Senior Conference

Hello Family and Friends, 

This past weekend was our stake conference.  Our visiting Area Seventy was Elder Dudfield from New Zealand.  He spoke at the Friday evening adult session. He is such a warm, vivacious man.  He connected well with the people and had a great message.  The people here, as you know speak Bislama, so we can't understand most of what they say.  They had an interpretor for Elder Dudfield and the Grangers, who were given head phones to be able to understand what was being said when the local members spoke.  Brian, a young man that we teach in our returned missionary class gave us one also.  When english was being spoken, Brian just stood by the english speakers with a microphone and interpreted for the local members what was said.  Many, especially the younger people can speak and write english, but  I understand that they need to work on their comprehension. They do teach english in the schools.  The church has a program called extra class, administered by the senior couple in charge of education.  In that class, they are being taught comprehension.  

This past week, starting June 25 (Sat) - 28 (Wed), has been both busy and wonderful.  We just finished our senior missionary conference.  We had the chance to meet all of the senior missionaries from the Vanuatu Port Villa Mission. The mission covers Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands.  New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands are countries. 

Elda and Sista Anderson (from Utah), came over from Santo, one of the Islands in Vanuatu.  They only had a 45 minute flight to Port Villa on the island of Efate, where we are.  They came over Saturday morning because they wanted to go with us on our Saturday activity.  We went to our favorite snorkeling place, Hide Away.  As we visited with them, we found out what a small world it can be.  Elda Anderson served in the Utah Air National Guard, and retired in 1980.  His neice, Julie Anderson, is a member of the Air Guard, who we know and  and worked with for years while in the Guard.  We talked about all of the people we knew.  It was fun to reminisce about the good old days at the UTANG.  He will help us with the audits in the district of Santo, so we will be going to Santo and working with him for this cycle.  It will be fun to spend a few days with the Andersons in Santo and see the Vanuatu people in there more natural setting, the way most of them really, ie. village life.  His wife is a sweetheart. They are down to earth good people.

Saturday night the Sander's and the Fuimaono's arrived from the Solomon Islands. Elder Sander's and his wife are the education specialists.  He also helps with the audits there, so he will help us when we go there to do the audits and see how this all works.  With the audits being a priesthood function,  I can't sit in on the audits but I can assist in the training that we will be doing.  The Fuimaono's work in the mission office.  Elder Fuimaono is also First Counselor to President Granger in the mission presidency.

That night we all met at the Melanesian Hotel, where they all stayed.  (Two of the couples from the country of New Caledonia don't arrive until late Sunday evening).  We sat out by the pool and had a pizza party.  The pizza wasn't bad, but it was not PaPa Murphy's. Along with the pizza we got a big bowl of "chips," which we call french fries.  We had a great time visiting and getting to know each other.

Sunday was stake conference.  The stake center gets filled up fast, so they put up tent tops and lots of chairs.  They set up a screen and audio outside also.  We sat outside with the members to watch conference.  It was a really nice day, not too warm.  Elder Dudfield spoke as well as the stake president and other speakers.  They gave us head phones that day too.  The members are faithful but struggle with some of the structures of the chruch, like why are audits even needed.  The church is fairly new, so it will take some time, but they are very loving and accepting of the gospel.  The topic was on being self reliant.  That is a constant topic here.  It's a typical layed back island life.  Problem is, as I've said,  there's not alot of opportunity here in this country.  It's a constant struggle.  After church we were talking to Elder Dudfield, along with some of the other senior missionaries.  He asked us where we were from.  It turns out, he knows our Stake President, Oscar McConkie III.  They met each other in their travels and keep in contact.  He took a "selfie photo" with us in it and sent it to President McConkie.  Again, it's a "small world."  What a riot!  

We were all assigned one of the couples traveling here, to see that they got picked up at the airport and taken where they needed to be while here in Port Vila.  We were assigned Elda and Sista Jean.  They didn't arrive until Sunday evening.  The Glade's were picked up at the airport by another couple at the same time.  They didn't come in until 8:00 pm, so we just took them directly to the hotel.

Elda and Sista Glade (from Utah), and Elda and Sista Jean (from french speaking Tahiti), came from the country of New Caledonia, which is a French speaking country.  Elda Glade went on his first mission to France so he learned the language there.  He is the interpretor for the Jean's.  They assigned the Jean's to us because Elda Robison knew a little French.  He was able to converse quite well with the little bit he knew.  

On Monday morning we all went to Havanna Beach. It's a beautiful drive to the north end of the island.   A few snorkeled and swam, but most of us just visited and played table games.  We also had a BBQ , and played beach volleyball.  It was hilarious!  You just don't move like you did when you were 18!  You should have seen us!! We eventually got packed up and headed back home long enough to get cleaned up.  We met back at the hotel that night and had Family Home Evening.  We had a lesson from a talk in the April Ensign entitled, "The war goes on." It talks about Satan and his influence in the world.  We split up into groups to discuss different parts of the talk, and then talked about it as a group.  If you haven't read it, do it! 

Tuesday, we spent the whole day with President and Sister Granger at the mission home.  They gave us the training that they give the young missionaries.  We started at 9:00 am and finished at 9:00 pm.  From 9:00 am until 12:00 noon, they taught amazing things.  They are very visual in their teaching, and use lots of props and team building exercises.  The young missionaries come here from many different countries, and have different education backgrounds, so they face many types of issues. They divided us up into groups of 4 and gave each group a puzzel to put together.  The idea was to work together as a team.  We had various activities like that.  It was really fun and interesting.  The missionaries absolutely adore the Grangers.  At noon we had lunch.  We had home made soups, home made bread, salad and cookies.   After lunch we went back to training until 5:30.  They showed us videos that they produced with the missionaries as they do various activities.  The Granger's, no doubt, are having a profound effect on these missionaries.  That night we  went to Cafe Vila for dinner as a group.  It's one of the nicer places to eat dinner.  After dinner we went back to the mission home and finished an incredible day with a testimony meeting that was so very special.  We said good bye to everyone, they were all leaving to go back home the next morning.  We will never forget the time we spent with those valiant servants of the Lord.  

We hope all is well with you and your families.  We love and miss you all, and think of you often.  You are always in our prayers.  

Good bye for now.  Love,  Elda and Sista Robison XOXO

Missionary Class

We received  the news that my uncle Rulon passed away.  He was such a kind and gentle man.  He and my aunt Carma raised an amazing family.  My mom told me that he had the nickname of "peaceful," and he was indeed that.  He will be missed by so many.  Isn't it nice to know, that one day we can all be together again?!  Many thanks to the atonement of our dear Savior. 

We started teaching the missionary course called, "My Plan for Returned Missionaries," which will go for nine weeks.  The purpose of this class is to teach about being self reliant both temporally  and spiritually.  We had six returned missionaries in attendance, and we think they really enjoyed the class.  Here in Vanuatu the opportunities for work  are scarce, and so it's easy to get discouraged.    We talked about the importance of marriage and that they should be thinking about this important step, yet it's hard to afford a family.  It's tricky to figure out.   They have been home a year give or take.  Brian went on his mission to the Oakland/San Francisco mission.   In a few weeks he will be leaving to go to school in Samoa.  Kathryna went to Provo, Utah.  She absolutely loved her mission.  David stayed here in Vanuatu to serve.  William served in Austrailia and works at the Toyota dealership as a salesman.  Kiki went to Papua New Guinea  on his mission and now drives a taxi bus for his father. They seem to be doing pretty well for the circumstances they are in here. As many of you know, I love to bake cookies.  I made sugar cookies w/cream cheese frosting for the class.  They gobbled them up pretty fast.  Our sweets in the US are much sweeter than they are here. Elda Robison wouldn't let me put out a table cloth and flowers, relief society style, he just doesn't get it!  Ha

For our Saturday outing, we all went on a short ferry ride across the water from Port Vila, where we live, to Erakor Island.  It's a small island with a resort that mostly  Austrailians vacation to.  It's about a 3 hour flight for them to get to Vanuatu.  They have these  individual cottage type places to stay in that are right on a magnificent beach.  There is a spa and a nice little restaurant.  You can also arrange to have a beach wedding.  They were setting up for one that day.  While we were there,  some went snorkeling and swimming, but we took an island walking tour with a guide that was dressed like a native warrior would have been at the time.  His name was Henry!  He told us about some protestant missionaries that come to Vanuatu in the late 1800's.  They started out on Efate, but it was too dangerous at that time. The natives were very violent, so they moved to Erakor Island.  At one point in time, they would kill any white person that came to the islands.  It was an interesting tour.  I'm pretty sure that the nivans (local people) of Vanuatu have those jobs on Erakor.  They are lucky even though they would be making at the most 180 - 200 vats an hour (approx. $1.80 - $2.00 american) minimum wage here is about a dollar an hour.   No wonder they are so poor and can't get ahead.  That night everyone came to our apartment and played games and ate snacks.

We  got a text from Elder Lindeman telling us that we can't play pickleball until the 1st of July.  The President of Vanuatu passed away, so they go into a 10 day mourning period.  The pickleball courts are painted on the parking lot of the stake center.  The Stake President asked us not to play until then.  A few of us are recovering from pickleball injuries, so it might not be a bad idea. We  need to remember that we aren't teenagers anymore.  Elda Robison is recovering from a hamstring injury, Elda Lindeman from a groin injury, Sista Lindeman, a hurt foot, and Elda Davidson has something else.  

Sister Granger asked me to help with a couple of luncheons for the Missionary Leadership Council that was held at the mission home.  She made Lasagna for monday, and I made chicken enchiladas for Tuesdays lunch.  I also bought rolls and made salads for both luncheons.  I know I keep harping on the prices of things here, but it cost $98.00, a few less in vats to make 24 enchiladas, 2 salads and bread.   Holy Smokarama!  The lunches were yummy though, and the missionaries enjoyed them!  There was four missionaries there from Utah.  Two were from Kaysville, Utah!  So fun to talk to them.  I told them that Kaysville just got pickleball courts and they were EXCITED.  

We are getting ready for a seniors conference that will be held the 24th -   28th of this month.  There are 20 senior missionaries in the mission.  Ten of us in Vanuatu (10 Efate, 2 Santo), four from Soloman Islands and four from the island of New Caledonia (french speaking).  It will be held here, so the others are flying in to attend.  We are all assigned one of the couples to host, and see that they get to the various activities.  Elda Robison knows a little French so we were assigned Elder and Sister Jean from New Caledonia.

Sat, 24 June - The couples from the Soloman Islands (Fuimaono's, Sanders) and the Anderson's from Santo arrive Saturday night.  That night, we are having a pizza party at the Melanesian hotel, which is where they will all be staying.

Sun, 25 June -  We will be attending stake conference.  After conference the host couple provides dinner for the couple assigned to them.  The Jean's don't arrive until that evening.  We will pick them up at the airport at 8:00 pm. 

Mon, 26 June - We will all go to Havanna Beach (never been there) for a BBQ, snorkeling, swimming, hiking or just plain relaxing.  It will be fun getting to know all of the other missionaries.  That night we will all have family home evening together at their hotel.

Tues, 27th June - We will all meet at the mission home for a conference with President and Granger for training and instruction.  We are all making some thing to provide for lunch break.  Take a wild guess on what I was assigned.  COOKIES.  That night we will all go to a restaurant called Cafe Vila.  We have been there, and it's a good place to eat.  

Wed, 28th June - We take them back to the airport.  

It sounds like a very fun week ahead.  Can't wait to meet the others.  We'll be sure and report back!  We love you all very much and pray for your safe keeping each night.  Love, 

Elda and Sista Robison XO

Sunday school

Guess what?  We got our drivers license!  We are no longer breaking the law.

I don't think there is a speed limit around here, we've never seen a sign.  You can also pass a car anytime you want, and we've only seen one  stop sign. You really have to pay attention!  I don't plan on doing any of the driving.  I'll just do what I do best, I'll be the back seat driver. Ha!

It sounds like it's been a hot summer at home.  We are in winter here!   We have been in the 70's which would be nice if we just didn't have the humidity.  It's nice in the mornings when we play pickleball, it's a little cooler and the humidity isn't so bad.  We just read an article online talking about Kaysville getting 8 pickleball courts.  It sounds like it's really catching on.  It really is fun and great exercise too.  Give it a try!!

We talked with President Granger and asked if we could  travel with him when he goes to the other islands, that way he can introduce us to the district presidents, and their audit committees.  He thought that was a good idea.  The audits will be starting in July, so we will be starting the work that we are called to do.  The Lindeman's, the missionary couple called to administer self reliance, asked us if we would like to teach a class helping the returned missionaries that are from here, remain active.  It will be a class in self reliance.  Society is different here, they don't have the opportunities here that we have at home.  It can be really discouraging for them.  They do have a junior college here that some go to.  There is no manufacturing here, there are only a few government jobs, construction, retail, outdoor produce markets and a few other things, but not a lot.  We're just trying to get at handle on what we can help them with.

Saturday we all went to the Mele Maat cascading falls.  They are so amazing, so beautiful!  All you have to do is pay a fee to go inside the park.  There are all of these water falls that are running fast and furious.  There are pools that you can also swim in.  It could be a very dangerous place if you aren't careful.  You see all these kids and their parents hiking and enjoying the sights.  If these falls were in the US, there is no way children would be allowed to go in by themselves.  The kids here have no fear.  We had fun, we climbed the falls and swam in the pools and really enjoyed being there with each other. 

We attended church Sunday, and what a sweet experience.  The sisters give you a cheek to cheek kiss.  It's soooo dear.  I'm learning more of their names so that when I  greet them I can call them by name.  It's easy for them, they just see my "Sister Robison" name tag.  Sister Tucker (mission nurse) and I sit there in Relief Society and listen to the lessons in Bislama. They throw a little bit of English in once in a while, so we understand what is being talked about. But you know,  the gospel is true no matter what language it's in.  The Lord loves ALL of his children, and the message is the same.  Whenever we leave the chapel to go home, we visit with this cute man that has only one leg.  He gets around very slowly on his crutches, but he's always to church.  He has to hobble to the end of a dirt road that he lives on and then catch a bus to church.  Elder Robison asked him if we could take him to his home, so we helped him into the "beast" land cruiser and took him home.  

Monday night was family home evening at our place.  When it's at your place, you also provide a dessert.  So, I used my $10.00 can of cherries!  I made a sugar cookie dough, cut into circles, put a spoonful of cherries in the middle and baked them. My experiment worked, because they were quite yummy.  We also played a game that I found on pinterest.  

Here is what you do:  

1. Give everyone 5 slips of paper and have them write the names of 5 people, either fiction or non fiction on each slip.  Choose names that others will likely know.  

2.  Fold slips in half and put in a bowl.

3.  Divide into two teams, pin something on each of the members of the opposite team to distinguish the difference.  

4.  Sit in a circle, every other person from each team.  We had 10 people.

5.  Have someone set their phone, watch...to time 30 seconds a person.  

6.  Give the bowl to one person, they have 30 seconds to get their team members to guess the names they pull out of the bowl.  You can say anything to describe, other than the name of course.  When 30 seconds is up, pass the bowl to the next person, which would be from the opposite team.  Keep going until all names are drawn.  Have one person from each team keep track of the slips.  If your time is up and you haven't guessed the name, put it back in the bowl. The quicker you are, the more names you'll get.

7.  Each team keeps track of the number of slip.

Next round:

1.  Put names back in bowl.

2. This time, you can use only 1 word to describe the name.  Same rules.

Last round:

This time its Charades.  Same rules.  

It you pay attention to previous clues, you can guess pretty quick.  Anyway, we had a blast.

Today, I did a brave thing.  I got my hair cut SHORT, AND I MEAN SHORT!  It's too hot and humid here for long hair.  I like it, but I'll like it better in two weeks.  When I walked in the house, Elder Robison told me to leave because his wife would be home soon !!  He really likes it.  It will take me a while to get used to it.  Tonight the PH/RS are meeting together to go out and visit the less active members and invite them to stake conference.  That should be interesting.  We are excited to go and see where the members live.  I'll say farewell for now.  We think of home often and hope all is going well.  We love you and pray for you every night.  

Take good care.  Love, Elda and Sista Robison  XOXO

Zone conference

On Saturday, a zone conference was held.  It was optional for the senior couples, but we were all there.  We support any and all activities.  It was so fun to join the young missionaries from  Port Vila and the island of Santo.  The missionaries from Santo, which is a small island in the mission, were flown over to attend.  The conference started at 9:00 in the morning and ended at 3:00.  As I mentioned before, Elder Nielsen, an area seventy of the church, is on his farewell tour.  He and his wife came over from Auckland, New Zealand, which is where they live while on their mission here in the South Pacific.   He and his wife will be leaving to go back to Salt Lake City soon.  They gave great instruction to the missionaries.  Our mission President and his wife also presented super training, and have a great love for the missionaries.  They are outstanding leaders.  President Granger refers to the mission as, a mission of miracles, and if we do our best, we will see miracles happen.  The messages given were all wonderful and well presented.  Here are a few things I jotted down that stood out to me.

 Obedience is committment and devotion.

Repentance: that we need to repent everyday for even the small things.   It should be a daily habit.  No one is perfect.

When we humble ourselves, we invite the Savior into our lives.

We get to choose. We have our agency to change our lives because of the atonement of our Savior.

We come to earth to be noble and great, not just average.

We are learning to be good companions.  We need to celebrate each others differences.

Choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.  Pres Monson

Our choices determine our destiny.

Repentance is the doctor - humility is the key - Christ is the power - prayer is the tool.

Revelation:  when we receive it, act upon it.

Do we own our promptings, what are we doing with them?

The elders sang the hymn, Nearer my God to Thee, and the sisters sang A Childs Prayer.  They have such angelic voices, and are such good missionaries.  There is an Elder Gray here from Kaysville, Utah!  It's a small world isn't it?  We talked about living in our small town and attending "Dear old Davis High School."  At noon, we all had lunch together, then resumed our conference.  It was so well put together.  That day was definately a spiritual feast.

On Sunday we went to our Black Sands ward.  The brothers and sisters there are so sweet and humble.  They greet you with a warm hand shake and are so happy to see you.  I've started putting names to faces.  Some of the names are challenging, but then you get names like Curtis, Elsie, Annis, Juliette, Sophie.  They are all adorable and have strong testimonies.  

This cute, young women sat by me in Relief Society named Nellietwa.  She asked me where I was from, when I told her she said, that she served a mission on temple square in Salt Lake.  I then remembered our friends, Paul and Lynette had also served a mission on temple square, and was over the young missionaries.  I asked her if she knew them, she said, yes.  They told her we were going to be in Vanuatu on our mission.  She said she had been waiting to meet us.  I look forward to seeing her each Sunday.   

 After our meetings, Sister Tucker and I met with the RS presidency.  We are having a ward party this month, and it should be fun.  We are suppose to wear  island clothing.  You should see the "mama" dresses they wear around here, I think I'll just wear one of my flowered skirts.  I am going to get one to wear "in the apartment."  They aren't too fashionable, but they would be comfortable.  

Elder Robison went into the clerks office and observed the process of how they collect tithing and fast offerings.  Since it's part of the auditing process, he wants to learn what he can. 

The PH and RS are meeting together this month to go out and invite the less actives to stake conference.  That means, Elder Robison and I will get to see where members live, so that we can then go visit the less actives more often.  The problem here is that  streets aren't marked, and there are no house numbers. Some one will just tell you they live next to the big, dead, tree at the end of the road behind the church.  It isn't easy to get around in other words.  We'll figure it.  Hopefully our home/visiting teaching will be helpful.

We had family home evening last night (Monday) at the Lindemans.  We discussed what we learned in our zone conference.  For treats we had rice crispy candy.  The marshmallows and rice crispies that you get here, are a little different than what you get at home. They were good.  You learn to adapt recipes with what's available.  It's going to get creative that's for sure.  We also watched a professional pickleball tournament that the Sackley's downloaded.  We have a long way to go!!!!  It's fun though!  

We hope all is going well at home.  Just know that we love and miss you all very much.  

Love, Elda and Sista Robison XO  

Embassy, fans and critters!

Last sunday, we went to church at the Black Sands ward.  Sister Tucker, the new mission nurse came with us.  The people there were so kind and welcoming.  There is a language barrier of course, but you could still pretty much figure out what they are saying to you in conversation.  Many know enough english to be able to have simple communication with us.  We know very little bislama, but we can understand and speak a little bit.  We should get better as the time goes on.  The meetings are conducted in Bislama, but the hymns are sung in English.  Elder Robison is planning to sit with the ward clerk next week to see the process of collecting tithing from the members.  It is part of the auditing process.

Before we left home, we had a tutor and a language coach from BYU language training that we skyped with.   They may feel like they were'nt making any progress with us, but we learned quite a bit.  Jansen helped us with the language as well as teaching us about the culture and the people.  He told us we would love the people, and he was right.  

Just down the street from our apartment, the Chinese are building a huge embassy.  There are alot of Chinese people here, they own a lot of the little shops all over town.   They are suppose to have an open house soon, so It will be interesting to see it.  We walked into one of those little shops today, and there was a cat laying on a barrell in the store.  It was a gray and white, darling cat.  It let us pet it and scratch its ears.  It sure made me miss my Zoe, our cat, who is being taken care of by my sweet neighbors across the street.  We can't thank them enough.

Last night, which was Monday (Sunday night for you at home), we went to the Mission home for a farewell dinner.  The current mission nurse, sister Hill, will be leaving for home (Cottonwood Heights) in Salt Lake, on Friday.  We had a potluck dinner.  We missionaries brought the side dishes, and Sister Granger provided this wonderful Italian chicken.  We enjoy getting together and do it quite often as you can tell.

Today is Tuesday, the day we were to go back and try to get our drivers license.  We couldn't get it last week, as you may remember, because the building was being remodeled.  Well, the building is still being worked on.  I would say it will be more like 6 months from now.  We'll have to see! Remember, everything is done on island time.  After the attempt, be went to buy a fan for our apartment.  We did find one, it just sounds like we live next to the airport.   It's Loud!! but it keeps the air moving!!

Did I mention that maid service comes with the apartment.  We have two really sweet Nivan girls clean our place every monday morning.  They also wash our sheets and make our bed.  It is soooo lovely!!  The yard around our apartment is beautiful too.  The labor is so cheap here that business owners can afford to have these services.  I just feel sorry for the workers, they don't make much money here. 

Last night, which was Wednesday, the senior missionaries went to the mission home again for dinner.  This time we all got to meet with Elder Gifford Nielson and his wife Wendy, he is an area seventy in this part of the world.  Some of you my recognize the name.  He played football for BYU and the Houston Oilers.  Elder Robison and Elder Nielson played football at BYU at the same time.  They had a good time reminising about the good old days.  This is actually his "farewell tour,"  he and his wife have been in the South Pacific for three years.  He has been called back to Salt Lake City to work in the missionary department.  After dinner they talked with us about missionary work and how important it is for us to be here in Vanuatu.  It was a great evening.  He talked about what it was like to be in the temple with President Monson and the Apostles, that would be amazing.  Friday morning, we will be having a zone conference, and he will speak to all the missionaries at that time.  I'll write about that later. 

We went to the mission office today.  Sister Davidson and I talked about how we might beable to help the Relief Society become stronger.  We attend different wards, but with the same issues.  The church is very young here and they need lots of help.  We're planning to talk with our Relief Society Presidents about having Enrichment Nights.  I met mine last week, and she was thrilled to know that I wanted to be involved with visiting teaching.  That should be very interesting. 

 I also bought my snorkeling equipment to day.  I think I mentioned that we try to go every Saturday.  Saturday, is our "P" day.  Elder Robison has been looking into getting recertified for scuba diving.  He and the instructor were t trying to talk me into getting certified.  I just don't like water much, so the answer will more than likely be NO!!  As I sit here making this entry, it just started to POUR.  It is raining HARD!!  I love it!

I don't think I have mentioned the critters around here.  There are these milipedes, which look like a centipede.  They are the bugs with a million legs  on each side of their body.   We also get gecko lizards, cockroaches, and tiny ants.   We've only "seen" a few, except for the ants, we spray them quite often.  My fear is that I will get up in the middle of the night and step on one!!!!! Oh ick.  

We are anxious to get more involved in our calling, but things don't happen around here like they do at home.  We have to be a little patient.  We are anxious though to serve the people here in Vanuatu, but most of all the Lord.  We love you, and think of you all often.  

    Much love, Elda and Sista Robison :)