Baptisms and back to Lifou

Baptisms every Saturday have become part of the missionary experience here. And then it was time to send two Elders back to work on Lifou and Mare.

Ten days ago, Saturday the 13th, three of the granddaughters of the Nicholls family were baptized. Each 9 years old. Their grandparents lead the way in December and their parents will follow as soon as common law arrangements can be replaced by legally recognized marriages.

The three young girls were excited and pleased to move forward. they jointly shared their testimonies after the baptism taking turns saying a sentence each at the podium. During the service they sat on the front row with their grandparents and a number of cousins. The children were clearly needed some TLC by the end, so I took the opportunity to go down off the stand and sit down right in front of the them while we talked about the Savior blessing the Nephite children after performing miraculous healings of others in the crowd. The Book of Mormon record tells us that he took the children in his arms and blessed them. And then angels ministered to them. We talked about how much the Savior loves little children including them. And we talked about angels. then pointing to their grandparents, I suggested that they were angels sent to protect and help these dear children learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ appeal to children in a tender way that shows the rest of us their great faith in Him.

PIctures below show them in their white clothes just before their baptism.

We left their morning baptism for an afternoon baptism of President Wilfrid Parau's son Stewart. As the pictures indicate, a number of family members as well as much of the Noumea 2 branch were in attendance. As Stewart shared his testimony with a child's faith, we knew he understood a great deal about how to follow the Savior.

The preparations for sending missionaries once again to Lifou finally bore fruit these last two weeks. Elders Livingston and Larkin left on a Monday evening by boat. They traveled most of the night stopping in Mare early the next morning where they met with the branch president there. Then on to Lifou where they will have primary residence. On the boat with them went a pallet of supplies like a stove, refrigerator, furniture including beds, kitchen supplies etc. The Seiko's, whom you have met in earlier blogs, met them at the dock that evening and helped them settle in. We understand that Sister Seiko and the Elders got traffic tickets in Lifou because the Elders were riding with their supplies in the back of Sister Seiko's truck. They were undaunted and have by now ridden over 400 km on their bikes. The Elders report that they are having great opportunities to teach. President Seiko reports that they are working very hard. The work is hard to start again, but they are getting great support from the branch already there. These good saints have been waiting for two years to have missionaries once again.

A quiet baptism as a good brother came back into the Church. He has patiently waited for 5 years to have this blessing once again in his life. Brother Seraphim (great first name!) is shown below with President Parau, his branch president. The faces of these two great brothers tell a wonderful story.

In between times, we sometimes accompany teams of missionaries to help teach families. The experience that comes with age provides increased insights and credibility. We met the Boa family shortly after arriving as Claude was baptized, and then a few months later, his mother. Another brother is about to be baptized. The father is a a great brother. The family lives in a tribal situation which means that they live on land governed by a tribe, probably extended family. The kids go to school at some distance because their parents want them to have good educations. Dad works in a local government job in Tontouta. We had inquired a few times about his progress and finally asked for an invitation to go see the family with the elders. That visit happened last week. The elders had planned a lesson about eternal families and the role of mother and father. As we explained to Brother Boa his role in presiding in his family to assure that they prayed as a family , read the scriptures together and held family home evening, he began to understand just what he needed to do. We saw Sister Boa this week at the Relief Society anniversary celebration. She was full of excitement about her husband's new interest and support in their home with the aforementioned efforts. We hope we can return and encourage him some more.

Surrounding their home and covered outdoor eating area were wonderful gardens including banana tress, ripening papayas and palms with coconuts. A very different way to live! The mountains in the background had fog and rain cascading down the sides.

And then it was Saturday again, and another baptism. Isabelle lives with her grandfather not far from the Riviere Salee building. She has been seeing the missionaries for more than a year and is a delightful young woman. the branch welcomed her with open arms. A new, big family.

Finally, to round out the week we welcomed a new sister, Sister Viriamu from Tahiti. The Tahitians come with no language barrier. Sister Viriamu is a mature, seasoned sister missionary who is well prepared to assist in this great work. She is working in Paita with Sister Ititiaty and seems happy to finally be here.

In the meantime, we are preparing to send off our senior zone leader in just a few days as he has completed his mission. A great example to all of service. We will welcome a new young Elder on Wednesday. And in the coming 8 weeks another 3 will depart. Lots of new faces and opportunities to train new missionaries.

The pace of the work keeps us plenty busy. Everything from assuring that immigration documents are always in order, bills paid, and missionaries fed, to speaking in firesides and Priesthood meetings. We are grateful to serve along side these valiant young missionaries. During a recent visit by one of the counselors in our Area Presidency, he noted to us, 'Just love them. They do what no one else will do.' We love the work.

A Very Long Blog

We have finished District Conference and Zone Conference, attended birthday parties and baptisms, released two returning sister missionaries and sent Elders to Lifou.

The District Conference with Elder Hamula was wonderful for the members as well as the missionaries. He stayed in New Caledonia for the missionary Zone Conference the next day. After meeting with the President of the Government of New Caledonia on Friday morning, we visited all of the chapels. As noted in a previous blog he was not satisfied with the completion of the new chapel to be dedicated in a few weeks. Several other of the buildings are in a state of disrepair that is also not acceptable. I was grateful to have had time to take him to each. He left us on Tuesday, and by Saturday physical facilities people from Tahiti as well as the Regional Architectural manager from New Zealand were on the ground for a week. They left with detailed plans for each building and a member called to lead the project getting ready for the dedication.

Saturday morning, at his request, we visited two families with the District President. The Nicholls family has just joined the Church and is preparing for next year's trip to the Temple to be joined as a family for eternity. He encouraged them through an interpreter and promised to be available to do the sealing. When, several days later, we got a request for the January date the District returns to the Temple, we began to understand that this good brother is serious.

Following lunch, we met as a district presidency with him and then with the Priesthood leaders of the District. Again, significant teaching about the importance of proclaiming the Gospel to all and providing the opportunity for each to receive the saving ordinances as taught by the Savior himself including baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and taking of the sacrament in memory of Him. Followed, of course, by the Temple ordinances to bind us as families across the generations forever as taught by the Savior and recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.

For the missionaries, he observed that while the work is steady, he wanted to see more unity among us. Manifested by the way we sat together and sang together. He used as an example his experience as a General Authority arriving at least a half hour early for meetings and being physically as well as spiritually close to his brethren. Always teaching gently.

Pictures nearby will share his visits. By the time he left, we had a list of 'to-do's' including sending to him photos of all the buildings. 'Remember, Elder Mautz' we want to tell the story.' We also were drafting letters for his signature to President Gomes.

One final piece of advice to us. 'Just love them. They do what nobody else will do.'

Following Zone Conference Sister Mautz hosted a Sisters' Night at our home for the 8 sister missionaries with Sister Ostler, the Mission President's wife. They did a 'craft' designing and decorating the cover of a Book of Mormon. The obvious lesson was the ambiance created during the project as the sisters worked together.

The preceding evening, a Monday evening, we attended a baptism, the granddaughter of the District president, then scurried home where the zone leaders had rearranged our apartment to welcome all 26 missionaries to a home evening setting to view the presentation by President Uchtdorf to the missionaries in Fiji a few weeks ago. We learned more about respect than anything else that evening. The recording was tough, but understandable. Our next conference will be revealing.

Everyone was off to the airport by Wednesday noon and we started completing all there was to be done to prepare to put missionaries back on Lifou. The announcement meant closing an apartment here as we have kept the number of missionaries constant. It also meant preparing shipments of household goods like a refrigerator, stove, washing machine and bicycles by boat. Apartment to rent in Lifou, utilities to activate. And suddenly it was the day for them to leave. The boat departed at 8p well after dark, as you will see in the accompanying pictures. They stopped in Mare the next morning, early. The Elders took advantage of the stop to meet with the Branch President there, and then on to Lifou. Sister Mautz thought it was as hard as sending off two of her sons at once. They are doing well and working hard. And of course, a few transfers were necessary with a couple new zone leaders all pictured nearby.

At the end of the week, we were invited to Chenora Moutham's baptism and birthday party. In fact, the baptism was Monday evening in the middle of zone conference on her actual birthday. She is the granddaughter of President Moutham, the District President and lives with them. Her mother lives in Hawaii and is married to a brother from Tonga. They came, of course, as well as her aunt working in Dubai. Her uncle, a son of the Mouthams who serves as a counselor in the Branch Presidency in Riviere Salee, performed the baptism. Grandfather confirmed her.

Following this event the next Saturday was her birthday party. Largely a family event plus us. An early egg hunt, pinata and lots of food. We were, as usual, enthralled by the beautiful children, and lots of them. A few are pictured. It was a delightful day in warm, rainy weather. The Moutham's have lived in their home for 25 years, have enlarged it and worked hard on the yard (terrain en francais) so that it has bearing fruit trees including lechis and mangoes in the proper seasons. He follows the advice of the prophet.

And finally, two of our sister missionaries serving from New Caledonia in France have returned home this week. One served in Toulouse, the other in Paris. We enjoyed visits with each of them and their families as they were released. Particularly interesting was an update on the Paris Mission where I served 40 years ago. Two stakes now in Paris. However, Le Mans is still a branch. Faithful young women now returning home to work, go to school and keep moving forward in their lives following Christ's teachings as they have learned in the last 18 months.

We now move into a time of significant change in the mission in New Caledonia. At the end of this month, the Tahitian senior zone leader finishes his mission. At the end of April, 3 elders depart and another 3 at the end of June. In May and August we lose two sister missionaries. All being replaced with new missionaries. A very different landscape in a few months.

We close everyday tired and ready to sleep. But also profoundly grateful for the sacrifice of our Savior. And the blessing of preaching His Gospel to these wonderful people.