Let's Go Shopping

 

Another beautiful sunrise

We started a project a few months ago for one of the sisters in our ward.  She came to me after RS wanting to talk.  She was just hired for a new job for an organization: Community Child Nutrition Outreach Program.  It's an organization that identifies undernourished children and supplies nutrient supplements and formula. Could the church help buy the formula?  Absolutely!  We love these kinds of projects.  However, come to find out, the church was already funding the program through UNICEF and we cannot double fund it. Especially, since it is a pilot program.  I was so disappointed.  But she then asked if we could get them some office equipment that wouldn't be supplied by UNICEF.  We put in the project and it was approved.  This week we went shopping together and got her the equipment.  So rewarding spending a couple of days with her.  

Shopping with Maii

Next week, we will leave Tarawa for the first time since our mission began.  We will be visiting 2 outer islands, Beru and Onotoa, with a team of people who are there to evaluate the desalination plants that were installed last year.  If the evaluation goes well, phase 2 of the project will start and 5 more islands will receive desalination plants which means clean water for people.  Yeah!!  I'm a little nervous because we have heard several horror stories of people getting stranded on these islands for weeks because there isn't enough fuel to fly the commercial plane off, or the airline "forgot" to land, or ...  The accommodations will not be comfortable, but I have been promised mosquito nets, pillows and a toilet will be provided. (The toilet was a deal breaker for me.)   We go with faith. Not faith that we will be comfortable or that we will even be able to get back in a timely manner.  But faith that the Lord will be with us the entire time and that His will will be done.  Who knows, there may be a reason for us to stay longer there.  Perhaps there's a need that could be met through a project.  


We met with Ruth from CBM Australia. Australia is building a emergency response warehouse and she has been tasked to bring in equipment to that warehouse that is focused to help those people with special needs.  She wanted to meet with a representative from every recognized church here.  Only 2 showed up: Keith and I from our church and Mileta from the Kiribati United Church.  It is amazing how similar our faiths are.  

Ruth, Mileta, Arleen, Keith

We went on a nice hike this weekend with Elder and Sister Brown.  They are amazing people. We are working on a couple of projects with them.  The hike was about 6K's long and part of it ran along the airport. We walked on the runway, just so we can say we did it.  It is so quiet and peaceful once you get away from crowded South Tarawa. 

The Brown's and me standing on the runway of the airport. 

Oh no!!  Socks with sandals.  


We have a new Senior Sister Missionary serving here.  Her name is Sister Martin.  She is recently widowed and is a nurse practitioner. She is in charge of the missionaries health.  She has quite the adventurous spirit.  I don't know if I would have had the courage to come here by myself.  But she wants to make a difference for the people and is currently creating relationships with those people who have the knowledge and power to put her in places to help with malnourishment, clean water,  and anything else.  

Sister Martin is on the far right.
The 2 gentlemen in the middle are Brandon and Rob 
who came to make repairs to the dental clinic. 


 

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