The Gospel Blesses Families - The Weekly Email

"The Gospel Blesses Families" is the first point of the first lesson, the first thing that we've been instructed to teach investigators. And I think over the past couple weeks I've seen that more than ever with one set of inactives in particular. We've been working with a couple named Tumoana and Sasaou since I moved into the area with Elder Kessler, and they've been on and off in coming to church and studying their scriptures and other things. I talked about them a bit in one of my other weekly emails, but I just wanted to take the time to talk about all the things that are happening for them. Since they've made this decision, Tumoana has been able to get his plane ticket to head back to Tahiti to get divorced, he leaves on August 19. We're super excited for him, and over the past few weeks all we've really talked about is how to strengthen the family, on Saturday we talked about the temple and temple marriage. They both know that the gospel is true, but they still have a lot of questions, and we get to answer them! For them and for Marie-Rose and Kena and everyone else who lets the gospel work more fully in their lives, the gospel brings innumerable blessings. And I testify of that.
Side note, I'm emailing today because we have our zone conference coming up Wednesday and Thursday, so we had to move P-day. We'll be celebrating our month of miracles I'm sure. New Caledonia was able to reach our record for baptisms in one month: 14, but couldn't quite break past that record. I'm still super proud of all the misisonaires here, especially my zone, for putting in so much effort.

Love you all! See you real soon,

Elder Miner

Rock-solid Converts - The Weekly Email

Not much to update everyone on this week, the biggest piece of news honestly is just how well Marie-Rose and Kena are doing right now. First off, they're both fired up to do missionary work, just a couple days ago we went past Marie-Rose's house, and first she asked for a Book of Mormon, and then since we didn't have anything fixed, she just called us up because she was right up in the middle of talking about the Gospel to one of her friends, so we were able to talk with her and give her a Book of Mormon and help her out. It was a really great lesson, and now we have a new investigator. On Kena's end, he's working up North this week, but he accepted the challenge to give a Book of Mormon to someone while he's up there. And they both have come with us to some lessons and want to go to more, it's so amazing to see how strong they are and also the blessings that are coming. Story example: Kena needs his birth certificate so he and Marie-Rose can get married, but it's in Tahiti. Under the French system either he or his parents have to go there, but they're poor, and in any case for Kena to get his passport, he needs his birth certificate. So, they started working on ordering it online, but since this past Sunday, some members found out and they know someone who works in the town hall in Tahiti, so now they're working on it too helping them out, all fulfilling the promise that we made to Kena before his baptism that if he would commit to living the word of wisdom and the law of chastity and be baptized now, that they're marriage would come with no obstacles. And now it's happening. So amazing to see promises fulfilled. 

That's what I'd like to share with you all this week. The Gospel changes lives, plain and simple.

Love you all, 

Elder Miner

Baptisms Shamu Style - The Weekly Email

Hello everyone! Great news, Marie-Rose and Kena's baptism went off great and without a hitch! I got to baptize Kena (the big tall Wallisian in the photo) and when I did we splashed a ton of water out of the font and got the front row of chairs wet! According to my companion it was hilarious, I was more focused on getting him back out of the water! They were then confirmed yesterday and have been fired up ever since. We even took them out to a lesson with us last night and it was fantastic. They'll be super strong converts and great members, and we'll always be "their missionaries" as they like to call us. 

In other news, the mission is sitting at 126 baptisms for the month. New Caledonia is set to break our record of baptisms in one month. We have 10 so far, and the record is 14 and there are 4-5 planned for this weekend in the North zone, and Mont Dore in our zone should have at least 1 if not 3 more this month, so it's looking great. It's been a crazy month, just Saturday is an example of how miraculous it's been. This Saturday after our baptism we went to a baptism in Mont Dore, then we went to an appointment with a new investigator, and she and her daughter especially, but basically the whole family was riveted during our lesson on the Restoration and were excited to come to church as soon as they can. They'll be solid investigators. Then we went to a lesson with some inactives we've been working with, Tumoana and Sasaou, and they told us that they've decided to give up all of their word of wisdom problems, to make a huge effort to read the scriptures and pray together, to come to church, and to get Tumoana to Tahiti in order to work out his divorce. They've been doing some of those things, but rarely consistently, but now they're 100% committed and it feels different too when we talk to them, they're so much happier and more motivated. I don't know what changed, but it just shows that the gospel works miracles, and we should never give up on people. 

That's about all for this week, love you all!

Elder Miner

Marie-Rose and Kena before their baptism.

Contacting, jam-session style.

2 Miracle BAPTISMS - The Weekly Letter

Sorry this letter is coming out so late today, we had stuff to do this morning so we couldn't email at the normal time. But I have some really great news: MARIE ROSE AND KENA WILL BE GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!!! That's right, we've set their date and everything, now we're just working with them, trying to stay in contact every day to keep them strong and on the path. We've already seen a bit of opposition, just yesterday we were visting Kena when his dad came out and got after us for coming in the morning. Very unusual, but we know it's just satan being all unhappy about people joining Christ's Church and stuff and trying to slow down the work. We haven't really been paying attention though, we're just working to make sure this all happens. The mission's goal for this month is 200+ baptisms, and right now we're at 100 even, so things are looking good. The missionaries in Lifou are also set to baptize a family of 4 this weekend, so that'll be awesome. 

In other news, President visited New Caledonia and he had 2 hour meetings, one with the Bourail district in the North, then the rest of the North Zone, and then us in the South Zone. Nothing brand-new or different from a zone conference, just a little visit to keep us pumped and working. President Granger is the best kind of mission President, the kind that gets right down in the trenches with us; he's set a personal goal to baptize a family in Vanuatu. 

I'm a little low on time today, so I'll end there, sorry, no new pictures this week, but I'll have plenty next time. 

Love you all!

Elder Miner

Happy birthday America! - The Weekly Letter

Hello everyone! Yesterday was my second fourth of July that I've spent on mission, and we celebrated in about the same way. My companion and I both wore red, white, and blue ties, he wore America socks, and we blasted MOTAB's versions of "The Star-Spangled Banner," "My Country 'Tis of Thee," and others all morning. Glorious. 

In other news, our month of miracles is off to a great start. We were given a great idea by a member to go on Saturday, each companionship in their area early in the morning to some secluded spot and to pray in order to be connected to our mission President's vision, to have miracles and inspiration, and to know that we're in the right place. Elder Scroggin and I had a great experience, nothing huge or miraculous, but a great feeling of peace and confidence. Later that day, through a miracle, we were able to get Marie-Rose and Kena out to see a baptism in Mont Dore. Literally last-minute a member came through to drive them out there, and the baptism ended up being amazingly spiritual and powerful, and now since they're living situation has changed, they're eligible to be baptized! Just yesterday we challenged them to do so, and they're going to talk about, and we'll be doing a follow-up today, so hopefully they can be baptized next week! July is going to be great!

In other news, transfers happened, nothing changed for me and Elder Scroggin, although Elder Kessler is back in the district as DL in Ducos, and we shifted the office Elders to that sector as well. We'll also be getting 6 new missionaries on Friday, 3 of which will be in our zone, so that'll be fun. We also have missionaries back in the Loyalty Islands for the first time ever since I've been here! Elder Eronico and Elder Langomazino (both of whom are my "brothers" in the misison since we were trained by the same missionary) got sent there, they flew out on Monday. Super excited for that. And they're in our zone, so I might get to do exchagnes out there! 

I think that's about all for this week, love you all, keep sending prayers our way. See you soon!

Elder Miner

We went out to Yate in the South for a district activity, and it was absolutely gorgeous.

A view from "le col de Prony" or "Prony Peak."

Look up and Taste the Blessings!

On the way home