LIFOU

Lifou

Lifou is the largest of the three main Loyalty Islands off the east coast of New Caledonia. It is a raised coral atoll made of fossil coral.  It is famous for its clear blue water and white sand beaches. It is very traditional and over 96% of the population is native with a few people of European or Polynesian descent.  LDS missionaries haven't been on the island for around a year and there was a part-member family there who wanted to be baptized.   President Granger asked two elders to go teach and baptize them and asked us to go with them. The island is quite large and the missionaries needed someone to drive them around.

Lots of caves and coral fossils

Jinek Bay

Luengoni Beach

One of many old Catholic and Protestant churches

Coconut crab--huge and delicious

Ihage family and a nephew in front of their traditional case

IHAGES

Brother Ihage, a formerly less active member, had been teaching his family and was anxious for them to be baptized.  He had taught them well.  We went directly from the airport to their home.  The missionaries taught them Wednesday and Thursday, conducted baptismal interviews on Friday, and baptized them on Saturday.  The three older children loved receiving their own copies of the Book of Mormon and faithfully read their assignments. Poapy (center) always had her copy with her.

The Ihages sleep in their case, but have a kitchen, living room, etc. in the main house. 
Most homes in Lifou have a case on the property as well as a modern home. We showed them pictures of our new granddaughter Etta on Elder Glade's laptop shortly after she was born.  

The six year old daughter has tons of personality.  During the baptismal interviews she had the non interviewing elder, two older brothers, an18-year-old cousin, and a friend all entertained as she led them in one activity after another.  Lots of leadership ability in one so young!

The family with Elder Eronico and Elder Conger

Waiting in the chapel for the meeting to begin

The chapel is a small two-room house.  Usually there are about 20 people at meetings.  For the baptism and sacrament meeting the next day there were many more. Sunday there were over 40 and the rooms were bursting at the seams with more people outside.  The family was baptized in a small, portable font behind the missionary house, a small house on the same lot as the chapel.  
  
Brother Ihage was overjoyed to have his family finally baptized.

His family is excited to begin their new lives as members of the church.

                           


         

A missionary baptizing a future missionary

            Elder Eronico and Poapy




The missionaries had an experience every missionary hopes for. 

Elder Glade and I felt blessed to be able to share in this joyful, spiritual experience and to be able to spend time with the wonderful, dedicated members and the amis (friends--investigators) of the church in Lifou.  An amazing and truly unforgettable experience.







 
                                                                                                   

Etta Louise daughter of Daniel and Kelcey Glade

Elder Glade and I were worried about being in Lifou with spotty internet right when our granddaughter was due to be born.  One morning, just as we were leaving our hotel room, we got an email saying Kelcey was in the hospital. We drove a half hour to pick up the missionaries and another half hour to drop them off at their teaching appointment.  Ihages said they could get internet sitting on a stump under a palm tree in their yard.  We couldn't get it to work.  We drove to the Patriarch's house; we connected to their wifi just in time for Daniel's email announcing Etta's birth. So grateful for a beautiful, healthy granddaughter and for the miracle of modern technology!