Pics from MLC

It was good to talk to you too! I'm very grateful for those Skype sessions! This e-mail will be short.. sorry! But thank you for everything. 

I'll let you know and I'll make sure to wear sunscreen! I promise :)

Love you all!

Elder Fraley

Guadeloupe Leaders! 

Elder Call, Lever, and I being translated...

Barbados Airport

Our awesome zone!

Sweet sunset 

and even sweeter Volkswagen advertisement photo

Mission Leadership Conference

MLC was awesome! So edifying! The mission home is a step down from the temple and I just love being there. The Spirit is just so strong there with all the mission leaders. It's the most addicting feeling. I had a really good time. Got to be with some of my best friends. I liked this one better than the last one we had in November. It was a historical moment. The last Mission Leadership Conference for the West Indies Mission. We talked a lot about Branch Councils, Sabbath day observance, becoming "full-purpose missionaries", and other doctrinal topics like spiritual gifts, the oath and the covenant (magnifying our priesthood and justification & sanctification), and conversion and the atonement. Pres. Mehr had special access to the videos of the conference with the quorum of seventy when the Apostles address certain topics before General Conference. And he showed us those videos! All the General Authorities talked about was the Sabbath day!!! 

Fun fact: it takes $20 million to operate a new mission for the first 5 years.

Something that I've learned recently is that dedication brings sanctification. That one can go through his or her mission or one can let the mission go through him/her. The atonement is rehabilitative. Change and accepting the will of God requires a lot of stretching and pulling, that will be very uncomfortable at times, but it's worth it. You feel so much better afterward. But it's something that everyone MUST experience. Sanctification only comes by sincere repentance and we MUST be sanctified to enter His presence (1 Nephi 15:34). Either He will justify us or we will. The entrance requirements are simply higher than satisfying the demands of justice. Paying for our own sins will not bear the same fruit... That's why daily repentance and obedience is so crucial. Change wrought by sincere repentance.

Guadeloupeans are very nice. I'll send more pictures of the conference and of Guadeloupe next week. One of the sisters has my SD card reader... 

I'll skype you at 4 pm my time so 1 your time I think.

I'll talk to you Sunday!! 

Love you! 

Elder Fraley

Emailing from Barbados!

I love it here! Very pretty (I think Martinique is prettier though) No weird foods...yet..

I'm actually e-mailing right now from Barbados! It's beautiful here! Very flat, dry, and windy. But the beaches are incredible! We have the P-day here. Woke up at 4 and flew from gwada to Martinique, then to St. Lucia and arrived in Barbados around 11. We will fly to Trinidad tomorrow and will stay there until Thursday! I'm excited to see what counsel Pres.Mehr gives us. He is going to be preparing us for the mission split.

Can't believe they're home! It's weird to think I was just with them! (The Derr's)

What time do you want to Skype?

Got to go! Love you!

Elder Fraley

Joint zone activity...we hiked to a waterfall!

Our week was good. I'm still adjusting to the culture but things are picking up. A couple of weeks ago, we were led by the spirit to a 20 year-old girl named Yasminah. She's sweet! She's been looking for the truth for the longest time and wants to find where she belongs. She came to church and loved it! She said she didn't know anyone at church but everyone acted like they knew her. The branch is awesome! She'll get baptized just now. 

That's our latest success. We're also seeing a lot of success with the family mission plans that we've been making with the members.

Pres. Mehr is trying to get everything ready for the split. He's flying the leaders to Trinidad next week to prepare the mission for the split. We fly out to Barbados Monday and will spend our Pday there, then we'll fly to Trinidad Tuesday. The conference will be Wednesday and we'll fly back Thursday. Hopefully I'll get to e-mail next week, but if I don't, you'll know why.

Today, we had a joint zone activity and hiked to a waterfall. Really fun activity. It's fun being with all of the missionaries. I'm learning how to drive manual. Our van is manual and I'll be driving it here shortly before Elder Johnston leaves. Wish me luck! haha

I would love to fly to Indy! That would be a really neat experience.

I'm happy to hear everyone is safe and healthy. 

Thanks for everything! Love you! 

Elder Fraley

I'm gonna buy this car some day...

these Sisters are the best!

Joint zone activity to a waterfall.

Goodbye St. Martin...Hello Gwada!

Gwada!! I've finally done "the tour". It's good to be here. There's a lot of work to do and Elder Johnston and I are gonna kick butt! He's from Minnesota/Arkansas. This is his last transfer. We were in the same zone in Martinique for 1 transfer and he's been in Gwada since. It's been a while since I've had a companion from Utah. It's nice that way. It shows that not all Mormons come from the same community in UT. We've got a much bigger zone here. it's nice to see Elder Rivera again. We've got a great group of missionaries. 

It's very green here, compared to St Martin. And a whole lot bigger. it's two islands up from Martinique. It's much like Martinique, very French. St.Martin was very American-ized. 

It was hard to say goodbye, but unlike past areas, I had no regrets, looking back on the island from the plane. I was very calm and at peace. I know I worked hard and did my best and I knew the Lord was pleased. It's a very unique feeling. I am gonna miss it though.

The branch here, in Lamentin, is so strong, probably the strongest in the mission. I received a warm welcome. We had an area seventy in the branch, Elder Gamiette. He was the former mission pres. 

I'm excited to get to work here. Elder Johnston and I are really going to be focusing on family mission plans and member work. We're excited to see what fruit that will bring. 

I love it. Sprinting to the finish.

Love you! Have a good week! 

Elder Fraley

Saying Goodbye in St. Martin:

Jean-Marc and I

Ann-Marie and kay-kay

The Wilson family! 

Jeremy! (future young mens president) We found him doing service!

The Constant family

Walquidis (Chi-chi)

Khadija

The Huggins Family

Elder and Sister Thompson

Maho Beach in St.Martin

Guadeloupe:

Guadeloupe from the air

The zone!

Sister's baptism!

Transfer calls: Headed to Guadeloupe!

Happy Easter! :) Conference was great! Well, from what I watched in English, because I watched most of it in Spanish! :)

I'm going to Guadeloupe! 

I'm feeling much better! I'm excited for Gwada but sad to be leaving. I'm ready though.

I'll write tomorrow! 

Love you! 

Elder Fraley

Driving range and my terrible form

Felix, our professional baseball player investigator friend. :)

Helene and Mona! (left to right)