2021 Month 3:2 (8-14 March)

 

If ambrosia is the food for gods, it has to taste like this smoothie I made today.

Last week I made a mistake, calling the fruit below passion fruit.  It actually is guava.  I can't believe we did not find these before.  It smells heavenly and it tastes sooooo good.

So I made a strawberry, guava, mango  (I added 3 figs that had been soaking in water to soften because I did not have enough mango) and almond milk (because I did not have coconut milk). 

😋 so delicious!!!

It was the perfect elixir to conclude a pretty wonderful week.

I was a little apprehensive at the beginning of last week because of all that was planned: 

- Second attempt to help the 4 sisters from Kiribati get to New Zealand then to Fiji to quarantine

which included getting another COVID test with results early enough to obtain a letter of approval from the Fiji government before their departure.

-Orientation of a new missionary arriving the same day the 4 sisters were scheduled to leave (check-in time is 5:00 am).

Two days of mission tour with Elder and Sister Nattress.  First day is a mission leadership council and the second day is conference, some interviews and meal.

I prayed Heavenly Father that He would help me feel peace even if complications would arise...and they did...and I felt peace, even joy during and at the end of each day.

In a nutshell, here are a few tender mercies we experienced this week.

Monday

 Grand-papa had an appointment to get the airplane tickets for the 4 sisters from Vila to New Zealand. (The reason why they could not leave 2 weeks ago was because the sale of the ticket was not processed when it was supposed to be).  He decided to stop by the Air Vanuatu office on his way to the mission office to verify if the rumor about their office being transferred to the airport was true.  The doorman told him the Air vanuatu offices were now at the airport.  Grand-papa went back to his car and felt he should go back and ask the doorman what offices were there instead.  As he approached the man, the lady with whom grand-papa had an appointment that afternoon, came out and asked him if it was about the 4 sister missionaries who needed the tickets.  Grand-papa said yes and she said she was busy with a customer but could help him after.  Grand-papa asked her about their offices being at the airport now and she said it was a mistake.  They are still downtown, a stone throw away from the mission office.  Grand-papa told her he would come back at the appointed time of  2 o'clock and she agreed.  Now this must seem like a small detail but if grand-papa had not returned to ask about the new offices in that building, he would have gone to the airport which is about 15 minutes away and had to come back to the office downtown.  He would have been late and stressed.  Tender mercy #1

Tender mercy #2

I was heading to the hospital with three of the 4 sisters because one of them was with her district for an activity and was late to meet us at the mission office.  I told her to get off the bus at the Au Bon Marche, half way between the mission office and the hospital and I would pick her up there.  Her companions could stay in the bus because I would be there to pick her up.  Leaving the mission office we encountered a lot of traffic and I was tempted to get nervous I would not be there before she did.  I decided to trust in the Lord and we arrived two minutes before she got out of the bus.

When we arrived at the hospital, we were there a total of 45 minutes for the swab and I had an opportunity to speak to the person doing the swab and also responsible for sending the results.  During our conversation, I mentioned that  I knew all these tests were necessary but it sure took some pleasure out of travelling.  I was able to explain to him what we needed to do after we received the test and it added some stress since the sisters needed that approval letter before checking time at 5:00 am on Wednesday.  

Tender mercy #3

When we got up on Tuesday, we had already received the results and we were able to send them to the health ministry in Fiji early that day.  We still had to remain calm to hear the inspiration of what to do when we were not receiving the letter.  We finally received it and I was again thankful for grand-papa listening to what he needed to do to expedite the process.

Tender mercy #4

It is 5:15 am at the airport.  We are being told the sisters cannot board the flight because they have the wrong visa for New Zealand.  This one is for a maximum transit time of 24 hours.  They will be there 26 hours before boarding the flight to Fiji.  Grand-papa talked to the man in charge of border control in New Zealand to ask for his name so the person in charge of booking the flights and getting visas for us could talk to him.  He told grand-papa that it would not make a difference because the law is the law and he would not make an exception.  We spoke with Tony, our travel director in New Zealand and he told us to hold tight, he was going to make call to obtain that exception.  In the meantime, the manager of the check-in at Air Vanuatu , told us he could hold up until 6:15 am before closing the flight.  We were very grateful for his understanding and help.   We received THE call at 6:00 am.  It was a go.  The manager needed to confirm with the border agent, David, who asked to talk to grand-papa to ask him some questions:

Are they all healthy?  Do they need any special attention like a wheelchair etc.?  Grand-papa told him that they were all young and healthy.  Then David responded that he was granting us an exception.😅

Tender mercy #5

The sisters are going through security.  One of them is struggling with the documents.  She is the last one to go through.  Another sister is next to her to help her.  We are standing at the door looking in to make sure they go through.  One custom employee is motioning to us to get out of the doorway.  I went back and grand-papa just showed him a minute pointing to the sister who was struggling.  Grand-papa saw a piece of paper that fell of the little counter in front of the custom officer.  The 2 sisters started leaving after getting the plastic envelop with the last sister's documents.  Grand-papa called out to them and said:  I think one boarding pass has fallen to the floor.  Sure enough. It was the boarding pass of the last sister.😳

We came in two cars and as I am driving back home, once they are all inside at the gate ready to board the plane, I am feeling like I am abandoning my children.  Then the thought came to my mind.  "Before I entrusted them to you, I was watching over them.  I am taking over now.  You can let go."  "Tout obéit

à ma volonté.  Sois tranquille." "Peace be still" 

Tender mercy #6

We had a wonderful orientation with our new missionary.  I had the energy and stamina even after all the excitement and very little sleep the night before.  I read in D&C 24:7 this week: 

"For thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion; and in this thou shalt have strength"

We had strength this week to accomplish everything in the midst of sometimes stressful situations.

Tender mercy #7

Thursday morning, we are getting ready to connect by zoom with Elder Nattress, of the Seventy and member of the Pacific Area Presidency, and his wife for the Mission Leadership Council (MLC).

We receive a message from one of the sisters now in New Zealand that they do not have the right document to enter Fiji and so they will not let them check-in.  Also they do not have their luggage because they could not leave the terminal to go get them.  We show the sisters the two letters they have to show the gate agent, we speak with the agent about the luggage also (thank goodness for Messenger) Tony spoke with the agent also.  All is well.  Then we receive another message from the manager of the agents saying that it is not enough.  They need another document.  We put her in contact with Tony. Five minutes before we start our meeting with the Nattresses, the zone leaders and sister training leaders, we get the final message that the sisters have been approved to board with their luggage.  😅😅

We had wonderful meetings Thursday and Friday for the mission tour.  We will have a follow-up meeting with the Nattresses this Tuesday.  The sisters are in quarantine in Fiji.

Tender mercy #8

Saturday morning we woke up to a miraculous news.

This past November a missionary from Vanuatu serving in the Cote d' Ivoire Abidjan West Mission came back to Vanuatu to finish his mission here.  He will be released the first week of June.  His luggage got lost in Paris and many attempts were made to retrieve it unsuccessfully.  I want to share with you the story we read in a tread of e-mails we received.

Elder John Lewis is a senior missionary serving in the Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan EAST Mission.  He is from Orem.  His neighbors in Orem are now serving in the Paris Mission in the mission office.  

The Charles de Gaulle Airport had a lost luggage they were getting ready to destroy because it had not been claimed.  When they opened the suitcase they found missionary tags, a planner etc and they knew it belonged to a missionary.  They knew the senior couple serving in the Paris Mission because they probably go often to the airport for the missionaries.  They decided to call the couple and asked them to try to track down the missionary.  They called their neighbor Elder Lewis who serves in Cote d'Ivoire.  The name tag read Elder Kema and something else indicated he had been there.

Elder Lewis e-mailed President Lewis who presides in the Cote d'Ivoire WEST Mission asking him if he had an elder Kema who left in November and had a lost piece of luggage.

President Lewis responded:

"Absolutely! It is him.  This is nothing short of a miracle.  We have deployed many resources to find the suitcase.  I am copying President Duquette of the Vanuatu Port Vila Mission in hopes that we can get it to him."

The senior couple in Paris coordinated this with the Charles de Gaulle people.  They needed documents like the tag, the boarding pass a copy of the passport.  Tony in New Zealand who had tried to help, still had all the needed documents and e-mailed them and we should receive it 24 March 2021.

When I think how a little thing like a suitcase can be returned to one of the Lord's missionary, I know He will help the mission president and his wife succeeding us arrive here also. 

We heard that Jacob experienced some tender mercy also.

What is important to his children is important to our Heavenly Father.  He will always be there to give us the strength and courage we need.  We are always praying that you will  see the hand of the Lord in your life.  I know He was there with you Jacob.

We rejoice with each and every one of you for all the wonderful things you experience.

A beautiful drawing of Skylar

A very nice Christmas decoration Jaden just finished making

Even the successes in your work (Melanie)

On another note:  Life in Vanuatu

Maybe that is why we do not have COVID-19 in Vanuatu 😉

Sweet boys in the back of this truck were waving to us as we were riding behind them

Little Jalinda who kept looking at us during Sacrament meeting today.  We were visiting the Etas Ward.

We got to see Adam Hilliman who was serving with us about a year ago in the Solomon Islands.  It is always so nice to see or hear from our missionaries..

One last message we send you from our study in the scriptures this week:

"Be patient in afflictions...endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days."

MIFALA LAVEM YUFALA TUMAS!