WHEN WE ARE NOT AT THE BUREAU (cont.)

We enjoy walks (morning, sunset, night) around the neighborhood.  All this in less than a mile loop from our apartment.  We live on a peninsula.  There are beautiful views of the ocean and mountains from every direction and of course lots of flowers all year round.

The street where we live.

and . . .

 

Elder Glade captured a picture of this fellow with a flash.

WHEN WE ARE NOT AT THE BUREAU

We have spent lots of hours at the bureau, but have also had time to visit Tchibaou Cultural Center with a new member. The architect of these unusual buildings is Renzo Piano. Monsieur Tchibaou was a minister and visionary leader of the Kanaks, but was assassinated by another Kanak who disliked Tchibaou's policy on Kanak independence from France.

Tchibauo Cultural Center

Kanak (Native) House

Interact with investigators.

Attend baptisms.

Give blessings of health or comfort or participate in giving a name and a blessing (Elder Glade).

Deliver a bike to a missionary in Kone the northernmost city in the mission 3 and 1/2 hours away.  It was the first time (May 30th) that I had been north of the airport in Tontuta.

Loved his new bike

Missionary home and meeting place for the branch on the patio

Replica of a Kanak home in a roundabout up north

Check availability of pants for sisters to wear (Sister Glade).  The church announced a policy that sisters in certain areas of the world can wear pants during the rainy season to protect themselves from mosquito bites.  There are lots of questions about this policy. The sister trainers and I went to Noumea to see what a sister could possibly buy here. There were no nice women's slacks available.  The sisters tried on men's pants to see if they might work.

What do you think?

Who knew that missionary work could involve trying on pants in a men's store dressing room?

Attend a wedding.  All marriages in New Caledonia must be performed by the government not a church.  This wedding took place at city hall, but the celebrating took place at our chapel with a huge feast and lots of music and Wallisian dancing.  We love Wallisian music and dancing. There are lots of Tahitians, Wallisians, and Futunans who have come to New Caledonia to work.

The pig was cut by a man swinging a machete at it with all of his might.  Another ward member stood by him to make sure nobody got too close or accidentally walked up behind him.

Wish I knew how to include a movie, not just a shot from it.  The music and dancing are so much fun!

Hike Mont Dore.  We haven't had much time on p-day to explore, but finally had a block of unscheduled time.

The views were spectacular--worth five days of sore muscles

Plant flowers outside the bureau.

It is especially fun to plant here because things grow so fast.

      There is definitely plenty to keep us busy here inside the office and out.

WHAT A WEEK! June 5-11, 2016

This week we have dealt with two elders with an emergency transfer to Vanuatu, a broken hand requiring surgery, vandalism of the stake center leading to a last-minute baptism at our chapel, flat tires, no jacks, tooth decay, two elders being robbed, keys locked in cars--twice, two elders going home, car inspection, getting wrecked cars repaired, (there have been 4--none serious--since we got here),  a propane tank thief, a massive transfer (two weeks sooner than expected with sisters moving into what had been elders apartments and visa-versa). Because of the robbery we had a lengthy session at the police station and with the phone company trying to buy a new sim card and then get a new phone. The internet also quit for periods of time on two days. We have also been training a new church service missionary couple the Gastaldis.

  

At the police station

Fender Bender

Trying to figure out how to thwart a propane tank thief.  These Sisters would like a hot shower--especially now that the weather is getting cooler, but someone keeps stealing their propane tank which is outside their apartment.

The Gastaldis (left)  a local couple from our ward here will be working with us.  President and Sister Granger are on the right.  The Gurreras (also in our ward) finish their mission the end of June.  Gastaldis will be in charge of missionary apartments and cars.

Of a less dramatic nature, someone always needs a light bulb (one apartment had five burned out), a trash can, an ironing board cover, and more forks--always more forks. We are so blessed to have the Gastaldis to help us help these wonderful young missionaries.

LOTS OF VISITORS

Special Stake Conference (May 21-22)

This past weekend we had a special (previously unscheduled) Stake Conference.  Elder Lynn G. Robbins and Elder O. Vincent Haleck and his wife spoke at the conference meetings. President and Sister Granger and his two assistants were with us  in New Caledonia as well.  There was a Saturday morning leadership meeting.  In the afternoon there was a meeting for all of the missionaries in New Caledonia. The whole stake gathered for the Sunday morning meeting and there was a meeting for Young Adults Sunday Evening.  Elder Glade was asked to be in charge of the equipment used for translating which meant we were able to attend the Youth and Young Adult Meeting as well. 

 

All the full-time missionaries serving in New Caledonia and also some of the local church service missionaries.  On the front right side of the pictures are missionaries serving in the Family History Center.

At the airport.  We also did some driving when the Stake President couldn't.

After our Martha-like efforts to help the missionaries get the clothes they needed and get the office ready for the Grangers' visit, it was nice to sit Mary-like at their feet and be taught. 

Part of Getting Ready for the Weekend

Elder Rhodes and Elder Kessler, Office Elders, gave up most of p-day to help me paint the bureau.  They also patiently help me every day as I am learning my office jobs.  For once Elder Glade was grateful for how much office work he had to do.  He doesn't enjoy painting and had reports that couldn't wait.

              After the Missionary Meeting

The missionaries love to take and be in pictures whenever they are together.  Here are a couple of pictures.  

Quelques belles soeurs

Several Elders--some with new clothes.  Their shirts are so white. Next to impossible to get a picture without the hand signals.

And Also

The Stake had already arranged for a Brother Herewini Jones to come here from New Zealand for about ten days before they knew about the special Stake Conference. He is an expert on counseling with various tribes throughout the Islands and also in the United States.  In his talks to church members he talks about how indigenous people are of the House of Israel.  To the nonmember groups he spoke to he talks about precious truths that have been lost from their traditional teachings. He tells them this is why the people are having so many problems--especially the youth.  This is a great oversimplification, but he was fascinating and knows so much. We heard him speak about four times during the week. He would speak for two hours and sometimes the questions and answers would go on for two hours more.  He sometimes had two speaking engagements a day. He was tireless. He was very well received by church members, community counselors, and government leaders as well.  Everyone wants him to come back. 

Brother Herewini Jones.  The woman in the picture is the Stake Public Affairs Specialist.  She arranged everything for Brother Jone's visit and also translated for hours.  She is an amazing person and

we have been so blessed to get to know her.

Still More Visitors

We also spent time with a missionary couple from California serving in public affairs in Australia.  They came for a week to check out New Caledonia and wrote stories on Stake Conference and Brother Jones.  It was good to compare experiences as senior missionaries. We seldom interact with other full-time senior missionaries.  I enjoyed being able to visit with her and Sister Haleck and Sister Granger.  It isn't as much work as when there is a language barrier.  Quite a few people at church speak English well, but I try to speak French there as much as possible.

 

Next week it should be "things as usual"  if there is such a thing here.  There always seems to be something going on.

OFFICE

We are working hard at the bureau to get things in order and many days have spent long hours there.  We are hoping that as we get things running smoother it will ease President and Sister Granger's load a little bit and help the work go forward in this part of the mission.

One issue lately has been trying to figure out what to do about driving school.  After a year in a French country an expatriate has to get a French driver's license.  The license is good for life.  You have to take the written test in French and pass a driving test. If you pass the test in a car with a manual transmission you are licensed to drive both automatics and manuals.  Otherwise a person can't drive a manual in a French country for the rest of his life.  The missionaries spend at least ten hours at the school preparing for the written test and ten hours driving.  Some have never driven a manual before and it is nearly impossible for the missionary to practice other than with the instructor.  This ties a set of missionaries up for at least twenty hours not to mention the high cost.  If the missionary fails the test there is additional time and money required to repass the test.  It is to the school's advantage to fail the missionaries which they do quite readily.  One has failed four times. Elder Glade has been looking for a school which will test on an automatic only--especially for those missionaries who aren't from French countries.  Just one of so many issues.

We have had lots of light-hearted times at the office, too.  A member brought us a huge bag of pamplemousse--a sweeter and very seedy, juicy variety of grapefruit, and a great source of vitamin c. (We do worry about missionary nutrition.)  Some of the missionaries weren't sure they liked them including the office elders.  We encouraged them to try some with us. We didn't have a good utensils for eating them at the bureau so we sliced them and went outside to eat them.

Hope a tree doesn't grow for every seed we spit here

Consensus was--DELICIOUS! and we were able to give away a few more pamplemousse.

One day the toner wasn't working.  Elder Glade had the Elders take the cartridge out and shake it a little bit to see if the ink would work better.  Look what fell out! A couple of eggs which immediately hatched and the geckos scurried off almost before anyone could get a picture. How many offices have this problem?













This critter was on our car one morning and rode the several kilometers to the bureau.
It was there for quite a while each time I checked, but wasn't still there when it was time for us to go home.  It must have found another ride.

 Stowaway!

An excerpt from Elder Glade's Email. "This week flew by.  Next week will too.  On Friday Elder Lynn G Robbins and Elder and Sister Vincent O Haleck will be flying in.  They will convene a “Special Stake Conference.”  No one is quite sure why.  Pres Guidi (Stake President) has asked us to drive them a few times when he cannot.  They will meet with the missionaries for one hour on Saturday.  

"Our only assignment from Pres Granger was to make sure all the missionaries had decent shoes, white shirts and pants for the elders and whatever for the sisters.  Many of the Tahitian missionaries only have 2 pair of pants and 2 shirts.  They are so dirty.  There are holes in the pants and shoes with 75% of the tread gone.  Although some have bought clothing on their missions, most of the missionaries we are trying to help don’t know where to go to shop.  When we finally get to a store, they don’t have the right size, especially for some of our huge South Pacific islanders. One elder is 6 ft 7 in.  The mission bought a sewing machine.  Meg has two pairs of pants to hem.  

"Meg has organized a major cleaning, planting, painting project for the office.  Missionaries in our ward (on their p-day) will help, then we will share a meal.  She really is making the place shine."