The Pacific Post

 Week 19 Miracles in Vanuatu and Christmas Celebrations 22 December 2024 On Monday Vanuatu experienced a 7.4 earthquake. These two pictures above are just a sample of the devastation. If you recall from our last week's blog we were just in Vanuatu Port Vila and must have driven by the above buildings 10 times. We were home 2 days when the earthquake hit. (We were supposed to come home on Monday, but we changed our flights.) We have felt so badly for the members and missionaries that we visited. We were very relieved to hear that they were eventually all accounted for. We were in Vanuatu covering the FSY that included 1,000 youth who gathered for the week. Yesterday we received an email from the senior missionaries that were in charge of the FSY telling us about the miracles that have happened.  One hour after they loaded the last of the 1,000 FSY youth on a boat heading home, the earthquake hit.  One YSA member spent 26 hours trapped under the rubble but was freed without...

Week 18 Valiant Souls In Vanuatu A Week to Remember December 14, 2024 It is going to be very hard to express our thoughts and feeling about our week in Vanuatu. This post may be longer than most.  It was a week of beauty, poverty, extreme heat, joy, spiritual feelings, tears, youthful activities, gobs of food, and love. All those things happen when you bring 1000 youth together from 4 different islands for their first ever FSY. They anticipated 800 and 1000 came. (In some places, that 200 would be a complete FSY.) The leaders and cooks adjusted and made do. (Some whole families arrived not understanding the purpose of the event.) When the Vanuatu government heard about the activity, the deputy prime minister showed up and presented Elder and Sister Payne with a bag of rice and some root vegetables. Ni Vans (people from Vanuatu) are gentle, humble, soft spoken, and kind. I don't understand the process, but I feel the Lord's love for the people here. I feel like I'm a spectat...

  Week 17 Getting in the C hristmas Spirit December 8, 2024 The picture above is the Auckland Symphony Orchestra and Choir. Last night we went to their Christmas concert.   Sometimes when you are away from home and family, you work a little harder to get into the Christmas spirit.   They put on a wonderful concert.   A senior missionary couple serving in the area office with us tried out for the choir and made it and so they sang at the concert.   There must have been 20 senior missionaries at the concert to support them. Great event. Kelly said it wasn't as good as MCO. Phew! Sister Hillier and Sister Shaw are in the holiday spirit! Elder and Sister Hillier are such wonderful people and just a joy to be around and associate with.    Sister Shaw matches with everyone!  This is Paul Rytting and he is the chief legal counsel for the Pacific Area and a full-time employee.  Again, amazed at the wonderful people here.  Pro...

 Week 16 With a Thankful Heart November 30, 2024 Hello Everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!!! New Zealand does not celebrate Thanksgiving.  They say they are thankful all year round and Americans are only Thankful one day a year.   But, being American, we couldn't just let the holiday slip by, so we celebrated.  In fact we celebrated Thanksgiving twice.  We had a big turkey dinner with our Zone a couple of weeks ago. (Picture below is of mission missionaries and area missionaries combined.) We also invited K.C. & Judy and Paul & Irene Rytting (Legal for the Pacific) to our home last Sunday for a chicken gravy, mashed potatoes, and everyones favorite dishes. A frozen turkey costs $75NZ which is about $50US so we had chicken instead.  It has been wonderful to have K.C. and Judy here.  We have also made some wonderful friends and have enjoyed getting to know so many people.  Not that we are any less grateful for our traditional blessings of ...