Trip To Tanna

We arrived home from the island of Tanna on Monday afternoon.  It's good we got back when we did because we had a visiting Area Seventy, Elder Cardon, and his wife, that came to visit the missionaries.  We got to the church just in time to have lunch with everyone.  The training is really for the young Elders and Sisters, but we are always invited to attend.  We missed the morning session, but were able to be there for the afternoon.  The training was so good and I think the missionaries learned things that will help them with the good work they are doing.

When we arrived in Tanna on Friday, it was raining.  It was rain they desperately need in the islands, but it's messy to get around in.  President Morgan, the District President, and his wife Marlene, were there to meet us just as they were last year.  They took us to a place for lunch. You really take a chance when you eat in some of these places.  They don't have the health department checking on them, that's for sure.  After lunch, we drove to an old building and climbed up these really steep stairs to the upper level.  The church rents the upper floor for the Lenikel branch to hold services.  The Lenikel branch is a new branch, so they won't be audited for 6 months.  Greg did do an audit there for the Greenhill branch.  I think Greenhill's audit was there because the Branch President happened to be coming to town.   They have to walk or catch one of many pickup trucks that roam around picking people up when they flag the driver down.  No uber here.  So, however many things they can accomplish while there out, they do.    After the audit we were suppose to drive to the Greenpoint branch, but the road was closed.  President Morgan moved the appointment it to the next day, Saturday.  He just took us to our bungalow for the night.

 Our bungalow was a real basic little place.  We did have hot water and electricity though, that was a plus!!  There is always mosquito netting tied above the bed.  We took a chance and didn't use it because we didn't hear or see mosquitos, but there were plenty of flies.  They about drove us crazy.  The second you walked outside they were all over you.   It was really nice, we had just a short walk to the beach, and whenever we are at a beach, I love to look for shells.  My collection of shells will be one of my favorite treasures to bring home.  One afternoon after we  returned from an audit, I walked the shore looking for shells, and had a really sweet experience that shows how Heavenly Father is aware of us individually.  There is a type of ocean creature called an urchin.  They are very unusual and you don't find them very often.  They are very delicate and break easily.  Sister Sackley had one and I just fell in love with it.  Since we've been here in Vanuatu, I've been hoping to find one.  As I walked along the beach marveling at how beautiful it was, and checking out the shells in the sand for some nice finds, I had a little pray in my heart letting Heavenly Father know how much I would love to find one of those little purple sea urchins.  As I walked a little further, there it was, my little purple sea urchin.  Isn't that amazing?!  (picture below).  This was just a simple, sweet way of letting me know He is there.  I will never forget that sweet, personal experience that was just for me. 

As you know, the sunsets here are amazing.  I'll attach a picture of what I call, "the butterscotch sunset."  Isn't it beautiful?  I just can't imagine how anyone can say that there isn't a God when there is evidence all around us.  

During our stay,  we ate in a little restaurant on the property.  Since we don't have a vehicle, we choose places to stay that have a place to eat.  Breakfast was included, which was fresh fruit and toast.  Imagine having fresh watermelon, pineapple, papaya, mango and more.  The fruits really are delish when they're fresh from the vine!  Before we left for the day, the cook would ask what we would like for dinner, and what time we would like to eat.  The first day we were there, we told them 6:30, which was when they opened for dinner.   At 6:25 one of the gals came to tell us dinner was ready, so we walked over, sat down, and waited about 1/2 hour for dinner.  Again, we're on "island time."  We got to know the cute girls and young man who did the cooking.   It was hard to leave our new friends when it was time to checkout.  I do regret taking the opportunity to peek into the kitchen area while no one was there.  I wish I hadn't done that!  That explains why Greg and I are having digestive problems!  

Saturday morning we were picked up by President Morgan, along with several guys in the back of the truck.  If the people can hitch a ride from someone, they do it.  As we drove to our destination, President Morgan would stop along the way and drop people off at various locations.  That day we went to the district clerks home to do the district audit.  Along the way, he stopped the truck.   One of the guys got out of the back of the truck and soon came back with a bag of mangos.  I wondered if someone had a knife to peel and cut them open.  No need for that, they just split it open and eat it, no utinsils needed.  They asked how many I wanted, I asked for three.  I took them back to our bungalow and cleaned and ate them my way!  Anyway, we met Ken and his wife Tiffany six months ago during the last audit.  They have two darling pikininis, Jared and Janet, who greeted us.  

While the  audit was being conducted in their house (picture above), I got to visit with Tiffany and the kids.  The kids were shy at first, but it didn't take long for them to get used to me.  I bring balls and suckers with me so that when we travel I can pass them out to the kids.  We had a fun time tossing the balls back and forth.  I don't think they knew how to play with them until I showed them what to do.  Janet stood up on the bench beside me and started running her fingers through my hair.  It's fun for them to feel the different textures of hair.  (picture above) Tiffany and I were able to communicate really well, she speaks quite good English.  After the audit, we were off to the district office to audit and train the White Grass branch.  While that audit was being done, I had the chance to visit with two of the young Elders assigned in Tanna.  Sisters don't  serve there because it's so primitive and could be dangerous.  The Elders live in a house there on the church property.  After that audit we headed for Greenpoint, but found the road up to it was still closed.  The Chinese were preparing to put on the black top.  It will be nice when it's finished.  The first time we took that road, six months ago, it took a week for my back to recover!  You might remember me telling you about the road.  The chairman of the audit committee, Joseph, had been traveling around with us, he said he would be able to do it if we couldn't get up there.  We went back to our bungalow for the night.

Sunday morning we were again picked up by President Morgan, his four daughters, Joseph, Ken and Tiffany, Jared, Janet and a couple of other guys.  We had a "fulup" truck!!!  The plan was to drop us off at the White Sands branch, by the volcano.  We were asked to speak in sacrament meeting.  While we were there, two more audits were done.   The trip there was almost two hours.  I was in the back seat with Joseph, Chairman of the Audit Committee, and President Morgan's oldest daughter (can't remember her name).  Greg and President Morgan were up front.  We decided to sing hymns as we drove along.  Do you remember me telling about the last time we were in Tanna, and a gentleman asked me to sing with him his favorite hymn, Come, O Thou King of Kings, as we waited to get through a mud slide? This was the same gentleman, Joseph, and he asked that we sing the song again.  He is so sweet.  Of course that was one that we all sang together.  He was so pleased.  He has a great voice too.  We sang many hymns and they knew them all.  We sang a few that we have never heard of.  They were great songs.  Here are the page numbers incase you choristers want to take a look.  

Page 295 - O Love that Glorifies the Son, 

page 38 - Come All Ye Saints of Zion, 

page 335 - Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy.  

They were such beautiful hymns.  When we finally got there, President Morgan dropped us off and  continued on with the truck load, another hour, to one of the new Branches called Port Resolution, to set the new presidency apart.

In a previous post I was telling about Greg helping President Granger to get boundaries redrawn and approved for Tanna to have eight branches instead of five.    Greg made a few calls, worked with the department in Salt Lake, and  got it finished.  Now the people in Tanna don't have so far to walk to church.

It was fun to meet the people and feel of their sweet spirits.  I really enjoyed visiting with those good people.  Sacrament meeting was last, so I was able to go to Relief Society, and Greg to Priesthood.  In between classes, I slipped into the primary , before class started, and took that little video that is posted.  The reason they wouldn't waive I think, is because they didn't know what I was asking them to do.  Some of them don't go to school, so they only speak Bislama.  Those that  go to school learn French or English, depending on the school.  I  also had the chance to meet the Young Women and take their picture.  The people are so shy, they will put their hands up to their face and giggle when you speak to them.  When they pray, they whisper so that you can't hear them.  That includes adults as well as children.  Very humble and sweet.  During Sunday school, Greg did one of the audits.  I attended Sunday school.  The Branch President asked me if I would explain how the Prophet is chosen, and answer any questions the people might have.   I hope they understood what I was saying to them, it appeared they did.  They loved President Monson and were now ready to welcome the new Prophet, President Nelson.  Their branch was one of those that was divided and some still had to sit on the floor during Sacrament meeting.  They treated us like royalty.  I guess because we were members from America.  We just wanted them to know that we are ALL God's children and He loves us exactly the same.  That was pretty much what we talked about as we spoke in sacrament meeting.  There was a baby to be blessed and they asked Greg to bless him.  He gave a very sweet blessing.   The church is growing like crazy in Tanna. 

After the meetings, Greg went into the last audit.  I went outside and played with the children.  I took more balls out of my purse and started tossing them to the kids.  Pretty soon a large circle formed and the fun begain.  Again, I had to  show them how to catch a ball.  As soon as they got it, they were having fun.  We had about 5 balls being tossed around at the same time.   I told them they could keep the balls, but they had to share with each other.  Not sure how much they understood!  

After Greg was finished with the audit, we met outside with the branch president, one of his counselors, and Joseph, waiting for President Morgan to pick us up.  The counselor dug up some peanuts for us all to eat as we visited, they were pretty good.  One of their daughters brought over some watermelon slices to eat.  YUMMY!  Several families will bring their dinner with them to church and eat it out on the lawn afterwards.  They usually bring cut up fruit, a pot of white rice, and a pot of chicken wings, thighs and veggies cooked in a broth.  Joseph left for a few minutes and soon came back with some kind of nut.  It was quite tastey.  We got to the church at 9:00am and President Morgan picked us back up at about 4:00 pm.  It was a long day.  When the truck full arrived, they brought out a dinner that was just as I described above.  We were starving and it tasted wonderful.  On the way back, President Morgan played American country western music.  It made me think of home.  When we arrived at the bungalow, we were happy to be there.  The next morning we were taken to the airport, along with the memories of our wonderful trip to Tanna.  Greg has had to clarify things here and there in the audits, and there have been exceptions to workout, but all in all they are doing the best they can.  They are dear people and we love them all.    We hope all is well with you and your families.  We love and miss you all so much.   Many thanks to Melissa Robison for her diligence in posting this blog for us.  We love you all!  Elda and Sista Robison XO