9 August 2016 - Week 39: Back from VANUATU!!!

BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE!!

Je suis revenue de Vanuatu ce matin! [I returned from Vanuatu this morning!] I'm actually super tired right now--running on about 4 hours of sleep... We had to be up at 4 am to go to the airport this morning and then traveling just takes it all out of you. (Which is weird because you literally just sit around a bunch...) Anyway, we had an amazing time in Vanuatu with the leadership of the Great VPVM!

We had the transfers, and now I'm officially back in the South Zone and back in the Magenta Ward. It's weird to be back in the ward where I started because in the beginning I still couldn't speak French or understand everyone and now I can. The funniest part was that on Sunday this Brother got up to bear his testimony and I was so surprised that I could understand him because before I couldn't at all. Haha yay for progress! And so far Soeur Caress and I haven't been able to do much work in the secteur because we had two days and then we left for Vanuatu. Now that we're back we can really dive in to the work here in Magenta. It's a small secteur (the smallest I've ever been in) but that doesn't mean there isn't any work to do! I'm excited to get going again and start seeing those miracles come! And it is a little weird to have an American companion because we can speak English all the time, but I really don't want to lose my French so we're gonna work on only speaking French together!

Oh yeah, I don't know if I mentioned it last week, but in our mission we had 162 baptisms during the month of July! That's a record for the mission! :) And we want to keep going like that and even better!

I think y'all can probably tell that I'm pumped up and motivated after our MLC [Mission Leadership Conference] in Vanuatu with President and Sister Granger, the APs, and all the Zone Leaders and STLs in the mission. It was super fun to be with everyone and to learn from President Granger together. We talked a lot about the vision for the mission and how we can help our zones reach that vision. Vision = BAPTISMS :)

So Sunday night, we flew to Vanuatu and when we got there the APs/the travel elders who were supposed to pick us up weren't there yet, BUT luckily there was a bishop and other members who called them for us! Honestly I had the feeling that Vanuatu is like Utah a bit--there are members all over! During the trip, all of us STLs stayed with the STLs in Vanuatu again. All 8 of us in one house! They're all so nice and I love them and I really enjoyed getting to know them better! Then Monday morning, we wanted to do some shopping at the market in Port Vila before MLC started, so that's what we did! The people in Vanuatu are so nice and so willing to talk! I can see now why the work moves so fast there! And we would come across some members randomly and it was fun to meet them!

We did some shopping again on Tuesday morning, and we saw a little parade of Vanuatu women marching for Jesus Christ. They were all in their island dresses and had mini Vanuatu flags and were singing! I took a video and it was the coolest thing! Part of the culture of Vanuatu is belief in Jesus Christ! Isn't that so amazing? I love it!

I'm running out of time to write, but I'm sending tons of pics!! Vanuatu was awesome and I love my mission and I love you all!!!! Have a great week!

Love

Soeur Matheson :) 

Moi et Soeur Rooarii avec Soeur Bourgine avant que je sois muté.

The view from our apartment balcony.

Our apartment kitchen.

William's baptism!!

Getting off the plane in Vanuatu.

New companions - Soeur Matheson and Soeur Caress

Time in Port Vila enjoying the shopping and the views and the super friendly people!

STLs from New Caledonia in Vanuatu - Soeurs Matheson, Caress, Rooarii and Casuga

Views of Vanuatu

View from the mission home.

The leaders of the Great VPVM! 

Outside the place where we ate a really nice dinner last night with all my STL friends.

I ordered fish, and it was delicious!