Home Assignment and Continued Relief Efforts

Newly rebuilt Black Sand Nazarene Church

Black Sand Nazarene Church after Cyclone Pam

Disaster relief efforts following Cyclone Pam were still in full swing when we left Vanuatu for our 4 month scheduled home assignment.  Pastor Peter Isaac and his team of district leaders continued to assess needs in communities and purchase and distribute supplies.

One team of national Nazarenes took rice, boxes of canned fish, tarps, and building supplies to the island south of us, Tanna, where the cyclone had done the most damage.  The compassion of Jesus was also shared with the people on Aniwa, just east of Tanna, as Pastor John from Black Sand Nazarene Church took relief supplies and Christ’s love to share with the people there.

The two Port Vila Nazarene church shelters that were destroyed in the cyclone have been rebuilt, as well as the Nazarene church shelters on Aniwa and Tanna.  We are thankful for the financial support of people around the world who generously gave to the Nazarene Compassionate Ministry disaster relief fund and for the generosity of others like Youth With A Misssion in Vanuatu who also partnered with us to provide food, shelter, and clean water for thousands of people! 

Newly rebuilt Prima Nazarene Church including the gutters and
 rain tanks donated by the YWAM -Vanuatu team.

One of the most frightening things about going through a category 5 cyclone was knowing how many people were going through it with no safe shelter.  So, one of the long range recovery goals is to work with our church communities to consider the possibility of constructing “houses of refuge” where people can find safe shelter during a violent storm and can also be used as a church and community gathering/training place.  Please pray for God’s guidance as we work together on this goal.

We had a tremendous home assignment traveling from Alaska to Florida, Michigan to Colorado, and from San Francisco to San Diego, and many places in between!  We were overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality of the Nazarenes who welcomed us into their homes and churches.  We met with many people who were eager to be connected with God’s work in Vanuatu.

David's family including his 94 year old father

Sylvia's family gathered around her parents for their 60th anniversary

While we were home in the USA, we were able to be with all of our children and grandchildren, our parents, and our siblings.  David’s family met together for a reunion on Orcas Island, and Sylvia’s family met in northern Michigan to celebrate her parents’ 60^th wedding anniversary.  Along our way, we were delighted to meet up with many of our friends which made the time at home so satisfying!  We also celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary!  We are so incredibly blessed!

So happy to be with our kids and our four grandchildren!

Water Wells, Pumps and Things

We don't have very many pictures to share of the continuing relief efforts, but we wanted to pass along the news that we've heard of how the disaster relief efforts have continued.  Pastor Peter Isaac with the District Advisory Board for the Church of the Nazarene continue to assess the needs and make plans for how best to help.

In mid-April, Youth With a Mission in Vanuatu (YWAM) was contacted and plans were made to dig wells in two of our church communities where clean water was not easily accessible.  YWAM has developed a technique for drilling wells by hand and then attaching a pump to provide clean water for communities.

 Pastor Peter reported in April that 500-600 people will benefit from the new wells and pumps in Black Sand and Prima communities.

Along with the new well, YWAM also provided water filter buckets so that the water can be further purified for drinking.

At the end of April, Peter e-mailed us to say, "On Sunday we were dedicating the water pump at Prima. All the community were witnessing the opening with YWAM members. And some of the elderly people among the YWAM team were convinced to put up our church building again. Yesterday they started working and the project is underway now."

There was lots of work still being done throughout the month of May.  Peter reported that a team of nine people including five YWAM volunteers went by boat to Tanna with tarps, chain saw, roofing irons, lumber, and nails to help with re-building.  They also took many 50 pound bags of rice and cartons of canned fish to help with food relief.  Pastor Gideon remained longer to help build the first Nazarene Church and baptize eight new believers!

Another Nazarene/YWAM team sailed south to the island of Aniwa to distribute food and to witness.

In addition, tarps, bags of rice, and cartons of canned fish have been sent to six different areas.

At the end of May, the Nazarene congregations in Port Vila came together and contributed a generous offering for their brothers and sisters in Nepal who are facing a huge disaster.  

It has now been nearly three months since Cyclone Pam devastated the islands of Vanuatu.  It usually takes about 3-6 months for cassava to be ready for harvest, so we are hopeful that the gardens will begin to provide for the food needs of the people.  We have heard reports from various people in Vanuatu that the food market in Port Vila is beginning to have more fresh garden produce available.

Thank you for your prayers for Pastors Peter and Jenny as they lead the pastos and leaders in the Church of the Nazarene in Vanuatu.

Cyclone Pam Threatens with Category 5 Power

We are literally sweating as we anticipate the arrival of Cyclone Pam, not just because we’re not sure what to expect, but also because of the heat and humidity that comes with the storm.  It was predicted nearly a week ago that this cyclone would be the most severe hurricane/cyclone of the Pacific.  It didn’t look at first like it would eventuate, but it has moved slowly south from the Solomon Islands and all the conditions have been ripe for it to become more and more serious.  We are watching about 4 or 5 different online weather sites to try to be the most informed about its progress.  The picture above is the forecast track that helps us know where Pam is currently located, the direction it is heading, and when it can be expected. Yesterday and during the night, the cyclone’s progress toward the south pole slowed significantly and it has again intensified.  The cyclone has reached a Category 5 this morning with sustained winds of 115 knots and gusts to 140 knots.  They are predicting that the winds will get even stronger as the central pressure of the cyclone continues to drop.  The weather forecasters are never entirely sure about the track that the cyclone will take, but what is concerning us is that it is aiming to hit us directly or narrowly miss us to the east – either prediction will bring very severe winds that will be very destructive.

We traveled to visit the people in our Nazarene churches yesterday that are living in homes that would never stand up to the winds.  When we arrived at these various places we found people completely unaware of the danger that was approaching!  They had heard rumors that the cyclone had already passed.  We did our best to convince our friends to begin preparing and looking for safe housing.  We are thankful that the Vanuatu army helps to relocate people to schools and safe shelters during situations like this.  The people in Vanuatu are for the most part entirely dependent on the food that they grow in their gardens, most of which are root crops which take 3-6 months to develop.  The winds and heavy rains that come with a cyclone can ruin gardens and the available food supply.

We have never faced a cyclone in our present house since we moved-in 7 years ago, so we aren’t really sure whether our home will stand up to these fierce winds.  David is screwing plywood sheets over our huge windows all around our house today.  It is so hot and humid that closing up the windows sounds terrible, but it looks like the weather will be somewhat calm to handle the big sheets of wood today. 

Sylvia has been teaching an SPNTC class every evening for the last week and a half, and will teach this evening if the winds and rain hold off.  You can’t imagine how hard it is to concentrate on preparations for class and for the students to focus on what she is teaching with a cyclone breathing down our necks!

Please be praying with us for this situation:  

·        We are asking God to do as Jesus did on the sea of Galilee – to block the wind and waves so that people’s lives are spared. 

·        Pray that people will be wise in preparing for the storm even as they pray and trust God for protection. 

·        Pray that we will know what to do and how to help people during this time.

We may very likely lose our internet service and possibly phone service as we move into the thick of the storm on Friday or Saturday (Thursday and Friday in the US), so please know that we will keep you posted as soon as we can.

Thank you for standing with us in the storm.

"The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

Luke 8:24

"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and he brought them out of their distress.

He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea were hushed.

They were glad when it grew calm,

and he guided them to their desired haven.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men."

Psalms 107:28-31 

Trusting God for Kaium's healing

The bandage on her left calf looked as if the doctor had wrapped a baseball on her leg.  Pastor Gideon had called us last night asking if we could arrange a visit to a "private doctor" for this little two-year-old.  We arrived at the pediatric ward in our government hospital during the mid-day visiting hours to see how we might be of help to the family of this little toddler who had just recently arrived from the village of Inapoas on the island of Tanna.  We had never met them before today, but they are related in various ways to some of the Nazarenes here in Port Vila, including Pastor Gideon.  We began last night praying for God's healing touch upon this precious little life, and asking for wisdom to know how to help.

Even though it has been more than ten years since I was practicing as a registered nurse, my heart still feels drawn to these opportunities whenever they come available.  David and I spent some time visiting with the family for a while to hear their thoughts and gather what we could of what was going on.  The doctor was recommending amputation of the leg and the family was wondering why he couldn't just remove the baseball-sized mass that had begun growing last July.  Before coming to Port Vila, they had already tried "kastom medicine" but the mass only seemed to grow faster.  The mysterious thing to them is that the little girl is not in any pain, has no other signs of feeling sick, and is eating and drinking well.

The nurse on the ward was helpful in arranging for the doctor to meet with the father and his brother while we could go along with them.  The doctor clearly and compassionately talked with us about the tumour (sarcoma) that was growing in Kaium's leg.  Chemotherapy and radiation are not available at our government hospital which excludes the possibility of saving the leg.  His main focus is to save her life.  As we walked back toward the ward, the uncle asked if we had medicine that could help.  My mind instantly thought of Kudjip Nazarene Hospital and the patients who were receiving chemotherapy for various cancer diagnoses because of the generous donations from loving people around the world...and I wished we could be there.

We returned to the ward and discussed with the family a little more, making clear the available options.  I was so blessed by Helen's contribution to the discussion when she shared beautifully in Bislama that God can heal through surgery too.  (Helen attends the Prima Nazarene Church and is also related to Kaium.)  We agreed with her and talked about God's power to heal and that we can trust him.  Then we gathered around as I gently laid my hand on Kaium's head and asked our all-powerful God to restore her health and prayed for her family to have God's wisdom to know what to do.  Would you please join us in praying for Kaium and her family?  They will be making the decision regarding the amputation of her leg in the next day or so.  Pray for them also that they will come to faith in God through the loving witness of Pastor Gideon, Aleck, and Helen.

Kaium's uncle, Aleck, walked with us to the parking lot.  We had met him four years ago when we took a Youth in Mission team to Tanna.  We visited his village of Inapoas and stayed in his home.  He and his wife had come to Port Vila with the hopes that he would be able to travel as a migrant worker to Australia or New Zealand, but it hasn't worked out.  He shared with us as we walked that he will be returning to Inapoas soon to build a shelter where people can gather to hear about Jesus.  He and his wife will be the leaders.  Today, we are thankful for his faith in God and that he is here in Vila to help his family through this difficult time, but will return to Inapoas where he can continue to be a support and encouragement.