trying my best. I have only small time remaining but I will not resort to what I've been seeing a lot here, "trunky" at the end of the mission. I want to end on a good note no matter how slow it is here.
Yesterday, we had FHE at a member families house. We read the Family:Proclamation (Famle: Wan Ofisol Toktok I Go Long Wol). After we talked about family. Here I've been noted by lots of missionaries to have a close family. One missionary, Elder Tupou from Tonga as he was going back home at the end of his mission, at the airport we hugged and he said "you are close with you family and I won't forget you because of that". Love you guys. Thanks for all that you do and all the patience you've had with me.
Elder Sears
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