Reflections - Our last week in Vanuatu

Our time in Vanuatu has been an eye opening, educational, and complex experience. The incredible beauty of the clear aqua blues of the ocean, to the beautiful loving people and the contrast of the complicated social issues has been life changing.

The last few weeks have been filled with a lot of “lasts”, goodbyes, and “see you on the other side”. We have finished up housing inspections, visited with the young missionaries, worked on getting two solar systems to meeting houses on other islands, taken care of various responsibilities and just the winding up process of moving our life from here on the islands preparing to go back home.

Missionaries in a village called Teouma

We got a call from missionaries in the deep bush on the island of Tanna saying that they had not had water for seven days. Someone had cut the line in the village to their house and so they have been getting by with buying water to drink, and getting enough water from a neighbors tank to have a bucket shower once that week.

Elder Furiaa... Our only Italian missionary here in this mission! Our friends, the Ferraras are currently serving in Italy in his parents ward. Small world!

Situations like this are so complicated even trying to figure out exactly what the problem is and how to fix it. We finally were able to get some traction and as of today they have water. Several of these kinds of issues have come up just in this last week, which also happens to be the last week of our mission. 

Even something that should be simple as buying a stove top to send on the ferry to another island today was a bit complicated. After three stores that normally have them, I found one store who only had a one burner stove (instead of two) because there aren’t any of the other ones on the island right now. This mission experience has been A LOT of Plan A, B, C… and sometimes we get to Z praying for a solution.

There are many different kinds of missions for older or “senior” missionaries but a lot of what we do is back up and support of the young missionaries as well as support different wards/branches (congregations) of the church. On our last mission in Hong Kong, along with the humanitarian project in Mongolia, our assignments were more involved with the members (young single adults) and we had a lot of assignments within that arena. This mission has been very different because what they needed us to do was to come in and clean up a lot of issues, straighten out housing, find more rentals, close down some houses, get current properties up to standard, and helping to shift the mission culture and expectations of the young missionaries with standards of living (cleanliness, no trash outside or inside, more focus, etc.) on 4 different islands. It has been a grind, uphill for 12 months. We. Are. Tired. We are also fulfilled and feel like we did our best in doing what we were sent here to do.

Mission Leaders - President and Sister Ball :)

With all of the responsibilities we have had here in Vanuatu, that in and of themselves are not spiritual at all, we have seen so many miracles! We have had some incredible moments with missionaries that needed support. Built 2.5 wells, replaced a roof, opened 13 new houses, and closed down 4, and have gotten power and water to many meeting houses on different islands. Once we are back home we will be able to finish the last well project and the power connection to Pinalum on Malekula remotely. Anyone who knows Joe, you know he's not going to let go until those two projects are complete.

Well in Mele. With President Ball, mission leader.

After the earthquake last December, it was impossible to find housing anywhere for the entire year. Owners were kicking people out of homes and renting them to businesses whose current building went down or was uninhabitable. We literally felt the Lords hand guiding us to find these new places for the young missionaries. 

Some stories I have shared in the past, but there was this one large missionary home the mission had used for a long time. We affectionately called it “the party house”… The whole thing was bad in every way and we needed to get rid of it, but that meant we needed to find 3 properties to replace this one big house where 8 missionaries were living. We felt SO strongly that we needed to do this, so we went to work. We prayed and prayed and drove around and around. You literally walk into a village and yell, "whoo hoo!" and someone comes outside that you can talk to. It is part of the culture and respectful as their yard is part of their house so there is no "knocking on doors". 

These three places we found (to replace the big house) weren’t even “for rent”… We basically talked to the village chief and made a deal with them and sold them on the idea of renting to the mission. The best part is that with these new places, all sets of these missionaries are now living in their teaching areas which saves them hours in the day of walking/travel. Even more important than that, it's supporting them in their missionary purpose which is to stay focused on bringing others to Christ and not getting distracted from other things.

The Branch President and the young men performing a traditional war dance.

We loved working with the branch in the village of Mele. It was wonderful to be able to serve together and see the growth of this little branch. It will become a ward by next spring. They were really sweet and had a party for us the Friday night before we left.

Missionaries dancing a traditional Samoan "story".

They set two chairs up for us in the middle of the room and then performed traditional dances and songs honoring us and the sweet island gifts kept coming... dresses, shirts, lays, scarves, handwoven bags, and so much more. Each organization had a "presentation" for us (Young Women, Primary, Elders Quorum, Relief Society, etc,) and had us join in on the dancing several times. I just kept thinking how I needed to savor the moment, because this memory we will hold in our hearts forever. It was quite moving and we felt so loved. 

The young women performing their dance.

We are grateful for the opportunity to have been able to serve these people in this land. It is a place we didn’t even know existed, with a people who are pure in heart, so loving and who are accepting the gospel in droves....109 baptisms just in Port Vila in one month.

We love the Tikoisuva family! They are amazing leaders. He is the elders quorum president and she is in stake leadership.

Last Sunday we saw this young man from a very humble family who is about 12 years old passing the sacrament. He was in a nice white shirt, tie, and of course flip flops reverently passing the sacrament. Joe and I looked at each other and said, “That is the future of the church here in Vanuatu”.

The Malmelteck's. She is the relief society president and he is in the branch presidency. They are both fantastic.

The temple will be dedicated sometime in the spring of 2027. It will change this land and it will change the people. They will gain an even better, broader understanding of Jesus Christ, the power of our covenants and the ability for that to change us and bring us joy and peace. We are so excited for these people and what will happen for them as they continue to learn and apply these principles in their lives with their families.

Personally, I am in awe of the incredible grace God has for all of us... for me, for you, and for the people here in this land. He loves as we are but doesn't want to leave us that way. The gospel of Jesus Christ is about transformation....through his guiding hand with love and patience that He has for each of us. How beautiful is that?

So this is it... For the last time....

We love and miss you all. Your support has been felt and so appreciated!

The Kwans

A traditional "mamas dress" and matching shirt. The Branch gave us these clothes to wear at the celebration party.

The Primary children performed a dance at the party. 

Tonga, USA, Fiji, Vanuatu... Think of all the different cultures living in one house.

There are missionaries from Africa, USA, Samoa, Vanuatu, Philippines. 

A much needed day of fun to the little island of Moso. It is beautiful and relaxing.

Incredible crystal blue/aqua water.

Visiting with another missionary, Sister Lovelace.

Beautiful vegetables at the mammas market