I will try the best I can to provide you with some information related to a few selected events that occurred during the period of July 1996 and July 1999. These events were the results of hard work effectuated by the great missionaries and the members who labored with us. I will try to describe those events and the feelings according to the island nations covered by the Mission.
Republic of Nauru. The first 2 convert baptisms in this island nation were held in the swimming pool of the Menen Hotel in July 1997 during my 3 days visit with Keith Thompson the Church Area legal counsel. My son John who accompanied me reviewed the 6 discussions with the wives of 2 LDS Kiribati members who have been attending the Nauru Branch sacrament meetings. I challenged each one of those ladies :"Would you like to be baptized?" The response took me off guard when they responded by an enthusiastical yes! We didn't have any baptisms fonts. We brought the members with a hired bus to the Hotel and the husbands baptized their wives in the swimming pool and confirmed in the restaurant! Later we were able to bring the Kiribati Elders to Nauru on a month visitor visa to stay with the Branch members and baptisms followed!
Kiribati. From 12 Elders we went up to 30 missionaries with at least 20 local (Elders and Sisters) and baptisms soared to 540 a year! The islands of TabNorth, Abaiang, Marakei, Nounouti, were reopened and the Tarawa Kiribati North District was organized in 1998. The Imitang (White)Elders along with the local missionaries were working hard despite diarrheas, stomach aches, cultural shocks and adjustments (language and food...) We sure loved them!
The local Elders and Sisters were great missionaries and they will be future great leaders in Kiribati. Vanuatu. The PortVila Vanuatu District was organized in October 1996 out of the Noumea New Caledonia district with President Paul Hilliman as the first District President and the Mele and Blacksands branches were created on the island of Efate.
The island of Tanna was opened in 1998 and the Whitesands branch was created. It's now a very thriving branch of 140 members! The Luganville Vanuatu district was organized in September 1997 with Elder Calvin Hales as District President and Sister Hales (who passed away a few months ago) taught keyboards to the members in Santo. The Luganville District comprises the Santo Branch and the Lolotinge and NduiNdui Branch on Ambae. Elder Ben Masson from Australia and Elder René Basil opened up the island of Banks to missionary work. They had a few baptisms there during their 3 months stay.
Elder Tavui (Samoan Elder from Australia) and Elder Dennis Toa, first missionary from Lolotinge, opened the work on the island of Malekula and had the first baptisms there but had to leave because of the pressure from the priest of the Catholic Church. Missionaries are back now in Malekula and the work is progressing. We went from 10 to 30 missionaries during those 3 years.
New Caledonia. We had great missionaries who were musically talented! They proselyted with great success with Musical firesides, Musical Open Houses, and musical performances in shopping centers during the Easter and Christmas seasons. Elder St Clair was a great musician and composer, along with great Elders and Sisters with great musical talents. Baptisms soared to 84 a year!We never had so many Elders and Sisters from France too! It seemed to me that all the piano players and the great voices were assigned and sent to New Caledonia instead to other island nations of the Mission. Fiji.
Well the greatest achievement of all the Missionary Work in Fiji since 1954 was the construction of the Suva Fiji Temple in 1999 and its dedication by President Hinckley in June 2000.Missionaries were sent to open up Kadavu and Rotuma with little success. Seaqaqa Branch was created in Vanua Levu near Labasa after much success in baptisms. The Taveuni District was created out of the Labasa Fiji District because of distance. The Fiji Suva Mission was indeed the Greatest Mission on earth! Sister Tefan and I wish to extend to all the Missionaries who served with us our heartfelt thanks and deep and sincere gratitute for a job well done.
Sincerely,
Elder Jean Tefan
Area Authority Seventy
Pacific Islands Area