Martinique

Martinique is BEAUTIFUL. I have never seen anything like it. I had forgotten what blue water looks like! The good byes were very difficult. It was really hard saying good-bye to "W", "Y", and some of the members and investigators. Elder Lever is very lucky. He'll have several baptisms coming up! I'm really home(Guyane) sick. But I love it here. Definite culture shock, a lot more french.  Martinique is beautiful of course, again. I love it here. Elder Dayton is great. He's from Bountiful, Utah. Cool kid, he's a baseball kid too! Our area is definitely the prettiest area in Martinique. La Trinité is what I picture a French or Italian country-side looking like. Hard to describe. Our area is pretty big though. We have a huge house with a sweet balcony. The group actually meets in our home, so we have to move out soon. The house is out on a peninsula in an area called Beauséjour. 

Elder Dayton and I are semi in-charge of a group down here. We had a group leader called just a couple of weeks ago, normally it was Lever and Dayton who directed and presided. It's a group of about 12 people. I'm excited to be working with him. It is my personal goal and the goal for the companionship, to turn this group into a branch again. The members are great. Elder Dayton and I are really going to focus on reactivation and member work. We visited every member yesterday. We talked to each one about the work and about the goal and objective is for the group. We are going to do our best to start up several activities during the week. Elder Dayton and I made it a goal to have at least one new person at church each week. Going to be tough, but we're going to do it. It is my personal goal to have the church attendance to at least 30, by the time that my time here is done. Elder Dayton and I had a good fast. We fasted for several miracles. We know we'll see some.

So much to tell... 

Great to see Elder Call again! His area is the south of Martinique, mine is the west. I'm excited to be working here. We're going to see a lot of changes and miracles. I have lots of pictures! 

Me and "W"

"Y"

"G"

Got to see Elder Lever at the airport! 

Played basketball today at the beach!

That's Mt. Pelé, highest peak, it's a volcano. Guess it blew up in the early 1900s and killed an entier city.

Sister Stahle and Sister Vance. Sister Vance went to Copper Hills!

Blue water!!!

Every member a missionary

The cyber café was closed on Monday for some reason. Haha, I knew it would freak you out. Haha

So, I'm headed to Martinique! Elder Dayton will be my companion. I'll be serving in Trinité! Elder Lever is coming down here to replace me, he'll be with Elder Pratt. Zone Conference is this transfer, so I'll be flying to Guadeloupe for that. Should be exciting! brand-new adventure. Don't really want to leave... I've come to absolutely HATE goodbyes. The mission has too many. I didn't really tell anybody in the branch that I was leaving. Thought it would be too hard. I'm REALLY going to miss "Y", "W", and several of our investigators and members. It's tough. I'll go where He wants me to go, though. Martinique will be great!

Member missionary work is VERY important! Crucial. Way to go Bishop. Every member must be a missionary. In fact, our exaltation depends on it. Pres. George Albert Smith said, " We will attain our exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom only on the condition that we share with our Father's other children the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and observe the commandments that will enrich our lives here and hereafter" 

Time is running out. So with that, members of the Fraley house-hold and those reading, I invite you, to become misisonaries yourselves. You don't need a nametag or to be knocking doors to be a missionary. Share the gospel with anybody and everybody. "Talk to everyone!". Serve others. I invite you to give the missionaries in the ward one "referal" at least every other week, if not every week. :) The Lord WILL bless you. This is what God expects of us. You will feel the Spirit with you more often, you'll feel it working through you. You will develop Christlike attributes. You will help build up the ward and kingdom of God. The blessings are infinite. Do it! :)

Time is flying by! Almost April! It's been a good 8 1/2 months. 

Love you all! The church is true, of course.

Love,

Elder Fraley

More Baptisms!

The baptism went great! We had 3 baptisms last Saturday, one from each companionship! They gave powerful testimonies at the baptism. "Y" is great! "Y" and "W" have both set goals to serve a mission in a year ("W" when she turns 19) and to get married in the temple after. Elder Miyasaki and Elder Broadbent baptized "A", she's 21. She's awesome. Good cook too! The Sisters baptized "I". He's a brazilian in his late 60s I think, just the nicest guy. "Y" and "W" go out teaching with us all the time, they love it!

so...... I didn't get to talk  to the doc about my back because I had to talk to him about my 2nd degree sunburn instead.... I got it doing service the day before the baptism. Definitely in the top three worst... 

Not sure if I'm leaving just yet after all. Normally Elder Miyasaki gets the missionaries travel intinerary the Monday before transfer calls, but he didn't get anything. But, you never know. Pres.Mehr is full of surprises.

I'm hanging in there. If it's not one problem, it's another. Doing great though! Couldn't be better! 

Love you too! 

Elder Fraley

From his email to me:

Well, French Guiana is the best! Love it here. Don't really want to leave. Not sure if I'll be leaving next transfer, we'll find out Saturday or Fri. 

Got a 2nd degree sunburn.... I feel really dumb. Totally spaced sunscreen because it's been cloudy recently. Really sunny when we did the service. Just bad luck!

Baptisms went great!

(I was telling him that my daughter has been a germaphobe lately) Funny how she has picked that up. Germ free is the way to be! Speaking of diseases, I might need some more hand-sanitizer... running out..

(I asked him if he had any "Dr. Fraley" stories) Well elder Miyasaki had some sort of abscess on his back about a month ago. I got to perform surgery on it! so that was cool...

Well, Take care Ash! Love you!

Elder Fraley

"Y"!

Elder Miyasaki and I 

At the baptism!

You can see how red I am... 

Sister Opeta, Frère Litampha, "I", Sister Gill

Elder Miyasaki, "A", Elder Broadbent

Right before the program

Elder Miyasaki 

Brother Litampha

Elder Saki, "D" ("Y's" best friend), and I

Lovin' it down here!

From Last Week, March 3rd:

I'm doing great!! Cough finally went away, but... my back has been giving me problems again. I hurt it last year at school and I think I did something similar to it again, not sure if it's a pinched nerve, pulled muscle or whatever. It's been hurting quite a bit this whole week. However, I'm doing great! Staying healthy! The work is going well! slowed down a little because of "Carnaval". Pretty crazy down here! It's been going on since January and ends this week! 

(Baptisms) Yeah, Y is still good for the 15th! So excited! But C will have to be pushed back to the 22nd... They're both great! 

From March 10th:

Back is alright. It's really weak. Not sure what to do.. Maybe I'll call the mission doc. 

So excited for the baptism! The best part, all three companionships will have a baptism this Saturday! Y is great, really cool girl. She's made goals to go the temple in a year and possibly even serve a mission. W wants the same when she's 19 or 20.

 I saw the new Mormon message about bullying. Very very good message. Any talk, message, or speech that causes people  to change or repent, is a good one (whether it's one or one-hundred) . That should be the goal for every member as we give talks and lessons. Mormon messages are my favorite because they do exactly that.  This video brought me to tears because I am guilty of doing some of the things in the video. This video would be a good one to share with the family during a family home evening.

I'm thinking that this will be my last transfer here... Not really wanting to leave. Elder Pratt and I have really been focusing on the youth down here, as we've realized that they're the future leaders here in Guyane. The young men are awesome, remind me of the great young men back at home. But, I'll go where the Lord wants me. The French is iffy. Definitely not where it should be, but it's coming little by little. 

Not sure what else to share. Lovin' it down here! 

Love you all!

Elder Fraley

Sunset from La Cité: Mont Lucas. We do a lot of work here, in Mont Lucas. Tons of apartment complexes.

We put this on Elder Broadbent's bed. The inside joke we have makes it funnier.