Vanuatu Graffiti

We see this wall every morning on the way to work

 I call it the Resurrection Wall

Gary calls it "The Writing On The" Wall

 Poor Cyclone Pam tree

We really don't see much graffiti at all

Arrival Dinner at President Granger's Home (9 Sisters 4 Elders)

 Erakor Branch - Miracle Chapel

 Etas Ward Relief Society

 Etas Ward New Bishopric + a Few Others

 Mele Branch Open Roof Construction - To Withstand Cyclones

 "Please Be Reverent" before Sacrament Meeting

 This Cute Family sang "High On The Mountain Top" for the Musical Number 

in the Mele Branch - The Young Boy Sang a Solo

 Elder Stevens with Elder & Sister Leban from Germany

 Siblings we met at the Erakor Branch - 

He served his Mission in Hawaii

 Young Men Class at Erakor

Primary at Black Sands Ward

 Saturday Baptism

 Great View when you can stand around All Four Sides

 There were 8 eight-year olds all from Black Sands Ward,

2 Converts and 1 teenage girl

 Well-Tended Garden

Weeded - Fenced - Large - Big Variety

 Separate Cooking Kitchen

Luxury Barrel to Keep Wood Dry

 The Church gave the Vanuatu Government two portable sawmills

The Church can use them for 3 years and then the govt will own them outright

 Piece of Iron Roofing Stuck in Palm Tree

Too High Up to Remove (from Pam)

 Two-Bedroom House

 Another view of Kitchen

 Another View of the Best Garden

 Elder Stoddard doing assessment on rebuilding Homes

 Owner of the "Best Well-tended Garden

 Two***Flying Foxes***

 Typical Garden

 Not gonna let Grandpa get away!

 Michael - the Navigator - No Addresses Here

 This House will have to be Torn Down

 Elder Stoddard with a Man needing his home rebuilt

 Vanity & Mirror

Toothbrush Holder on Left - Chest of Drawers on Right

 Black Tubes for Water Supply -

Left tube - Shut Off method

Watermelon Patch

Elder Jones - My Trainer with Elder Begman the day he went Home

That's why he is in a Suit - Only wore it coming and going

Missionaries in this Mission don't even need to buy suits anymore

We sent all Elder Stevens suits home before we came

 Elder Begman - Gary's Trainer from New Zealand

The Outlet to the Ocean of the Lagoon we live on

Port Vila Fire Station

 Improvised Teeter-Totter

 Erakor - The Miracle Chapel - No damage from Pam - Even Hymnbooks were Dry

 Erakor Chapel filled to overflowing last Sunday

 Beautiful Children from Etas Village

 Example of Devastation from Cyclone Pam

 

Miracle Chapel

We have been here in Port Vila, Vanuatu now for one week today. It is a fascinating place. Cyclone Pam  happened on Friday - March 13th and destroyed 90% of the housing and all of the vegetation here on Efate and Tanna - two of the islands of the country of Vanuatu. There is still a lot of downed wood everywhere and lots of evidence of houses being rebuilt, but it is green everywhere. At first glance you'd never know how devastated it was. The swimming pool at the mission home was empty before Pam hit and full of water and debris the next morning. People say it lasted all night. Missionaries with only one transfer left were sent home and those with 3 months or so left were sent back to their home country to serve out their missions. There is much to do. We would love to have two more office couples here. 
We'll be waiting to hear from you! I'd be glad to process your work permit and Visa!

This is the Paonangisu Branch Bush Chapel
It was destroyed during Pam but the benches survived
They were put in just days before Pam because they had to get them out of the warehouse to make room for the emergency supplies that they knew would be coming in after the Cyclone.

Us and President Eric and Sister Stoddard

Eric is Branch President of the Paonangisu Branch

This is their recreation Field

You can see some devastation from Pam in the background but much greenery has returned. Pres. Eric described to us how they caught "Flying Foxes" (bats) for food after the Cyclone. He said they taste good.  I'm not so sure.

These men are loading sheets of corrugated iron roofing material to take to that island in the distance to help rebuild the houses destroyed by Pam. Elder Stoddard delivered water to these boats for about 3 weeks after Pam until people could repair their gutters enough to retrieve rain water themselves.

On our ride all the way around Efate we encountered several scenes like this one

Washday and Bath Day