Pacific Games

When we returned to Vila to get Hallie back on her way home to the US after her 3 month stay with us, the Pacific Mini Games were on. 

China provided all the funds to build the stadiums/courts and track/field stuff

They are like a very very miniature version of the Olympics for all the tiny island countries of the Pacific.  The normal Pacific Games are every 4 years, rotating with the Mini Games also every 4.  Vanuatu last hosted the Mini Games 25 years ago, so we figured this was possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to see.  (They have never hosted the full games.)

Vanuatu got gold in tennis.  One of the players owns the gym I exercise at when in Vila!

 We were able to attend some of the events with Hallie and they were so fun to watch!  We enjoyed cheering on the Vanuatu competitors, a few of which we even know!

Vanuatu got bronze in table tennis.  One of the 2 medalists teaches the Zumba class I attend when I'm in Vila!

Vanuatu women won gold in volleyball and were alternates for the world Olympics last year!

One of the players on the Vanuatu netball team is from our teammates' village here on Ambrym.

Jesiah, Gwen's friend Evelyn, and our Ambrym netball player.

 I'm sure other competitors are from Ambrym but unfortunately, the information available only showed country of origin, not island.

Our friend Jill took this picture of us across the stadium at a netball game.

If you want to watch highlights of any of the events, you can check them out here:  YouTube Pacific Mini Games Vanuatu  Apparently our teammate Casey, who was watching livestream of some of the events from Ambrym saw us on some of the video, so maybe you'll see us!  Here's also the official website for the games: http://www.van2017.com/  Vanuatu placed 4th overall out of 23 countries!

While we were in town, we also got printing done for this year's literacy workshops.  Hallie folded and stapled every one of the hundreds of booklets, which was an enormous help!

The kids each spent a night with Hallie and I in our Vila apartment to play games and have fun together.  A couple of the kids needed to go Christmas shopping for their parents so we went to a few Chinese stores in town.

I made Jesiah try on this snazzy hat.