Malekula 2.0 - A little easier this time :)

Our trip to Malekula was a little easier this time, but definitely had plenty of adventure and crazy stuff while seeing 8 properties and staying at a bungalow. It’s one of those things that no matter how I try to describe what it’s like, unless you actually experience it, it’s pretty unimaginable. 

Malekula is one of the least developed islands in Vanuatu. We have to take a flight on a very tiny propeller plane and then pray, ha ha. There are no hotels, only small stores that sell what they can get or grow. With mostly dirt roads, villages, churches, and schools are sprinkled through out the island. There is massive amounts of rain 7 months of the year, and of course dirt and water make mud…. LOTS of it! Driving in the mud up mountains without addresses or landmarks makes for an extremely bumpy sometimes scary exciting all day ride. Every time we would head out with our driver he would say, “OH, roads, very bad! Will take two hours”. So off we would go with our peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, nuts and snacks. We also bring other supplies and tools we may or may not need when visiting these missionary quarters. We buy water from one of the tiny stores and hope we can get where we need to go. If there is too much rain, the rivers we need to drive through will be too high and won’t be able to get across, so we have plan “A”, “B”, and “C” and pray for the best! 

Uripiv Elders standing outside their bush house

One place we visited is on a little island off of Malekula called Uripiv. We drove for a while and then had to take a 30 minute boat ride, get out of the boat in the water and walk to shore. There is a branch of the church there with about 60 members and the missionaries are amazing. They both happen to be Americans and are thriving and the branch is growing.

On the boat to Uripiv

Their little bush house was immaculate and they both exude love and joy in in life and in sharing the gospel. They were also pretty happy about the chocolate I brought. I don’t always bring things, but in this case Easter was the day before and I had some chocolate for them.

Boat to Uripiv

On Malekula, there are some church owned missionary quarters that have bathrooms and showers inside but most are bush houses where those things are outside and there is no running water inside. There was this one place we needed to go that we had to drive through this river and then switch from the 4-wheel drive truck to a Land Cruiser. “OH, the roads, very bad!” So we weren’t sure we were even going to make it with the Land Cruiser, which looks like a Jurassic Park truck. 

Some of the places we had to hike to because the roads were not drivable.

We got through the river fine and switched to our Jurassic Park truck and off we went. WOW. I seriously thought we were going to get stuck a few times. We were sliding all over the road and some of the mud troughs were almost 3 feet deep. Joe and I were inside the cab and the missionaries were in the back. Mud was flying everywhere trying to get through it but we made it to our destination. 

We hiked up the mountain about 20 minutes to get to one of the villages.

We visited both villages and the bush homes, which are more like huts. They were so sweet and very happy to see us. All four of them from the two houses across the river are island boys so they were totally in their element. As we sat in their little huts they told us all about their areas and the branches they serve in. They talked about hard days and what they are learning about themselves and about God in their life. 

As we went back to the area to switch back to the regular 4-wheel drive truck, it was not there… I said, “So where is the truck”?, with a tone that I knew this was going to get interesting. The driver said, “Oh, had to drive to the other side of river. Tide coming in. Too deep”. Yeah … After a 10 minute walk to the river, we walked through it, up to our waist to get to the other side where the truck was. The good news, is I had a feeling I should wear pants instead of a dress that day and it’s a good thing. The missionaries were so cute, they said, “We can carry you Sister Kwan”, ha ha… I laughed and said, “I’ll be fine. Let’s go”. After a very soggy, salty, hot, two hour drive back to the bungalow, I put more poison on to protect from mosquitos and was happy we had one more successful day down. 

A river crossing we'll never forget

The river we crossed.

About the bungalow we stayed at. There was a bucket shower in the room with cold water. At night the owner would knock on the door with some food on a sticky rat trap that they would put in the rafter to try and keep the rats from coming down where we were.

Bucket shower

The next morning I took my bag with the containers of peanut butter and jam we brought to make sandwiches. The little stores may or may not have things, so we always bring what we need. There is no access to a refrigerator, thus the PBJ sandwiches. SO! I notice that the lid to the PB was missing, as in GONE, no where to be found. I thought that was weird, and then noticed a hole on the side of the bag and realized that a rat had gotten into the bag and had taken the lid. Needless to say, that was the end of the PBJ and was glad I had brought other food. 

The bungalow owner did make us breakfast and dinner so we only needed to bring food for during the day. Most days we had eggs for breakfast but one of the days eggs were not available, as in no eggs on the island. So many things we take for granted back home. Eggs may be a million dollars right now back home but you can always get them. We survived our lodge experience and it was actually much better than the first time we went to Malekula if that gives perspective. 

We needed to set up new housing in an area called Vao, and like the other places the driver said, “OH, roads very bad. Will take two hours”! Currently the Vao area elders are living 45 min away from their teaching area and they have the only working missionary truck on the island. For various reasons, the missionaries are down three trucks and this was the only one working. They met us at the proposed property and when we got there they looked distraught and said the truck was completely dead. It was the starter. There is very little cell phone coverage out there, and getting a transport back to town (two hours) was hit and miss and now the ONLY working truck is down. Because we just happened to be there, we could get them to town without an issue and see if we could get someone to fix the truck. Tiny stores, very few parts for vehicles, not an easy fix. The miracle is that we happened to be with them, we were able to get them to town, and they were able to get the starter from a missionary truck that had been driven through a river that killed the engine. Yes… true story! It was fixed the next day which was a total miracle! 

Tiny chapel and if you look up front, you will see a "Come Follow Me"

 book and scriptures. When we drove up a little family was studying.

Vanuatu has a very tribal culture which brings a lot of “traditions of their fathers” that are rough. They still buy and sell women for marriage and as people join the church, letting go of some of the cultural practices and beliefs is a challenge. One brother explained to me, “You know, we pay the family money and then they are our women". Then he said, "How does it work with you and Elder Kwan?” I laughed, and said, “Not like that”. Ha ha I explained more and he said, “Yes, I think your way is better”. :) 

We had an opportunity while there to talk with some of the leaders, men and women in a training about the importance of women, women’s voices being heard, and revered as equal. We referenced President Nelsons talk, “A Plea to My Sisters” from October 2015. He said, “We need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your wisdom, your ability to lead, and your VOICES.” We talked about all of the ways the men can support the women in becoming full participants in the branches and district, in councils, meetings, and in families. We talked with the women about speaking up and sharing. The women need to see and feel the men valuing and honoring them as equals. It is the Lords way. It may take several generations to root out some of these deep seeded traditions. 

Laundry day

As you can see there isn’t a shortage of crazy things that I couldn’t make up if I tried. When we got back from this trip we were both wiped out. It was amazing to have a hot shower, go to the store, do laundry and rest up a bit. 

As we have some of these experiences, I am reminded of the grace that God has for each of us in our own individual paths and cultures. He always works with us exactly where we are at. Whether it’s in the far off island of Malekula off a muddy gullied road, a missionary driving through a river and drowning a new off road tuck, or in the heart of Fair Oaks with hot water, expensive eggs, and a fully functioning church ward family, or exploring what our beliefs even are. Whatever our circumstances, I know that God knows us and loves us individually. He knows what we need even when it doesn’t feel like things are working. Of this I testify… 

 Six months down. Six more to go. 

We love and miss you all, 

The Kwans

A chapel that we are fixing. Holes in the thatch roof is a big problem when it rains. Joes is working with Vianey to get it fixed while waiting for a "proper" church building to be built.

Zone leaders in Malekula in a house with one of the only air conditioner on the island.

Most of the Malekula missionaries in the back of the only working missionary truck on the island. Two elders were on their way to the airport as they had finished their missions.

A little chapel in the mountains. The chalk board has notes written from the temple preparation class that had been held the previous Sunday,