I scream, you scream...

Our family tries to be as involved in the community as we can, in an effort to get to know the locals and initiate relationships that might turn into opportunities for spiritual conversations.  Of course, being in the village has also reminded us of the importance and necessity of helping people when you can.

One of the ways I have been able to help out in the community is with the installation of solar-powered electrical systems.  With cash crops like copra and cacao being prevalent in our region, many people are able to save up enough money to buy a system that allows them to power lights, DVD players, and recharge cell phones (the average cost is between $800-$1000, so it is a MAJOR investment for them).  A few weeks ago I helped a family by installing their “solar system”, which included a 12v deep-freezer.  For the first time ever, you now buy ice cream in the village - $1 a scoop.

As you can tell from the pictures below (and you may recall from my previous discussions), people really enjoy watching other people do something they haven’t experienced before (and the interest seems to be multiplied if the worker has white skin?).  We have actually sort of gotten used to it, as it at least provides more opportunity for interaction.

Best of all, we’ve established a good relationship with Betwel and his family as a result of this particular effort.  Customarily, when you work with/for someone, they provide you with lunch and dinner that day to say thank you (we did the same thing when we were building our house here in the village).  While they are “religious/believing” folks, they are not active with any church.  We are tentatively scheduled to study with them during our next trip to the village, and pray that this opportunity will prove fruitful.  

In the meantime, all the kids in the village will be enjoying ice cream and popsicles!

Jeff and Josh

We’ve been praying a lot lately for open doors as we seek to share the truth of God’s word with the people of Vanuatu.  We’ve also received several requests from brethren stateside wanting to know about specific prayer requests.  We submit the following blog entry in answer to both.

Recently, I made a quick two-night trip to Vila to meet with Aaron and purchase some supplies for Malekula.  The taxi driver who took me to the airport, Josh, was a young man from Tanna Island.  As most do, he inquired about our work in Vanuatu and I was happy to talk to him about it.  He shared with me that he works regularly with an inter-denominational youth group.  As we drove past the building where the church in Vila worships, I pointed it out, and he excitedly responded that he lives only a couple of blocks away, and had considered visiting services several times.  I gave him a formal invite to services, and also encouraged him to attend our upcoming Pacific Islands Bible College courses.  He seemed very interested, and I hope that I will indeed be able to catch up with him then.

Since I was relying on public transportation to get me to the airport, I ended up arriving quite early.  After checking in for my flight and taking a seat in the waiting area, a well-dressed man sat down beside me and introduced himself as “Jeffry Liu, but you can call be Jeff” (our entire conversation was in Bislama, though it was clear that he speaks English very well).   I soon learned that he is from Ambae Island, but is living in Vila fulfilling a four year teaching contract - he tutors students to prepare them for university courses.  He too inquired as to where I was going, and how long we had been in Vanuatu.  I gave him a brief overview as he asked the usual questions (where are you from, what church, on what islands is your church present, etc.) and he then asked a question I had never been asked before: “what is your mission?”  I told him that I came to Vanuatu to teach the word of God to those who are interested in changing their lives to fall in line with His plan.  Jeff really lit up with that answer, and said that he wanted me to come to his village in Ambae sometime to teach the Bible.  He has a break from school in December and January, at which time he plans to return to Ambae, and we tentatively set up a plan for me to go with him early next year.  He also told me to contact him next time I am in Vila for a month, and he will give me the opportunity to preach one Sunday morning to his denominational group.  We exchanged numbers, and Jeff actually called me a few nights later, “just to say goodnight” and confirm our plans.  

Please be praying for these exciting opportunities.  God is good!

BCC

The 29th and Yale congregation in Tulsa, OK, which has been supporting us financially “since the beginning”, asked if there were any opportunities associated with the Vanuatu work that they might be able to take on.  Knowing that they are heavily involved in the World Bible School correspondence course program, I suggested that they place an ad in the Vanuatu Daily Post offering courses.

We have done so locally in the past, but I figured offering English courses with a USA mailing address might interest a different segment of the population.  Sure enough, within only a month of placing the ad, three locals requested courses.  And just before I loaded this post, I received word of a fourth.  As they progress, I will begin following up with them in person.

Funds have been given to place the ad in the newspaper every other month for a year.  We pray that many will take the opportunity to study and obey God’s word!

World Champ

During our most recent trip to Southwest Bay, I got to meet a Vanuatu celebrity - Kali Jacobus, a.k.a. “The Malekula Kid.”  He is the current WBO super middle-weight title holder (I saw one of his defense fights in Port Vila a couple of years ago).  He lives in Lembinwen Village, and recently built a market house in the village with some of his winnings.  Locals from the surrounding area bring their produce every Friday to sell.  While the ladies were perusing the produce inside, I visited with the champ.  He is a super nice guy, and though he is one of the richest people in Vanuatu, he remains very humble and quite generous.

We tentatively scheduled a “lobster outing” for the next time I am in the village, which basically means we’ll go out in his outrigger canoe after dark and he will dive for lobsters.  I am looking forward to it and hope that I can forge a friendship with him that will produce spiritual fruit.

Return to SWB

Ten days after returning from my first trip to Lembinwen Village, we took another team to encourage and teach.  This time I was joined by my entire family, as well as Jean Claude’s family (wife Leisande, and teenage sons Wesly and Bronsly).  We boarded the truck about 6:45am, and the boat we had arranged was already at the wharf waiting on us when we arrived (MUCH better than last time - although this time we had to charter the boat and it cost double the price of our last trip - guess you get what you pay for?).  

The seas again fooled us in the beginning into thinking that we would have smooth sailing, but before long we were riding the waves.  The trip took less time (3hrs) than our prior trip (4hrs), mostly because we had a more experienced captain handling the 40-horsepower outboard motor and we made no extra stops.

There was some confusion as to whether we were going to go on Thursday (as originally scheduled) or Friday (the day the regular service boat was scheduled).  Aiel and Nancy were therefore somewhat surprised when we came ashore just before lunch on Thursday.  The ladies quickly got things settled in the house and put together some food for our lunch.  It was immediately obvious how much Nancy appreciated having Shawnda and Leisande there.  They were all good friends within moments of meeting each other.

Following lunch, Shawnda and Leisande studied with Nancy for about an hour, mainly answering her questions and discussing the cost she was counting.  As a result of that time together, Nancy made the decision to be baptized into Christ.  We all walked down to the ocean where she made the good confession and Jean Claude immersed her.  It was wonderful to see this couple now complete in Christ.  I am not sure who was more excited - Aiel or Nancy.  Though they have been ridiculed by many in the village for their decision to break free of denominationalism and embrace true Christianity, they seem solidly committed to leading a faithful life for Jesus.

We spent time singing, studying and visiting together over the long weekend, and enjoyed another simple worship service together on the first day of the week.  It is truly amazing how strong the bonds of friendship are inside Christ - what a blessing!

I am planning to visit them once a month for the foreseeable future, and the congregation here in Tulwei is planning to conduct a weeklong Gospel Meeting there the second week of November.  Please be praying for this couple, as they let their lights shine in their community.  Pray that we will be led to more truth-seekers in the area.

Mission Team 2 - Brandells with Jean Claude, Leisande, Wesly and Bronsly

New sister in Christ - Nancy (far right)

New brother in Christ

We returned from Southwest Bay (SWB) with great news: we have a new brother in Christ (Aiel Massing) and thus the church has now been planted in a new location (Lembinwen Village). We have had correspondence with Aiel for almost five years, after he responded to our newspaper ad offering Bible courses. 

Mike has had the most direct contact with Aiel, so he flew in from Santo to take part in this trip. We were also joined by local Christians Alsen and Williamson. The five of us (including Titus) jumped on a truck early Monday morning and headed for Lampupu Wharf. That trip took about 45 minutes. We were told that a boat coming up from the south would arrive about 9am and be ready to head back about 10am. As "Vanuatu time" would have it, we finally left the wharf about 1:15pm. It was a long wait (over 5 hours), but it was somewhat expected. I was just glad to have transportation. There were three others on our 7m fiberglass boat, besides the captain and his assistant. The boat had come up to Lampupu to sell an ice chest full of fresh fish. 

The voyage started out great, but the seas soon became quite rough. Occasionally the swells were so large that all you could see were waves higher than our heads totally surrounding the boat. I was comforted by the fact that the shoreline was only a few hundred meters away, and that Titus had a lifejacket. Plus, the captain didn't seem a bit nervous. Due to the sea spray and waves, we were all soaked to the bone by the time we arrived in Lembinwen 4 hours later (the trip can take as little as 2 hours in good conditions). 

Aiel excitedly greeted us and showed us our house. We all changed out of our wet clothes. It was a 4m x 8m local house with bamboo walls and a concrete floor. It was an old house, but they had put on a new thatch roof for our stay. During dinner, we discussed our plan of action for the week. We would study with Aiel and his family (wife Nancy and 24-yr-old son Sansen) in the morning at the house, and conduct public studies at 2pm. After a cup of hot tea, we all went to bed (four of us were supplied with a 2" foam mattress, and Titus slept on my Therm-a-rest). 

We all woke up with the sun and the chickens. Nancy made some pancake-like bread and tea for breakfast. We studied with Aiel and family for over 3 hours, mostly about what it means to be committed to Christ and answering their questions. After lunch, we all headed to another part of the village for our public study. When Aiel mentioned the week before that we were coming to study the Bible, several friends of his from the Revival Fellowship Church (where Aiel had been serving as an "elder") expressed an interest in studying, including their "pastor." The main reason Aiel wanted us to come teach was that he read things in the New Testament that were not being done by this group. We were happy to accept their invitation to conduct studies in their building. Tuesday thru Friday Mike and I rotated teaching for about 45 minutes, and then answered questions from the floor for 1-2 hours. We had 8-20 local adults present each afternoon. There are some good prospects from that group with whom I look forward to further study.  

After our second morning study, Aiel decided that he was ready to put on Christ in baptism, making the good confession that he wanted make Jesus the Master of his life. Alsen baptized him out in the Pacific Ocean. The remainder of our daily family studies focused on things Aiel needed to do in the coming weeks as a new Christian, especially as it relates to New Testament worship. We also spent time on the role of the Holy Spirit. It was wonderful to have Alsen and Williamson with us, as they provided him with a lot encouragement and practical advice. Nancy and Sansen both decided that they were not ready to make the commitment just yet, but we anticipate their obeying the gospel soon. 

Sunday morning was one of the most uplifting worship services I have ever been a part of. The five of us joined Aiel and family, Katrina (a Christian from Tulwei Village who is in boarding school in a nearby village) brought two friends, and one of Aiel's neighbors joined us with her two young children. We all sat in a circle on the floor of our house and worshiped God together. In those settings, I am always reminded of God's wisdom as manifested in the simplicity of true worship. Alsen shared a great lesson on the faithfulness of Stephen in Acts 7, and Williamson led our thoughts as we partook of the Lord's supper. Aiel was practically glowing after the experience, because he was so glad to have obeyed the gospel and to be a part of the Lord's body. 

Our return trip saw smooth seas, and even a large group of dolphins. I am planning to return to SWB in a few days, accompanied this time by the entire family and Jean Claude and Leisande. It will be really beneficial to have Shawnda and these older Christians to teach and encourage the folks there. Please be praying for Aiel, his family, and his community. 

*For those who are interested, I will begin working on a more detailed report of this trip to Lembinwen, since it was our first. It will be many pages and more of a play-by-play of the entire week, and will thus contain many more details of the village and our experiences. 

Mission trip to SWB

Malekula is Vanuatu’s second largest island, and is basically divided into three areas - north, central and south.  We are located in the northern part of the island.  Back in 2006, we received a request for a Bible Correspondence Course from Aiel Massing in Southwest Bay, Malekula (he had seen our ad for courses in the Daily Post newspaper, which technically doesn’t even circulate in SWB).  Back then there was no cellular phone coverage at all in the area, and even getting mail was quite a chore.  We would hear something from Aiel every 4-6 months or so, but he was sort of lost amongst our hundreds of BCC students.  A couple of years ago, when we rewrote our English courses, we sent several of our former students a copy, and he began contacting us again (this time with cell phone reception near his village).  Alsen and I were scheduled to go and visit him back in 2010, but had to cancel at the last minute because the airport was closed (and, in a very-Vanuatu way, still is!). 

Aiel and Mike happened to both be in Vila at the same time for about a week later in 2010, but Aiel’s commitments made it difficult for them to cover much ground in Bible study.  Aiel completed our BCCs late in 2011, and recently called announcing his desire to be baptized as a result of his studies (along with some other family members).  So, Mike, Titus and I are going to SWB next Monday.  We will be accompanied by two local Christians from Tulwei, Williamson and Alsen.  Mike is scheduled to fly into Malekula this afternoon and spend the weekend with us.  We will ride a truck about 45 minutes on Monday morning to the central part of the island, and then board a small boat (outboard motor) for the 3-4 hour voyage down to the southern part of the island.

Aiel seems quite excited about our coming, and we are very grateful for the opportunity to go and study with them.  We will be there for a week, and hope that we will witness the church being planted in this new region of the country.  Please be praying for our safety as we travel, and for receptive hearts in SWB.  It sounds like we could have a good number of souls who are interested in studying the Bible.

And be sure to check back for an update on the trip!