Our Time in Vanuatu

One month done, 35more to go but who’s counting, we’ve been too busy.   At the beginning of the week, we welcomed 3 new sisters from the Island of Tanna and one elder from the island of Malekula.  All four have received their call to serve a mission.  The 3 sisters in Guam and the elder in Papua New Guinea.  So they come over to Port Vila for immunizations, shopping for clothes and receive their patriarcal blessing.  They will all leave on Aug. 1st for Fiji to go to the temple and the sisters also have an interview for their visa for Guam.  Then they will leave Fiji on August 8th to enter the MTC in New Zealand.   Sister Tucker, Sister Fau'onuku, Sister Duquette, Sister Andon at the  Black Sand Chapel So our nurse, sister Tucker was very busy this week.  She is the one that makes sure the ni-van missionaries  newly called missionaries from Vanuatu) have all they need to go serve on their mission.  She is the best and works so hard.  Besides being the nurse and helping

Bonjour à tous! Another first this week: TRANSFER WEEK.  At the beginning of the week we said goodbye to those who have finished serving their mission.  Six of them returned home (5 elders and one sister).  They had their last interview with el presidente and they all came to the mission home for dinner Tuesday night.  I have to admit this was one part of our mission experience that scared me a little.  Not only worrying if I was going to make enough food but also are they going to like it.  Boy, the time we waste worrying. We had a very nice meeting with them and we are grateful for their service and the sweet testimony that they bore. May they continue their work for the Lord  in His Kingdom  here on earth and endure to the end. How exciting it was to welcome  our first missionaries (7 elders and one sister).  What a dynamic bunch and how wonderful for us  to feel of their wonderful spirit and testimony.  They came to the mission home on Thursday afternoon for the orientation a

Olsem wanem evriwan?  How are you everybody? We met some wonderful people this week.  Starting Monday, Diane met the cleaning lady that comes twice a week.  Her name is Margaret and she is a life saver and her new best friend.  We came back the previous Thursday pretty tired from  our trips and planning to do the laundry.  It was Margaret’s first time cleaning for us.  (She was the cleaning lady for the previous mission president and wife). Diane got a text that Margaret was there to clean and since we were in New Caledonia, the guard let her in after we texted back for her to do whatever she used to do before.  When we came back that evening, we saw our clothes hanging to dry and the house cleaned.  What a relief for Diane to see that she did not have to do the laundry. Benoit was not as lucky, he had to work on transfers.  That was quite an adventure for him since he kept getting e-mails that one missionary was not coming because of visa not ready then two others for the same

What a week! We touched the ground running and it was absolutely great. Sunday July 1st 2018 we met the members of our ward and shared our testimony.  Then off to the mission office to meet the office elders and go over the transition with President and Sister Granger. Monday we spent the day at the mission office conducting the first office meeting and counseling with the elders and assistants.  I took a break and went with the mission nurse to discover the mama's market and the Au Bon Marché supermarket.  We joined the senior missionary couples after dinner for a family home evening with them.  They are great. Tuesday we met the missionaries from the Efate zone, in Vanuatu.  While Benoit interviewed all 32 missionaries one at a time, I sat outside the office and visited with their companion.  That was a treat!   Wednesday we woke up at 3:00 am and left for the airport at 4:00 am en route for New Caledonia where we met the 2 zones of missionaries ( a total of 34 mi