Earthquakes in Vanuatu

Just to let everyone know, there have been a number of earthquakes this morning located off the coast of the northern most islands of the Vanuatu chain. The largest earthquake measured 7.8. A tsunami warning was issued, but we just heard that they’ve cancelled it now. We have not heard of any damage from the earthquake nor that any tsunami actually occurred in Vanuatu or Solomon Islands to the north. If anyone is interested, here is a website that will give you the latest information about earthquakes around the world. I’ve got it set for the South Pacific: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Maps/region/S_Pacific_eqs.php



We went to town (right along the seafront) this morning to begin the process of renewing our residence visas only to find that the Immigration Office was closed along with quite a few other stores. We didn’t think it was a public holiday. We soon found out that there was a tsunami warning. There was a cruise ship in port and lots of tourists milling about town but not looking alarmed in any way. One of the members of the Black Sand Nazarene Church stopped us as we were getting into our truck to leave and asked if we knew anything about the tidal wave. We pooled our bits of knowledge and determined that most likely the danger time was past.



Here in Port Vila we haven’t felt any of the earthquakes. We will keep you posted as we hear news from the north. Please keep the Asia Pacific Region in your prayers. There have been many natural disasters recently – typhoons and flooding in the Philippines, devastating earthquakes in Indonesia, and tsunami in Samoa – all resulting in the loss of life and destruction of homes and livelihood.

Praising God for people who PRAY

“Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you [and in us] would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” ~ Philippians 1:3-6, The Message.

The Apostle Paul does a great job of expressing what is in our hearts for you. We are so thankful for your partnership with us! We have been back “home” for about 7 weeks now and what full weeks they have been! It has been well over a month since our last prayer letter went out, so we wanted to let you know how God has been working in response to your prayers.

Our YWAM friends, Ben and Anna Story, are still in Australia with their precious little Simon. He is 7 weeks old now and weighs in at 1.8 kg (a little shy of 4 pounds) – almost twice what he weighed at birth. Recently, he has graduated from the NICU to a special care nursery where he is free from oxygen tubes and is sleeping in a little crib instead of the isolette. His parents have sent us a note thanking everyone for their prayers! Such a wonderful miracle of life!

Our friends the Rudds are together again in the United States. You may recall from our e-mail in August that Kay had a heart attack in June while living here in Vanuatu. She spent some time in New Zealand while Jack and Jay packed up all their belongings here. They said in a recent e-mail to us, “We believe that God has more for us to do and we would ask you to be in prayer with us as HE shows you and us the next steps in this adventure for HIM.” Thank you for your prayers for them! In the picture to the right: Jack and Jay and Roger and Cindy and little Leilani Sutter came to our house for dinner before the Rudds left for the States. By the way, Cindy is doing much better and is visiting Roger’s home in Switzerland for the first time.

We became a bit more acquainted with the traditions and customs surrounding the grieving process as we mourned with Susan’s family and all of our churches after she passed away on August 7th. The particular custom for the people of the island of Paama (an island north of us where Susan’s husband is from) is that the family remains at home for a month following a death. They do not go to work, school, or to other activities that are outside their home. It is a time to be together and remember the one who has died. One week after Susan’s death, we gathered with the family as they presented a cow and other food to Susan’s brothers. After a month, Susan’s family will eat the “last kakae (meal)” together and the women of the family present razors to the men who have refrained from shaving during the month indicating that the time of mourning is over.

This last Sunday we picked up Susan’s kids and her husband’s parents and took them to Black Sand Church with us. The fellowship we shared together was like a healing balm. Please pray for Susan’s husband, Arthy, and some other young men that live at their house that they will begin to desire new life with Christ.

What a delight that little Anna worshiped with us that day too! You may remember us asking you last year to pray for a little 1 year old who was badly burned in a house fire and flown to Australia for skin grafting. This was her first time to come to church, and we didn’t have our camera with us.  She is really shy especially when she sees our white faces looking at her. After several minutes of singing she began to feel more comfortable and was smiling and interacting with the other children around her. Her skin grafts look good. It doesn’t look like she is crawling or beginning to walk. Please pray for her continued development physically and for her and all her family to experience a life transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

David packed up the easel, white board, CD player, computer, a box full of books and supplies and headed off to teach class this evening at the rented classroom of Joy Bible Institute. He will be teaching Biblical Theology II every evening for the next 3 weeks. He would appreciate your prayers for him that he would have the understanding and creativity he needs to teach this very important material. Pray also that the students will be able to grasp and process all the information.

As he daily packs the truck with all his teaching supplies, we look forward to the day when we will have a classroom and library for our pastoral training program. We have made a down payment on a piece of land that we are prayerfully considering might be the future location for the Vanuatu District Center for the Church of the Nazarene. The facility would include a large sanctuary for district wide gatherings as well as for a local congregation. We would also plan to include a classroom and library, offices and other meeting rooms. Please continue to pray with us as we make decisions in the next few weeks regarding the purchase of this property.

Sylvia is scrambling to be ready to begin a series of Bible studies on the Sermon on the Mount with the Black Sand Church this Wednesday, as well as with an international women’s Bible study that she has been attending for the last couple of years. She is also preparing to teach a 3 week course for SPNTC on the Letters of Paul in November. Thanks for your support in prayer!

We feel so blessed to be able to serve the Lord in this beautiful country! Several of the young men from our churches helped us break ground for a new garden in our big 2.5 acre yard. In the States we probably would have rented a roto-tiller, but these young guys used a 6 foot long crowbar and shovels to break up the ground. We love to see the land producing lots of food. David makes a daily check of our close to 30 pawpaw trees, using a long stick to harvest from the trees that are now close to 10-15 feet tall. Sylvia has established a friendship with our neighbor as they share different flowers to be planted in each other’s gardens. Madalyn often brings over a stick or little part of a plant for Sylvia to add to her flowerbed. It doesn’t take long before a little shriveled piece of a plant begins to put on new leaves and eventually flowers! The tropics are incredible! This lovely amaryllis was one of Madalyn's many gifts to Sylvia. It was just a bulb when Madalyn gave it to her. They were both surprised and overjoyed that it produced 10 flowers!

Happy Birthday to Bennett and Ennrich!

Happy Birthday to Bennett (12 years old) and Ennrich (8 years old)! We celebrated with grilled chicken wings and roasted ears of corn AND rainbow birthday cake! After dinner and after all the presents were opened, we taught these two very bright boys how to play Mexican Train Dominoes. We are so glad for our missionary family and proud to be Uncle David and Aunt Sylvia to these very special MK's!

The God of Peace

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Thank you for helping us to present our requests to God! God has faithfully given us peace through some very difficult days.

Cindy Sutter has been discharged from the hospital. She received daily antibiotic injections for several days and is now recuperating at home. Roger and the family appreciate your prayers during this time. Cindy is still quite anemic and requires lots of rest. They have been planning for several months to travel to Roger’s home in Switzerland at the end of August. Please pray for Cindy’s continued healing and strength for the long trip.

Ben and Anna Story are thrilled with the way God is answering prayer in Baby Simon’s life who is now 11 days old! He has been breathing on his own and is receiving tube feedings of his mommy’s breastmilk. He’s gaining weight! Anna was able to hold him last Saturday for about an hour. I think this was the first time since he was born.

I spoke with Jack Rudd this morning. God has been giving them help and guidance in all the decisions that needed to be made. Kay will leave in 2 days from New Zealand to return to the States. Jack and Jay will finish getting things packed up here in Vanuatu and are scheduled to leave from here on the 29^th. Thank you for your continued prayers for them during this time of separation and transition.

After she went to be with Jesus last Friday, we have continued to spend time with Susan’s family every evening in a time of singing and sharing of the Word. We pray together and then share a meal. This “normal custom” for people of Vanuatu has been a source of healing for us as much as for the family. This will continue at least through this week when all the extended family gathers on Saturday for another time around Susan’s grave and another meal together. Arthy, Susan’s husband, shared some of his thoughts with us tonight about the days ahead. It seems clear that the Lord is giving him peace and comfort through these days. God’s peace is also visible in each of the children. I’ve attached one of my favorite pictures of Susan and Meriam.

Pastor Peter was able to arrange to fly home to Papua New Guinea. He will be leaving Vanuatu on August 15^th and returning on the 29^th. Pray for safe travel and that his time at home will be a blessed time with family. Please continue to remember Jenny and the boys who will stay back in Vanuatu during Peter’s trip to PNG.

Many of you know that we have been asking the Lord for land here in Vanuatu to build a district center for the Church of the Nazarene in Vanuatu. We are presently looking at a piece of land that is situated in a growing part of the city. Please pray that God will make his will clear to us.

Thank you to each of you who have sent notes of encouragement and prayerful support. They have meant so much to us! These have been tough days, but we are thankful that we can be God’s arms of love at this time to his dear children.

Your partners in the South Pacific,

David and Sylvia Potter

Grieving

We arrived at the hospital only a few minutes before Susan passed away today. We have spent the rest of the day grieving with her husband, Arthy, and her children, Freddy (15 years), Joseph (12 years), Christopher (10 years), and Meriam (almost 7) and caring for their needs as best we could. There were many people who came to grieve – many family members and friends. There are many children and young people who called her Mom, as she cared for anyone who came to her house. She has touched many people with her life of service and love. We will all miss her deeply. Please keep her family in your prayers.

Just about an hour after Susan died, our missionary partner Pastor Peter received a phone call from his family in PNG letting him know that his sister had passed away. She has been sick with cancer for several years. Peter was planning to fly to PNG to be with her in just a few days. The Isaac family both here in Vanuatu and in PNG need your prayers as well.

We are thankful for the reminder in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God. This morning during our devotions, we read in Hebrews 13 that God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Our God is with us and holds our hand securely. May he be glorified as we celebrate the lives of these Christian women.

Our dear friend Susan

Susan has been our friend since we first arrived in Vanuatu in 2003. She was one of the first ones to become a member of the Church of the Nazarene in this country. She has served as children’s Sunday School teacher and women’s ministry leader, and is enrolled in our pastor’s training program. She is married to Arthy and has 4 children (Freddy, Joseph, Christopher and Meriam). Yesterday she was admitted to the hospital. The doctors are uncertain yet what her illness is, but one thing is certain, she needs a miraculous touch from the Lord, our great Healer. This morning she had 2 seizures and her blood pressure dropped significantly. The family thought she was dying, and when we saw her she seemed on the brink of life and death. She is now in Vila Central Hospital’s private observation room. This is the closest thing to an ICU in the country. We met 2 of the 3 physicians who are working on Susan’s case, and Dr. Crystal shared with us what little information they have available at present. Please join us in praying for God to heal Susan’s body, soul, mind and spirit. Pray also for her family to have God’s peace through this very frightening time. There is a strong sense that a spiritual battle is being fought for this woman’s life.

Please pray

We want to ask each of you to be praying for some of our missionary friends here in Vanuatu.  Roger and Cindy Sutter and Ben and Anna Story are both here with Youth With a Mission.  We have known Ben and Roger almost the entire 6 years that we’ve been serving here in Vanuatu.  YWAM has been a powerful tool of God to reach out to young people in this nation as well as to surrounding nations.  Roger and Cindy were blessed with their first baby about 2 weeks ago.  Cindy has had fever for the past 5 days or so.  She was hospitalized at Vila Central Hospital (the government hospital) last Friday and Saturday and received IV antibiotics during that time.  She was discharged from the hospital, but continued to spike fairly high fevers several times a day.  She needs God’s healing touch and Roger needs wisdom in how to proceed.  Pray also for Baby Leilani’s continued health through her mommy’s illness.

 

Ben and Anna were living on the island north of us, Santo, when she delivered their first baby on Friday last week.  Little Simon Peter was born 15 weeks prematurely, weighing less than 2 pounds.  There really wasn’t medical facilities to accommodate a premature infant, but the Lord intervened miraculously and kept him alive until the medical evacuation plane arrived 11 hours later.  He is now hospitalized in Brisbane and is stable.  Please pray for Ben and Anna’s peace and comfort during this very difficult time and for the continued health and development of Baby Simon.  There are also financial concerns.  Their insurance is willing to pay for the first 30 days of hospitalization or $10,000. 

 

Also, please pray for Jack and Kay Rudd and their son Jay.  Jack and Kay have been missionaries here in Vanuatu for well over 10 years.  They have been part of a small group of missionaries that began to meet at our house for prayer and mutual support.  Jack and Kay are serving with World Outreach and have been involved in Christian education.  Two months ago Kay had a heart attack.  God miraculously sustained her life and eventually, she flew to New Zealand where she was able to get diagnosis and treatment for her heart.  A stint was put in one of her cardiac arteries.  She has been recovering well over these last few weeks.  They have decided that it would be best for them to return to the US for further recuperation and monitoring of her heart.  Jack and Jay arrived back in Vanuatu last Tuesday to pack up and prepare to leave Vanuatu.  Please pray for God’s peace through this transition and for his continued guidance.

 

This has been an eventful first week back in Vanuatu!  Two days after we arrived our Malapoa pastor’s mother died.  She had been ill for several months, but her loss was deeply felt none the less.  We spent the day grieving with the family at their home and at the cemetery.  Our first Sunday back at Black Sand Church was wonderful.  God has continued to establish these dear Christians in their journey with him.

 

We appreciate your prayers for these friends of ours.  They are our co-laborers and part of God’s mission team to Vanuatu.

 

David and Sylvia Potter