This, that, and a little bit more!!!

Hello from the beautiful Island of Vanuatu!!

What a week! I love the work we are privileged to be involved in.

This past Monday, Mark and I had the opportunity to host Robert and Tania, our released YSA representatives, for dinner and games. Sister Bertelson—our senior sister missionary, who also serves in the office—joined us as well.

Robert will be leaving Vanuatu on August 26 and heading to Indonesia to study international relations. Tania will be leaving on August 29 to attend BYU–Hawaii, where she will study cybersecurity. Sister Bertelson—“Sister B,” as we affectionately call her—will be heading home this week, on the 21st, after completing her 18-month mission.

These three individuals are some of the finest people we have had the opportunity to serve with. We treated them to salmon and shrimp with pesto noodles, a delicious, tossed salad, peach cobbler, and vanilla ice cream. The food was wonderful, but the company was even better! We also taught them how to play 3–13, one of our favorite card games.


We may never see them again, so we wanted to celebrate our friendships and the time we have shared together. We love each of them dearly and wish them great success in their next adventures.

I just can’t wrap my mind around what the Lord must do to bring people like Robert, Tania, and Sister B into our lives. I feel as though we knew them before, and I believe that bringing us together at this particular time in our lives is a tender mercy the Lord arranged just for us.

At our Monday S&I team meeting, Mark was “voluntold” (by his girlfriend) to create eligibility requirements for students to earn their own bible. His plan:

  • 5‑day classes (1 month): 75% attendance (19 classes), max 5 make‑up sheets
  • 3‑day classes (1 month): 85% attendance (13 classes), max 3 make‑up sheets
  • 2‑day classes (1 month): 100% attendance (10 classes), max 3 make‑up sheets
  • 1‑day classes (1.5 months): 100% attendance (8 classes), max 2 make‑up sheets

All students must also participate in class and pass off at least 12 scripture masteries (memorizing reference and definition, e.g., Genesis 1:26–27). I wasn’t sure about allowing make‑up work but ultimately agreed—the priority is getting bibles into youth hands. Mark also shipped 150 bibles to Santo, where Elda & Sista Palm will distribute them.

After the teacher completes the checklist form on each student, who passes the requirements, the bishop of that student will present a bible at the beginning of sacrament meeting announcing what they did to receive their bibles.  We are hoping this will promote support from families.  The bibles are beautiful and like we shared before as we presented them at the devotional a few weeks ago many adults wanted to know if they could get one. We are praying that the families will support their seminary students in their efforts to bring a bible home to be shared with family.

We shared that we now have a learning center.  This week Mark was able to help support Mayline in her assignment as coordinator.  He helped set up 20 laptops in less than an hour!  What a computer geek! Actually, his career talents continue to help others, and I am so thankful for that.  I was asked by Mayline to help her come up with a weekly schedule of classes.  Mayline will be teaching English Connect One, Elder Lovelace will be teaching a basic computer skills class.  We will have at least one of our SIS classes meeting in the center 2 times a week.  There will be a self-reliance class and possible an English Connect Two class.  This is only the beginning of the great work that will take place in this center.

Mark finished translation on the Old Testament make-up work for our student’s attending seminary.  The make-up work is available to any student whose attendance has dropped below 76%.  To receive a certificate at the end of the year they must have 76% attendance.  This is an added way to ensure the students have a way to complete the course.

I spent some of my week reaching out to the supervisors on each island giving them their assignments for the upcoming training meeting in October.  Last year we held it in November.  I am excited and can’t wait to have all our island supervisors together for training.

We were able to finally get Rachel, our YSA from Eton, who has been waiting on her teeth to be delivered to the dentist.  The teeth finally came in!  She looks so beautiful with her new teeth, and we are so happy she has been blessed with a new smile.  We arranged for her to meet with the Stake President for her final interview to submit her mission papers.  We even gave her bus fare.    Unfortunately, she didn’t show up, and we have not been able to contact her since. Phone reception is so poor in her area.  We shall continue to reach out to her.

Rachel and her beautiful smile.
Now hopefully we can help get her 
on her mission soon.

The biggest news of the week, and it has to be included, Mom had a birthday!!  This week marks 85 incredible years! Mark's sisters Becky and Laurie traveled to Connecticut and took Mom to her favorite place. They went to the beach in Maine.  Mom is an incredible woman.  She has been generous, attentive, and involved in serving so many in her community and circle of friends. She rarely focuses on herself. We love that she loves to shop and read.  We especially love the gifting of books that she has already read!  She loves her Grandchildren and her great Grands. She is beloved by us all.

The 2nd greatest news of the week is that our oldest grandson now holds a driver’s license!  Congratulations Eldon!  Make good choices and remember your promise to Nana! We now have 2 with licenses and 2 others practicing!  It’s beautiful to see them grow, but my soul wishes I could slow things down a bit.

I must share the 3rd greatest news of the week!!!  I got a call from my “Best-est Good friend” and she shared that she is going to be a grandmother!!!!  Her husband (POPS) said: “I am gonna Ruin this child”!  They are so deserving! They had waited for such a blessing for a long time.

A quick update on Succeed in School (SIS) as we started back this week.  We were hoping for a grand return!  We had 2 new students join our older class at the Stake Center! YAY!  We are still down a teacher there and so Mark taught Math on Monday, and I taught the younger class on Friday.  In Etas, we had one teacher come on Wednesday, and I taught the younger class and on Friday neither showed up.  Although, we had dear Sister Vano come and observe.  She is likely to become one of our new teachers there.  In Erakor, our teacher Sister Neslynn was there and did so well teacher.  She has been there every week except for 1 for the last 3 months.  She is faithful and committed to her students.  We are hoping we can sort out a 2nd teacher as we would like to start the program in the Mele Branch in September.

Erakor Branch class being taught by Neslynn.

Friday morning, we went to Zone Conference.  I enjoyed all the training by the Zone leaders, the STLs and the APs.  I think something that really made me think, “can I do more was what are you doing on Sunday to fulfill your missionary purpose?”.  Helping get members to their classes, sitting by new friends, holding Come Follow lessons together with members.  So, I’m looking forward to being more helpful to my ward member and making my Sabbaths even more than they are.   I also loved how Sister Ball is helping the younger missionaries teach short and powerful lessons, she has them all come prepare to teach and then draws companions names out of a bowl to teach.  It’s so cute to see their reactions when their names are drawn.  Then they teach, it’s magnificent to even be able to watch them practice.  President Ball taught about the Gift of repentance and that truly is a Gift.  The gift of Peace, Joy and the Holy Spirit follows one who repents.  He spoke about the Characteristics of a Repentant Soul and how one can tell if they have truly repented and share scripture to help the young missionaries.  As I sat there, I was blessed to have many thoughts pertaining to my assignment as a missionary come to me.  I’m grateful that the Lord blesses us to receive revelation through the Holy spirit.

Sister Meyer and I holding onto
Sister B. and saying "DON'T LEAVE"

All the zone sister's decided to get into the act.

Mark and I taught Institute Friday night.  We had 6 young single boys.  It was a great class – We learned why bad things happen to good people and how through our trials we can come to know the Lord.

Friday YSA Institute class with the 6 attendees.

After arriving home Mark and I blew up balloons in preparation for ballooning of Sister B’s Truck.  She always leaves her truck unlocked.  A perfect opportunity to express our love!  She has been Furred twice!   In Vanuatu the Van drivers place fake fur in their front dashes.  Sister B can’t stand it, so we furred her.  Saturday, she drove around with all the balloons in her car until she went to visit a family in her ward.  She had all the kids help her take them inside their house and they enjoy the blessing of the ballooning as well.  Of course, we denied being ballooners.  Oh, the slide show we presented on Sunday included pictures of us doing it and she just busted out laughing.  We will miss her so much.  I’m not sure who will be the next to enjoy our senior shenanigans.

Elder & Sister Meyers helping us Balloon 
Sister B's truck Friday evening - Don't tell!!!
The act of ballooning!!!

The "furred" dashboard in 
Sister B's truck.  Notice the rat 
we placed in the fur.


Saturday evening all the senior missionaries along with President and Sister Ball went to dinner at Mangos where we celebrated Sister B. who will be leaving us this week.  Sister B is everyone’s favorite!

On Sunday, Mark taught our Sunday school class as I have a severe cold and cough.  Our Lesson was on Job!  How blessed we are to understand the purpose of this life and why we have trials. Job was loyal and unwavering in his faith and Trust in in the mist of the most horrible trials.  This book is one that I have often visited in difficult times.  Something that stood out this time was that the devil is going to and fro. He is on the hunt to find us in our weaken state. If he can find a crack, he enters in.  One of my favorite scriptures is the Lord speaking. Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.  Behold, they have sought to destroy you.

Sunday night with the senior missionaries.

Sunday Night was our turn to host the Senior gathering.  Mark suggested that we focus on Music.  We also put together a little slide show of Sister B with music about friends. 10 minutes before we were supposed to start Sister Meyer called and told us Sister B was at the hospital.  She had fallen off a few stairs at church and thought she had broken her arm.  All the Seniors came over around 6:15 and around 6:30 Sister B, Sister Carpenter (who is replacing Sis B) and Elder Meyer showed up.  She had to wait until Monday to get an x-ray since no one knew how to work the x-ray machine. 

Sister B laughing during the slideshow.   
You can see her arm in a temporary 
wrap.   She actually did break her
humerus bone.  Not so humorous!!!

We watched the slide show and then I shared a spiritual message about music and then Mark led us in a game called “Name that Tune”.  Sister B was the winner of a bag of chocolates, getting 16 out of 20 correct.  We just got an update that she indeed broke her Arm, it is a Big Break.  She was supposed to head home Friday, she is waiting to hear from a surgeon.  She may need to head home sooner.  That’s our week, We experienced a few challenges but overall, we came off conquerors.  We love and miss you all and pray that you’ll have a blessed week.

Love,

Nana & Papa, Darleen & Mark, Mom & Dad, Elda & Sista Lovelace

Additional Pictures from the Week

Presenting a quilt I made for Sister B to just thank
her for all her service these past 18 months.   It has
the intense colors of Vanuatu throughout the material.


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