2020 Semaine 48 (23-28 novembre)

It was a great week filled with gratitude thanks to the invitation of  President Nelson.  The flowers above are on what is left of the avocado tree that was cut down in early 2019 because it was all dried up.  It is fitting that the flowers are yellow.  It brings sunshine in my soul to know one day this tree will again be full grown and give of its fruits.

We are still enjoying the mangoes.

From now on, the taste of delicious mangoes will always remind us of our stay in Vanuatu.

 

It rained very hard at the beginning of the week.  The following pictures are a view from the plane taxiing to the terminal as grand-papa was returning home from Santo.  The other one is my view as I was returning home from the mission office on that same day.

This week, we received a gift from the Area Presidency that was given to all the Mission Presidents and wives a month ago during the Mission Leadership Seminar.  I started reading it and it is bringing so much joy in my heart.  Repentance is such a wonderful gift. 

I am choosing only one quote (which is hard to just pick one) to share with you.  It is actually a quote from Elder Neal A. Maxwell:  "If we choose...the course of discipleship, we will...move from what may be initially a mere acknowledgement of Jesus on to admiration of Jesus, then on to adoration of Jesus, and finally to emulation of Jesus.  In that process of striving to become more like Him...we must be in the posture of repentance."

Elder Andersen adds:  "Let us rejoice in this journey! You can start from wherever you are and become something more than you ever imagined."

We enjoyed shepherding our missionaries this week by attending a district council on Tuesday and on helping the missionaries do the training of the "Safeguards for using technology".

 Christmas season in Vanuatu

This week I decorated the mission home for Christmas.  Although it brings me so much joy to decorate for Christmas, I also felt some longing to be with the family ( translate "homesickness")😢

I shed some tears, took a deep breath and went back to work while concentrating on what I was thankful for.  It helped a lot.  Being comforted in grand-papa's loving arms especially did wonders. 😍

We attended a session of the YSA Conference this morning.  They were going out after our little talk to find and invite people to know more about the Savior and His gospel.  My heart was yet again filled with joy, thinking of all of Heavenly Father's children who would be given the blessing of remembering what they once knew in the preexistence and feel of His love for them.

I am publishing this blog one day earlier.  Tomorrow after Church meetings, we will get together with the leaders of our mission for a council meeting.  The zone leaders/assistants went to Tanna this week to review the teaching, conduct baptismal interviews, baptize and confirm  55 of Heavenly Father's children.  It is not a typo.  During three days they baptized fifty-five brothers and sisters.  

What a privilege it is  to be engaged in the gathering of Israel in the isles of the sea.

We are SO grateful!

Mifala lavem yu TUMAS!!!