I have never felt so far away from home as I did on Mare island. I was trying to explain, in French, that i'm from a place very close to New York City. The lady had never heard such a thing as New York City. I am still trying to get it- how Greg lived here and was completely immersed for 2 years. I am impressed. He's the man:)
(greg with missionary door frame to mark their areas)

New Caledonia in a week is hard to write about. But I am almost 2 weeks behind posting, and before you know it, i'll be home. So a condensed version ensues.

ooh, and if you're like me, and had never heard of New Caledonia until now when I'm telling you that Greg went there on a church mission; it's a French territory island- about a 3 hour flight from Sydney. It's large geographically, (7,000 miles) but there aren't many people. Its inhabitants are made up of a small number of relaxed (relatively) white French, who have money and live in the city and windsurf, and the larger population of indigenous Melanesians (kanaks). The number I got when I looked it up was about 30% and 50% respectively, with the remaining 20% made up of Tahitians and other Asian or Pacific Islander immigrants.
I do not have a good enough grasp on the word Kanak. The Melanesian people call themselves this, but it is also a sort of movement- to maintain their identity and not be a colonized people. Greg said that he wouldn't call someone a Kanak unless they were good friends, but Kanaky is a term of endearment in teasing and it is is also a type of reggae-style music on the island. I don't know. but I was in love with them.
Greg's parents were with us for the first 4 days..
We hecked out his old apartments
in Tontouta and in Ducos- a part of the capital city of Noumea...


We went to look at the church buildings where he worked


and we did some sightseeing around Noumea and on Phare Amedee



Our last night. Schwarz Boys in new shirts:)

After his parents rushed home, because thanksgiving was the very next day, (champs!) Greg and I went to visit some of his old friends.
The Teahu family took work off to decorate their grass hut.

Then they cooked us a huge lobster and steak dinner.
These people have such a different mentality- I mean I've heard about 'island time' and no worries and all of this, but they were giving giving giving like energizer bunnies and so happy without reliable electricity. On top of this, they were not the least bit worried that it had been a year and they were still waiting for the internet they paid for.

Visiting the Ozoux family

After the main island, we flew to Mare for a day and a night- one of New Caledonia's loyalty islands. Greg lived here for 5 months working in the coconut fields and helping out. He has a nasty scar on his knee from a machete accident here....

(I am gushing a little bit, I know. It's just that Greg has alwas described this place to me. And I never believed it would be
that picturesque, or the people would be
that wonderful, because memories like these usually get really twisted up with all the sentiment. But there were real, live, people who told me how much they loved my husband, before I even knew him. it makes me want to cry just thinking about how much he grew up here learning to shuck coconuts and do his laundry!)
Mare is beautiful

We were told to head to Pede beach- and we had it to ourselves to snorkel and see sea turtles..

At the far bank of the Saut du Guerrier (warrior's leap)

and eating lunch at the piscine naturelle

We also went to visit the Bearune family, and brought some food over. The grandmother, Meme, who is 80, ran away after we gave our gifts and came back 10 minutes later to give me one of her dresses
Here we are on Thanksgiving and my new dress.

Henriette- the woman that let Greg live in her shed/apartment and eat her cooking for 5 months while he was on the island

Greg and Wadra, Henriette's husband

me with the kiddes

Meme cut this coconut open for me to drink in the morning

signing out with the baby chapel on Mare

That's all for now. See you in about a week(!)