Islands!

The ocean around Vanuatu is bright blue, no matter how close you get to the water. 

 I don't really have any words to describe it.

A Sea Cucumber

This has been a bit of a crazy week.  I conducted my first district meeting, which was actually fairly easy.  We did get to go to one of the islands this week, small island Rano.  The other two islands were small island Wala and Urapiv.  We have two areas on the mainland called Wala and Rano, so everyone calls the island part 'small island'.  I don't really have much to say about the week itself, but it was just a cool week.

Elda Van Wagenen

Litzlitz‏

Elder Crowell my new companion

The transfer call came a day early, on Friday instead of Saturday.  I've been transferred to Litzlitz, another area in Malekula.  One of the other areas, Lowni is closed so there are only two areas, with four missionaries on the island and in the district.  I'm the district leader.  My area's going to be great.  We have three small islands we will be boating to as a part of the area we work in.  My companion's name is Elder Crowell.  He's from Washington state, and he goes home in two transfers, so I'll probably be his companion until he leaves.  He was an AP for 7 months.  I think it'll be interesting to see what happens for the next couple weeks.  It'll be different having an American companion for an extended time.  I'm really excited.

Elder Van Wagenen

PS 'Football' is the largest sport in the world here. (Soccer)  I think it's even bigger here than American football back home.

Coconut crabs, my house, and transfers at the end of the week

These coconut crabs were in a restaurant, and yes you eat them, but you have to be careful with the claws, because I hear they can snap coconuts in half. We eat lots of coconuts.

Hey, I just emailed a few days ago, and not much has really happened since then.  Elder Ngatehau will be leaving to go home in two days, and the transfer is at the end of this week, so then everyone will be moving around.  This transfer will be pretty big, I think, because everyone in Malekula has been there for a while.

Here's some pictures of the house I'm living in.  I don't really know what else to say.  I'll probably have a lot more next week!

Elder Van Wagenen

Zone Conference

I just got back from zone conference, and I've really enjoyed it.  We've had to split this week's pday, because Monday and Tuesday were the days of conference, and pday has been split on Wednesday/ Thursday.  We flew back Wednesday, yesterday.  Conference was great, and we learned a lot.  The focus was on what Elder pearson talked to us about, and much of it was on how teaching was only part of a visit, and helping investigators make a commitment was more important, and that the mission really wanted to focus on companion unity.

Conference was a lot of fun, and I learned some things that will really help me as I teach.

Elda Van