Kwajalein Ferry

On a weekly basis we take the Kwajalein -Ebeye Ferry.  We either go to the Kwajalein Army Base for the day, when we have been sponsored by a Kwajalein resident, or we will go over for lunch and eat  in the ferry terminal.  The ferry schedule varies depending on the day of the week, but it basically runs from morning to night.  Since we are in the Eastern Hemisphere our clocks are set a day ahead (18 hours ahead of the Mountain Time Zone).  The work week schedule on the base is Tuesday through Saturday to coincide with the Monday through Friday military work schedule in the USA.  As a result the weekend on Ebeye for most people is Sunday, Monday.  After WWII ended the Marshallese people living on Kwajalein were moved to Ebeye Island.  The people who live on Ebeye and work on Kwajalein are not allowed to spend the night on Kwajalein so they ride the ferry that is provided by the US Army.  There are two to three ferry boats, but during the middle of the day only one is running.  The exception to this is during work days in the early mornings and late afternoons when two boats are running continuously to ferry the workers from Ebeye to Kwajalein.

Waiting for the new missionaries at the dock with Sister Becker, Sister Butler and Sister Tafili.  The missionaries fly into Kwajalein since there is no room for an airport on Ebeye.

Sister Becker enjoying the ferry ride back to Ebeye.  She is standing on the upper deck on the starboard side.  Kwajalein Island is in the foreground and Little Bustard Island is in the background.

The Ebeye Dock before the new roof construction.  Kajur Power is the building in the background.  We buy our power here and then take the twenty digit number and put it into the meter located inside the apartment.  If the meter ever gets to zero the power goes off.

Ebeye dock where passengers are boarding the ferry.

Ferry docked on Ebeye Island.

Sister Becker standing next to the Kwajalein Ebeye Ferry.

Ferry leaving Ebeye and heading to Kwajalein.

Ferry arriving at the Ebeye dock.

View of Ebeye from the top deck of the ferry.

Sister Becker preparing to leave the ferry.

The ferry ride itself takes about 15 to 20 minutes and it is very relaxing and enjoyable.  There is no fee to ride the ferry and no tickets are required. There are two levels on the ferry.  The lower deck which is enclosed has seating for about 125 passengers and the upper deck which is open has room for a bout 25 passengers.  Marshallese workers that carry a C-Badge (work badge) have priority if the boat happens to fill up.  Sister Becker prefers to ride in the lower deck to get out of the sun, inclement weather, or to avoid the spray from the bow of the ship.  As for me, I love riding on the upper deck so that I can look at the islands that are located between Ebeye and Kwajalein.  There are two very small islands located between Ebeye and Kwajalein called Big Bustard and Little Bustard.  There are very few people that live on each of those islands and there is no electricity.  While riding the ferry I look in the water for sea life.  I have seen quite a bit of sea life when looking off the bow of the ship including sharks, stingrays, sea turtles and a large number of fish.  I do take my chances on the upper deck as I have gotten wet on a number of occasions.  In fact a couple of weeks ago the sea was really rough with four to five foot swells and the ocean spray from the bow of the boat had me drenched from head to foot within five minutes.  It was nice and warm and I loved it the entire time, but Sister Becker did not because I then chose to go down below.  I sat next to her and got her wet from the water dripping off of me.  Oops!

Big Bustard Island is the first island one passes when riding the ferry to Kwajalein.  Notice the outhouse on the coral to the left of the island.

Little Bustard Island is the second island one passes when riding the ferry to Kwajalein.

Big Bustard Island (left) and Little Bustard Island (right)   People do live on the two islands.  One can actually walk to these islands from Ebeye at various times during the month when the tide is very low.

Arriving at the Kwajalein dock

The Kwajalein terminal straight ahead

People filing off the ferry at Kwajalein

Elder Becker at the Kwajalein dock

Freighter on Kwajalein that is bringing fresh produce and other supplies.  The same freighter was on Ebeye the previous day delivering much needed supplies.

A shark between the ferry and the dock on Kwajalein.  Do not fall in the water when getting off the ferry!

The Kwajalein Terminal has a very nice enclosed seating area with a fast-food restaurant called the American Eatery.  They serve a variety of food including burgers, fries, sandwiches, deep fried chicken, and a few other items.  We will quite often order the chicken and bring most of it home to have for another meal later.

The Kwajalein Branch children singing songs to us when we were stuck in the terminal.  We were supposed to get on the island to watch their program for Sacrament meeting that day, but for some reason security didn't allow us on base, so they came and sang to us.  Sweet angels from Heaven!

Elder Becker standing in front of the ferry terminal on Kwajalein Army Base.  This picture is taken on the base itself after one has gone through security.

Leaving Kwaj under a beautiful sunset. 

The dock on Ebeye, where people wait for the ferry, used to have a roof at one time, but over time it gradually decayed.  Most people find shade or cover from the elements by waiting under the awnings at the Triple J Store or by the Kajur Power Office.  They began work on a new cover for the dock about a month ago and who knows when it will be finished. 

Groundbreaking ceremony for the dock roof construction.

Work in progress at the dock.

Construction sign at the Ebeye dock. :)

1st Birthday Party/Kemmem for Viliame

THE big celebration and major milestone in a child's life in the islands is when they reach their first birthday.  When a child is born here, and in most of the Pacific Islands, there is very little fanfare.  They are born and then they are blessed.  But once they live through that first year of life, then that is the time of real celebration! Big time!  I have to think this celebration was created generations ago stemming from the low mortality birth rate, especially in the islands.  Years ago the odds of a baby surviving were not very good, so once they made it through their first twelve months, then life was a little more certain on this earth and it was now time to celebrate.  The proud parents, William and Mela Ninjine , good friends of ours (and the cutest couple ever), invited us to their son's first Birthday Party, or Kemmem.  And what a celebration it was!  The only thing I can think of equivalent to this celebration in the United States is a wedding reception.  Invitations go out to all family and friends, a room is reserved, food is prepared, cakes baked, musicians lined up, and prizes and decorations purchased for all the party goers. There were also t-shirts, from Hawaii, for the party goers. This party was held in the restaurant attached to the Ebeye Hotel (the only Hotel on the island).  And most importantly a huge poster is created memorializing the birthday boy - Viliame (like William with a V) Anthony Ninjine.

Viliame's poster and decorated cakes

The honored family, Mela, William, and Viliame Ninjine, with our friend Samson Thomas.  The Ninjine family had matching clothing made for this special occasion

Mike with Mela and Viliame

Lisa with Mela and cute little Viliame

Party goers waiting for the party to begin.  Candy and prizes decorate each table and helium balloons float all about the restaurant.

President Thomas at the mic and getting ready for the music.

Room filled mostly with women and children at the tables and on the floor

And more people.....

Our sweet sister missionaries, Sister Butler (left) and Sister Tafili (right), with Sister Thomas (center) enjoying the meal served to all.  Dinner consisted mainly of rice, noodles, steak, chicken, potato salad, rolls, bread fruit, soda and bottled water.

We were in the small back room (that was air conditioned!) with a few of our dear friends, Pres. Thomas, Branch Pres, Anjain, District Pres. Seremai, and more prizes and candy on the table.

Our beautiful servers, Sister Loeak (left) and another sister.

Mike with the birthday boy

Enjoying a "grandma moment" with Viliame

Mike and Akino Smith (he baked and decorated the cakes where he works on Kwaj army base!)

Mike goofing off with Samson Thomas - comparing their skin tones! Which one is darker??

Young Women Mother/Daughter Night

Me with some of the beautiful Young Women and leaders from Branch 3 on Ebeye.

The Young Women (YW) leaders from the Ebeye Branch 3 invited me to come to their Young Women Mother/Daughter night last Friday night.  Of course, they also asked me to be the main speaker!  I was truly excited as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Young Women.  That was one of the hard things to leave back home when I came on my mission.  I worked with the YW in our Indian Lakes Ward back home and I love working with them.  I loved the leaders and I especially loved my group of Beehives.  I looked forward to this night to mingle with these sweet young ladies and their mothers.

The night began with a short talk from one of the Young Women.  She talked on knowledge and the importance of learning.  Then it was my turn to speak. I first talked about how I loved the YW Theme, expecially about how we are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us.  There is nothing more comforting to me than to know there is a Heavenly Father who loves ME and knows ME.   Here is the complete YW theme: 

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him. We will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

Faith • Divine Nature • Individual Worth • Knowledge • Choice and Accountability • Good Works • Integrity • and Virtue

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

Since it was the new year, I chose to talk about the 2014 Mutual Theme for the year:  "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness," Moroni 10:32.  I talked about each of the eight YW values (in red above), and how they related to Christ and to each of us. To think about that standard, i.e. Faith, and how it can help them come closer to the Savior.

When speaking with an interpreter (thanks, Thelma Ned) you can't go too in-depth about anything, but it was a wonderful time for me to review the Young Women theme and the Mutual theme and to think about all that our Heavenly Father has given to us in order to succeed here on this earth.  I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who protects and comforts me daily, especially when I am so far from home, friends and family.  I am grateful that I have the ability to talk to him in prayer, and that I know that he listens and answers our prayers.  I know He sent me (and Elder Becker) here to the Marshall Islands to serve Him and to learn from these people.   It is especially heart warming to be among these sweet humble people and to learn from them what it truly is to be like Christ.  They are living examples to me each and every day that I am here. And I am so grateful for this experience.

After I was done talking, all the YW and some of the leaders performed a dance that Sister Mahit had taught them.  She is from the island of Vanuatu.  She taught them all the moves and they did a wonderful job performing for us.  They did an excellent job, and were beautiful and graceful as they went through all the moves.

After that, the mothers all received heart shaped hand-written notes from their daughters.  As the mothers each read their hearts, one by one, at the podium, a Young Women placed a flower in their hair over their ear.  The girls made the flowers out of pipe cleaners, and I even got one, too!  It was very touching to listen to the mothers speak so tenderly about their daughters.  You could feel of their love for one another. 

The night ended with food.  They don't just have refreshments, you get the full meal deal here.  They served up plates of rice, chicken and cole slaw along with cake and punch.

This was our "stage" I had to sit up here, as well as the leaders.  The Young Women on the left was the one who gave the talk. The background was a big blanket they hung up (if you look at it sideways you can make out a picture of a wolf and a couple of eagles).  On top of the blanket they pinned"on letters to spell out "Mothers N' Daughters".

YW  dancing to a song Sister Mahit taught them, from her home of Vanuatu.  They did a beautiful job and looked so beautiful dancing together!  Sister Mahit taught them well!

YW dancing, such graceful dancers!

The Young Women wrote messages on pink hearts and then they handed them out to all the mothers who were there.  They even made a few extras for people, like me, who were there without a daughter.  This is my heart. Rough translation: ""Charity never fail",  Mother, this is one motto that is great. We youth are so happy for you.  If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be here.  Thank you for your advice." (Sister Ned helped me translate this)

After all the hearts were passed out the mothers came up to the podium one by one.  Their daughter, or another YW,  then placed a flower behind their ear.  The mother then read her heart from her daughter.  She then shared some tender thoughts about her daughter and then bore her testimony.  It was very touching and sweet to see the deep love these mothers and daughers have for one another.

Some of the YW, and Sister Ned (2nd from the right) singing a song

Enjoying the food after the program.  They served up full plates of rice, chicken, cole slaw salad, fruit punch and a slice of cake!  A full meal deal!  You never go hungry when they serve food!

Some of the Young Women and their leaders

Mothers and children watching the program.  Even if it's for the mothers and daughters, the other kids come along too!

Some of the Branch 3 mothers and daughters

Some of the beautiful mothers

Sister Loeak and Sister Jesse with their daughters who just left for the mission field this week.  Sister Loeak, left center, will be serving in the Vanuatu Mission (where Sister Mahit is from!), and Sister Jesse, in the yellow, will be heading to Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission.  Both of the girls were serving with the Young Women in the Ward until they left for the Provo MTC this week.  If you are in Salt Lake City, please look for Sister Jesse if you visit temple square!

Me with some of the beautiful Young Women

Me with our current Sister missionaries on Ebeye, Sister Butler and Sister Mahit.  Sister Butler just came a couple of weeks ago (and I love her already! so upbeat, happy, and eager to learn!)  and we just said goodbye to Sister Mahit yesterday as she is heading home to Vanuatu.  We will miss her, but wish her well.