Baptism, burglaries and boat races

Time slips by as new members come into the church, we help missionaries through a burglary and Noumea hosts the World Va'a Championship with teams from all around the Pacific.

After getting our new missionaries somewhat settled with new companions, One of them had an unsettling experience. Over a month ago one of the apartments had an attempted break in through a bathroom window left open during the day. Then just a few days ago, this same apartment was invaded again this time 3 times in a 72 hour period. Bicycles were taken, as well as luggage, ipods and sport clothing. When the Elders started locking the doors to the rooms where the entries occurred, a door was kicked in. We moved them out to another apartment that had just been reworked by its landlord. Staying was too dangerous. The real estate agent responsible for the apartment was somewhat unhappy at the condition of the apartment after the break-ins and the emergency move. We have since cleaned it out. Bars will be placed on the windows, but that will be for the next tenants.

Another attempted burglary, pictured below, resulted in less drastic action. Some weeks ago Sister Mautz became concerned that the office had been entered during our absence. Her rolling case had been disturbed. Only the senior zone leaders have keys in addition to us. They had no knowledge. But this fellow, pictured below, was caught in the act. We call him Sponge Bob 2 due to his flexible core of tired foam rubber.



A week ago we had a small miracle. The District along with several other units in the South Pacific was to have a Conference with the Sunday session broadcast from Salt Lake. Instructions for the Conference as well as how to test our satellite connection came from President Packer two weeks in advance. The morning of the broadcast as we were arriving about 30 minutes before start time, we got a call from the District president. The satellite was not working and they needed help in calling New Zealand. However, the only number on the instruction letter was a 1-800 number for help with translation in the US. What to do. Calls to Tahiti and NZ led us nowhere. Our prayers brought the impression to dial the 1-800 number. In response, a warning voice told us the call would be expensive if we let it go through. We let it go since we had 450 people waiting for the conference broadcast. No result. Suppose we use the same number but with an 801 area code instead of 800. Shouldn't have worked, but a rich Utah accented brother responded quickly. He knew who could help us. With just over 2 minutes to go, our help walked us through a re-booting of the satellite receiver and we were in business. We were very grateful as we listened to President Eyring, Elder Ballard, Elder Condie and Sister Wixom.


Last Saturday the Mont Dore branch welcomed a new young sister into the Church, Amelie Clementine Clotilde Elissa Agourou. She is the niece of the branch president and has been working with the missionaries for several months. Many of her friends participated in her  baptism so that the Aaronic Priesthood brethren and Young Women gave prayers and talks, provided the music and performed the baptism. Tearful testimonies and expressions of love for their friend from many of the youth. We were grateful both for these young people, their parents and their leaders who prepared them and had the vision to let them have such an experience together.



On a more worldly note, Noumea, New Caledonia is the site of the world championship va'a pirogue racing. This bi-annual event rotates among several different venues including Southern California as well as Fiji, Samoa, Australia and NZ. The boats are modern counter-parts of earlier racing canoes made of hewn out trees. The modern versions are fiberglass but retain the out-rigger and are about 30 feet long. They are paddled by teams of 6 in categories for men and women of different ages. The set up for all of this started last week. The races start tomorrow although we are seeing much practice that starts as early as 6:30am. All right in front of our balcony. Our views are perfect.



The hotel is full of people from all over the Pacific rim including as far north as Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. Hawaii and California are represented. As we greet people, we try to guess what language to use. English right now more than 75% of the time.

We bear testimony of the great work in which we are engaged. Jesus is the Christ. His Gospel, taught in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, changes lives, relieves suffering and brings joy, peace and fulfillment. We recommend Him to all.

Baptisms and Changes

With the coming of the month of May, missionary departures and arrivals, long expected, have begun. But first, a trip to Lifou for two baptisms.

May 1 took me to Lifou on a 6a flight with baptismal clothes in hand for the first two baptisms since our missionaries have returned there. President and Sister Seiko had prepared this family well. Not knowing exactly where the missionaries lived, I got in a rental car and set off to find them. That I was 45 minutes later than expected worried me as I knew they were waiting by the side of the main road. They too were a little worried. As shown nearby, they made a scarecrow to stand by the road in case they needed to leave by bicycle. We did find each other, enjoyed companion study together and then joined the Lifou branch for the baptismal service. (Bare feet in the early pictures are due to our repairing their washing machine before leaving the apartment.) The day was clear with light winds. Billowy clouds filled the horizon contrasting with clear blue water. After a hymn, opening prayer and talks in their chapel, we drove 10 minutes to a secluded beach which a local tribe made available by previous arrangement. A hymn on the beach and then the baptisms. Elegantly simple symbols of the covenants these two new members made with their Heavenly Father. I noted to President Seiko that some experiences are so unique and beautiful as to be recorded carefully so that they can be enjoyed again and again.

I was back on a flight home immediately thereafter to attend another baptism in Mont Dore. This one for Julien Tama, whose son readers will know from earlier blogs. Julien came back to the Church after many years. His large family provided a chorus of Primary children as well as adult children to speak and his son to baptize him. Calling his father 'Cher papa' young Brother Tama baptised his father, again unique and beautiful for other reasons. Now a family can soon return to the temple to be joined together forever.

Just a few days before, Elder Waetheane returned home to New Caledonia from his mission serving in Vanuatu. In releasing him , we learned of his valiant service including teaching and leading his fellow missionaries and finally laboring in a northern volcanic island. Remaining members of a small branch were discovered as local leadership visited the island. Elder Waetheane labored there for the last several months of his mission and was privileged to bring 18 souls into the waters of baptism. We are glad to have him home.

And now comes change in the mission. While Elder Mautz was in Lifou 5 new missionaries, 2 from Tahiti and 3 from the U. S., arrived. All well prepared and happy to be in the work. In Sacrament Service Sunday morning, May 2, two of the elders from the U. S. serving in the branch we were visiting shared their testimonies in very credible French. The members were delighted. Three missionaries depart with President and Sister Ostler, so for a few days we have several teams of 3-somes. We are grateful for faithful service from those departing and welcome these new missionaries full of energy and enthusiasm.

Suddenly another month has slipped away. We are grateful for the great blessings of missionary work seeing the lives of people change, both those studying the Gospel of Jesus Christ as well as the lives of the missionaries who teach them.