Vanuatu! What a hidden gem of a country. It's been almost 2 weeks since I've arrived, and I can safely say that I now have a huge love and appreciation for this country and the people.
Right now I'm staying at the Family Care Centre (FCC) in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu on the island of Efate. This Centre is founded by and partnered with marine reach, so it really feels like a home away from my home back in New Zealand. Next to the Centre is the clinic that our team has gotten the privilege to work in.
The first couple of days here was orientation and getting to know the country and its culture. I got to visit a local mama's village, and make laplap (a traditional Vanuatu dish) and play with her adorable grandkids. We also had 2 and a half days of Bislama lessons (the language most commonly spoke on the islands, which is a form of pidgin English). I can understand it pretty well now, and can get by with what I've learned and continue to learn while interacting with the ni-vans (people native to Vanuatu.)
Everyday two people from our team get to work at the clinic while others do some other ministry for the day. I absolutely loved working in the clinic and got to do triage for the morning. This consisted of taking vital signs, blood pressure, blood sugar etc, all in Bislama! For the afternoon I got to sit in on consults with patients, talking with them, seeing how the doctors and nurses communicate, and praying for patients. It was really interesting to see a wide variety of medical needs and to practice my Bislama and new medical skills. On days where I wasn't in the clinic, our team has been blessing the FCC through ground work, repairs or preparing for antenatal classes. We've also been helping the local church with some repairs and organization, and ran their Sunday school program this Sunday, which was a lot of fun. Another day, we went to Mama Lili's house. Mama Lili is an incredible woman of God who runs a non-official orphanage in her home. She has her own little church set up on her property and blesses everyone she comes in contact with. We went over to her house, played with her kids, sang some worship songs, teaching eachother songs in our own language, and then took a bunch of kids to the beach! The pikinninis (what they call kids) are so full of love and energy and are so friendly.
I have been so blessed by the hearts of the Ni-vans here. They are a relationship based culture and are always down for a chat! One of my favorite things to do is to go to town and go to one of the Mamas market (fruit, sewing, handcrafts) and just talk with the Mamas there. They will talk forever and are happy to share about their families and lives, as well as help me with my Bislama.
We've also helped out with the local church's youth group, and are helping run a youth camp this weekend before we head off to the outer islands.
The colourful clothes and flowers, the fresh fruit, the bright blue waters, people and culture are just some of my favorite parts of this country. Though I've experienced some bumpy patches along the way during my time here in Vanuatu, I'm learning to give my self grace. I'm learning to still be a student and to be so grateful for the season I left behind in New Zealand, and to fully embrace the season I'm in now.
Prayers for team unity, protection against the strongholds of this country, and strength and energy would be appreciated.
As we head out to the outer islands to do more ministry and clinics, I am so excited to see what God has in store for my team. Blessings, Kiara
Comments