Build-up and release - the Weekly Email

Well, the biggest news from this past week was zone conference. So much build up and now it's all over. After the changes in missionary schedule, zone conference is now held every transfer, and this was our "short" zone conference, which consisted of only one day of training. It was fantatstic and a great pump-up into the month of April, which is going to be BIG for our mission, 200 miraculous baptisms is the goal, and it's going to happen. President Granger is such an inspired, visionary man with so much love for all of us, and I'm so glad he's my misson President.

As part of zone conference, we had an "exchange" with one of the AP's from Friday until yesterday, which was awesome, we got to do some contacting and teaching in Bislama (which Elder Kessler and I basically understand) and just general sharing of ideas, we have some things we want to start doing here now. 

Not much else to report, forgot my camera cord so no pictures today, sorrry. Hope you all have a wonderful time at conference listening to the words of modern prophets. 

Love you all!

Elder Miner

Fall has fallen? I guess? - The weekly email

As of recently, the weather here has been absoluetly amazing. Paradise in a temperature. Not too hot all day, just cold enough to warrant a blanket at night, it almost feels like fall for here, not that pacific islands really experience fall. 

In other news, not much is new here, the work is going forward great, it's really nice to be out of the office and just working, we've found a few new investigators and continued to work with the old ones. I don't think I've talked about Marie-Rose and Kena, they're probably our top investigators right now. Marie-Rose's parents are members, but fairly recent converts, who were just sealed in the temple at the beginning of this year. Kena is Marie-Rose's boyfriend, they're planning on getting married and baptized in August, and it's been great getting to work with them, every lesson has been super spiritual.

In other news being a zone leader is cool, I conducted our zone meeting yesterday and it went well. I'm still learning and adjusting to the role, but it's been good. We have zone conference coming up next week as well, so I have that to look forward too (and stress out a little, but I know it'll be great).

Love you all back home, stay safe!

Elder Miner

Saw an absolutley gorgeous sunset, basically forced us to stop and take pictures. (The camera does not do it justice)

Haircut service! (I've acutally gotten pretty handy with the hairclippers I bought here, I cut a decent number of the missionaries hair here)

The Tables of MLC - The Weekly Email

Sorry everyone for no email last week, I got real sick on Wednesday when we came back from Vanuatu and was conked out for the next couple of days as well. The test results for Dengue come back today though. Anyway, so much has happened that I'm not going to write much, I'm also short on time, so I'm mostly just going to send pictures this week (I know that's what most people look at anyway). 

Love you all!

Elder Miner

The MLC group in the airport

Flying over Ouvea, one of the Loyalty Islands

This is a good example of how President Granger's mind works.

View from the mission home...

Dinner for day 2 of MLC at Cafe Vila

Beautiful Vanuatu

Vanuatu Port Vila Mission 2015-2018

DENGUE OUTBREAKS.
There are currently Dengue outbreaks in all three countries of our Mission. There are 4 types of Dengue. New Caledonia is reporting cases of Type 1; Vanuatu Type 2, and Solomon Islands Type 1 & 2.
We have already had several Missionaries contract Dengue in the islands of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. There have been no cases so far in New Caledonia.

The missionaries who have contracted Dengue have been unwell for a week or two but have not needed medical treatment beyond management of symptoms by the Mission Nurse.
Any Missionary suspected of having Dengue is blood tested not only for Dengue but for other mosquito borne diseases as well.

In our recent Zone Conferences we talked with the Missionaries about Mosquito protection and preventing bites. The policy of the Mission is for Missionaries to engage in a three step prevention plan.

1. Personal Insect Repellent - provided free by the Mission to every Missionary. The Missionaries are instructed to use it both day and night. Dengue mosquitoes bite during the day. The same mosquitoes may also spread Zika and Chikungunya. Malaria mosquitoes tend to bite at night.

2. Repellent Treatment for clothing and bedding - this is also provided free to all Missionaries. They are instructed to treat their clothing and bedding every 6 weeks.

3. Repellent Treatment for Missionary houses - a solution is provided to all Missionaries to spray their houses every 6 weeks.

Mosquito nets are provided if Missionaries request them.

The local authorities in New Caledonia are maintaining a rigorous control program of spraying and fogging 'at risk' areas. Authorities in Honiara are also spraying risk areas.
There has been no reports of any spraying or control program in Vanuatu.

We are monitoring the situation and we continue to firmly insist that the Missionaries follow the bite prevention program. Parents can back us up by encouraging their missionary in their weekly emails to follow prevention strategies.

If you have any concerns please contact me via Messenger inbox or email at gaylewissemangranger@ldschurch.org

We love our Missionaries - your sons and daughters - and their well-being is a priority.