Slammed!

We are still here working and healthy and happy. But the date of our last post reminds us that the days following our Fiji visit have been packed. No sooner had we finished the month end work than we had a District Conference, a funeral, a visit from our Mission president and some missionary emergencies including an injured senior zone leader who had to finish early and return home for treatment, a car accident, bank account problems for another and, thankfully, the arrival of two new missionaries. What a month.

We bid farewell to Elder Wilcox after an unfortunate, and no fault of his, interaction with a drunk from Mare, encountered on the boat bringing Elder Wilcox to Lifou to help out while we waited for the arrival of a new Elder. That interaction resulted in severe muscle strain and, with the later diagnosis in the U.S., torn ligaments in his neck and back. Before we knew it, he was on his way home for treatment and recovery. Really only a couple weeks earlier than his original departure date, but six weeks ahead of the extended date he had been planning on. He returned home via Auckland which meant a little later departure time. Pictures below show the breakfast we enjoyed before taking him to the airport. On the beach at one of our favorite places.



Then it was time for a zone conference again. This one was different, however. Globally, the emphasis of training by the mission president and his wife is shifting to fewer conferences, only quarterly, and more work on teaching some specific areas to help those studying the Gospel of Jesus Christ to receive personal revelation and commit to living Gospel principles . This visit was a transition with 4 days of training for the missionary leadership. Eight very intensive sessions over four days, each taking a half day, with role playing. These trained missionaries are now working with their fellow missionaries. A sisters' night was part of the conference however. Pictures nearby show the sisters enjoying dinner chez nous. Because this training was on a smaller scale, we provided lunches each of the 4 days. Nothing fancy, but we found hat the missionaries love fresh fruit. Seems there is some rumor that you can't afford fresh fruit on a missionary budget. Even apples, which are not expensive, were devoured in no time. We were glad to get something into these great missionaries in addition to starch and meat. They were grateful.




As soon as these meetings were over, a series of efforts to exit an apartment no longer in use, help a local sister missionary get her frozen bank account back under control, repair another apartment where electricity was continuously interrupted by the primary circuit breaker and a 'minor' car accident consumed several days. None of these alone is a terribly big deal, but we find ourselves discovering how to handle each one as a new experience. And things aren't always done here as they are at home.

Finally, we are delighted to welcome two new missionaries. They arrived a couple weeks a part. Elder Coffey (and yes the French do understand this name is a bit droll for a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) is serving on Lifou with Elder Stilson.

Elder Moore arrived just this week. He will be serving on the grande terre. He had a couple interesting experiences arriving. His flight from SLC to LA was delayed an hour. His flight from LA to Fiji left early so he missed it. Missionary travel suggested he stay with his family near LA for two days while they got him on another flight to Fiji. This delay allowed two important missionary efforts. The first to a good high school friend who found listening to the Prophet of God and reading the Book of Mormon were more positive experiences than his prior life's activities. The second, while seated on the flight to Fiji with a man on his way to visit his family, all of whom were Church members. So why, our missionary asked, are you not a member. they read the Book of Mormon together, prayed and Elder Moore introduced him to the sister missionaries in Fiji upon landing. He accepted an invitation from Elder Moore to be baptized. We appreciate both this good Elder's efforts as well as the lesson that sometimes Heavenly Father needs us such that we may be slightly inconvenienced.



So we come to the end of another week. Cars are being repaired, apartments painted, bank accounts re-activated, electrical wiring fixed. 33 investigators at Church last Sunday. The work moves forward under these great young missionaries' efforts blessed by their Heavenly Father.