The Assembly Experience

On August 25th we headed up to Santo to attend the 69th Assembly of the PCV. Assembly is the annual gathering of pastors and elders from all over the country, to meet and discuss and make decisions. We aren't sure how many delegates there were but at least 300.
Getting there.

We flew to Luganville with about 60 other people heading to Assembly (we almost completely filled the plane, but many more went by ship), and we were then shuttled from the airport to the Presbyterian Church in Luganville, where many of the others were staying overnight before being driven on to Tasiriki village where the Assembly was held. We went by truck to stay overnight at Talua Theological College to meet up again with Phil King, who had gone up there a couple of days earlier, about an hour's bumpy drive from Luganville.

 Phil showed us around the Talua campus. 

The dining room really needs a new roof.

In the afternoon  we had some spare time so we walked through coconut plantation down to the sea for a swim. We were accompanied by 4 children belonging to some of the students, who passed us a breadfruit to try.

 We had a lovely swim in the sea,

 then in the river just behind the beach. The children played on some bamboo rafts that someone had left there.

Day 1 at Assembly- Saturday 26th
It rained all night and we were fortunate to ride inside a truck for the approx 1 1/ 2hr bumpy drive from Talua to Tasiriki. Those on the backs of trucks got soaked, but at least it wasn't too cold. We crossed 16 rivers, mostly over bridges, but there were a few real river crossings!

Once we got to the village we offloaded our gear, then we moved to just outside the village and formed a parade made up of each presbytery dressed in their particular colour, and marched slowly back into the village singing hymns.

 As we entered the village every member was presented with a salusalu (lei). Not fresh flowers unfortunately but Chinese silk flowers.

 Each group lined up on the grass facing the stage and fortunately the light rain eased off and the sun came out. We were invited up onto the stage as guests of the Moderator (the elected top man for a 2 year term). This was very fortunate as everyone else was either standing or sitting on the damp ground in the sun for a long time.

 There was a re-enactment of the coming of the Gospel to Vanuatu by early missionaries which was very entertaining. If we had known, we could have volunteered to play the missionaries - we've got the right skin colour!

After the welcome there was free time to explore the village. It is so, so beautiful! It is U-shaped with a black sand beach at the open end, and slopes up on all sides to the hills behind. The photos don't do it justice!

 In the middle is a large grassed area, usually a football field, but for Assembly they had built a really really big meeting hall, the biggest that our PCV staff had every seen at any previous Assembly. All made from local material by the people of Tasiriki and the surrounding villages over the past year.

Thank you and Farewell to the Men from Dunedin

On Tuesday night, Pastor Allen and Elder Jonathan took us, Phil King and the Dunedin contingent out for dinner as a thank you for the work we have all done and are doing for PCV and Vanuatu. We went to the Golden Port Chinese Restaurant and had a very nice meal. There was an exchange of gifts including these T-shirts and necklaces. L-R: John Speirs, Simon Nidlock, Ps Allen Nafuki, Richard Dawson, Steve Taylor.

  

 Then bright and early (5am) on Wednesday morning, the Dunedin team checked in for their flight home to the chilly south. Thanks for all your hard work, it was great having you here for a while. Hope you will be back some day.

A  Days Fishing

 (the saying goes "the worst day fishing is better than the best day in the office")

Simon Nidlock (from Dunedin on mission work in Vila for 10 days) and I went out fishing on Tuesday 22 August.  Michael McLennan (a resident Australian in Vila) offered to take us out on his 4.5  metre boat

As you do before you go fishing we helped him prepare his boat , the working bee was part of our contribution to the trip.

The big hammer was to remove the pin on the servo motor to the engine trim as the servo had packed up.  So 4 by 2 was used to hold the motor up while we took it down to the water. Michael's house is only 50 metres from the water.

 We went out from Molapoa, facing into the Port Vila harbour.

This shot looks out towards Pango Point. To the right is the Big Blue Pacific Ocean The harbour was flat, but as we went past the point between Devils Point and Pango Point then we rode through the Pacific Ocean swell.  I am not a sailor but estimate the swell was 2 metres plus.

 We had three rods out with lures, and trawled for 3 hours, we had one strike but the fish was gone, without taking the hook. So no fish, but it was still enjoyable.  The local fish we could have caught include tuna :-)

40 horses and it coped well with the three of us.

Travelling along the coast, some cliffs, very volcanic

Then there is the end and getting the boat on the trailer.  The water here should be clear, but this day was a very murky brown.  The coral is spawning at the moment.  This is a rare shot for me in Vanuatu, I am wearing a fleecy. The only time I can recall that I have used it.

The end of a great day.  We went out around low tide at 1.00pm and returned around 5.00pm

Michael Tankyu tumas, oraet, lukim yu bakegen.

Getting Ready for Assembly

Things have been a bit crazy in the office the last couple of weeks with books and supplies being readied to be sent up to Santo for Assembly. Even the office printer has gone, so no printing for a while!

 There have been boxes in the offices, boxes in the passage, people coming and going!

On Monday morning we had devotions as usual, but we were joined by the Kiwi contingent. They were warmly welcomed and we had a lovely time of worship together.

On Monday afternoon several of the staff and all the boxes left on one of the big ferries, so on Tuesday morning the office was almost deserted, only about 5 of us still here. 

I (Annette) have had a really nasty cold, still not over it yet but back on light duties. (I wasn't feeling great for the BBQ or Island tour, and Simon and Richard have also got it.)
We fly up to Luganville early on Friday morning along with Ps Allen, and travel by truck from there to Tasiriki, via Talua Bible College, for Assembly. Phil is going up to Talua today and we will meet up with him there and go on to Assembly together.

Visit from Phil King 

We were delighted to welcome Rev Phil King, Global Missions Co-ordinator for Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ) to Vanuatu, and he was equally delighted to be in the lovely warm environment of Vanuatu, having come from chilly Wellington. He is here to foster the wonderful relationship that PCANZ has with PCV, and his visit includes attending the General Assembly, meeting with the church leaders here, and checking on how Martyn and I are doing. Unfortunately Neville and Gloria are away in NZ visiting family at the moment or he would be checking on and supporting them too.

The men from Leith Valley, Dunedin are still here, and also Steve Taylor, and we hosted a BBQ at our flat on Saturday evening including Tony, Mary and the children. Tony manned the fire for cooking the sausages and chicken wings, and we had to borrow plates and cutlery from Mary as we only have a few.

Some of the men went to watch the first Bledisloe Cup game at the Brewery afterwards.

On Sunday we took the opportunity to take them all on a round the island tour. Unfortunately our PCANZ Moderator Richard Dawson was unwell and decided not to join us, but Freddy from West Papua came - it was his first time going around Efate even though he has been living in Vila since February. The weather was beautiful and everyone had a great day.

First stop was The Reef turtle sanctuary. L-R: Martyn, Simon, John, Phil, one of The Reef staff, Steve, Freddy, The Reef owner.

They have acquired 2 flying fox (fruit bats) since our first visit.

 We showed them Eton Beach, where we took a walk on the reef. Here is Phil enjoying a piece of Vanuatu which he hasn't seen before (it has always been covered by the tide on his previous visits).

John, Simon, Steve (and Freddy who is out of shot) enjoyed exploring the rock pools, which are reminiscent of the Pink and White Terraces.

 I (Annette) also enjoyed another wander on the reef. Each time I see something new.

This time it was tiny forests of seaweed that looked like deciduous trees!

We called in at Onesua College, had lunch at Takara, and went to see the WWII Museum. Martyn and I had not been there previously. It was only a very small building with a display of items collected from the surrounding area where there was a huge US presence during WWII. Those items included ammunition: after picking up a large bullet and a small mortar which in it's day could kill 100 people, Martyn realised they are probably still live, and he put them back very carefully! There were also photos and documents, part of a plane, but the most interesting part was the stories Eric the curator told us. Worth the 500 vatu to visit.
Last stop was Havannah Harbour where we planned to go snorkeling, but when we got there, instead of the mill pond we had experienced on previous visits, it was really choppy and windy. Also the staff at Gideon's Landing told there were stinger jellyfish in the water, so no one was keen to go in! It was still a great day though.

Official Meeting with the President

I (Martyn) had the opportunity to meet President Obed Moses again.  This morning I have been blessed to be able to meet the President in his office. The PCANZ Moderator Richard Dawson and the Global Missions Coordinator Phil King had a meeting with him at his presidential office this morning.  John Speirs, Simon Nidlock, (both from Dunedin with the moderator to redecorate a couple of PCV buildings) Pastor Allen, Steve Taylor(Principal of Knox College Dunedin)  and myself also met with the President. He is a gracious and a wonderful man.  

This is the Presidential desk

Having a chat with the President

Richard presented the President with two presents: a pounamu pendant for the President and a set of pounamu earrings for the First Lady

 Left to right President Obed, Phil King, Pastor Allen and Steve Taylor at far right, and Richard Dawson (smartly dressed in suit and tie)

  President Obed, Phil King and Pastor Allen

Myself and John

President Obed.

The visitors book

The view from the steps leading into the Presidential Offices

Neville and Gloria returned to New Zealand this morning for a short holiday. So I (Martyn) am Neville for a week or so, running the visiting mission teams around.  Our PCANZ Moderator Richard Dawson (with John and Simon) from Leith Valley Dunedin, are in Vila for 10 days helping paint and renovate two flats that the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu own.

This photo is Freddie helping to paint the first flat.  This is the one that he lives in.  So he has a personal interest in helping 

Richard standing on a Health and Safety approved platform while he paints the cornice. 

Simon at work in the bathroom (no baths in Vanuatu as a rule) cleaning the basin

Simon at work in the kitchen area  doing more cleaning, Richard in the background still working :-)

John on his knees painting the skirting board

This is the toilet that has been replaced,  I think you can see why.  It also had a crack in the bowl I understand