2018

Tuesday we were two of eleven members from our mission, Ebeye Stake, and our Facilities Team who flew to the outer island of Jaluit with assignments:

Four senior missionaries; 2 APs; Stake President from Ebeye &
two of his leadership; ITT man from Kiribati; & our
FM person.

The plane was supposed to leave at noon, but we left at 1:35P.  Could have been worse - There are two planes that fly Air Marshall.  One is broken down, so we were fortunate that our flight was not canceled.

 

Waiting for the plane.

Elder Preston standing under the AC.

Finally loading the plane.

Hope the plane door holds since it
is sealed with duct tape.

Single seating.

Jaluit Island/Atoll

Note the runway.

Jaluit Airport.

We flew in a small plane that could transport about 17 people then add the pilot and co-pilot.  All the seats are single except for two seats across from the entrance door and three people could sit in the very back.  Craig and I had the double seats. We liked that.

We safely arrived.

We were given the assignment to ask the person in charge at the CMI satellite campus computer lab which is on the high school campus to get permission for our two missionaries to use their internet facilities one hour on Mondays to e-mail their families. 

Yours truly with Computer/Internet director
for CMI satellite campus.

High School students who
live in dorms standing in front of
college sign.

We had a great but short visit and we were given permission.  The young man, Gannet, who was in charge is from Sirlanka, India, and we were impressed with his abilities. He has worked at this small satellite campus for seven years.  Wow!  The whole population is 1100 people including the high school students, who live on the campus during the school year, because they are from smaller islands where there are no high schools. We are also hoping to do other projects with the people on that island.

A note to remember:  When traveling to an outer island in the Marshall Islands, there are: no restrooms on the plane; most places have no restrooms on their island for public use; no food to buy; and no place to stay if the plane is unable to return to Majuro.  We were fortunate for Elder Seager made a deal with the pilot, who is LDS that he would stay on the ground for two hours, so we could all get our assignments completed.  Elder Seager and the Stake President from Ebeye and others have traveled to five different islands in four days.  Quite an endeavor!

I had the opportunity to meet a lovely woman, Vonnie, who has lived on the island for two years with her husband, who teaches at the high school and their young son and daughter.

Vonnie and I.  

During our visit, Elder and Sister Seager presented the same training/instruction that the missionaries on the main island had received the previous week with the support of the APs.

The Seagers, me and the two APs and on the
far left the two missionaries serving in Jaluit.

Four of the finest!

We ended our two hour stay with the Stake President from Ebeye speaking to the members in the small chapel.  

Stake President speaking to members in the little chapel.
Note the door to his right is where the missionaries live
in a small room.

Vases to decorate the chapel.

Green building is the one bathroom.  The table next to
the bathroom is the missionaries' entire kitchen. They
eat freshly caught fish every day for one meals with rice.
Other are - what they can get!

The missionaries live in the connected bedroom; use the outside bathroom facilities; and their kitchen is outdoors.

Please remember when life seems rough and we don't have all the conveniences that we desire that there are millions of people in the world, who have much less.

We love and miss you always,

Elder & Sister Preston