Latter-day Saints and Friends Worship on Easter Sunday

17 APRIL 2017 - POSTED BY NEWSROOM STAFF

Members and guests of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the Pacific region participated in Easter Sunday worship services yesterday.

            

Responding to invitations from members of the Church, 65 individuals who are not Latter-day Saints attended Mormon worship services and Sunday School classes in congregations across Vanuatu.

Many of those who responded to invitations to attend were given small pass-along cards with details of church meetings, along with a link to the Easter-themed videos of the Church's "Prince of Peace" initiative on Mormon.org.

           

Sermons, music and lessons yesterday focused on the ministry, Atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Local Latter-day Saint leader, Yvon Basil, was grateful for the strong interest shown by members of the Church and many other friends and neighbours attending services yesterday.

"When our friends come to church with us they see and know that we worship our Heavenly Father and Saviour Jesus Christ," he said.

 

President Basil added, "We should continue to put our faith and trust in our Father in Heaven and in our Saviour Jesus Christ and His Atonement."

He hoped that members of the Church in Vanuatu would continue to invite relatives, work associates, neighbours and friends to attend worship services.

La Pâques! - The Weekly Email

Well, just finished Easter Weekend. Here, Easter seems to last from Friday to Monday, I'm not really sure about all the traditions that revolve around it all, but it's been good. Easter day was good, we're now meeting in a different chapel after the damage to the Magenta Chapel. there are now four wards meeting in the Stake Center in Rivière Salée, which is a little crazy, but at least we're at the noon to three slot, not 2 to 5 PM, that'd be awful.

Church was great, we had two investigators come, one was Paul, the one who's been watching conference and stuff, he's truly golden. In our last lesson, just in talking before we started he said "so, about my baptism, I think maybe a few more months, I'll just let you guys know when I'm ready." I think he's decided that this Church is true (which it is) and that he wants to follow his father, who was one of the pioneer Tahitian members here. He's seriously an investigator made of solid gold, and his wife (girlfriend? People don't really get married here very often...) was there for our lesson on Thursday, and she's really interested also. The other investigator was Alizée. She's known about he church for the past 5 years or so, even went to a couple years of seminary, but she's living with a less active member and her dad is opposed to their marriage so we wait. 

One last cool story, yesterday Elder Kessler and I were following up on some potential investigators left behind by the old Elders in the new part of our area. All we had was "a family from Tanna" (Tanna is an island in Vanuatu) and an address, but we gave it a shot. The address turned out to not be correct, but we decided to ask around and knocked on a door in the apartment building. She told us, "oh yeah, just the next floor up" and then right then a member of the family walked up the stairs. We probably talked for 30 minutes on the stairs about who we are, his religious background, and a little about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. In English too which was a little weird, but cool, but most Ni-Van's prefer English if we don't speak Bislama. Anyway, he too seems to super prepared for the Gospel, along with his family! So many miracles have been happening here, it's truly great. 

Love you all!

Elder Miner

Beautiful old Jaguars on the streets?

We got shakes at the new McDonalds in Robinson. :)


*I wonder how much those shakes cost?

Actual apartment buildings in Vallée du Tir. 

Conference, Transfers, and Cook; the Perfect Storm - The Weekly Email

Hello one and all! Yes, I am indeed still alive after Cyclone Cook hit, it honestly wasn't even that bad down here in Noumea, just some damage to trees mostly, although the chapel took a bit of a beating... Part of the roof covering the chapel came off and now there's water damage inside. The cyclone interfered with transfers, normally there should have been missionaries flying to Vanuatu, two Elders to serve there and one Sister on her way home, but that's been postponed until tomorrow, and we all had to stay inside all day Monday. Transfers happened yesterday though, Elder Kessler and I are still together and still zone leaders, but have changed apartments to a much newer apartment, partly because we're taking back a sector that had been split off from what our sector used to cover. We're still settling in a little, so pictures later.

Finally, General Conference was amazing, really and truly. I had a question going in that was answered by at least three different talks, including and especially Elder Holland's. I hope you all took or will take the time to watch or read all of the talks in conference. 

That's about all I've got for this week, a little short on time too, so more updates on the new area and stuff next week!

Love you!
Elder Miner

Gorgeous sunsets :)

Old apartment

A BRAND NEW CAR!!!! - The Weekly Email

That's right everyone, earlier this week we drove away from a dealership in a brand-spankin-new pickup truck. First time in my life that I have ever driven in a competely brand new car, we got it with 30 kilometers on it, about 20 miles. Story is the 3 mission pick-ups were super used, the most used had over 130,000 kilometers on it, and the church likes to turn them in around 80,000, but they were all only 2 or 3 years old. They were so used the back windows on the camper shells had all broken too, it was a little ridiculous, but we have now changed from Toyota Hiluxes to brand new Nissan Navaras, and boy are they nice... I just really appreciate all the tithing and sacrifices that they represent so that we missionaries can do what we need to. 

In other news, we now have 4 investigators with baptismal dates, Aude just set a date for the 13 of May, and since she's been living with a part-member family, but is now moving out and away from her boyfriend, she can get baptized now. Super excited for that. 

Also excited for conference coming up this weekend, we always watch it one week after because of the time difference. And transfers will come this week, and this transfer has just blown by...

Love you all!
Elder Miner

Last picture together as an MTC district

Brand new truck

Cool view of the refinery

I decided to wax a little philisophical with my camera.