More Great Students

      Maria is originally from PNG - Papau New Guinea.  She is the mother of two children - a boy and a girl.  She is determined to get a college degree.  She is attending UPS - the University of the South Pacific - at the Vanuatu campus.  UPS has campuses on many of the pacific islands.  Each campus specializes in certain subjects.  Here in Vanuatu, the specialties are law and accounting.  Maria studies very hard.  She is determined to get a scholarship for next year.  She is doing business management and accounting.  Maria is our Gospel Doctine teacher, and she is a very good teacher!

 Here Maria is nursing her 22 month old while working with Clyde on the computer.

      Annies (pronounced anis)  also is the mother of two.  She is originally from Ambae, another island north of here.  She has really impressed us with her personal drive and ambition.  She is working for a meat packing company.  She started in shippig on the floor.  She has since moved to the main office.  She completely surprised us with a letter from her boss, a New Zealander.  She had asked him for a letter descibing her talents and abilities in the company.  This is completely out of character for a Ni-Van.  Most of them have a hard time saying anything - let alone ask for something.  We saw the letter.  It was very complimentary of Annies.  Now this letter is part of her personnel file.  Very smart woman!
      Annies is taking computer courses - spread sheets, etc.  Then she will take business management classes.  She wants to be number one, right behind the manager.  Someday, she wants to be the manager!!!!

      This is Annies, her husband, Norton, and Jenny and Jordyn.  We got their picture this morning at the Erakor Branch, just before church.  The other little girl just wanted to be in the picture.  Annies is the Young Women's President, and Norton is on the Port Vila District High Council.  By the way, Annies is the bread winner, and Norton is at home with the children.  Actually, he is a trained electrician but has not found work for two years now!

      These are pictures of the Erakor Branch chapel.  Something else unusual - when it was time for church to begin, only men were present.  Most of the branches are starving for active priesthood holders.  Annies and the Branch President's wife were they only women there on time.  Notice that this is another open air branch building.  Classes meet under trees.  This branch does have pews, though.

This is the Erakor Branch President and his wife.  They were very friendly. 

We were meeting them for the first time