Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!   It's hard to believe it's the year 2018.   Where does the time go?  It was a year ago, at Christmas time that Greg and I submitted our mission paperwork to Bishop Taylor.  Today, 2 January, we've been on our mission, eight months.  For those of you that have thought about going on a mission, but can't imagine being away from home and family for such a long time, please think again.  The time just zooooms by.  Though we aren't constantly busy with auditing, we pitch in to help where we can.   I've talked about some of those things in prior letters.  This experience will always be very dear to our hearts.  We will never forget our sweet brothers and sisters in this part of the world. 

This year, Port Vila hosted the Pacific Mini Games.  So, from about 4-15 December, there was some excitement for the people.  Many islands and countries in the Pacific sent teams here to compete against each other in various events.  There was volleyball, criket, weight lifting competitions, table tennis and tons more events.  The traffic was terrible around here, but it was a success and everyone had a good time.  After the games were over, many of the shops closed for a couple of weeks. The schools were closed for the whole month, because they used the schools to house the athletes for the games.  The month of December here in the islands is normally pretty QUIET!  The reason being, many of the people travel back to their native island for the holidays.  There are docks here in Port Vila where container ships come to bring in supplies, as well as smaller transport boats that take people to and from the other islands.    That's how they get around.  Very few can afford to fly.  We travel to a few of those islands for the audits.  We will be heading for Tanna, 19-22 January.  We're excited to start traveling again.

A few weeks ago, when we took the breakfasts into the new arriving missionaries, we had a sweet experience happen.  The new missionaries were sitting all over the office filling out paperwork and getting processed in.  All of the sudden, one of the sister missionaries came running across the office saying, "sister, sister," heading right for me.  As soon as she got closer, I recognized her.  When we were in the MTC, our trainer had us role play  with a cute Tongan girl.  We were told that she was an inactive member.  We were to use the missionary skills that we had been studying in the Preach My Gospel Handbook to teach her.  We met with her three times.  We talked with her about her problems and the importance of repentance... When we were finished with our visits, we hugged each other, and of course I got very tearful because  I was worried about her.  Greg and I wondered if she really was inactive.  I'm sure you've already figured out that this was that young girl!!!!  We threw our arms around each other an sobbed!!  She admitted to me that she was not inactive, but that we had a part in her finally deciding to go on a mission.  She said she remembered that we were serving here and was excited to come.  She is now serving in New Caledonia, but the missionaries do get transfered from time to time.  I'm sure we'll be seeing her again. It's so nice to have sweet experiences like this.  It makes you feel so good.   I'll attach a picture of her.  I need to write her name down.  Tongan names have toooo many vowels!

Elder and Sister Sackley, the Humanitarian couple, will be leaving to go home to Arizona in a few weeks.  We will really miss them.  We have gone to many fun snorkeling places, and beautiful beaches.  They are also amazing pickleball players and taught us all how to play.  They are ready to play when they get home.  Let's just say that they will be in the well advanced category of players.  THEY ARE GOOD! 

Last week we all participated with the young missionaries in a humanitarian project.  We put together 1,000 hygiene kits.  A few days before we arrived in Port Vila (May), a cyclone hit the island.  They gave away many of the prepared kits, so we replenished the supply.  You never know what will happen out here in the middle of the ocean!!!  I try not to think about it too much.   Every once in a while you feel a little earth quake so you get reminded.  The temperature is starting to rise, and  it's getting hot and muggy.  As soon as the rains hit, it will be quite uncomfortable.  I'm sure we'll manage just fine.  We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.  We love you all so much and think of you often.   

Love, Greg and Ann