Missionary visitors from Auckland

      The Vanuatu, Port Vila Mission is in the Pacific Area of the church.  Our area presidency is in Auckland.  The area offices are in Auckland.  Then there are regional offices or service centers.  Vanuatu is under the Fiji Service Center.  We end up having lots of visitors from around the pacific.  It is interesting to look around church on Sundays.  Tourism is definitely big around here.

       This sister from New Zealand visited here with two of our members.  They all served together in the Brisbane, Australia mission years ago.  Sister Tokalolo is the shortest one.  The other sister is Sister Namali.  I strongly suggested that the couple stay for at least 18 months.  We can really use more senior couples in the mission field!!!!

      Auckland sent two couples here for an inspection visit.  Elder and Sister Brown are the medical couple.  They came to actually see the medical facilities here in Vanuatu.  They were assisted by Elder and Sister Duke, our mission nurse.  Yes, they now better understand about our lack of resources here.  Japan did build a new hospital here in Port Vila.  However, it has not opened yet.  It is like they are afraid to ruin it, break it.  No one here can use the equipment that has been installed.  Two people were sent to Japan to learn how to upkeep the equipment.
      One night we took our quests to the VIT Hospitality School restaurant.  Some of our students served the dinner.  Some of our students prepared the dinner.  It was a fun evening - and good food!

       The second couple that were with us that evening were Elder and Sister Fogel.  They are the area public affairs missionaries.  They are trying to spread the good word.  They are responsible for press releases and working with government officials.  Here in Vanuatu they are trying to get the church accepted on to the Ecumenical Council of Churches.  This would establish authenticity for the church.  (Going around the table - the Duke's, the Fogel's and the Brown's.)