Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2016 6:00 PM (MDT)

         Monday, July 11, 2016 11:00 AM (Vanuatu)
Subject: trust

so. this week we've been building our relationships with our investigators.

like. in order for investigators to trust us enough to believe what we say and want us to return to their home, we have to have a relationship with them and trust between us and them. so that they recognize us as servants of the lord and come unto christ. 

so one thing that we did this week to help that was to go to eratap and help one family/a small community gather firewood to bring back to their house. the people here, very few of them have a stove. so instead they have a rebar and concrete rig to put the pots on top and the fire wood underneath. so they need to gather/pay for firewood every week or 2 in order to be able to cook. so we went with them to eratap (much more bush than my area) and walked around with bush knives and gathered firewood. like, branches that had cracked or fallen dead trees. stuff that's easy to harvest. and got enough to fill the bed of the truck and went back. the grass was about up to my knees  and there were a bunch of huge spiders and subsequent spider webs, but it was a great experience. 

so now with that community and family and such, we're now like family-ish and so when we teach them they actually speak what they're thinking which is leading to much more dynamic and tailored to their needs lessons. which is really really good. 

oh yeah. i got a new companion this week on monday. his name is elder albao. he got here on may 12? i think? so i'm a bit older than him mission time wise. so now we're in a trio and it's definately an experience. im very grateful i picked up bislama as fast as i did. trying to help my new companion do the same. elder olilig made a chicken dish in which he cooked the chicken in a sauce where the main ingredient was ketchup. it wasn't actually that bad. i have a feeling when i come home from my mission im gonna be cooking like dad does. just. whatever is in the freezer, goes in the pot. 

all the pictures from this week i took the day we went to gather firewood. 

also someone stole my sandals from off my back porch last night. kinda tragic but. it's all good. i have other shoes and they probably needed those shoes. 

also i let one mama try some craisins and she said that my mom should send a lot more for her and her family. haha i guess that means she liked it. the work moves forward. 

i've been reading in alma 30ish to 40 ish this past week. also i finished jesus the christ. really really good book. also alma's advice to his sons is like a freaking gold mine of amazing scriptures. 

that's all for now. i hope everyone who read to this point has a great week!!!

Elder Hyatt VI