Christmas Island...Part I (HUMANITARIAN)

I don't even know where to begin with our journey to Christmas Island. I think the best way is to divide it up a bit, so my thoughts aren't scattered all over the place. It may take me some time to get it all posted - so keep checking back.



Before I get too into this post, I want to express my overall thoughts about this particular trip. It was a place I had no desire to visit. My only purpose to wanting to go was to see my parents on their mission, and experience a little bit of what they have been experiencing over the last year. I even openly admitted that I had other places in this world that I would much rather spend my money and time to visit. Now that I have been there, there is no where else on this earth that I would rather go more. It was worth every single penny spent to get there. I left there with much more than just a fun time, and great pictures. I left there with a new determination to be a better person. I left there wanting to serve more, wanting to love more, and wanting to have more faith - like the Kiribati people I met there. I left there with friendships that will last into the eternities (even though we hardly even know each other). I left there, loving my Heavenly FAther and Savior even more. THAT kind of trip is priceless!




I think I'll start with Brayden and Nathans Eagle Projects. They each did a humanitarian project for the people on the three islands (Christmas, Fanning and Washington). They collected spices, white shirts, pants, ties, fabric (to make clothing), school supplies, kids clothing, hand-crank flashlights and even some shoes. Brayden had a couple of hundred dollars left over after all the shipping and supplies were bought, that he donated it so that they could buy shoes.


We were truly touched to see the kindness of people from all over, who donated items and money - some of them we don't even know. They just heard of our project, and donated. I had no idea that people were so generous.


When the boys started this project, we knew that it would be a major challenge to get the items there. We haven't even found a way to get packages there to our parents yet. But I also felt a strong feeling of peace and faith that it is the Lords will, and the doors would be opened. We did a lot of research, and tried not to panic when we called some companies that would never respond - and other companies who would charge $1000 per small box. We didn't think the airlines would allow so many check-ins, so we ruled that out. My Aunt Lynn called me, and said that she has a cousin in Hawaii, who may be able to help out. That was the first of many prayers answered. We were able to ship the flat-rate packages to Karen and Ray Thompson in Oahu, and she kept them until Ira and I got there to pick them up. When we got there, we grouped the small boxes into 50 lb boxes, and were able to put them on the airline going to Christmas Island. It happens that that airline allows as many check ons as we'd like (as long as the plane isn't too full to take them), but they cost us $40 for every one after our first one. THEN, when we were trying to check on 11 packages, the lady gave us 2 for free, which saved $80 (lots of money, when you think that $80 can buy more shoes!). Then the guy standing in line by us, gave us another $50 to help pay for shipping. So we were able to have an extra $130 that we hadn't planned on to buy shoes! So not only did we not have any problems with these packages (when there were so many possibilities for it to go wrong), but it all turned out better than we dared hope. I really believe it was in the Lords hands the entire way.


The second part of our project was kind of an after-thought to the eagle project, and wasn't part of the eagle project - but another one of those promptings that we needed to see what we could do to help. We decided to take on a money collection to help the 2 groups of saints that my parents are helping to take to the Fiji Temple to be sealed as families. These people earn very, very little in a month - and the task of earning everything they need to go to the temple seemed an impossible task. But regardless, they were/are moving forward with faith and hard work, that they will make this journey possible. Again, my Aunt Lynn announced it in my parents home ward what we were trying to do. That ward, made up of farmers - not wealthy people :), donated a mind-boggling amount for these families. We also had family members and others donate as well, as the total donations was over $5000 for the Kiribati families to go to the Temple. That was in addition to money donations donated on behalf of the eagle projects for supplies and shipping. Again...I have been humbled!!! That money makes it possible for every family to get to go, plus a little extra for a future trip when other people are ready to go. It is something that I can't really put into words how I feel. If you have ever felt the feelings of the Holy Spirit warm you from head to toe - that is how I have felt through the whole process. (Mom will get pictures of their temple trip to post later).


Thanks to all of you who made this possible not only for our sons, and for us, but for the Kiribati people who can now have more of the comforts of their needs being met, and can now have the blessings of eternity with their families.


(as you all know - I am a picture-crazy gal. So there is no way I could post everything I'd like to post. BUT, I'm still posting a lot - so you'll have to bear with the gazillion photos throughout the next few posts).





This is Ray and Karen in Hawaii.


After we picked up the boxes, we had to weigh each of them so that we could group them into 50 lb packages.

This is our pile at the airport. It is a little misleading, because this is only showing 7 out of the 11 packages we had to check on. The others are hidden behind the stack.


This is a group of people from Fanning Island that are on Christmas Island for a couple of months. When they come to a different island, they are at the mercy of the boats to when they can get back home. Some of these people have been on Christmas Island for 3 months, away from their own homes and some of their children. They live in a shelter that is basically only a roof. I would have guessed there were maybe 50 people living under this shelter when we were there, just waiting for the next boat. We are storing the boxes in the church house, until the next boat comes to take the people and supplies to Fanning Island. So we picked up some of the people who will be delivering the supplies in Fanning, and opened a few of the boxes so they could see what was in them.

These are some of the children at that shelter, whom we brought clothes to. This picture was taken before we handed out clothing. I noticed as I would see the children throughout the week, that most of them had clothes, but I would see them in the same clothes every day. Others (the smaller children) would simply walk around with nothing on. They are a very modest people, but they thought nothing of their younger children being naked. It's just part of life for them.

This is the after picture when we gave each of these children a new outfit. I took individual pictures of their faces, which just glowed. But my uploading is taking forever, so I can't post them all. But they were so excited to get a new outfit! It didn't matter if girls wore boys clothes, they were just happy to have new clothes. In this picture, they are just holding the new clothes up so we could size them, they hadn't put them on yet.

This little girl is a sweetheart. She LOVES Elder and Sister Moser. She climbes all over them, and always smiles. Her parents say with a smile, "She is a naughty girl!".

This is the picture we took of her before she got her new outfit.

This is after we dressed her in a new outfit. Doesn't she look adorable??

This little girl was having nap time. Notice that she's in a recliner chair. This is the only home with soft chairs that my parents are aware of on the island. It belongs to a very neat family on Christmas Island. Most homes don't have furniture at all, and I don't think this family hardly ever sits in them. But it sure was a welcome comfort for us who aren't used to sitting on the floor for hours!

This little girl is from Fanning, and this family had let her and her family stay with them until they can go home. Her family is going to be going to the temple, so she got a new dress out of the boxes we brought. She was sleeping, so we just put the dress up to her, so we could get an idea if it would fit. And we think it will fit her perfectly.

This girl was a keeper. I wish I could bring her home, she was so giggly and full of smiles. She is holding up some of the fabric that they got out of the boxes.








She wouldn't let go of these flip flops she got out of the box.

These people don't show a lot of emotion, with the exception of laughter. So to see this expression of appreciation was worth more than a thousand words. This lady from Fanning is hugging Sister Moser after she saw all the supplies that would be helping their families and others.

This child is being handed a few of the many school supplies.

We brought close to 100 white shirts.

When we opened this box of spices, this lady just looked at it for a long time. Then she asked, "For cooking?" When we said "yes". She got this big smile on her face. Whitney ward, in Idaho, collected over 84 spices, and Nathans ward collected some in addition to that.

On the Islands, they get power from a generator. Half the time, the generator isn't working, so they have no power. I'm not sure if on Fanning, they have any power at all, and oil for lanterns is much too expensive and difficult to come by. So we collected about 35 hand-cranked flashlights that can be shared amongst the people.

This picture is Elder Moser teaching them how to use it.

While we were in Poland, we saw this lady on the side of the road, waiting for a transport to take her back home (2 hours away). She and her husband have been working, picking Copra (Coconuts) for a month or so, and will continue to keep working, to earn money to go to the temple. It is hard work, and after a month or more, they have earned $800 to support themselves and their family for the trip. She is a very sweet lady, and I felt so fortunant to cross paths with her while we were there. She was an inspiration to me of faith and hard work.


Sister and Elder Moser with Kassis. Notice Grandmas shirt - this is typical of what the womens shirts look like. Many have writing at the top, that they did with stitching or fabric. They have this checkered fabric, or solid colors, but nothing in-between. And I don't know if they even get that much in Fanning or Washington.

Kassis and her daughter's feet. Many of the people can't afford shoes, so they walk around barefooted. Some of the extra Eagle money will go to help provide shoes (flip flops or sandles) for people like this. Nathan had some flip flops donated that were sent as well. This ground happens to be sandy, so doesn't look too bad to be bare footed. Most of the ground is VERY rocky with corral, and would really hurt us "soft-footed" people!

This lady and her family live on the other side of the Island, known as Poland. We delivered a few of the supplies to them and the people there as well. Sister Moser is handing her some fabric. I thought is was so poor in the area my parents live, but nothing like what Poland is like. And from what I understand, Fanning and Washington Islands has even more poverty than this. This building we are in is the church, which people have moved into as their home. I guess that is pretty common when someone doesn't have a place to live. So now half of the shelter is a home, and half is the church.

Showing this man in Poland the supplies we brought him.

This one post has taken me most of the day, due to a slow computer or something. So I won't be posting any more for today - but stay tuned till next time. There is much more to show you and tell you about.

Till next time ... Tiabo (pronounced SaBo) - meaning "bye"