Converts in Tanna

After Sacrament meeting, at the White Sands branch, while we were in Tanna,  we visited with the Branch President.  We asked him how long he has been a member of the church,  he said about seventeen years.  He told us the story of his conversion to the church.  He belonged to the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA).  His conversion experience reminded me of both Alma's, father and son, in the Book of Mormon, and how they went about persecuting the church.  Before he joined the church, President ____   told us he was always giving the missionaries a real bad time, and trying to run them off the island.  The SDA church is huge in Vanuatu, and they don't care too much for Mormons.  He said one night after giving the missionaries a bad time, he started to feel terrible about what he was doing.   He decided he needed to call the missionaries and apologize.  Soon after that, he was taking the discussions, and joined the church.  He paid the price though, his family disowned him.    The missionaries took him in, and let him go around with them as they taught people.  He was soon ready to go on his own mission.  Before he left on his mission, he asked his parents to please accept the choice he made, and they did!  While he was on his mission, the rest of his family joined the church.  He is such a good man, we just love him (picture attached of him and his daughter).  He runs the gift shop at the Mt Yasur Volcano.  I've mentioned before that it is a no kidding active volcano.  It's hard to imagine being allowed to walk up and look in the mouth of this active volcano.  President Morgan is in the tourism business and arranges trips to the volcano.  He will be taking Greg and I on this adventure on our last audit cycle to Tanna.   I can't wait!  The Collette's, the education couple, had a son that served several years ago in Tanna.  He will be coming to visit in August.  He wanted to know if they have wild pig hunts in Tanna!  I asked President Morgan and he said they did.  He will arrange it for him when he comes.  They don't have guns in Vanuatu, they use spears to hunt.  While we were there, we saw a wild mama pig and her two babies.  They are really different looking.

Many People ask us how many pikininis (children)we have.  When we tell them we weren't able to have any pikininis, they always feel so bad for us.  We just tell them that when we go to heaven, maybe they will be waiting for us there.  After Greg finished the audit with the White Grass branch president, they were visiting, and he asked Greg how many pikininis we had.  He told him we didn't have any.  He then said, "don't you have a brother that can give you one of his?"  Greg told him, we normally don't do it that way in America.  You get into some of the sweetest conversations with people.  Families will give each other children quite often.  They all have familiy members on other islands.  Many families will send a child from an outer island, to a family member in Port Vila to go to school.   Many things are done differently here.    One thing for sure, they are very family oriented and they take care of each other.  

Today is Saturday, the day of the week that we couples plan an activity to do together.  Roundy's have only been here two weeks, so it will be fun to take them to all the fun snorkeling places we like to go.  Today we went to Hideaway Island.  If the tide is out, you can walk to the island which I love to do, otherwise you take a boat over.  I think I have mentioned before that I am not a real fan of deep water.  Deep water gives me the jitters!  I do put my snorkeling gear on though and venture out, but never very far from the shore.  I will go out over my head, but only for a minute and then I'm back in the shallower water.  Everyone else goes way out in to the ocean where the water is deep and the fish are amazing.  Well, I'm proud to announce that today I went out much farther than I have ever gone.  Greg came up to the side of me and said, come on lets go out there, so I did!!!  As we snorkeled  along,  the water got deeper and deeper and farther away from the shore.   You can hear yourself breath through your snorkel mask, and at first, I thought I was going to hypervenilate!  But, I just slowed my breathing , and enjoyed the deep, blue, beautiful, ocean.  Ahhhhh.  It was so lovely.  Greg tried to get me to go further, but I was good with the distance I was from the shore.  Maybe next time.  

Yesterday in sacrament meeting, we were sitting behind these darling kids.  They looked at me, I said, good morning, then I smiled, and winked.  Pretty soon we were all "winkin" away. (pictures attached) I've been helping out in the Primary.  They need alot of help in the reverence department.  I was originally asked to help out with the Young Women.  I started to meet with them, but it seemed like they were doing fine, and I didn't want to step in and take away their initiative.  So, I've stepped back and told them to let me know if they need help, but have checked with them from time to time.  Well, I guess they need more help than I realized.  As I talked with one of the counselors, she said they needed help with the Personal Progress program.  The people are very shy and hesitant to ask for help, so you need to ask the right questions.  I will be researching the program and do what I can to help them understand it.  The people here are sooo sweet and loving.  We do the best we can to help.  

Well dear family, I'll close for now.  We are getting ready to travel to Guadal Canal, in the Solomon Islands this week.  I'm sure  we will have more adventures to tell about when we get home.  I'll close for now.  We love you all very much.  Love, Greg and Ann