Working from Vila

In the months I was in Vila before the Richards arrived (March-June), I was able to do a variety of different ministries, reconnect with friends, and get back in the groove of Vanuatu life again.

A new family joined our group for just a short time and we hope and pray they come back again for good!  Jim not only put in an all new playing area for the kids on our Bible translation teams who come in and out of Vila, but he also gave a water safety orientation to Aaron, Jamie, and I the day he was leaving the country!

 Our director was away when Aaron and Jamie and their 3 girls came in to Vanuatu to begin their first term with our Vanuatu group of Bible Translators and Scripture Engagement workers, so I was able to do a lot of their orientation.  I don't have a picture with their whole family, but here is one of me with the girls and Jamie swimming in Vila one weekend!

 The missionary life is all about change and transition, saying hello and goodbye.  We had to see off Abbie after her 2 year term in Vanuatu.  I'll miss having her to hang out with when I'm in Vila!

Lyndal met with me for several hours and taught me some reproducible literacy tools I can use in upcoming workshops with K-3 teachers on Ambrym.

I got a reminder of the much more diverse types of mold that can grow in the tropics!  This is my cheese (despite being in the fridge!).

My friend Magreth is not often in Vila the same times I am (she works 7 month stretches in New Zealand) but she was around this time so I got to see her and her extended family.  A ton of these kids were just babies last time I saw them!

Mary helped me do some translation checking for the book of Mark in Rral (North Ambrym language) while I was in Vila.

Yanik from our village in Ambrym is in Vila for a few years getting training that we hope helps him work with us as a Bible translator.  He stays with Mary and his son Masing on his training campus and Evelyn stays with other family and visits them on the weekends.  Evelyn is Gwen's bestie so she enjoys seeing her when we're in Vila but misses playing with her every afternoon on Ambrym!

I got to catch up several times with Edwin and Janet, and their boys Jareth and Jotham.

 Several families from our organization were in town when I was around so we got together for fellowship and worship.

 When the Richards came, the kids first of all enjoyed their newly painted rental place and the new playground, but then Addy and Gwen found some bugs to adopt.  This one hissed constantly at Addy anytime she moved it around, but she figured those were happy hisses...

Through generous donations and a partnership with BuildAid, we have access to a truck on Ambrym.  We broke it in a bit in Vila before heading out to Ambrym.  BuildAid is the local owner but helps us out with shifting cargo and travel for work on Ambrym and it stays with us when they aren't in country.  Thanks to God for His provision through so many of you!