Week 22 (26 Nov.-2 Dec. 2018)

Drawing by Elder Gunnell, one of our assistants, depicting a conversation we had about the importance of keeping the whole armor of God.  Be obedient even in the little things because the adversary is always waiting to attack.

I often think of something grand-papa and Jacob would say together when Jacob was younger just before he would leave our house. 

“The adventures to the end of the world… We’re going to meet the pirates, the dinosaurs, the monsters, the burglars…and the babies”

We are living the adventures with the challenges and sometimes heartaches (the pirates, dinosaurs, monsters, burglars)  and the babies (the young missionaries, the members in the young Church in the Pacific, babies in the gospel).  And we love them like one loves babies.  We want to help them learn and grow.  Sometimes babies get hurt, or get sick and we worry and we are sad.  It was a hard week.  Two missionaries went back home earlier than anticipated.  One got hurt spiritually and the other is sick physically.  Both are sad and so are we.  We also found out, Wednesday, that one of our sister missionaries’ 17 year-old sister was in a coma for one week.  Our prayers were with her and her family at this difficult time.  Then Thursday, we got an e-mail from her mother that a miracle had happened, her 17 year-old had awaken from the coma.  We were so happy to call the sister missionary right away and share the good news.  We will know more next week when we are with her in New Caledonia.

We arrived Wednesday, in the Solomon Islands.  The plan was to wake up at 3:15 am to be at the airport with one of our missionaries returning home for his check-in at 5:00 am.  Our check-in was at 6:00 am for our flight to Solomon Islands.  As I mentioned last week, the mission nurse has returned home.  She has finished her mission.  Now the missionaries call me when they have a health problem.  So far this week, I have helped a missionary with a heat rash and at 1:15 am Wednesday morning, I received a phone call from a shaken Sister Millon, reporting that her companion, Sister Pulu, had another seizure.  The first week in the field, a month ago, she had a seizure.  She said she had never had seizures and the doctor said it could have been caused by extreme anxiety. It happened while she was sleeping, around 10:00 at night.  This time it was at 1:00 am.  I had received my instructions from the Area Medical Advisor, Elder Saunders, at the beginning of November who came to visit our mission with his wife to tour the health facilities.  If this situation were to occur again, I would need to take her to the private hospital which is small but better equipped than the other hospital on the island.  We also visited that private hospital when they were here.  He also would have to escort her home to Salt Lake with his wife so Sister Pulu could undergo the testing and receive the care she would need.  I called him after speaking with Sister Millon and he said he would make the necessary arrangements.  They live in Auckland, New Zealand by the way.  Since we had to leave in a few hours and we also do not know where all the missionaries live, (a little complicated, there is no addresses here) I spoke with the sister training leaders who by then were at the sisters’ apartment because they had called them also.  The instruction was to take Sister Pulu at the private hospital and we would meet them there.  As we are heading out the door, the STLs called to tell me the hospital was closed.  We met at the chapel to go to the mission office and got the phone number of the emergency doctor of that hospital.  When I called, I got the answer that this phone was turned off.  REALLY?  I contacted the area medical advisor again and he suggested we wait a few hours to go to the private hospital.  Sister Carter, the STL (sister training leader) and guardian angel took care of everything.  She was in contact with Elder Saunders when Sister Pulu experienced another seizure just before they were going to leave for the hospital.  We were told by Elder Saunders that sister Carter was very calm and very helpful to sister Pulu.  Of course, all this is happening as we are flying to the Solomon Islands.  We are so grateful for the guiding hand of the Lord with all the details of this ordeal.  Elder and Sister Saunders arrived that afternoon in Port Vila.  Sister Pulu received the care and medication needed.  The next day they were on their way to Fiji, then San Francisco to Salt Lake City.  Sister Pulu took medication while traveling and we were told she slept most of the trip.  She was seen by the doctor in Salt Lake and even had a CT Scan which was negative.  We are thankful she is in good hands and hope she will be able to resume her mission probably closer to facilities more adequate to her needs.  We also found out this week that a senior couple who had started to serve in our mission in July and were back home since September with the intention of coming back, have been released do to health issues also.  

Following are random pictures taken in the Solomon Islands:

Banana Tree outside our hotel room

onions sold individually.  $5 or $3 Solomon Dollars each $1 or $0.68 USD

These bananas are square

Only in Solomon Islands:  No smoking and no chewing of betel nut

We did have a great week with the missionaries in Solomon Islands.  It was a special Christmas Zone Conference.  We can’t go wrong with the sweet Spirit of Christmas during our conference.  The two senior couples prepared a wonderful meal of turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls and a trifle for dessert.  We helped a little in the preparation the night before.  And we helped a lot with the eating the next day. 😊 

For the activity, the missionaries joined the district activity with volleyball and watching dances the members had prepared.  I was tired and went back to the hotel room but papa/grand-papa took some pictures and videos of the activities.

District President of Honiara Solomon Island District cutting the Christmas Cake

Young Women Fashion show:  dresses from different Island Countries

This weekend was also District conference with the members of Solomon Islands.  Papa/grand-papa had a training to give Saturday morning and a talk Saturday and Sunday sessions. I gave also two talks one Saturday and one Sunday.  We felt a wonderful spirit throughout and we are thankful for the opportunities to mingle with the saints.

My favorite picture this week.  Elder Gudgeon helping this future missionary 

For the month of December, the missionaries of Solomon Islands have organized a Light the World Presentation. The senior couples and some missionaries made that beautiful nativity scene.  They only had a blade to cut up the personnages.  Beautiful and hard work.

On more than one occasion, it felt like we needed to multiply ourselves this past week.  Dealing with health and behavioral issues in Vanuatu while having to be in the Solomon Islands for zone conference with missionaries and district conference with the members was a challenge.  We had to delegate some responsibilities to the missionaries in Vanuatu and they really rose to the task.  We are so proud of them.

Well, this is life in the mission and we are starting to get used to it. 

Smiling chair at the Honiara chapel

Until our next adventure to the end of the world, we say “Mifala lavem yu tumas” – we love you very much!