Happy 20th Birthday!

Hello!! :)

I was really looking forward to emailing today! But where is everyone?! Did you send any other emails mom? Well I have a lot to tell about this last week!! First of all, have you already left for Fiji then? How was the cruise? Katie email me and told meabout it; sounds like it was fun! :) I wish I could have been there as well.. But when I get home, right?!

Anyway, this week here we go.. The first half of the week started out not so good.. I was feeling so discouraged. We were only teaching about 1 lesson a day. Then just going home and not really doing anything. I can't handle doing that anymore. I wanted to call someone and tell them that I needed to go home. I didnt think I could do this anymore. (But I was able to learn that I just needed to exercise faith. God called me here and knows that i can do this. I cannot give up.) So i talked to sister Schuster. I told her about everything that i have been feeling. I told her i wanted to work hard. When i come home from my mission, i want to be able to say i did all that i could do. I dont want to waist any of the Lords time. We worked through everything wednesday night.

Thursday was a wonderful day!! We grew as a companionship and then were able to have the spirit present. I finally taught lessons! I took the lead in more than half of the lessons this day. It wasn't perfect and they were short and simple, but i know that the Lord was helping me and those i taught. Before going into the yards of those we were about to teach, i would pray. I told the Lord that I was going in with faith. I prayed taht He would help me to say the things that they needed to hear. I prayed that i might have confidence and wouldnt be nervous. I KNOW that without the help of the Lord, i would not have been able to do it. Coming home this day, i felt so good! I felt that we had done all we could and that the Lord was pleased with us. Friday went the same. I was so grateful for these days!

Saturday was my birthday, and it was great :) We went and taught some lessons, and then that evening we went to Shalom's. She put on a little party for me!! She is so wonderful; i love her! She made steak, rice, potatoes, and a DELICIOUS cake!! They do have ice cream here mom, but we didnt have any. That's ok though, i have had enough ice cream while being here. While Lutui was with us, we got it a couple times. Its expensive though! 8-9 dollars for 2 liters. Anyway, they sang happy birthday and we ate! I will try and send pictures of it. It was so great; they made my birthday very special :) I hope you all enjoyed celebrating it with the cruise ;)

I have had more island kakae this week! That is island food. We went to Mami madelines house and we had... COCONUT CRAB!!!! Haha It was actually good! I was so scared to touch it.. They gave me the pinchers and i had to pull the meat out. It was good :) Then her husband brought out a live one, that was all tied up. It looked very weird.. Like a little alien. I will try and send pics of that too.

Saturday we went to another Mami's house, Charity, and she fed us some laplap taro. It wasnt as bad as the banana but still not my favorite. But good to try! :) The fruit here is SO wonderful! I have had cavaca (vanuatu apples), pomplomouse (grapefruit), popo (papaya), and pineapple!! Pineapple is my favorite!! SO SWEET!! Aye, but when i was eating an apple at one members house, i wasnt really paying attention. Then i look down, and there are worms crawling on the apple... I was sickened, but didnt know what to do. i didnt want to offend anyone. So i pulled it appart and tried eating around the worms. haha, it was an experience.

Also at Mami Charitys, i bought an island bag and a turtle! They had been making them for me. Her husband carves turtles and it is beautiful! She makes the baskets. So those two things were my birthday gifts :)

Well, that is about all i have to say this week! I am loving being here, but it is not easy. I have to pray each day still, that i will be strengthened and look for the tender mercy's im given. We are so blessed by the Lord each day.

I love you all SO much!! Thank you for the birthday wishes. Have wan gudfala wik!! LAVEM YUFALA EVRIWAN!!!!!

Love, Sista Alfin

Transfers are this week. There are 2 new sisters that will be coming here to Santo. So i dont think i will be transfering. Sister schuster and i have been covering 2 areas for a little while. So she might show one area to one missionayand maybe i will have to show the other area to the other missionary. So i could change trainers actually! I just dont know.. I want to go to Tanna though.. haha.