Monday 3rd Nov saw us taking a coastal trader to Epi an island in the north, approximately 130 km from Port Vila. The trader took 12 hours to reach Epi as it crawled across a very calm sea. We saw a couple of pods of whales and dolphins and a brilliant sunrise as we travelled through the Shepherd Group of islands. We left at 10.30 pm at night so some of the crossing was in darkness. People perched where ever they could find a spot amongst the cargo and did their best to sleep in awkward positions. There would have been over 100 people on board.
To The 7 Churches At EPI, Greetings. We took a total of 7 packages with 15 books in each package, for the 7 village AoG churches on Epi. Each package included a Strong’s Concordance, Bible Dictionary, a new study bible and topical books on bible doctrine. The pastors came to Lamen Island where we were staying on Sunday 9th to receive their precious bundle of books. Due to a death of an island member both the Presbyterian and Refuge Temple AOG services were cancelled. This is common here in Vanuatu as bodies are buried the same day as there is no refrigeration. The man died in New Zealand so the islanders went to the mainland expecting the plane to bring the man’s body home. As a result Russell preached to just a few members of the church and the visiting pastors. The service was held out in the open which was a lot cooler. After receiving their books the pastor’s caught a motor boat back to the mainland. Russell also spoke at the Thursday night meeting.
Thank you to all the people who donated books for these pastors, they were thrilled to receive them. What a blessing they will be.
Robyn always enjoys the chance to run an open Sunday school. Sunday school numbers were down also as many of the church families had gone to the mainland. The island children sing with gusto, and of a night you can hear them singing the Sunday School songs throughout the village.
