Beyonce the Pig - The Weekly Letter

Hello everyone, today I would like to talk a little bit more about perhaps one of the most intersting people I've ever met. His name is Louis, I mentioned him in my last letter. Louis is from Futuna (if not Futuna, Wallis, pretty sure it's Futuna). Louis smokes a lot, has a few tattoos, 3 pit bulls (8 pit bull puppies), and a pig named Beyonce. Yes, Beyonce. Beyonce doesn't like me, I don't know why, but that's ok. Louis also went to prison for a brief time, but found the Bible there and has been Christian and awesome ever since. He reads the Bible and/or Book of Mormon every day and listens to Christian rock. He also likes RC cars. Like I said before, he was taught by the missionaries a few years ago, and has us over now about once a week for breakfast (note on a French tradtition, breakfast here is usually coffee, Milo for us which is a sort of chocolate drink, along with French bread or pastries, and most people here dip their bread or pasty in their drink) and then after we eat we have a lesson. Our last lesson was really good, we were talking, and I felt prompted to ask "what's stopping you from getting baptized?" To which he responded "marriage." I then asked "what's stopping you from getting married?" To which he didn't really have an answer. We then shared 1 Nephi 3:7 and talked about how through God all things are possible. He seemed really touched by the lesson, and I hope he'll be making some progress soon.

In other news we set a baptismal date with an investigator named Virginie for the 15 of July. I really hope it goes through, since she has a lot of problems, but she wants to be baptized, so that's what matters. There's a French proverb "vouloir c'est pouvoir" pretty much the equivalent of "where there's a will there's a way" but more directly translated would be "to want is to be able to."

Finally, this Sunday I'll be flying out to Vanuatu again for another MLC. It's pretty much the same crew from New Caledonia heading out, only my companion and one of the STL's has changed out of the six of us. I'll let you know how it is next week. 

Love you all!
Elder Miner

Ducos District with our new mission office sign. 

(Sorry, this is honestly the only picture I took this week)

Sadly, Stake Conference does not involve a large buffet of meat, but I did meet a General Authority! - The Weekly Letter

Really the biggest news of this week would be our stake conference with a visiting 70. Elder S. Gifford Nielsen (you can find his picture in the conference Ensign) payed us a visit and presided over a stake conference Saturday and Sunday, and then had a zone conference with us missionaries Monday. It was a wonderful experience, and I truly felt his love and the spirit as he visited with us. We talked a lot about the principle of repentance as well as how to connect with members and investigators. "Connect hearts" is one of the principles I'll be taking away from this experience. As a zone leader I also got the chance to attend an MLC with Elder Robbins and we discussed additional principles of leadership and how to help others, such as "catching those [we] lead doing good." It was truly a wonderful experience, and I'm so grateful for the inspired leaders the Lord has called in these latter days. I'd share more, but my notes are at home, this is just kind of coming off the top of my head. I have resolved to become a better zone leader and to get more involved in the lives of my missionaries, to love them and show them that love, and not worry so much about myself or my sector.

In terms of the work here, it's going well. Marie-Rose and Kena still haven't decided on a marriage date. Honestly there are so many people here across all of New Caledonia that are all so close to baptism, but there's just one or two little things blocking them from this saving ordinance. 

Saturday was a really crazy day for us, we taught five lessons total, which is a lot for here, including one with a new investigator named Louis. Well, not a totally new investigator, he took the lessons already about 4 years ago, but, like usual, he needs to get married and stop smoking before he can get baptized, but he has the desire to do so. Part of the problem is that he hasn't had the lessons in so long, so there's a lot to remind him of and get him doing again like coming to church. 

That really about sums it up for this past week, a lot of lessons cancelled, but then Saturday exploded and then we had this stake conference. I'm pretty exhausted after all the meetings and things we've learned. I'm excited to put it all into practice this week.

Love you all!

Elder Miner

Sculpture by a member at an exhibit about whales at the Tjibaou Cultural Center (P-day activity last week)

Me and my companion with Elder and Sister Nielsen and President and Sister Granger

Brace yourselves, a Seventy is coming - The Weekly Email

Hello everyone, so once again the Mighty VPVM will be receiving a visit from an area 70, Elder S. Gifford Nielsen from the Pacific Area Presidency will be visiting us for a stake conference and then a zone conference here in New Caledonia. He'll also visit the two zones in Vanuatu. I'm pretty excited about his visit, I think it'll be fantastic and this will probably be my last meeting with a general authority while a missionary.

This week has been prety tough for us, lots of cancelled or missed appointments which is kind of frustrating, but that means more time for finding I guess. I prefer teaching by a long shot, but finding is super important, even though our teaching pool is huge. 

Some great news, Marie-Rose had her baby! She gave birth last Monday, and came home from the hospital on Sunday. Their baby is super cute, her name is Mackenzia, and she's healthy and doing fine, we saw Kena and the baby yesterday at their house in Vallée du Tir. Now that she's given birth, she'll be able to be baptized even sooner now, we just need to sort out details for a wedding or what. I'm really excited, or in the vernacular of my new companion "super stoked." (He's kind of a skater sometimes).

Speaking of my new companion, Elder Scroggin is great. His contacting skills are sharp form his time in the North since that's about all they do up there, but he's a great missionary and a great companion, and it's a lot of fun getting to work with him. Our interests and personalities aren't super similar, but that's a good thing. 

Love you all!

Elder Miner

Delicious food (from members)

Delightful sunsets

The Transfer Dance - The Weekly Letter

So, biggest news of the week, the things that missionaries live or die over, the most exciting part of every 6 week cycle, the reason sister missionaries lose their hair, the biggest subject of constant speculation and rumor, TRANSFERS. Not much has changed for me, I'm now the senior companion serving as the zone leader here in 6eme/Vallee du Tir. My new companion is Elder Scroggin. He's a wicked cool guy from Arizona, he loves guitar and soccer, and is a great missionary. He's served in Mont-Dore and all the way up in Bourail, and now he's here with me. He's been out for just over a year, and is definitely going to be part of leadership as my generation leaves. Poor Elder Kessler ended up back in the bureau, probably because he's the only one that can fill the gap when our senior American couple in charge of finances and visas, the Glades, leave. But still, he'll probably serve almost a year of his mission in the bureau....

This week we had a pretty neat experience. Friday was the five year anniversary of the creation of the first stake here in New Caledonia. They had a big stake talent show where each ward performed dances, songs, and told stories from different parts of the island. Because it was Kanak culture, there was un cérémonie coutumier or a cultural ceremony or gesture that's part of the Melanesian culture to begin the show, consisting of the stake president presenting a gift of traditional items and foods like taro to a cultural reprsentative for the area we're in, along with speech making and acceptance of the gifts and return speeches. Elaborate and very cool, and the soiree was fantastic also. The coolest part of the soiree was all of our investigators that came: Paul brought his whole family, Marie-Rose and Kena were there, James and Alizée came, and we met a new investigator in our area named Sagato (pronounced Song-ato). He's actually an old investigator that we've been trying to contact, but instead by some miracle, he found us at this activity, and he seems like gold, considering he live-streamed conference by himself!

We have a giant teaching pool right now, probably the largest I've ever had, and it's been awesome. I've having a great time out here, and I love you all back home. See you soon!

Elder Miner

This is the wall of one of our member's houses, the Nazaire family. They're the parents of Marie-Rose, one of our investigators set to get baptized soon. 

Had a short tripanionship with Elder Kessler and Elder Graham before transfer moves happened.

We now have an official church sign on the bureau. 

Elder Scroggin! 

Happy Mother's Day! - The weekly email

First off, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I had a great time getting to Skype my family for the last time before I'll be home, how crazy is that! Thanks to my Mom for always being such a stalwart Gospel example in my life. I'll never forget everything you've taught me mom. :)

Also, I'm going to try something new this week, writing my weekly letter first. I feel like I've been  neglecting some of the nitty-gritty details that you all probably love, and so I'm going to try to do better. 

To start with, as zone leaders, Elder Kessler and I conduct exchanges with all the district leaders in our zone (3 total) and their companions. This past week we finished up our last exchange with Elder Ursenbach and Elder Krauser, I was with Elder Krauser, a missionary from Tahiti just finishing up his training. He could've become a professional boxer in Tahiti, but chose his mission first. Cool guy, and I enjoyed our exchange.

We've also found two new investigators recently, although techincally not new, since we found them by looking through our area book. One is named Louis, he's read the Book of Mormon multiple times and knows it's all true, but he has to get married, and he'll need to stop smoking before he can be baptized. It's been a while since missionaires have come by, so hopefully we can help him get back on track. We've also been meeting with Louis. He's from Lifou (People from Lifou are seriously as a whole the most accepting, believing people here, it's astouding sometimes), he was baptized Catholic back in 2000 as an adult, and he is a very cool, chill person. We presented him with a Book of Mormon and he seemed very excited to read it! I'm looking forward to continuing to meet with him.

Finally, Marie-Rose and Kena are two of our investigators who have been progressing a ton recently, Marie-Rose moved her baptismal date from August 8 to June 24 because she's tired of waiting! She's going to have her baby, wait the required rest time, and then get baptized. Kena is Marie-Rose's boyfriend, we're still kind of waiting on the two of them to decide whether they're going to get married before they get baptized or just get separated and when Kena wants to be baptized, but the desire is there, so it'll happen.

Finally, transfer news comes this week in a couple of days, and then as a zone leader I also get to help plan and execute the transfer movements and such, so that'll be fun. I'll keep you posted on where I end up!

Love you all, have a great week!

Elder Miner

At the Maritime Museum last P-day

Exchange with Elder Krauser 

I'm Tropically Depresssed... - The Weekly Email

Finally, a letter from Elder Miner:



Sorry everyone that it's been so long since I've last sent out an update, things have been way crazy here. Recently, we've had a number of tropical depressions in the area, including one that got all the way up to a category 5 cyclone, Cyclone Donna. She cooped us up inside for the past couple of days, so it's great to be out now, but it's still cloudy and rainy today, like it's been for the past week or so.

Since so much has happened, I think it will be faster to just send an update in pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words right?

Love you all,
Elder Miner

Some photos from our hike a couple P-days ago, we hiked Chapeau Gendarme (rough translation, "Policeman's hat"). One is a waterfall near the start, the other is the view of Noumea from the peak.

Nickel Refinery at night.

On exchange in Kaméré, my first sector.

President Granger and his wife love viusals. :) Bridging the gap between being a good missionary doing missionary things and being a Christlike missionary, the only way is Christ. "To become like Christ, you have to involve him." Sister Granger

South Zone photo.

Cloudy cyclone skies.

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.