Isles of the Sea

Dinner at our Chinese friends restaurant with
Joes daughter and family. We had a great time.

It has been a flurry of activity around the islands!

On March 17th, we celebrated the 183rd birthday of the largest women’s organization in the world — The Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over 500 women gathered together in this remote part of the world and celebrated in song and local dance. The party was on a Monday night and lasted almost four hours! There was a huge BBQ put on by the men. The women in each church unit (ward or branch) had a “presentation” of speaking and dance that was so fun. I remember thinking how remarkable it is that a women’s organization that started with 20 women in 1842 has now reached over 7 million and here I was in a distant “island of the sea” at a celebration with hundreds of women of faith. It was pretty cool.

Women were inside, outside, everywhere! Some had traveled
over an hour from the other side of the island to be there.

We have been incredibly busy with our assignments. We get calls all hours of the day and night from missionaries over four different islands with all kinds of situations and issues. Rats are in their food, they are out of water, rats chewing through the “wall”, out of power,  other solar issues, refrigerator (if they have one) isn’t working, holes in the screens and all kinds of bugs coming in, faucet leaking or fallen off, toilets leaking (if they have a real one) or has fallen through the floor, and on and on… I can’t make this stuff up.

Baptism at the ocean :)

This one night we got a call from a young elder who said another missionary was in a lot of pain. He is in a neighboring companionship. These elders are on a different island without senior missionaries and probably an hour and a half away from a (sort of) town. They live in total bush. If there was a bad accident and someone was bleeding to death, they would not make it. That’s how remote this place is. So, we talked through the many different possibilities and he said, “Well, we gave him a blessing and four Ibuprofen. I asked if he was feeling a little better and I said, I’m sure the drugs helped a bit and the elder quickly responded… and the priesthood blessing. I laughed and said, yes elder absolutely. I’ve said this before but the faith of these missionaries living in the kind of conditions they do is remarkable and inspiring.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Next week we are flying to the island of Tanna to visit eight missionary dwellings, and to finalize two other homes that we need to set up for at least six new missionaries arriving the end of the month. It sounds like it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but everything here is. Getting basic water, power (solar), toilets, enough shelter, and the supplies they need to remote locations is challenging. Our plan is to see what needs to be done in the eight current missionary homes to stop the mice and other issues we don’t even know about yet but know are there. as well as help clean extra stuff out to see what other issues need to be addressed. We are feeling like we need to get there as soon as possible. Supplies and tools have been put on the ferry so that we will have what's needed there. I’m sure I will have some crazy stories come out of this trip. :)

Things we put on the ferry headed to Tanna

Traveling to these other islands you don’t want to mess around with the natural bug spray products. Going for the full on poison is the best protective option, ha ha. Bringing food with us is important because we will be in the bush all day and there aren't a lot of options but we can buy water there. It will be an ADVENTURE for sure.

When the family was here we went to the Vanuatu Sky Bridge. We could only drive part way up the mountain and had to hike the rest of the way because of the landslide covering the road from the earthquake.

A week or so ago Joe’s daughter and family came to visit for a week! We had so much fun being with them. As soon as they landed we told them that they had entered the twilight zone and to be ready for the “Vanuatu way”. As we piled into the off road truck that we drive and passed another truck with 14 people in the back their eyes were as big as saucers. Four and five year olds in the back of a trucks is the norm! Many people even sit on the edge while the truck is bouncing up and down on the pot holed roads. It’s surprising that there are not more accidents than there are.

Vanuatu Sky Bridge. A 120 meter long hanging bridge.
Beautiful views of the rainforest and ocean.

Emily, Rob, Nathanial, and Vera

We have started teaching a missionary preparation class for our little branch that we attend. It gets bigger every week. We asked the students why they have decided to go on a mission. This one young man who is the only member in his family said, “I feel like God has given me so much and I want to share with others what I have found. I just felt like somethings missing in my life and I want others to feel the peace I have now”. He is 18 years old. A sister said, “My whole family are members and I didn’t really want to go on a mission, but I started having that feeling like that was the next step of what God wanted me to do.” She is 23 years old. Another young man said, “I have seen how the gospel has changed lives and I want to help others feel and receive that too. He is 19. We love being with these young adults and sharing in their faith and spirit.

The world is full of things that can cause fear and uncertainty. Choosing to come back to the one who is the healer of all will give us peace and calm. This I know to be true.

Say a prayer for us this next week. We will need it. :)

We love and miss you all,

The Kwans

"Flying Fox" a delqecasey in Vanuatu....Otherwise known as BAT.
It tasted like a very strong beef. Not a fan.