The Lord loves effort!!!

Hello Family and Friends!

Mark and I look forward to sharing our experiences with you each week.  We also love your responses to our letters. They lift and encourage us and remind us of who’s work we are actually engaged in. I have to begin by sharing one response that changed our week.  But, 1^st a quote.

There is a quote regarding words I’d like to share: "KIND WORDS are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world.”  (Lawerence G. Lovasik)

As most of you know through the letters we have been sharing, we are working on the committee that is organizing a conference for the young single adults.  Mark has been working on gathering passports and has shared some of the other details, experiences and concerns.   I admit that somedays we wonder if it’s all going to come together. The theme of the Conference is taken from a scripture, “Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God”.  Noting that any good thing will face opposition; especially if it helps one draw closer to God.   But, with faith we move forward.  Adding to our faith were the following words shared by someone who knows and trusts the Lord. “No need to worry about the convention; It’s being covered in prayer.” THANK YOU! So, just to give you some feedback…. Every day, Mark opens his email to find he has additional passports! 5 one day, 10 the next, 3 more the next and so on!  Every day, last week they just kept coming! It’s covered in prayer!  Yes, it has been. Praise God who hears and answers prayers.  We need to relax and Trust God on this.

Front of the house they live in, with their beat
up truck.   They have a shower to the side
of the house that is a cold shower.   

This past Tuesday, Mark and I scheduled a housing check with the Elders in Paonangisu.  These young missionaries live in the bush, or what you would consider fairly primitive circumstances.  The church building they meet in is right next to where they live.  They had a big, beautiful mango tree on their property.  Mangos are not in season yet, but soon. 

Mango tree ... we'll have to 
visit the missionary apartment
when the mangos are ripe!!

These young men are extraordinary!  They support 7 units in their area.  So, in addition to supporting the church members right next to them they travel to other units each Sunday and conduct meetings with other congregations. Yes, they have a truck.  It would be impossible to support such a large area without it.  These missionaries are trustworthy and dependable and help to keep the Lords’ work progressing.  They inspire me.  It’s humbling to see how truly devoted they are to spreading the good news and serving all the people in that area. They needed a few plates and glasses and a new water filter, which we brought to them. We also brought them a loaf of bread I had made.  We left, getting more from that visit than we delivered.  Paonangisu is on the other side of the island, so we had the opportunity to travel around the entire island which took 3.5 hours.

Small church off to the side of the missionaries
apartment.

On that same day we had arranged with another set of young missionaries to visit single adults in our congregation, which is called Etas.   Just an hour before meeting with them the heavens opened and we had a huge rainstorm. The storm gave us a taste of what the rainy season might look like.

We drive through many of the areas where the people live, but we have not had the opportunity to walk around and visit them in their homes.  Not being familiar with where they lived was not a task we could have done on our own, as we mentioned previously, no one have addresses here.

So, we had to rely on the younger missionaries who visit these people all the time – they knew how to maneuver around and find them.

We took the truck in as far as we could. Then due to the rain we had to leave it and continue on foot. I’m not sure even if it hadn’t rained that we could have driven any further up the hill. What was I thinking when I wore my white sandals!

  

We went up and down different parts of the mountain to visit with these young people.  I made mini loaves of bread and shared a quick message with an invitation.  We shared the scripture found in Matthew 4:4; “Man does not live by bread alone but, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”  We then invited them to join us for a gospel study class that Friday.  We invited them to come play volleyball with us, share a meal and then the word of God.  But until then we invited them to enjoy the bread.  We visited 10 that day.

Some of the areas we walked through.   This is one 
of the nicer buildings.

Our shoes were caked in mud, but it was a journey well worth a little mud.  As we were walking up to one home, we were walking in a single line.  I was following the Elder in 1^st position, Mark was behind me and we had an Elder behind him.  As I passed the 1st building a dog jump out and I thought he was going to eat me WHOLE!  I totally ignore the dog and looked forward (Not wanting to make eye contact) I felt it go for my leg. I braced for what was to come. Mark being behind me, said he wanted to kick it, (But, he did not) I had a skirt on and felt it come in contact with the skirt, but I just kept walking. I thought I would be dragging that dog as it latched its teeth into my leg.   The dog didn’t even bite my skirt.  Another time during our walk other dog came at us and the younger missionary got between me and the dog.  He is a hero to me!  He was willing to sacrifice getting bit so I wouldn’t.  Again, no harm done to either of us.  Not sure I enjoyed the encounters with the dogs.  Maybe they had never seen a white person and I scared them.  Just glad that we were not bitten.  Again, I took with me more than I left. These people live so differently.  A Life in which I would surely crumble and fall prey too.  It’s hard! At least to me, it seems hard. During our visits we visited with a woman whose husband had a stroke 6 years ago.  This woman has been taking care of him for 6 years.  He was on a board like table sitting up, you could see the diaper on him.  He had been lying down with a tin roof above him.  There are no bathrooms, only outhouses, no running water. No electricity, no ovens.  Most sleep on the cement floor on mats or a thin mattress. I think of all they are teaching me.

The Friday Institute class during the spiritual
lesson.  

We had 11 Young Single adults show up on Friday!  The most we have had is 4.  We are thrilled and look forward to every Friday hanging out with our new friends.  Volleyball is becoming a favorite activity of mine; we have the SIS students finishing up class and the Single adults arriving at about the same time.  Everyone wants to play!  We have way too many people on each side of the net but, who cares?  We are having a grand time!

Mark in his sulu...

And on Friday we did experience our first earthquake where Mark and I actually turned to each other and said, “did you feel that?”.  We were on a video call with our Seminary & Institute leader and a few other leaders who are serving on the island of Malekula.   When we felt it, our leader also said, “earthquake”.  So we knew we were not dreaming.    I guess we are experiencing the fun of where we live.   Speaking of where we live, a few weeks ago I convinced my boyfriend that he should buy a customary Sulu, which is a 'skirt' for men.  Embracing the culture! Why hide such great looking legs?  :-) 

Nemo giving Mark the eye during his dive!!!

On Saturday, Mark had the opportunity to do some diving. This time it was much better than the first.  He enjoyed it and I love that he loves it.  

I attended our Ward Council, which is held at 6:30am!  Yeap 6:30am people! On a Saturday. What is a Ward Council?  It’s a weekly meeting when the leaders over each organization come together to council with one another on how we can help the members come unto Christ and be strengthened.  We have our leader over the primary (which includes children 18 months to 11 years of age), our youth leaders (which teach and hold activities for the 12-18 years old kids), the Relief Society and Elders (who serve the women and men adults of the unit, respectively).  Of course, our Bishop and his counselors and a Mission leader, A Sunday school leader, also attend the meeting.

We had a great meeting, and while so much of it is in Bislama, they take the time to update me in English.  Afterwards I taught piano. Never thought those words would come out of my mouth.  I do not play the piano well at all. I feel like one should always try if an opportunity presents itself.  The church has a program and a lesson plan that is fairly easy to follow which is helping me to increase my own talent and help others find theirs.

Before the start of the Ward Conference. 
That's my head in the front, see if you can find me???

Sunday, we attended our first ward conference, it was wonderful to see all in attendance.  The outlying unit called Eton, which is part of the same congregation, joined us.  They live 45 minutes away, it is too far to join us every week so they hold their own meetings weekly, and the bishopric will join them occasionally during the month at their meetings.  This was a special meeting held once a year.  Out in the grass besides the church building, they had a huge 'circus tent' set up, as the small little chapel could not hold us all (there had to be over 300 members scattered around the building).  Although, the meeting was in Bislama, it was wonderful to listen to and hear the talks which centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and importance of family in Gods plan for us all.

We came home and had a good meal and did some studying.  I then felt the need for a nap.  After a 3-hour nap I felt re-energized .  I was tired.  We love the other senior missionaries we are serving with.  Each of us has different responsibilities during the week.  It’s nice to get together with them and chat and share our week. That evening we hung out an learned 2 new games which we enjoyed very much. One was card game called PUSH, and another is called 31.  It’s important to find time to relax and laugh.  I love these people! They inspire me through the service they are rendering.

This week my testimony of the importance of effort has been strengthened.  I have been taught that the Lord loves effort.  He loves to see us practicing his teachings. Loving others, serving others, lifting others.

His power, God’s power, can be in us.  

I love having a thought come into my mind of ways to minister.  I know that these thoughts come from the Holy Spirit. I know that this is God’s work and we are his willing hands.  He imparts his will to us.

We hope you all have a fabulous week. Consider yourself hugged!!!  We love you all so very much!

Mark and Darleen, aka Nana & Papa

Additional pictures:

Road leading into the apartment of the missionaries
living in Paonangisu

Another view of the road before the missionaries 
apartment

Ocean views as we went around the island of Efate,
where we are living.

More ocean views!!!

Beautiful place to be at.   Picture doesn't do it 
justice.

Mother hen gathering her chickens!!!

Friday night YSA dinner