Earthquake - Part 1

Incredible beauty of the ocean - Tanna

Vanuatu is made up of 83 islands, of which 65 are inhabited. We live on the island of Efate, in the capital city of Port Vila. It's located in the South-Western Pacific, close to Fiji and Australia. Honestly, I had never heard of Vanuatu in my life and it literally is a dot in the Ocean. The people look very Fijian which is Melanesian not Polynesian. I didn't know that was a thing either.

Kids walking home from school in Tanna

These are very happy people with simple lives who enjoy life without what most people in the USA would consider "comfortable". The beach and waters are absolutely breathtaking with little gems all over the islands to explore. We have not done any of that yet, but are still trying to find our way with basic things in this new environment.

In the USA we are used to things being exact. For example, at home we set our oven for 350 degrees and we know it's pretty much going to be 350 degrees. Here, you have to use fire to light it and hope for the best! I did actually use the oven and it worked pretty well, so happy day!

Mamas market on Tanna

The largest assignment for our mission is the building project that will take place on two other islands. Tanna and Malekula. The mission president wanted us to get to both islands as soon as possible to get the lay of the land and make connections. We were told to bring food and be prepared for bumpy roads, bugs, and meeting amazing faithful people. So off we went, four days after we arrived to Port Vila.

Active volcano on Tanna - Our "road"
was through the ash of the volcano.

We took a 30 minute flight to the island of Tanna to see nine church building sites. Some are building additions and some will be complete new builds with separate missionary quarters. Tanna is not like Port Vila where we live. There are no stores but random little boxes with a few items for sale and most of the island is what they call "the bush", which is what it sounds like.... all brush, trees, and thick plants, and LOTS of bugs. We also saw some amazing things. 

This is the Bishop of a ward on Tanna. They are leaning against a toilet being put in. 

Most people walk or get rides in backs of trucks. There was a very pregnant woman and man who jumped in the back of the truck we were being driven in. She was holding a bag of partially frozen raw chicken. I asked the driver, "What would she have done had you not picked her up? He said, "She would have walked a few hours home". This is the life there.

We saw tiny little shacks with wood, tarps, and wooden benches where they meet for church... 160 - 300 people, most of whom walk for an hour or two to church. We saw grass huts, and some other very roughly built churches with wood.

 

This good man was the Branch president for 10 years.
His brother is now the Bishop. 160-300 people meet here.
These are three of his granddaughters.

One tiny church had a small wooden sign in the front of the chapel that was almost falling down. In Bislama it says, "God is the head of this house". There was a tiny table where they prepare the sacrament, and flowers at the "podium" that were dead from the week before. No power, water, or anything that would be considered comfortable.

"God is the head of this house."

We saw a grave of a woman who had died at 103 years old. She had gone to the temple and was a stalwart in the gospel with her family until the end. Her grave stone says: To you in loving sweet memory. In remembrance of your 4 boys, 3 girls,  32 grandsons, 20 granddaughters, 35 Grand grand sons,  37 grand grand daughters, 3 grand grand grand sons, 1 grand grand grand daughter. Promise to meet you on that great morning when Jesus comes!" What a legacy!

On our last site stop, we met a man who happened to be the first counselor in the Tanna Stake Presidency. He also has been hired by the church to be involved in the building and maintenance projects on that island. It was as if he had been waiting for us. He had no idea who we were or that we were coming or what our role was. Remember, we are out in the middle of nowhere... We explained everything, and his eyes filled with tears and he said, "God has sent you here. I have been praying that he would send someone. Let's get some buildings built!". It really was this amazing moment where we all knew God is in the details and we were where we needed to be. They have just created a stake on Tanna and there were 3000 people at the last Stake Conference. They are absolutely desperate for adequate places to meet for church.

We leave for the island of Malekula next Tues - Thurs and they say that this island is even more primitive than Tanna. No hot water, and staying there is like glorified camping. I'm thinking, "Trek, Island style"! I will be bringing food, and extra supplies in case we get stuck. We have several sites we will see over 2 days and hopefully our flight will actually leave to bring us back to Port Vila Thursday.

So, yes, we are tired, still adjusting, dealing with bug bites, a bit overwhelmed, and dealing with the cortisol spikes of 3 inch long cockroaches running at us... however, we have started and will continue to see miracles as we move forward here in this beautiful land.

We love you all,

The Kwans

Sunset at the Tanna resort we stay at
when traveling there. Stunning

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Visitors Welcome" -- In Bislama