Progress is progress.

Hello family & friends,

As I sit down to write this week’s update, I wanted to share a few things happening here in Vanuatu. Much of our focus continues to be on strengthening the Succeed in School (SIS) program across the three locations where we teach. For months, we’ve faced the challenge of finding teachers who can consistently commit to the classes. This week brought a real blessing: we finally have four teachers assigned to the two SIS classes in the Etas Ward, and they all showed up on Tuesday and Friday ready to teach. Their reliability allows Darleen and me to focus more on training rather than trying to teach in every location ourselves. It also gives the program long‑term sustainability as senior couples rotate home.

We’re still working to secure a full‑time teacher for the older SIS class (ages 15–18) in the Erakor Branch. Darleen’s younger class has had a faithful teacher for several months, but the older group has been more difficult. I’ve been teaching that class since early in the year, and although individuals have been called, we haven’t yet found someone who shows up consistently, or at all. We remain hopeful and are working closely with the Branch Education Specialist and Branch President to identify a committed teacher. Until then, I’ll continue teaching the class, though it limits our ability to expand SIS to other locations that are requesting it, including Port Vila Wards 1 & 3 and the Mele Branch.

Our new teacher in Etas with the younger (11-14 yr. old)
youth.  

We also teach SIS at the Stake Center, Darleen handles the younger math class on Fridays, and I teach the older youth on Mondays. This Friday, I dropped Darleen off at the Stake Center and drove out to Etas to make sure the teachers were there and to deliver the weekly snacks. All four teachers arrived, which allowed me to observe each class for about twenty minutes before heading back to watch Darleen teach. She’s doing a wonderful job reviewing math with the youth, and their faces absolutely light up when a concept finally clicks.   Progress is progress in getting teachers, even if it has taken us about seven months to get to this point.

Snacks I dropped off at Etas Ward on Friday -- Apples 
and small jar of peanut butter (protein).

On Wednesday and Thursday, we visited two of our Seminary classes. Wednesday’s visit was with the Port Vila 2 class at the Stake Center. As we’ve mentioned before, we’ve been able to obtain Bislama Bibles for seminary students across Vanuatu. We introduced the requirements for earning a Bible—attendance, passing off scripture masteries, and class participation. When we asked, “Who would like to earn a Bible?” one young woman raised her hand and hugged the sample Bible we had brought. It was such a sweet moment.

Darleen had laminated eight scripture mastery verses and references, placed them on the whiteboard, and had the students practice reciting them. It was AMAZING to watch them learn so quickly. Within fifteen minutes, they had recited eight scripture masteries. We encouraged both the teacher and students to spend a few minutes each class reviewing scripture mastery, and they committed to doing so.

On Thursday, we visited the Seminary class in the Etas Ward. The class started a little late, but by the time we left, about eight students had arrived. We didn’t play the scripture mastery game with them, but we did explain what they needed to do to earn the Bislma Bible. They seemed genuinely excited about the opportunity. We plan to follow up with the teacher this week to see how we can support them.

Seminary has the potential to truly change these youth—when teachers and students come prepared to teach and learn together. We’re seeing that transformation across the islands, though we still hope to increase attendance percentages.  Progress is progress, even if we are about two months from the completion of the seminary year.

On Friday evening, after SIS, we attended our first ward/branch‑based Institute class. A few weeks ago, the decision was made to move Institute back into the wards and branches rather than holding it only at the Stake Center. The distance to the Stake Center has made attendance difficult for those living in more remote areas.

We visited the Mele Branch, which held its first Institute class. When we arrived, the Branch President, his wife, and one YSA young woman were playing a game. They explained that the Institute teacher hadn’t shown up, but they had planned some activities anyway. Even with just one YSA present, we decided to move forward with the evening, and we’re glad we did. We played a charades‑style game and another coordination game (which I am definitely not good at). It turned into a fun night and gave them something to build on for next week. Hopefully they’ll have both a lesson and more attendees.  Progress is progress, even if Institute had to be stopped and restarted out across the island units.   A new structure is at least in place to finish the next two months strong, and build off of for 2027 Institute year. 

Saturday was our first Fiji P13 SOC testing practice session. Our goal is to help students re‑take the Fiji entrance exam or give first‑time test‑takers more insight into how to improve across the different sections. We announced the sessions across the Port Vila Stake and hoped for a few more attendees, but we were grateful to have seven youth participated.

Darleen taught the Listening and Reading Comprehension sections, helping the students understand the structure of the test and the four types of questions in each section. I had built out some test examples that she took them through helping them see what to look for.  It may have been too easy because they all seemed to get the sample questions correct.   We laughed as Darleen actually answered one wrong, and kept telling them "no", then should tell them a different answer.   I finally said, "sorry, they actually had it right".  For the rest of that section, she then said, "Darleen one wrong, the rest of you all right".  It made them smile.

Darleen leading the Listening & Reading
Comprehension practice session on Saturday morning.

Afterward, I a gave them a math review covering the types of questions they’ll see on the test: place value, fractions and decimals, multiplication, percentages, and other foundational concepts. It was enjoyable to teach, and the youth seemed to benefit from it. We’re planning four more sessions before the final Fiji school test on October 17th. Next Saturday we’ll hold another session at the Stake Center, followed by Wednesday evening reviews for the next three weeks. We hope to help more youth ages 14–18 feel prepared and confident.   Progress is progress in seeing a few understand better the test.  Now we need to expand it out to have more at these next few sessions before re-issuing the actual test.

Me leading the math section of the
practice Saturday session.

After our testing practice sessions, we spent the afternoon relaxing at the Paradise Beach Resort just up the road from our apartment. Elder and Sister Meyer, the Humanitarian senior couple, joined us for lunch, a lively game of Skull King, and some quiet time on the sandy beach lounge area. I even managed to sneak in a quick nap on one of the beanbag chairs. The ocean breeze and peaceful views made those few hours there give a nice break from some of the pace we sometimes have during the week.

Darleen got me napping 

Sunday brought its own set of experiences. Our church recently adjusted the second hour of meetings across all congregations to a 5 minute break, then a 25‑minute Sunday School class, then another 5 minute break, followed by 25‑minute Priesthood, Relief Society, and Young Women’s classes.  The concept is it will add up to the next hour. In our unit, however, things didn’t quite go according to plan. Sacrament meeting ended about ten minutes late, and it took another ten minutes to get Sunday School started, yet the class still ran the full 25 minutes. They then took ten minutes to start the final session of Priesthood, Relief Society, and Young Women.  That left only about ten minutes for the final hour of meetings, but each class continued for another 25+ minutes. By the time we finished, Primary had already been out for half an hour, and the children were running around outside the building.

We have a strong Ward Council, so this will be a good opportunity to discuss how we can help the schedule run more smoothly. It’s always interesting to see how new church adjustments roll out in places like Vanuatu, sometimes easily, sometimes not so easily, but we’re impressed with how earnestly everyone is trying. And honestly, while it may sound chaotic, it’s still progress. Before the change, our ward held two sacrament meetings with Sunday School or Priesthood/Relief Society/Young Women’s in between, and the final sacrament meeting often ended 45 minutes to an hour late. Now we’re only 30 minutes late. Progress is progress and we look forward to seeing if it is finishes closer to when Primary lets out.

After church, we drove a young family back to their village. The father (about 25–28 years old), his newly baptized wife, and their little boy (around two) live roughly an hour’s walk from the church, deep in what we would consider the real bush. The road to their home is narrow and bumpy, and when we reached the spot they had mentioned previously as their garden area, they told us to stop. They explained they were now “living in their garden.” Behind the garden, we saw a small tarp wrapped around wooden posts, that was their new home. A simple tarp shelter, humble and small, yet they were genuinely happy.

He proudly told us he had built it himself. As we talked on the drive to this location, he shared his desire to prepare to go to the temple once his wife has been a member for a year. He also spoke about ministering to a widow in his community, someone he hadn’t known lived nearby until we mentioned her. While we gave him a ride, he gave me a lesson in return: a reminder of what truly matters in life. It made me reflect on how I’ve been thinking about where Darleen and I will live when we return home, and how different those homes look compared to a tarp in a garden. Yet his gratitude and joy were unmistakable.

One of the saddest events this past week was the sinking of the inter‑island ferry, the MV Matui, just off the coast of Santo as it traveled toward Ambae. On September 11th, the vessel was reportedly struck by a large wave, flipped, and sank. It wasn’t declared missing for a full day, and the number of passengers on board was unclear, estimated between 53 and 57. Many members of our church knew friends or relatives who were on the boat and waited anxiously for news.

Picture of the MV Matui from a previous trip that was
posted in the local newspaper.

Rescue efforts continued throughout the week but were eventually called off after 14 survivors were found, along with 2 bodies, and 37 still missing. The tragedy was heartbreaking. Photos of the vessel show how overloaded it appeared, both with passengers and cargo. The government is now discussing possible criminal charges and new regulations requiring small vessels to follow weather advisories, especially since reports indicated 2–3-meter waves that morning, far too dangerous for what was said to be a heavily loaded boat.

Our hearts ache for the families affected by this accident, and the timing was poignant, it happened on the same day the United States remembers its own tragic event some 25 years earlier.

Not to end on such a sad note.   Our Old Testament reading this week brought us to Isaiah, whose words are quoted more than any other prophet by the Savior. I love Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”  I’m grateful to know that even with all my imperfections, God can forgive and cleanse me, making my sins white as snow or wool. We all make mistakes, have challenges, or even disasters that may come into our lives, but it is great to turn to the scriptures to help give us strength and comfort.   

We wish all of you a wonderful week. As we look at the time we have left, we find ourselves wondering who will come to take our place. If anyone reading this has ever considered serving a senior mission, let us know. We could use you here on the island of Vanuatu.

We challenge you all to look for the small improvements in your life each week, month, or year.  It may not be you feel you have perfected something, but you are progressing.   We feel we see progress, even if it isn't perfect in Vanuatu and how we fully would want to see -- it's progress.   

Consider yourself hugged! Love,

Nana & Papa, Mom & Dad, Darleen & Mark, Sister & Elder Lovelace

Additional Pictures from the Week:

Never gets old during a walk/run when I come
upon pigs just walking freely in the village.