I am going to start out answering some questions my dad wrote me.
HAO is different from Takapoto (the other island I served on from June to Sept) as in there is a lot more jobs here. Takapoto is also an atoll and has coconut coral and a lagoon in the middle, but in Hao, they have a middle school here for the surrounding islands, which creates more jobs for the locals here. In Takapoto there is no middle school and people send their children off to another island when they reach the age to go to middle school. It is heartbreaking to see that as many of the youth are far from home and do not have support, counselor, or aid from their parents. Here in Hao, at least the middle schoolers can go to middle school while still living at home. It is just the other kids from other islands who come here for school.
There are more people here on Hao. Before it was a military island for France during WWII and was, even more, busier. Now there are still some military here, but not very many, maybe like a dozen. They all love to play basketball with the locals every afternoon on the church court.
Our little house here is Hao is better in location then takapoto, because it is right on the lagoon. I brush my teeth every morning looking out at that beautiful water and to make it even better the view outside our house faces west, so we can see the sunset on the lagoon from our doorstep.
The atoll is geographically younger them Takapoto, I would say because there are less big coconut trees. In Takapoto it is nothing but coconut trees and that is the economy there, coconut collecting and extracting. In Hao there is some of that, but not that much.
I hope that paints a little picture of Hao for you. Now for the other news this week.
Oh, I don't know if I told you all this but I am the fist American sister missionary to serve here on Hao. That is super fun, but I have to be careful because there are a lot of young men here.
This week we have been spreading the word that I am giving English lessons. We found quite a few people who I am going to help with their English. One sister, in particular, is going to study to get her middle school diploma.
I am also helping my companion learn English with the English program the church has for missionaries.
This week we have had miracles finding amis, as we have done tracting a lot. We met a mami, grandma, who just invited us in and we started talking with her and shared a message in Tahitian with her and then she was super impressed we spoke Tahitian and told us we could come back over anytime.
We have also been fixing lots of family home evenings as we are hoping to work closely with the members.
Tuesday the community filled our water tank with water from the lagoon. Our water in the whole now is salty, but it is better than nothing. I am just grateful to have running water. We were without it for 5 days before.
Other last news is that Pres. Chong, who is the district pres here, ask our mission president if sr xowi and I could go with his family to Amanu for three days and pres. Bize said yes!!!!!! So the second week in Feb my comp and I will be taking an hour boat ride with the choang family to go strengthen the members on the island of Amanu. From what the Choangs have told us, Amanu has like 60 people who live on it and you can walk around the island in an hour. WHATTTTT???!!! that is a huge blessing for usssssss!!!! I am so excited, but first, we have to focus on our area here in Hao.
Love you all so much. Have a wonderful week.
Love,
Sr. Campbell
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Me and my companion Sr. xowi at the beach today. we rode our bikes with an ami, the water here is just wonderful...... love it... my comp is from Lifou a little island off the coast of new Caledonia. She has been on a mission for 6 months.
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| Sunset from our doorstep this week |
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| Sometimes the kids just find a squid in the ocean and you have to get a picture with it:) |
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| Notre Maison.... our house. |
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Making coconut candy, it is a six-hour cooking process. it is so good. it also makes coconut oil when you cook the coconut milk!
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