This is Diana Sam, the Relief Society President of the Erakor Branch. She has a little shop from which she sells gifts to the tourists. She also weaves these bags to sell, so we asked her to make 18 bags for us, one for each of grand daughters. Every bag was different.
The mission president and his wife have a farewell dinner for senior couples going home. The Duke's and us are the only ones left in Port Vila. They really need more senior couples.
Branch One had a farewell party for us. They gave us gifts of wood carvings, scarfs, necklace's, and other momento's.
The branch sang to us, "God be with you til we meet again".
The branch president and his family from branch 2, had us over for a farewell dinner.
The Malmeteso family from Erakor Branch had us over for a celebration dinner and adopted us into their family. One of the Ni-Van favorite dishes is laplap, which they are fixing here.
Mansen is the head of that family and presided over the celebration.
We went up the Paonangisu Branch to say farewell. This is President Eric and his family.
Branch 2 also had a farewell party for us. They gave Elder Larsen an Island shirt and Sister Larsen an Island dress, along with other gifts and necklace's. President Tiasinmal and his wife Mary are with us. We have grown to love them very much.
President Gila of the Blacksands Branch had us come over to the branch youth conference to speak to the youth about the importance of education in their lives. This is President Gila and his family.
These are the youth of Blacksands Branch at youth conference.
The Erakor Branch had us bear our testimonies in their branch the last fast Sunday before we left.
The youth from Branch PV1 had us speak to them the Sunday before we left.
Other members came over to our office to give us gifts of appreciation for what we did for them.
Dima and her husband John gave us pillow cases which she had embroydered on them for us.
This is Duncan, Lyndsey Akers, our landlords at the Blue Lagoon Bungalows, our home for 22 months.
My shoes and sandals that needed a little duct tape and glue many times to make it through our mission.
