IT'S GREAT TO BE 8

On Sunday, September 27, 2015 our grandson, Landon, turned 8 years old.  We are excited for him as now he can be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will be baptized on Saturday, October 10, 2015.  We are delighted about his decision to be baptized and about his upcoming baptism.

"Be baptized to show obedience, as was Jesus Christ, our Lord."  Baptism Children's Songbook, 100

Rebuilding After Cyclone Pam, Part 2

This is part 2 as promised.  Saturday morning, one hour after Elder Leben had left for Tanna, Gary flew on this plane.  The plane made one stop on the island of Eramongo and they reunited on Tanna Island about 11:00 AM.  It was an adventure.  In the five days on Tanna Island, Gary and Matthias were able to make an assessment of the needs on Tanna and to develop a plan to begin the rebuilding.  They felt as though they had heaven's help all the way as things began to fall in place.

A view from inside

The plane made one stop, landing on a grass runway on Eramango island

Take off and on to Tanna island

Matthias and Gary with local branch president on Tanna island

One of the homes that needs some serious repair after the cyclone.   Many people did the best they could to find pieces of their former homes to "cobble" them back together to make a shelter to keep the family particially dry.

Gas/Petrol Station on Tanna, no credit cards accepted.

Filling the truck at the gas station 

Going to Church - a hour and a half ride

Mother and child on the way to church Sunday morning

You need good balance to attend this church meeting

Elder Leben at Green Point church meeting, Tanna Island.  This is the sacrament table.

Sunday morning church meeting at Green Point  

Releif Society President, Green Point 

Elders Winters and Leben with local branch leadership

Gary and Matthias with leaders at a government meeting

Diagram of the village structure at White Grass, Tanna Island

Reviewing a partially built home

Branch president at his place of business (Butcher Shop)

Building a cyclone shelter from local materials

Temporary school building donated by UNICEF 

Meeting with local leaders to discuss rebuilding plans

A locally built cyclone shelter at Saet Siui, Tanna Island

At CARE International reviewing tool kits to help people rebuild their homes on Tanna.

Meeting with the director of the Rural Traning Center on Tanna Island.  This organization teaches skills to rebuild homes.

Meeting with Middle Bush leaders on Tanna Island

This mother was asking for a wheelchair for her 6 year old daughter.  Elder Leben,  a pediatrician was able to look at her leg and determine that she had a bone infection and needed to go to the hospital and have her leg treated.  Once treatment was received, she wouldn't need a wheelchair.

Homes on Tanna that need a few repairs

"Keep going, and the Lord will help you." D Todd Christofferson, Brethren, We Have Work to Do" October General Conference 2012

Rebuilding after Cyclone Pam, Part 1

On Friday, August 28th we flew to the island nation of Vanuatu.  We were met at the airport by Elder and Sister Leben, the humanitarian missionary couple in Vanuatu.  The purpose of our visit was to help them with the recovery plans to rebuild homes after Cyclone Pam.

We dropped off our luggage at our hotel and then went to the Leben's home for lunch.

Just as we were finishing lunch Elder Leben received a phone call telling him that the Saturday morning flight to Tanna island he and Gary were scheduled for was cancelled and they would book them for a flight on Tuesday.  That was totally unacceptable as the whole purpose of the trip was so that Gary and Elder Leben could work on Tanna for 5 days.  We immediately went to the Air Vanuatu office in downtown Port Vila to see if they could get on a different flight.  After standing in line for forever we finally left with one confirmed seat and one standby seat on another flight in the morning.

After our experience with the airline, we drove to one of the higher points on the island of Efate to relax and get an overview of Port Vila.

Early Saturday morning Sister Leben took the men to the airport.  Elder Leben took the confirmed seat on the first flight at 8:00 AM and Gary was able to get on a 9:00 AM flight with a stop on another island.  He arrived on Tanna island about 11:00 AM.  Meanwhile Susan and Sister Leben went about their part of the work on the island of Efate.  Things worked out well for Gary and Matthias and they had the 5 days needed for their work on Tanna island.  (More details on the next post.)

With the men safely off on their flights, Susan and Sister Leben went to the market and bought food for the week.  After their shopping they attended a baptism.  Following the baptism they went to lunch with Sister Stoddard, an education missionary on Vanuatu.  Her husband took the people (15) who came to the baptism back to their homes, an hour's drive away.  Pick up trucks are quite versatile.

Sunday they attended church at one ward and then went to another ward hoping to catch up with the stake president.  They were unsuccessful but were able to make contact with President Basil later in the day.  After discussing a pressing matter with him they went home and had dinner with Elder and Sister Stoddard who live next door to the Leben's.  After dinner Susan and Petra worked on their computers and made plans for Monday morning which began a full day and a busy work week.

Beginning Monday morning, Sisters Winters and Leben worked with local church members who helped them find the homes of people needing help rebuilding or repairing their homes.  When they arrived at a home, Susan would photograph the home and owner and assign a number.  She would ask them how many people lived in the home, if they owned the land and if they had water.  Meanwhile, Sister Leben and the local people would measure and assess the condition of the home.  Some homes were totally gone, while others just needed a few building materials to make them livable again.  

The plan is to have government approved building training courses at the local churches.  The training will teach the recipients how to build a stronger and safer, more cyclone resistant structure.  Each selected household will receive the specific materials that they need for repair or rebuild.  After the families complete the repairs or rebuild, the training the teams will go back and take pictures of the completed homes.  We call them homes, but they are far from what most people would consider a home.  They are really just a shelter, a sleeping area where the family can keep dry. Each home owner must attend the rebuilding training in order to receive the building materials.  The supplies will help to make a 4m x 5m (about 13 ft. X 16 ft.) sleeping area.  They are told not to try to build a bigger home as it will not be cyclone safe.  With the proper materials and building techniques the homes will be safe up to a category 3 cyclone.  This help and training is offered to everyone in the areas selected - members and non-members alike.  At this stage, it looks like there may be about 700 homes.

"Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow.'"  Mary Anne Radmacher, Courage Doesn't Always Roar (2009) quoted by Thomas S. Monson, First Presidency Message  January 2012 "Living the Abundant Life"