Talua Theological Ministry Training Institute - Santo

On Monday 10th February Martyn travelled to the island of Santo to visit Brian and Ally MacKay at Talua Theological Ministry Training Institute.  They are from Dannevike NZ and arrived in January to spend a year at Talua teaching English, Computer Skills and many other subjects as they may be called to assits with.

There was a Tropical Cyclone in that area, but fortunately it had passed by Santo and so the flight in wasn't cancelled. 

Brian and Ally

Inside Heniko House, the house was built by New Zealanders, and this is where the visiting mission workers stay

My bedroom for the night

On the way back to Luganville to catch my flight back to Vila we met this large herd of cattle.  I would guestimate about 1,000 head of many different ages. These had been rounded up from the hills and brought down to be sorted, some to be weaned, fattened, or kept for breeding, others sent to the freezing works to be slaughtered, or exported to New Calendonia

There were about 15 men on horses and many on foot

Pastor Celleric and his wife Martha.  They took me back to Luganville.  Pastor is a lecturer at Talua Bible college.  We have met them on several occasions in the past, also their daughter Allison.  Allison is working in New Zealand until July as a RSE worker at Te Puke

This isnt a clear photo, it is the fruit and vegetable market in Luganville

This video gives you some idea of the size of the herd

VHW Course on Course

Everything is running smoothly at the VHW course. Yesterday the topic was malnutrition and this photo shows students doing a group activity to sort the symptoms into different kinds of malnutrition.

In the afternoon the other teachers and I got the students playing a memory card game that I had prepared in 2018 for revising the respiratory and curculatory systems. Some of the students took a little while to get the concept of putting the cards back in the same place each time so they had a chance of finding the matching pairs, but they got there in the end, with much consultation of their notes. There were lots of laughs anyway, and maybe a bit of reinforcing of the teaching???

The inside of the classroom has been painted so apart from the bare concrete floor it looks quite tidy.

I found this cute little girl Miranda with her Mum Netty just outside the classroom - she was so smiley but very hard to get a good picture of as she didn't stop moving! She is Ps Roi's grandaughter.

Maurice brought some computers for the students to use if they want to, and installed them in purpose-made cupboards. I had to sweep out the termite dust first! The first shot shows the front of the unit, the next the back. It's no wonder that computer gear and other electronics don't last long up here. The conditions are very harsh. 

We need to have all the doors and windows open all the time to let the breeze through, so everything flapa about like crazy. All papers need to be anchored down, and any fabric used for screening soon comes unfastened.

It was Ben Taura's last day on Friday, he has got a job with UNICEF running their vaccination programme, so there was cake. 

He has been a great resource in getting the course underway this year and finding suitable presenters for the various modules. The delay with being able to start the course was frustrating (it was meant to be run last year), but God's timing is perfect and meant that we have such high caliber teachers available just at the right time. Kepoue is also going to a high responsibility position with the Nurse's School after this course, but was in between jobs at this time. Praise God!

Days of Our Lives

Well we are through to the weekend, time to rest and work on our blog.  It has been a busy week so far.  It doesn't seem like we have been away for 16 months.  We have slotted straight back into our Vanuatu lifestyle.  I (Martyn) have found work at the PCV office helping Elder Meto in the finance department.  The 2017 Financial Accounts were signed off by the auditors last year, and I am working on the 2018 accounts and hope to get stuck into the 2019 accounts before I leave.

I laekem work here, the people are great to work with, friendly, helpful and we have good laughs at ourselves.  

Some photos of what I have seen.  The PCV Health Office is having a makeover.  The floor tiles are being replaced.

Bob and Dick were on the demolition gang breaking up the floor tiles. (Bob on the left)

Bob in action, note the safety clothing.  They did put on masks and goggles after I took this photo

The afternoon's work.  I had been sitting in my office before I went to see them and I was wondering what all the loud tapping was about.

Friday we went to see Tony Benjiman, our friend and landlord from our pervious visits to Vanuatu.

Michaela, Tony, Mahana and Chris.  Mary (Tony's wife) is in New Zealand studying for her masters at Canterbury University)

Tony had built this nakamal in the courtyard,

When we left in 2018, Tony was adding a second storey to the building opposite our flat,  here are some shots from inside.  The building will be used for short term stay, there are 5 individual bedrooms with a communual living area and bathroon facilities

On Monday I (Martyn) will fly to Santo to visit Brian and Ally MacKay who are working at Talua Bible College teaching English. I will be back on Tuesday to continue my work with the finance.

Some Things Change, Some Stay the Same

We’ve arrived safely and have been very warmly welcomed by all the staff at Korvan and PCV. Our favourite receptionist/PA Yvonne with Martyn.

Also our hosts, Pastor Dave and Julie Wood of the International Christian Church, are making us feel at home at their house.

It’s pretty hot and humid as expected so we are taking things slowly on our first day here. It was lovely having a swim at Dave and Julie’s yesterday afternoon to recover a bit.

The Village Health Worker Course started last Monday and there is great local team running it this time around. Judy is back again but she is only doing part of the teaching. Ben Taura, Iou Pusin and Kepoue Andrew make up the rest of the teaching team plus others teaching various modules. They all have a lot of experience between them. 

(L-R) Judy, Cyrilline, Nicola, me, Ben, Iou, Kepoue

Elder Cyrilline is the course administrator (my role in 2018). She did not know that I had prepared some resources for several activities last time, so we hunted those out and the students started using the one that fitted their class today straight away.

Elder Jara does an excellent job making sure eveything is provided for the course to run smoothly.

Some of the women's groups of Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu are providing all the catering this time - here is part of one team preparing lunch.

We had a meeting and prayer with Ps Allan, who is very happy to see the three of us back again. He wants to orgainse a building committee meeting for the new administration office while I am here.

Changes at the fruit and veg marketplace with the craft section emptied out, presumably to the newer Handicraft market further along the waterfront, the rest of the market is just the same. 

Watermelons obviously in season.

Our favourite French café has closed! Apparently a new one has opened but not within walkable distance.

We were delighted to find our friends Kolika, Ps Lorna, Rosita, Micah and baby Caleb staying at Sutherland House. They are getting ready to go back to do more missionary study at East West College at Gordonton, just north of Hamilton. But the big mango tree has been cut down in front of Sutherland house to make way for a fence to keep people out who come to steal the water from Korvan’s big tanks.

Korvan has some improvements - some nice outdoor tables built by other NZ mission participants, and a nice new awning to provide some much needed shade in the mornings.

We're Heading Back to Vanuatu

We are delighted to be returning to Vanuatu in February for 3 weeks. Annette has been asked to assist on another student intake of the Village Health Worker Course. So after prayerfull consideration, and discussions with Nicola Young and others we made the decsion to travel to Vanuatu.  Nicola Young will also be working on the course. 

This has been a quickly developing assignment - we knew the course was coming up sometime soon but did not get the invitation to go till last Saturday. Annette is very much looking forward to working with Nicola and Elder Jara again and also this time Elder Cyrilline who will be the course administrator. Nicola will teaching one module, but we will mostly be equipping the local staff to run the course themselves.

A quick reminder of what the Village Health Worker Course is all about:

The Vanuatu Ministry of Health trains up volunteers who have a passion for the health of their community in basic First Aid, prevention of illness/injury through educating people about healthy living, and how to run an Aid Post - where people can go to get medical help/advice when they don't have access to a doctor or nurse. he course is 12 weeks long including 2 weeks practicum in an Aid Post.

Martyn is unsure at this stage what he will be doing and is in contact the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV) administration about how they can make good use of his time. 

We look forward to catching up with friends in Vanuatu and brushing up on our Bislama.

We thank God for providing us with the opportunity to return to Vanuatu.