Cyclone Pam

Jac and Sara's arrival

Trip to temple before Gary's departure

Our daughter Sara and son-in-law Jac arrived last Sunday ready to spend some time with both us of,  see beautiful New Zealand and participate in cultural events and activities offered by this country.  We had plans ready and had arranged to take few days off of work to enjoy the country.  However even the best laid plans can sometimes be derailed by mother nature.  Last weekend, a category 5 storm (Cyclone Pam) hit the island nation of Vanuatu resulting in a major emergency for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for the people and government of Vanuatu.  With Gary's background and experience he was asked to travel to Vanuatu and help assess the situation and recommend how the Church might provide aid in this disaster.  Commercial flights to Vanuatu resumed on Wednesday March 18 and Gary left with two others from the Pacific Area Office to Port Vila, Vanuatu.  Here is what he reported when he returned to New Zealand on Saturday, March 21:

"We arrived the afternoon of Wednesday 18 March at approximately 4 PM and left on Saturday 21 March at 7 AM.  The Vanuatu government has imposed a dawn to dusk (6 PM to 6 AM) curfew so we had two full days to make our assessment and evaluation.  Our first impression comparing Port Vila and Efate to a previous trip in November 2014 was that it “looked like winter”.  The leaves were off the trees and there were small fires and smoke everywhere.  After landing and driving to our hotel accommodation, our general impression was that damages, although significant, were not as bad as expected.  All missionaries are safe and accounted for.  Members on the island of Efate (Port Vila) along with their counterparts in the community are working hard to rebuild their homes and lives.  There were 200-300 living temporarily in Church buildings at night and working hard during the day to piece together the remnants of their homes.  People are going back to their homes and property as quickly as possible.  Church buildings withstood the cyclone quite well.  We visited 5 meetinghouses and the mission home.  The four Church-constructed meetinghouses and the mission home had minor damage, but were very functional.  One “bush-chapel” we visited will need to be rebuilt.  Church members and people in the community are generally positive, happy and working hard to piece their lives back together.  Food and supplies are available in Port Vila, but outside of the city where people depend upon agriculture and their gardens to feed themselves, there is only food on the ground and in the ground for the next week or possibly two.  The immediate to mid-term needs outside the city are for the basics:  food, water and shelter.  Agricultural help will be needed long-term."

Overview upon arrival

The Team - Hans, Elder and Sister Leben, Gary, and Garrick

Rebuilding

Remains of a meetinghouse

Elder and Sister Leben viewing remains of a village school

The school before the storm

Replacing the roof 

Food to be distributed

Helping hands ready to deliver food

Quoting Gary, "Overall, it was a wonderful experience.  People of Vanuatu, after losing almost all their possessions were positive, happy and working hard to restore their lives.  If you listened carefully you could hear in the background the sound of chainsaws, children playing and people laughing as the worked together.  I had the feeling that I was where I was suppose to be when I was suppose to be there."  As said by a great prophet from the Book of Mormon:  "When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God."