Flowers for Our Hair!

Sister Allphin,

Sister Kerns and I have twice invited the sister missionaries to dinner and a discussion  with our Chinese doctor friend, Dr. Wang.  Dr. Wang is part of the 8-man medical team sent from China to man the hospital above us. I'm so grateful to know him.  I take our sick missionaries to him, and he performs miracles.  When he comes to the discussions, he always brings flowers to put in the girls' hair.  

All is well in paradise.

Elder Kerns

Fun Times!

Sister Natto and i with the Elders from the island of Ambae on Christmas. This is at Beachfront resort. 

Sister Takuvaka, me, sister Ipu, and Sister Nisa walking in Pepsi area. I was showing Ipu and Nisa around the area and we stopped to look at the amazing river that runs throughout Pepsi. 

Dr Wang

Hello mom! :)

Wow, Linda will finally be going out then!! That is wonderful :)  I got a letter from Sis Squires. I got a whole bunch of letters yesterday!! THey were all the ones that people sent for Christmas, and i just got them! :) It was wonderful to receive! And i got your letter that you sent on the 30th of November!! Thank you! i loved reading it :)

Yes, this last week has been very stormy!! It wasn't scary though. It just was raining all day for 4 days strait. It would be light, and then all of a sudden just start POURING!!! So strong!! It was really cool but also not good for missionary work... If we were to go out when it was pouring all our books would be wet. and also, the roads aren't good. We would be hiking in mud. So we would wait until there was an opportunity to go out when it was just lightly raining. Then as we were out, it would pour again. We got stuck a few times and tired to find shelter under peoples kitchen houses. It was fun though!! :) And it was a lot cooler than it has been!! But now that it isn't raining anymore, it is so hot and humid!! :P

Haha when i saw Elder Kerns on Sunday, he told me you emailed and asked about the storm. I honestly was just wondering when the cyclone was going to hit! I thought we would experience one. I have heard that story about President Hinkley too. That is really neat. I heard though that it was just for a period of 10 years or something. But i have only heard that from other missionaries, so its probably not true.

Yes, Elder Kerns is very excited about that investigator, Dr Wang! haha we have only met him but haven't been able to talk with him very much. That dinner appointment was interesting. Sis Takuvaka and i went over at 5 and it was supposed to begin at 5:30. So close to 5:30 elder kerns goes to pick up the Dr. We wait for about 20 mins and they come back without him and say he wasn't there. So we wait a little longer and they go back to try again. Now we sisters wait for about 40 minutes. Finally they come with the Dr. By this point, we are starving and the food is getting cold haha. But Dr Wang and Elder Williams begin to talk about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Sis kerns tells my comp and i to dish up our plates so it would hurry them along, because time was going and we would be talking about all of that during our lesson after dinner! So we finally begin to eat and Dr Wangs phone keeps ringing. He shoves in all his food and then gets up and says he has to leave.. So Elder Kerns takes him back... hahaha so that was quite the experience. Unfortunately we didn't get to teach him, but at least him and elder kerns talked before after all! :) But, we have another dinner app tomorrow night! haha so we will cross our fingers and pray that this time we ca give him the first lesson! Elder kerns really wants to baptize him before he goes back to China!

This week was good, despite all the rain :) We still don't have very many investigators to teach but we did get one referral! We will teach them next week though. They were going to come to church and we would teach them there, but they didn't end up coming. They are two boys, around age 12, that are in a part member family and have not been baptized. We have been going to teach Shalom and she is doing good. Still not really showing signs that she would get baptized anytime soon. But we will just continue to visit and help invite the spirit into her home so she might have a change of heart :) She loves us coming over, and she almost always has a pineapple for us, because she knows i love pineapple :) haha.

I'm sure halie and her group did amazing!! I hope she has emailed and told me about it! :) I wish i could skype you all today then if you are all over! ;) haha. What is for dinner? I cooked dinner yesterday and it was good!! :) It was chicken in this terriyaki sauce with onions and peppers and we put it over rice :) I guess i did learn a few things on how to cook from Sis Natto!! :) I will make a lot of cake when i get home too ;) haha.

Oh, i almost forgot!!!! Mangali will be getting baptized on February 1!!!! haha can you believe it!!?? The same day as Kaden! How wonderful is that! :D Heavenly Father knew that i would be sad to miss Kaden's baptism, so he sent Mangali so i wouldn't feel so bad :) Now my little sister here in Vanuatu will help me not feel so sad! I will be going to that baptism in place of Kadens. I thought that was really great :) and a tender mercy :)

Ok, i love you all!!! Kasem wan gud wik!!

Love, Sista Alfin

 Dr. Wang (China), Sister Clement (Marshall Islands), Sister Allphin (USA), Sister Tuuefiafi (Tonga).  Dr. Wang will be baptized 22 March.                                                                       

 Oh yum!!! I want brownies!!! Really bad.. you made me crave them.. haha :) and I am starving right now. We don't have a lot of food so I had a piece of beef jerky for breakfast. My comp got a package with beef jerky :) So I think you can send it, even though it says not to. All my comps use ALL their money the first of the month, so I end up paying for food and email and everything... :P But now I am almost out of money so I have to watch out these last two weeks. But we should be fine. I just really need to start teaching them how to budget.. I was told in my setting apart that I would teach my companions how to budget... So far, no good.

No, we never have dinner appointments. Just sometimes, when we go to teach, they will make us up a plate if they are cooking. Sometimes we get normal things. Always rice. Usually either taro, kumala, pumpkin, or something like that. Then some kind of meat with cabbage. Its usually good! I'm getting more used to it. But when they have laplap, I don't take it if I can...

They have kava bars nearly every other house here!! It is crazy! Men love their kava. They get very drunk and then walk around like zombies I hear. 

Yes, I hope to send pictures today. I don't have a ton of money as I said, and I would have to go to another internet café which charges  by the minute. So I will see what I can do. 

Sisterhood across Oceans..

Hay............

This is sister maladiri from Vanuatu and the island of Ambae, and am serving in Utah Temple Square.

Their is a sister from Fiji serving in temple square also,she gave me your address.

And she told me to send you email,so i do.

Maybe she meet your families at temple square and they gave your email address to her to gave it to me. 

But ,am excited to send you email each week.

So what part of Vanuatu a you serving in??

Well sister am looking forward your respond.

Love you sister

Hello sister Maladiri!!

What a small world this is! :) I was excited to receive your email. Temple square is such a beautiful place. Im sure you are just loving your mission! But hopefully are surviving the cold winter temperatures!

Vanuatu is a beautiful place! You live in paradise! Very hot here though, so im not too used to that ;) 

I am serving in Santo, Pepsi area. I have been out 3 months now. Im still working on the Bislama. I love being here though!

Thank you for the email. I too look forward to hearing from you and how your doing in Utah!
Lavem yu!

Love your sista, Sista Allphin

   Wow thanks for you email.Yes is kind of cold here but i can make it.I love here is kind of busy this month because it's Christmas.But i love it.

Wow my grandma live in santo just near U.S.P.near the church building.

Am also out for three month same as you,am still working on my english.But i know that the help of our Heavenly father he can help us.

Well MARRY CHRISTMAS IN VANUATU FOR THE FIRST TIME.I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

it was different from utah.

ME LOVEM YU!

love your sister,sister Maladiri.

All Is Well in Vanuatu

Letter from Elder Kearns (senior missionary couple)

All is well in Vanuatu.  The cyclone hit the Solomon Islands, but was mostly just sideways rain.  No significant damage.  It then veered off to the west of Vanuatu, will skip our islands, and is zeroing in on New Caledonia.  These three island groups are what compose our mission.  This has been the pattern for cyclones for the past several years.

Sister Brewer, the mission president's wife, told us that in 2003 President Hinckley visited these islands.  As he was leaving, he asked the district president if there was anything he could do for the people of Vanuatu.  The district president told him that they were having a terrible time with cyclones.  One right after the other was devastating houses and gardens.  President Hinckley reportedly said, "I can fix that," left a blessing on the land, and there hasn't been a cyclone since.
                                                                   

Sisters Allphin and Takuvaka were our dinner guests Tuesday night.  We had invited our Chinese doctor friend, and he was to receive his first discussion.  The dinner happened, but the discussion didn't, because Dr. Wang had to hurry back to the hospital to keep a woman from dying.  He is my good friend, and is perhaps the most spiritual person I've ever met.  Sister Allphin will have the privilege of teaching him, and I'll have the privilege of baptizing him.  When I first met him he referred to the Church as "good one Church."  We're now "best one Church."  He came to the branch New Year's Eve party, and to church last Sunday.  I'm so grateful to know him.  He's already saved 3 of my friends' lives.

Sharpi... Kaden's getting Baptized!

Kaden:  Im getting baptized on my birthday. will you give One of the talks?I geT ice creaM Whin I go TO sChooL on Time.I love you.

Shaina: 

Kaden! Im so happy to hear from you!

I am so excited for you to be getting baptized! What a wonderful day it will be. And on your birthday!!?? That is very special! :) I sent you a bday card in the mail on Thursday so it will get to you probably before your bday. I would be so happy to give a talk for your baptism... if i could. haha. I will be sad to miss this very special day for you. But im so happy you will be getting baptized and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints! Heavenly Father is so proud and so is your whole family!! Make sure to make it a happy day. You will be able to feel the Holy Spirit so strongly and you will feel clean.

Wow, you get ice cream!??! I hope you get to school on time each day! I remember all those days we would race each other to get ready! You can get ready really fast! And then i would love to drive you to school. When i get home, can i take you to school again? I love you so much Kaden!! Have a very happy week! Thank you for the puppy and smiley face. Love you so much buddy!

love your sister, Shaina

Sounds like a pretty relaxing week for you all. Glad to hear halie did well in her drama thing. She always does :) I'm sad I'm missing like everything! tell her to slow down and save some things for when i get home! haha. jk.

That is so exciting that he will be getting baptized on his birthday! I'm so excited for him. It makes me really sad that i wont be there. i would have loved to give a talk for it, as he asked me ;) he is ready. Just having parents like you and dad, who are always great examples, is preparation. That is great that you two had a little talk :) haha. I am glad that he has been better so far too! I'm sure things will begin to be wonderful. He has to mature after baptism :) Awe, and halie's first performance... I am so sad to be missing that as well. She is going to be amazing!! :D Good luck to her! and will you buy her a Sobe drink from me and give it to her before her performance? Its good luck :)

Wow, way to go with cleaning! That is impressive. I like when we keep the tree up for a long time. Its a good feeling! Did you ever set up the village?

Ok i will tell you a little about my week now. It hasn't been the most amazing week with appointments and such. Since we are both new to the area, we have been talking with some members and trying to find some people. Sharpi is an area with a TON of less actives. So this week, we have been going and trying to find their houses. We went to one less active on Wednesday, Abu Serah, and she really likes to talk.. haha. She is kind of a gossiper as well, so we sat there and listened to her stories. Then Takuvaka and i began a story lesson, just to share a scripture with her. We opened with a prayer, shared the skripta, and then, as i was about to go into baring my testimony, she started talking again.. ahah! It started out about the lesson, but then went way off topic. She talked for about 20 minutes i would say, as my comp and i continued to try and cut in to get back on track. We would just get cut off.. Eventually we were able to share small testimony and then ask her to give the closing prayer. hahaha she is a wonderful woman. We had a good laugh. 

On Saturday we visited another less active, Esther. The husband comes to church but she didn't. They are an older couple. We visited with them, and shared with each other our thoughts. It was a great experience. Henry, the husband, told us how they want to go to be sealed in  the Fiji temple. They asked us to pray for them that they might be able to find the money to pay for their passports. The church will pay for all other expenses. They are a couple with a lot of faith. Esther came to church yesterday too!! It was good to see her there.

Oh one other thing i have to say about this week. On Saturday, their was a cruise that came. It was the Oosterdam, Holland America. It was HUGE! I got a picture. Anyway, two women from the ship came to the church house and we were there for a baptism put on my the elders. So get this mom, these two women live in American Fork!!! And i know one of their sons! I graduated the same year with him. hahaha. It was so crazy! What a very small world. They said if i had anything to give you, i could send it with them an they would deliver it. Unfortunately i didn't have anything. i sent the calicos already and that's about all i have bought. I gave them your email and they might send a picture they took with us. Their names are Tamara Back and Jodi Hildebrandt. The cruise went out of Australia. They reminded me of you mom. i think you would have so much fun traveling with them! To bad you didn't know them before and come along with them ;) They shared many amazing stories with us about their trip. They are doing the Lords work as they are vacationing. Their stories were inspiring and they are definitely being protected and guided by the Lord. I don't have time to share them all and i have already talked too much about this.

Well, i don't have much else to say. I love you all so much!!! I hope you have a wonderful week! I miss you all heaps. Mi lavem yufala tumas!! Mi hop se yufala stap sev mo protected oltaem. Ale ta ta!

Love your sista, Sista Alfin

Mi no gat wan samting lo mekem naoia mekem se mi bae jus wet blo yu lo sendem wan email i kam. Mo kilim taem. Mi bae jus email ol tingting blo mi lo Bislama. Ol Zone Leada i bin ring las nite mo bin givim mi wan assignment lo zone confrence lo Jan 30. Mi mas givim wan 7 min training lo wan samting insaed lo white handbook. Mi mas prea from wan samting wea ol misinari i struggle wetem mo tok tok lo saed hemia blo 7 MINUTES!! That is so long in bislama!! Mi fraet tumas... Be mi bae jus prea lo Papa God mo askem hem lo givim mi komfort. Mi bae sendem hemia naoia. 

Wash Day

 I didn't get the chance to do wash last Monday so i did it on Friday cause i ran out of clothes... So i don't really have anything to do today. We have a washer and and spinner. It is manule, so we turn the water on and fill it up, then it goes and washes it. then we have to rinse the clothes and then we put them in the spinner and then hang them up to dry. hard work but not as hard as by hand. 

In Tanna they would do it in a stream. hopefully some time while i am serving, they will open up the islands to sisters again. Even if i just serve there for a short time, i would like it :)