Flood of Emotions

Following my recent 5 day trip to visit Christians in the Shark Bay area of Espiritu Santo, Toara and I walked from one end of town to the other as we waited for my airport check in time. I was amazed at the flood of emotions that I felt as we walked through Luganville, the only city in Vanuatu besides the capital…

• With the exception of a new bank, a new hardware store and a new hotel, the town has practically stayed the same since my initial visit back in 2003. Surreal, especially in light of the fact that Port Vila has changed so significantly!
• I distinctly remember the overwhelming sense of culture shock and uneasiness I felt way back then, on what was my first ever foreign mission trip.
• I smiled as I walked past the Natangora Cafe and remembered how much I enjoyed their steak and chips during that trip, probably because the owner was an American and it provided me a much-needed taste of home.
• I remembered fondly my then-mentor and best friend, Wayne Burger, who introduced us to Vanuatu, mission work, and so much more.
• I walked by the Unity Park Motel where we stayed for a week or so on a subsequent short-term visit in 2004, where I studied with and baptized my first person ever, Jesse. He’s still going strong (I spent most of my time with him this trip as well - he still has a heart of gold).
• I remembered seeing the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Unity Park Stage back in 2004, and thinking how much the pomp and circumstance of his visit just didn’t fit into the Vanuatu culture.
• I realized (finally) that our great friend, brother and teammate really is gone from Vanuatu. Mike Olson did a lot of work during his few years in Santo, and it was unnerving to be there without him, especially as we walked by his old apartment.