Do pigs really fly?

Hello to all our family and friends,

Today, as Darleen and I were driving out to our church meeting in the Eton unit (about an hour and fifteen minutes from our apartment), I mentioned that we rarely see dead animals along the road here. That comment almost came back to haunt me.

The drive to Eton takes us through a very rural area, what you might call “bush living”, with few modern conveniences. As we made our way along in a light rain, three black piglets (probably about 30-40 pounds each) suddenly darted out of the bush and ran across the road. I slammed on the brakes, and the truck began to slide on the wet surface.

Right in front of us, one piglet ran as fast as it could to avoid being hit, while the other two peeled off and ran back to where they came. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion. At the very last second, it made it safely to the side of the road, and we missed it.

We both laughed, realizing how close my earlier comment had come to being proven wrong. We even joked that if we had hit it, we would have taken it to church and asked who wanted to cook it, we’re pretty sure there would have been plenty of takers! Needless to say, we were very grateful it didn’t come to that.

So in that moment, that little piglet really was flying out of the way. I guess “yes” pigs can fly… especially when there’s a truck barreling down on them. 😊

This week also brought several early morning rainstorms, which made for some of the best sleeping as the sound of rain echoed outside our apartment. However, as we’ve mentioned before, when it rains here, the roads quickly become a mess. Dirt and rocks wash across them, turning everything into deep ruts and potholes. I keep telling Darleen that before we leave, the road from our home into town will finally be paved, we’ll see if that prediction comes true!

We’ve been doing quite a bit of teaching in our missionary assignments. I usually handle the math class on Mondays for our intermediate Succeed in School group, and on Wednesdays we tag-team the Institute class with the full-time missionaries.

This week, however, brought an unexpected opportunity. Sister Bertleson, who oversees the Pathway program and teaches multiple weekly classes, was away visiting Tanna with family. I agreed to fill in, which meant facilitating Pathway 101 and 103 on Wednesday night and Pathway 102 on Thursday. While I handled those discussions, Darleen taught the Institute class in between sessions.

All of this was done virtually from our apartment, which came with its fair share of technical challenges. Each class is typically led by a student, with Sister Bertleson guiding as needed. In her absence, I stepped in whenever connection issues arose. In one class, I helped until the assigned elder could join. In another, the sister missionary couldn’t connect at all, so I ended up leading the entire session. It wasn’t planned, but that’s part of missionary life—you learn to expect the unexpected.

At one point, while I was speaking, our internet dropped completely. When I finally reconnected, I was impressed to see that the elder leading had simply continued on. It was reassuring to see their confidence and ability to keep things moving.

Later in the week, we were asked to substitute teach for the Stake Institute class on Friday evening. The topic was The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon. We were told that three young men would lead the discussion and that we could fill in as needed. One spoke for about five minutes, and then the rest of the time was ours! Thankfully, we had anticipated that possibility and were prepared. It turned into a great discussion, and we invited those who hadn’t taught to share their testimonies, which made it especially meaningful.

At one point, Darleen asked what I thought about all the teaching we had done. I told her it can be exhausting. Your mind is constantly engaged: studying, preparing, and thinking about how to best present each principle. I don’t mind teaching at all, but it’s more than I’ve ever done in a single week. I’m especially grateful to have Darleen by my side, she is an incredible teacher, and I’m learning a lot from her.

The view from the top of the hill where I have been
walking/running in the early morning's.  This is 
looking out into the bay where ships typically enter.

I’ve typically been playing pickleball at 6:00 a.m. each weekday with some of the senior missionaries. This week, however, many of them were out of town, so I made sure to get exercise by walking and running a three-mile stretch up the road from our apartment on several mornings, whenever it wasn’t raining.

One thing you have to watch on that route is the number of dogs along the way. I learned a helpful trick from Elder Meyer: if you pretend to pick up a stone, they usually run off. I tried it, and it worked perfectly. I’m not quite sure what I would have done if one had decided to test that theory!

Elder and Sister Meyer were one of the senior couples not in town to play pickleball.   They were asked by our Missionary President to accompany a young elder home to the Philippines who was dealing with some health issues.    Unfortunately, the flights and layover times equated to one way being ~45 hours of time just to get him back to the Naga Philippian airport.   They flew from Efate à Brisbane à  Singapore à Manila à Naga.   The return trip was a little better, but it still was some 32 hours of flying and waiting in airports, however, they had to wait 3 days in Naga as there were no outbound flights to get them back here in Efate.   I was thankful they were able to be with this elder, and even more thankful they were asked to have the fun of all the time flying and standing by.       

We also had the chance to spend some time with the young missionaries in our area. With a rare free Tuesday evening, we invited two elders serving in the Pango area (about 10 minutes from our apartment) to join us at a local restaurant. They arrived on their bikes, and we told them to order whatever they wanted. One elder ordered a milkshake and a soft drink, while the other initially ordered just a soft drink, but when he saw the milkshake arrive, he quickly changed his mind! It was fun to spoil them a little and spend time getting to know them. And they did order each some nice meals, and even helped finish off Darleen's meal that she couldn't eat.   Both are wonderful young men who have chosen to serve, and we feel blessed to support them in this small way.

Our Stake President encouraged us to minister not only to our Mission President but also to the young missionaries. We have tried to follow that counsel.

Sister Massing teaching two of her seminary
young men at her home.   It was a blessing to be
in her home and see how she taught with joy.

Before our dinner with the elders on Tuesday, we also visited a local seminary class held in the Massing family’s home. Sister Massing teaches about eight students each weekday and does a wonderful job. That day, only two students attended, but the lesson on Joseph being sold into Egypt was excellent. Darleen brought banana chocolate chip bread and chocolate milk to share, and we enjoyed participating in the discussion.

We’re hoping to visit all the seminary teachers in the Stake here on Efate island this year, there are over 25, so we have quite a few visits ahead of us!

We continue to feel grateful for these experiences and for the opportunity to serve. There are challenges, but also so many moments that remind us why we are here.

On the administrative side, I was able to get our assigned truck registered and declared roadworthy this week. In Vanuatu, the inspection must be completed on the exact anniversary date from the previous year—you’re not allowed to go early—and if you miss it, you pay a significant penalty (about $150) on top of the normal ~$30 fee. Although they don’t officially open until 8:00 a.m., I decided to arrive early and wait. I got there at 7:15 a.m., just after the gates opened, and was third in line. Instead of the typical two- to three-hour wait, I was finished in about an hour. That definitely felt like a win.

I also completed our U.S. federal and state taxes for 2025. Since we owed money, we had to mail in the returns along with our payments. That sounds simple enough, but nothing is quite that easy in Vanuatu. I went to the local post office on Friday to ask the best way to send the documents back to the U.S. The kind woman helping me recommended using Express Mail Service so we could track the packages and ensure they arrived safely. “Great,” I said. “Let’s do that, how much?” Her answer: about $180 USD. With limited options and a delivery window of two to three weeks, we decided to go ahead and send them. Now we just wait and hope they make it!

In general, most things in Vanuatu cost significantly more. Living on an island means nearly everything arrives by ship, including groceries and basic supplies. Our weekly grocery bill is typically two to three times what we paid in the U.S. We could lower that cost by relying mostly on local foods, but we wouldn’t get the same variety or nutrition we’re used to. So we choose to pay a bit more and make it work.

Even with the higher costs and occasional inconveniences, we feel very grateful to be here. Supplies do arrive regularly, and while you may not find everything you’re accustomed to, there is always enough to meet your needs. We’re especially mindful that many more remote islands don’t have the same access, and that perspective helps us appreciate what we do have.

We learned this week that a dear church friend from our days in Acworth, Georgia, Memselle Johnson, passed away while visiting family. Around the same time, Darleen’s Uncle Donnie’s wife, Elaine, also passed. These moments are a tender reminder that as we grow older, we begin to experience more loss among family and friends. Even knowing this, it is never easy to hear.

One especially meaningful experience was watching the YouTube link of Memselle’s four children speaking at her funeral service.  Each of them shared heartfelt lessons they had learned from their mother and spoke with deep love and gratitude for her life. They bore powerful testimonies of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the promise that because He was resurrected, all of us will be resurrected as well. It was a beautiful experience to hear their words, especially as three of her children were near our three children’s age and one attended Darleen’s seminary classes back in Acworth.

A scripture I read this week felt particularly meaningful: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall… and because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever…” I love the reminder that while we are here to learn and grow, our Savior, Jesus Christ, has redeemed us from the Fall.

We can find comfort in knowing that our friends and family who have passed on are redeemed through Him as we each seek to live as He taught. Even with our imperfections, He makes up the difference.

We love you all and think about you often from afar across the oceans.

Darleen & Mark, Nana & Papa, and Mom & Dad

Dog's sitting outside the Eton Unit church at today's
service.  While they didn't feel worthy to go inside
they did wait outside in the sand.  :-)