A MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS--continued

Christmas Day we attended church for an hour between 9 and 10.  I love having Christmas fall on a Sunday.  I love being greeted with wishes for a Merry Christmas.   This year it was "Joyeux Noël."  All the missionaries gathered after lunch.  We began by viewing the First Presidency Christmas Devotional which the missionaries hadn't had a chance to see.  When the missionaries joined in singing "Silent Night"  with the broadcast I thought they sounded like a choir of angels and I loved looking at their sweet, sincere faces.  They want so much to serve the Lord and it was a privilege to be celebrating this Christmas with them.

After the devotional the missionaries had planned a talent show.  Each district performed a number and then whoever wanted to could share a talent.

Some of the districts:







































Some who volunteered:



Some who were volunteered by others:     







The Idahoans and the Canadiens

















Among the highlights were:

Sister Gastaldi singing songs from her native French Guiana in French Creole and


the Tahitians sharing a Tahitian Christmas song with their beautiful harmonies.  

After no more volunteers and no one else could be coerced into performing and the talent show ended we had a picnic outside.




The evening concluded with the missionaries exchanging gifts and a visit from Pere Noël bringing gifts for each missionary by way of Vanuatu.


         Our tallest elder got a princess crown and Elder Ursenbach seems pleased.

The missionaries loved their new shirts, mission video, mission cookbook, and m and m's.

After all the festivities were over Elder Glade and I returned to our apartment to open the gifts we gave to each other.

I'm so grateful to have had the experience of a Christmas as a missionary.  Grateful for the gift of the Savior, his teachings, his example, and his atoning sacrifice.  Grateful to have an opportunity to show Heavenly Father our love and gratitude by serving a full time mission.

Festival of Lights at Place de Cocotiers

A MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS

A MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS

This year our Christmas celebration began with a fireside concert by the youth in our stake. They had been rehearsing for months to prepare and their music was "incroyable."  We have many talented musicians in our stake here and I was impressed that so many youth were willing to sacrifice so much of their time to be able to perform so beautifully.  There were important people from the community who attended as well as members and investigators.

Our ward Christmas party was a celebration with a lively emcee, sweet singing by the primary children, games, music, impromptu performances, a haka, karaoke, dancing, joking, laughing, and, as always, lots of food. The party lasted for hours and everyone seemed to whole-heartedly enjoy every minute of it.

We had the young adults come to our apartment for a Christmas Dinner.  They come for family home evening, but we have never fed them dinner before.  We had chicken fajitas. They loved the crepes (tortillas) and the carrot cake.

Each of the four nights before Christmas we took four different groups of elders and sisters to sing and talk to the people visiting the light festival at the Place de Cocotiers, the center square in Noumea.  Crowds gathered to listen to them and the Mayor of Noumea said she loved having them sing.

We spent several hours Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day with all the missionaries in New Caledonia.  Christmas Eve day there were games and a Hawaiian luau themed dinner.

                       

Continued. . .

JOYEUX NOEL!

LIFOU--continued

LIFOU--continued

While we were in Lifou the elders had other teaching appointments--people who were interested in being taught the gospel while the full-time missionaries were on the island.The missionaries taught another woman, Jeanette, whose husband Michel was a member, but hadn't been to church in some time.  Still, he had told her about the gospel.  She said they had been walking two different paths in life and she decided she wanted to walk the same path--his.  She was sitting on her bed on the floor when we met her--unable to walk because of terribly painful gout in her feet and knees.  She also has a heart condition.  She had her scriptures and several manuals spread out around her as she studied, diligently seeking truth.  She had read a lot of the Book of Mormon and knew it and the church were true.  She did have concerns about being able to attend church and didn't think there was any way she could be baptized.  She was concerned about her infirmities until Elder Glade assured her the Savior loved the infirm.  The missionaries assured her they would find a way to help her in and out of the rather flimsy, portable font.  She was willing to try, but very worried. The plan was that she and her husband would attend the Ihage baptisms and church on Sunday.  After church she would be baptized and confirmed the next Sunday.  

She was very anxious to be baptized and be forgiven of her sins.  She wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to God.  Her husband said she used to drink, use cannabis, and gamble; she had become a different woman.  He cares for her with gentleness and devotion.  She is very grateful to him for his goodness and example and the teachings he had been sharing with her.  I have never been in a home where I could feel more love or a more powerful spirit than we felt in their humble home.

Jeanette and Michel

In front of Jeanette and Michel's home

Our stake patriarch and his wife live in Lifou.  While we were there they helped us in every way that they possibly could including helping us find our way around the island (which was more difficult than you might think since nothing is marked, there is thick vegetation on both sides of the road, and the island is quite flat and has few landmarks), feeding us, letting us use their wifi to find out about our new granddaughter, treating us to ice cream from their stand (youngest son in the background), and making sure everything was set for the baptisms--even having baptismal clothing sent over from Nouméa.  The patriarch even rented a van to bring Jeanette and Michel to the baptisms and to church.

So happy to be being baptized.

    Concern is visible on her face.

Joyful, tearful embrace

Daughters of an ami, Gloria.  One is named Marguerite.

After finishing up some business on Monday and before we had to fly back we had a little time to explore the island which is very beautiful, but the wonderful people are the most beautiful.  Lifou has so much potential for the church to grow there.  Several people are interested in the church since the baptisms of the Ihage family. There are at least 16 people being taught both here on Grand Terrre (the main island) and on Lifou as a result of people who attended the baptism. Elder Glade and I would love to live there and work before we finish our mission, but that is just wishful thinking.  We will always treasure the short time we were able to spend there.

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!

TONGUE-TIED

TONGUE-TIED

Two weeks ago I gave a talk in church--in French.  Thanks to google translate, Elder Glade, a young missionary, Elder Calveau, and lots of practice, people were able to understand me. Even though I do enjoy the challenge, it is so hard not to have the words easily available to express my thoughts. Some French words are just plain hard for me to get my tongue around unless I say them over and over again.  This has made me think how this mission has left me tongue-tied.  It is so hard to find the words to describe our experiences with the natural beauty, the culture, the people, and the spirit.

Sometimes on p-days we have time to explore more of the natural beauty of this island.

Chutes de la Madeleine

View of Dumbea from Mont Khogi

Grand Kaori--1000 year old tree

Roche Pierce

         But the ride home from the bureau where we work can be equally spectacular.

The mix of island, European (mostly French), and Asian cultures makes life in New Caledonia rich and varied--ukulele music, Chinese shops, and French restaurants. One day while waiting for a car to be fixed we visited some members who are a family of famous sculptors.  We enjoyed learning more about some of the symbols in their work and their significance in Melanesian culture.

I've been a little surprised at how quickly I have come to love the people here so deeply--ward members and investigators, the young adults we work with some and the missionaries, the couple I teach English to who are hoping to pass the Michigan test and go to BYUH.  

A young boy front and center enjoying watching dancing at a ward activity.

  A Sister at a recent Relief Society activity.

A Stake young adult activity.

The spiritual experiences are what truly make serving a mission worthwhile.  Brother Maleoka, after investigating for four years, shouted for joy as he came up out of the waters of baptism.  He was thrilled to know he could repent and improve his life.  He wore white to symbolize the purity that he felt.  He is illiterate. He said that he is unable to write about his baptism, but God could read what was written in his heart. This is the first time in his life he has worn a tie.  Elder Watkins is baptizing Luc, an eleven year old with amazing gospel knowledge and looking forward to becoming a deacon soon.  His tiny branch has few priesthood holders.  He was the first convert baptism in the far north of the mission in at least ten years.  No font within hours so Luc was baptized in the ocean.

I am so grateful to see the joy the Gospel brings into people's lives.  I'm so grateful for the blessings of the Gospel in my life and the opportunity we have to serve this mission.