Why did the chicken cross the road? I'm still not sure, and I actually saw it happen... - the weekly email

So, fun story there, we were leaving the neighborhood of one of our recent converts, and I looked down a cross road at a stop sign, and voila. Chicken, crossing the road. That's Mont Dore for you. 

Bonjour tout le monde,

Sadly, this week hasn't been super special or crazy or anything. We had a couple of off days where we didn't have any lessons, which is super rare for Mont-Dore, but it got better as we hit the weekend when more people are free. Monday night was also awesome, we had a big combined family home evening with three families in the ward and two investigators. Some young men from two of the families taught a lesson on repentance, and we taught a lesson on the "keys" to the temple. From Sunday to today has been pretty crazy too, just with lots and lots of lessons.

Since I've got some time, I want to talk about a couple of our investigators. The first is Xavier. He's 17, and totally totally ready for the Gospel. His whole family that he lives with, Dad, step-mom, brother, and sister, are baptized, and all he's waiting on is the permission of his birth mom. He's a super sharp, super cool guy, and if you could send some prayers his way, that would rock. He's been watching a bunch of people get baptized who became investigators after him, and that's been really hard for him. We're also working with the Tematahotoa family. They've been inactive and we're not sure why, but Brother Tematahotoa is so loving, he gives us a huge hug whenever we come over, and they've been sealed, but they're fairly new in the Gospel, so again, some prayers if you can. 

Hope all is well for everyone at home, remember, prayer is real and powerful. If you need help or advice, talk to your Heavenly Father. Just like your earthly Dad, he wants the best for you and loves to hear from you.

I love you all! Tal toule!

Elder Miner 

That big family home evening

Second half of the big family home evening

Members here are super nice, this here is Frankie. He's basically over all the church building here in New Caledonia, and he was at the chapel during our District meeting, and decided to bring us lunch. 

Packages from home

I received this email regarding packages sent from home. This is good information for any of you who are thinking of sending a package. Missionaries love packages, but I won't lie to  you. It is expensive to send packages and I've spent more on postage than what is actually in the package. But I feel it is worth it for Elder Miner to have something fun to open occasionally. Here is some information regarding packages:

"Please send packages through the U.S. postal service: NOT by FEDEX or DHL.  We have to travel a long distance to pick up these packages. Sometimes these companies won’t release the packages to us if there is not a store receipt for the items in the package attached to the front of the package.  Even though the post office does not guarantee the package once it leaves the United States, we have never had a problem with packages sent that way.  No matter what method is used to send the package it will be opened if it contains items such as jerky or any type of seed.  The package will be opened and those items removed.

To insure that your letters and packages get to your missionary the quickest and least expensive way please mail them to the New Caledonia branch office of the mission:

BUREAU DE LA MISSION POUR _____name of the missionary______

BP 15 154, 98804 Noumé Cédex

Nouvelle Calédonia

Of course missionaries love to receive packages, but something else to keep in mind is that sometimes a gift, the postage, and the customs fees cost more than it would cost to buy the same item at a store here.  For example:  Doritos, Oreos, and peanut butter are all available here."

And I thought I only had to learn French - weekly email

So, earlier this week we taught an older inactive member who spoke only Tahitian. I know literally around 5 words in Tahitian, but thank goodness we had a member there who could translate, since Elder Estall doesn't speak super good Tahitian either. But yeah, the two members would have a conversation for a while, then our active member would say "he said this" and we could then respond. Man oh man it was crazy. Guess it's time to work more on my Tahitian. 

So, couple of big events in this past week and half. Firstly, our P-day has now been officially changed to Wednesday, so that's different. Here though, a lot of stuff is often closed on Mondayfor public holidays which makes it really hard for us to get stuff done, so it's probably better, if a little weird. Secondly, we had another baptism! Three actually, but still, baptism! These three kids were so awesome. They're actually the nieces and nephew of the Bishop, and their Grandma lives here in the ward, and they were visiting for the school break. They normally live WAY up North in Poum, where we don't have missionaries, so their parents had us teach and baptize them here during the two weeks they were here. 

The work here is very, very crazy. We have another three people getting baptized in the next three weeks, which will bring our progressing investigator pool down to about 3, so this week we've been working to find some new people to teach, and we've had some success with a few new investiagtors who are all old investigators, but are interested again, and an inactive who just came back to the ward and wants to get back in the church. The members here help us out so much with finding people to teach, so we'll probably be working more with them too. 

Ciao!

Elder Miner

Pday activity today was the Dumbea Gorge hike with the district. Gorgeous!

End of the hike.

This is me on the first day with our car, a 2015 Nissan Juke

Baptism!!! These three are actually the grandkids of a member in the ward here who normally live up in Poum on the extreme northern tip of New Caledonia. They were here during a two week school vacation so we taught them so they could be baptized before they went back since there aren't missionaries up there, and they're all older than 8. Their names are Mathaio, Ylan, and Malaury.

"If the perfect woman did exist, what makes you think she'd be interested in you?" - the weekly email

Easily the best line of this conference, speaking of which, we finally watched it this weekend on rebroadcast. It was really cool, the whole stake came to the Stake Center for all the sessions. The Women's meeting, priesthood session, and both Saturday sessions were shown throughout Saturday and then the two Sunday sessions on Sunday. I was super lucky to be able to watch in English along with all the other American missionaries, plus a smattering of native Ni-Vans, Australians, and Americans, and a few members who went to English speaking missions and sat in on the English sessions occassionally. I really really enjoyed Elder Duncan of the Seventy's address, and was deeply touched by the talks of President Uchtdorf and the address on refugees. I also loved Elder Holland's closing remarks. These men are truly called of God, and the opposing votes I heard in the General Session deeply saddened me. If you doubt in any one the truth of this gospel or of their divine calling because you disagree with some small application or policy of the Church, I would invite you to speak with your priesthood leaders, fast, pray, and intently and deeply study the scriptures. Also a little disappointed to still not have a temple here, but we need more members, so I guess that's on me. 

We also had a baptism this week, back on Wednesday (which also happened to be the birthday of the Church). Remember the wedding last week? It was the groom's baptism, along with his step-son. I actually forgot my camera this week, so I'm really sorry for no photos, but next week, I promise. It was a very cool experience, and I was so happy to watch him get baptized, and for the questions it prompted in our investigators who attended. May I also invite all of you to attend the next baptism in your ward or family. It will rekindle joy in your heart as you remember your own baptism. 

The work goes on, day by day, lesson by lesson, door by door. It will not stop, nor will it end until all the world has heard the glad message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I love you all, keep being the wonderful beings you are!

Love,

Elder Miner

Weddings make me trunky - the weekly email

Bonjour Tout le Monde!

So my first weekend here (Saturday) was the wedding of one of our investigators, Aurélian, and his formerly inactive wife Louise. It was definitely one of the highlights of my mission. It was so cool to watch them get married, and they were just so happy. Happy families and eternal love are really the whole point of this Gospel. There was also an amazing cultural spectacle including traditional food like Bunyam (yams and meat cooked in bannana leaves over hot rocks with coconut milk) as well as performances of Wallisian, Tahitian, and Melanesian dancing. Super super cool stuff. 

So yeah, I'm in Mont Dore. This place is gorgeous. I'm in the same zone as before, but outside of Noumea now. Mont Dore is absolutley gorgeous, think California Redwoods with a South Pacific climate and random palm trees. And the Caldoche and Melanesian cultures. It's gorgeous. I'll try and get some cool pictures of the scenery. The ward here is also super awesome, they give us tons of referrals and help us out with a lot of things. Because of their help we have 10 people on date to be baptized through this month and the next. Exciting stuff here in Mont Dore, and the work goes fast. We also have a car because this sector is HUGE, and I'm driving. It was a little sketch at first, I actually blew a tire my first day driving because I mounted the curb when I was checking behind me for the police, and the roads here are super skinny. It had also been 5 months since I'd driven. But I'm used to it now. 

My new companion is Elder Estall. He's 20 years old, Tahitian, and pretty freaking fantastic. We're getting along well, and our teaching styles go well together. He's bold, but loving, and really easy to understand.

I think that covers most of the big stuff for this past week. So much of missionary work is just the same kind of routine, but then we have stuff like the wedding that remind us why we're really out here. Love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Miner

LOOKING FOR THE POLICE? asks Mom.

Me and Elder Estall on top of a hill on transfer day after lunch

Some Bunyam (yams and meat cooked in bannana leaves over hot rocks with coconut milk) 

FIRE DANCING!!!
(at the wedding)

Us and the newlyweds.