Our Time in Vanuatu

A bouquet of flowers for our birthday grandchildren. First a long overdue shout out to Jaden.  My granny brain forgot to take a picture in December when we spoke to him for his birthday.  He even waited to open his gifts so we could be with them on Messenger.  Shame, shame on me.  On a brighter note, it makes your special day last longer.  We love you Jadeboo to the moon and keep going into the eternities.  😘😘 We just can't believe our sweet gymnast Bella belle is 12 !!!!!!                                                                               Impressive!!! It was so fun to talk to you (on your special day here) and we kept thinking about you the next day on your special day there.                    All thi...

  Monday, grand-papa came back from the district conference in Malekula. Meeting in the natangura in Pinalum, Malekula It was a wonderful conference. This is the Litslits chapel.  One branch of the Malekula District He enjoyed his association with humble and diligent members. The following picture is a good indication of how hardworking these people are. Yep!  He did all that with a hedge trimmer and in the blazing hot sun.   Grand-papa lost a few pounds in sweat and was the main course of bed bugs for three nights.  We made sure the snack stopped in Malekula and did take all the precautions for that to happened.  After explaining the details to Halle during a messenger chat, she told me her mom was "satisfied with your precautions"  😁  Rest assured, no little critters will follow us home.  He is doing well and the marks are slowly fading away. It is now a story to add to our adventure list. I could sum up the week with the following wo...

 A cutie pie at Church today: I am the one taking the picture not holding her.  I miss holding my babies (big and small, older or younger) What's up on week 3 of 2021? A lot of the routine happened this week :  Being at the office on Monday when the missionaries come to talk and e-mail family , the mission president and friends.  Tuesday we had a second video call with the Messicks.  We do not want to overwhelm them with all the details we feel would help them adjust in Vanuatu and so I feel we just barely talked on a few things.  As we think of different things we keep notes in a folder (electronic or paper) to give them a little bit of reading and to hopefully make their life easier.  It is a delight to visit with them and we are excited about what the future will bring under their leadership. I found out this week the steps to follow in Vanuatu (under the worldwide pandemic) to help the Messicks obtain a work permit and visa.  We will do our pa...

 At the beginning of this week we went around each district during their district council to share with all the missionaries who will succeed us as mission president and wife. We did not take a picture of one of the districts.  One team in that district was indisposed and we decided to take a picture of everyone in this district at a later time. We gave the missionaries the following picture of Mark and Jean Messick with their bio. Mark J. Messick, 63, and Jean W. Messick, five children, Mueller Park 5th Ward, Bountiful Utah Mueller Park Stake: Vanuatu Port Vila Mission, succeeding President J. Benoit Duquette and Sister Diane Duquette. Brother Messick is a current ward mission leader, and is a former bishop, high councilor, ward Sunday School teacher, ward Young Men president, ward Young Men adviser, and missionary in the Canada Montreal Mission. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Harold Bruce Messick and Ruth Anna Messick. Sister Messick is a current ward missionary a...