RICHNESS
IN CULTURE:
A month later after more weeks of rehearsing and making costumes the wards also held a small-scale Tahitian Heiva with games and food during the day and a dance competition at night. There were lots of nonmembers attending and participating. A spectacular success!
IN BEAUTY: In the sea.
By the sea.
The rock formation is called "La Poule Couveuse" or "Brooding Hen" of Heinghene. I thought the pigs were cute as we passed them in the car. I said I wanted a picture, but when we backed the car up the little black pig hopped down. I sighed. We took a couple of pictures and then this little piggy put his head up on his mother's back again and posed for us.
And in the mountains with verdant streams, waterfalls, and wild orchids.
It has been a joy to share the richness of New Caledonia with family who have come to visit.
IN FRIENDSHIPS: with church members and with people in the community.
On the top left are church members who were among the first to welcome us to the ward and befriend us. The two girls are from the family who own and operate a Vietnamese restaurant. We walk there for lunch when we have zone conference. The man is the father of a family of famous sculptors, the boy our stake president's son, and the three boys are our friendly neighbors. The one on the right told us he loves Donald Trump.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH OTHER MISSIONARIES:
These are missionaries assigned to our ward for this transfer. The three sisters have almost completed their first transfer and the two in the middle are on their last. Below the South Zone is taking pictures of the North Zone at the last zone conference.
The Jeans have served with us here in New Caledonia since last February. We only get to
see the other senior couples at the Senior Conference in Vanuatu each year, but we work with some of them concerning cars, health issues, visas, etc., by phone and by computer.
IN THE SPIRIT:
Watching people be baptized is the richest experience of all. There were several baptisms in New Caledonia in July. Two young sisters joined the church in the northernmost sector of the mission, Koné, where, due to the lack of a font, baptisms are done in the ocean. A man had divorced his wife, but was living with her again. He wanted to remarry her and be baptized, but she refused saying she liked things as they were. Instead of becoming angry, as he might have in the past, he decided to try behaving in a more Christ-like fashion and fasted and prayed instead. She changed her mind. They were remarried in the morning, he was baptized in the afternoon, and the family is happy and excited for their husband and father and his newfound faith.
A young father and mother were baptized. They want to be sealed in the temple and raise their family in the church. An 11 year old girl was baptized. Her father is a member and her mother isn't. Her father wanted her to decide for herself to be baptized. She decided she was ready and he was one happy father.
There have been several baptisms on the Loyalty Island of Lifou. This brings us a great deal of joy. We were able to visit there last fall. We love the people in the small branch. We are overjoyed to see the members working hard and the branch growing. The members had found a family for the missionaries to prepare to be baptized. President Granger sent missionaries back to stay for an indefinite amount of time--perhaps a transfer. The island hasn't had any missionaries living there for about two years. The elders taught and baptized those who were prepared. They have found and are preparing others, some of whom have been baptized. The missionaries will remain in Lifou for at least for two transfers.
This is a picture from a youth fireside about putting on the whole armor of God. They made the armor out of cardboard so that the young man could withstand the "fiery" darts the others threw at him which were labelled with the challenges young people face today. They have been doing a great job as member missionaries. Several nonmember youth attended a ward camping activity and four spoke in sacrament meeting the following Sunday. One young man has since been baptized and two young women are being taught. The youth go to seminary early each morning and bear powerful testimonies and give wonderful sacrament meeting talks.
I am so grateful for the abundance I have experienced in my life because of the blessings of the Gospel. I'm grateful we have a loving Heavenly Father who has given us a plan to follow to make it possible for us to have peace and joy in this life and eternal life in the life to come. I'm grateful for a Savior who suffered according to the flesh that he might know how to succor his people. I'm grateful for the hope, strength, and comfort this knowledge gives me as I face the challenges of this life. I'm grateful for the richness we have experienced in so many ways as we have been blessed to serve as missionaries in New Caledonia.
