Our Time in Vanuatu

Last Sunday was my birthday.  After I finished writing the blog and published it, I saw this amazing rainbow outside.  The colors were so much more vibrant than on this picture.  I felt I had received a birthday gift from Heavenly Father.  He knows how much I love rainbows. The joy of my birthday lasts two days while we are here because of the time difference.  This year it lasted 4 days because of being able to see and talk to our children and grandchildren 4 days.   Three of those days were for my birthday and the fourth one was a bonus to celebrate Coralie's high school graduation.   The oldest of our grandchildren graduating high school!  Time flies.  No wonder Alma said "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God. "  (Alma 34:32) Or, As Jacob wrote: "...I have written according to the best of my knowledge, by saying that the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us...

It was a zone conference week!   We always pray the missionaries will feel the Spirit in their heart and will find the courage, especially in these difficult times, to experience for themselves the great joy of trusting the Lord and putting Him first. We met at the mission home.  We met with the Efate zone in two separate days.  Elder Yamashita of the Area Presidency and his wife joined us through technology both days. The third day we met with the Solomon zone.  A week earlier, they had a special meeting with Elder Kupu an Area Seventy in Tonga and his wife through Messenger.  This pandemic is not only creating difficulties.  We have been enjoying some perks also. We did feel the Spirit as we shared and instructed one another. I wonder if it is not like what happened to our pool this week and in  this time of year.  Too much water was put in it and it overflowed.  It is too cold to be used right now and the water just stays there unused...

Another beautiful week in Vanuatu Sister Singo went around the world almost, even before she left for her mission.  She is from Vanuatu.  She first received her call with an assignment to Montreal, Canada.  It was later changed to the United Kingdom.  It did not last long before it was changed to the Philippines.  With COVID-19, no one is going anywhere, so she started her mission this week in the Vanuatu Port Vila Mission on a temporary assignment.  We are so happy to have her with us.   I brought three watches with me for a three year mission.  Number three was retired to the garbage can to join the other two.  It hanged in there, first loosing the bracelet and this week I noticed it was       all green  and not working anymore.  Thank you Audrée for sending me two other ones. I hope they will last until the end. It has such a soothing effect to watch the sea from the mission home.  It felt the same way looking...

We started the week learning the missionaries from Papua New Guinea could go home.  There was a flight opening up at the end of the week.  We spent the whole week preparing for their departure.  When we got to the airport on Friday, we were told the flight had already left.  We were there three and a half hours early and it turned out we were late.  Two sisters who are passed their release date were very sad.  The three others were not too disappointed.  They did not want to leave to continue their service in their country in the first place.  Understandable, they love the people of Vanuatu and the people of Vanuatu loves them back.  I know because of that love, the two missionaries will continue to find joy in their missionary service.   At the hospital for a medical exam At the airport, practicing leaving I guess. All this is so hard on the missionaries.  Grand-papa had interviews with the ones in Vanuatu thi...