Our Mission Experience in Vanuatu

Hello Family and Friends, Sunday Evening with Senior Missionaries Tonight (Sunday) we gathered, as we do each week, with the other senior missionaries serving here in Port Vila. We met at Sister Bertelson’s apartment. After a brief refreshment, she invited each of us to share something that has left a deep impression during our mission. Sunday evening with the senior missionaries. Elder & Sister Meyer, Elder & Sister Beck, Sister & Elder Lamph (left to right) Darleen shared an experience from January at the YSA Convention. A young man had fallen ill with a fever over 105 degrees. She accompanied his sister in an ambulance to the hospital to ensure he was cared for, while he was visiting our island from the island of Tanna. For more than two hours doctors worked with IVs and tests, but he remained unresponsive. They thought he may have some type of Tanna disease that can be caused by exposure to rats.    Darleen was talking on the phone with the Vanuatu Semina...

  Hello Family and Friends! I love that Mark and I take turns writing this letter each week.   Although, he seems to get the weeks when we are very busy; and there is plenty to talk about.   I have to say this week was pretty routine. We began our week with our Seminary & Institute team meeting with Katimal our Coordinator, and Vicky, his assistant.   This week was Vicky's last full week with Seminary & Institute.   She has been in this role for 8 years. She has taken a full-time position as administrative assistant in the Facility Management (FM) team for the church across Vanuatu.   We will miss serving with Vicky. Our Loss is the FM group’s dream come true!    The work must move forward and that is what we are here to do.   In our meeting we had a chance to report back on the success of our trip to Santo; which we shared with yo last week. On Monday Mark and I had the chance to make some phone calls and follow up with some ...

  Hello Family and Friends, This week it’s my turn to write. If you haven’t followed us recently, Darleen and I alternate letter writing responsibilities so you can see the different perspectives we each bring. It also gives us both a little break. These letters are fun to look back on and remember what we’ve done, though they do take effort to put together (at least for me). We hope you enjoy this small taste of our weekly adventures here in Vanuatu. Since Sunday was Mother’s Day, I want to start by saying thank you to all the mothers and women in my life who have shown me the power of a mother’s love. I’ve been blessed with wonderful examples: my own mother, who is the best example of caring and Christlike service (not biased, but I think I got the best one); my grandmother Mabel Fales, who was strong in the gospel; my beautiful wife Darleen, who is an amazing mother to our three children and loves our grandchildren unconditionally; my sisters Cheryl, Laurie, and Becky (the best ...