.... and with all the "hard", then there's this :)


It was a beautiful Saturday and we were exhausted from the week of handling a million things for the missionaries … research for solar systems, water tanks, contacting owners about clogged drains and air conditioners, moving missionaries, cleaning out apartments, getting an apartment load shipped to Tanna, trying to find things for apartments that don’t exist on the island etc. We were told there would be a baptism for a couple of people in the branch that we serve in (a “branch” is a church congregation smaller than a ward). My first thought was, wow I didn’t know there was a baptismal font at that church building! So off we went.


Putting all the belongings for a new apartment in
Port Resolution on the Island of Tanna on the ferry

We drive about 40 minutes away on the other side of the island from where we live to an area called Mele, which is where we have been assigned. When we got to the church building and asked about the font, and the missionaries said, “We baptize in the ocean. We just walk about 5 minutes and it’s right there”. We thought, ok, this will be an adventure! We had the “service” with talks and all of that at the church and then we were off to walk to the ocean, which was more like 15 minutes away in an absolute downpour with “sheets of water” rain. 

Walking in the pouring rain to the ocean :)


We waded through puddles to get to where we needed to be and yet it was the coolest thing ever… Here we were on the other side of the world, at the ocean with three people willing to accept Christ’s invitation to take upon them his name and devote their life to trying to live as he did and strive to become better every day.

Beautiful sight

Our branch president wore shorts, a polo shirt, and flip flops to the baptism. Customarily for official church meetings a church leader would always wear a white shirt, tie, pants and shoes. Not realizing that he needed to get in the water as well, or that he only has one set of “church clothes” and no washing machine/dryer, he was saving his "Sunday best" for the next days church meetings. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in “traditions” of how we are used to doing things and do not remember that customs, circumstances, and culture have nothing to do with the principles and ordinances taking place.

Branch President and a missionary were "witnesses"
while another missionary performed the baptism.

We have four dogs that regularly attend sacrament meeting. They attend the other meetings too! Walking up and down the isles during the sacrament and even went up to the stand when others got up to bear testimony last week. We struggled immensely to not burst out laughing and feel that their attendance is better than anyone else’s.

Joe is focused on several very serious maintenance issues at missionary quarters and meetinghouses on the islands of Tanna and Malekula. (By video calls, which is tricky) They were not built properly, especially the septic systems so he is trying to help them untangle those issues. So many things we take for granted are just not the “norm” here. Anyone who knows Joe, you know he is all about “doing it right”, so his mind has been blowing up with all the different issues and doing a lot of teaching and helping to get this stuff fixed correctly… and there is A LOT of it. Basic water, septic, solar power, and covering for rain are all huge issues. The humidity and heavey amounts of rain is also very hard on any building structure let alone thatch roofs. The new building construction will be starting in March so that will be ramping up very soon.

Another big part of what we do is train missionaries about basic care of their apartments… Many of these missionaries are from other islands and have only experienced bush living (no running water, bucket showers, a hole in the ground for a toilet, etc). On these islands, there are a lot of bush houses and these missionaries do well because this is what they are used to. Many of the American missionaries think it's a super cool adventure in "camping" on an island and do fine. However, there are areas where we do have these modern conveniences, and several apartments even have air conditioning and washing machines. 


Sisters do not serve in the outer islands or bush houses. For the islanders and those from other parts of the world that have never experienced some of these modern conveniences, things like not leaving water and food out to minimize cockroaches, cleaning up garbage and taking it to the street, not using weights in the living room and dropping them on the floor, how to use a screen door, and so much more are completely new concepts. These things are completely new to more than half of the the missionaries here. Oh, and I love this one... If you are going to kill a bug on the wall with your flip flop, you need to clean the footprint off the wall. :) Most are sweet and receptive and it continues to be an ongoing conversation.


Making a concerted effort to think about all that we are grateful for and all that is good and doing what we can is a daily choice, sometimes hourly depending on what is going on. I find myself in a place of needing to choose radical acceptance of just about everything. There is a lot to be grateful for and even though the challenges here are bigger than anything we have ever seen in our life, even if we can’t totally fix it we can at least do our best to “move the needle” as much as possible while we are here.

Branch Pres, Elders Quorum Pres, Relief Society Pres,
and several others there for support.

Being at that ocean baptism, walking through deep puddles, completely soaked from the waist down will go down as one of the top most amazing experiences of this mission. It was a total reminder of why we are here and what this is about. It was a reminder of the Saviors love for them, for me, and for you… In the good, the bad, the unimaginable, and the joyful. Life isn’t perfect and in many ways difficult, messy, and hard but there truly is hope in Christ and healing in his word and binding ourselves to him. That is where joy and healing is found.


This I know to be true…


We love and miss you all!

The Kwans

Demolition of several buildings post earthquake
These were the American Embassy and the
Chantilly hotel and restaurant
Electrical repair shop. Took a washing machine in to be fixed 
because a young missionary put a pillow in to be washed. :) 

Huge avocado next to a pineapple and long green beans.
Super happy avocados are now in season.




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