MISSION TO CHRISTMAS ISLAND
      REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI, CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN
      20 - 29 September 1993

      by Michael S. Cole, M.D.

      On Monday, 20 September, Meg Canfield, Jeannie Cole, Michael Cole, Harvey George, and Kelvin Kleman left Fort Smith at 7:20AM on American Airlines for Dallas, TX. There a non-stop flight was taken to Honolulu, HI. We arrived in Honolulu about 1PM. (There is a 5 hour time change from Fort Smith.)

      We were met at the airport by Jerry Canfield (Meg's husband), who had arrived that morning from a mission trip to Thailand. Jerry had departed Fort Smith on 15 September.

      We discovered that Randy English, the Pacific missionary we had come to work with, was at a nearby gate seeing his wife and children off as they were returning to Arkansas for a furlough. (Randy joined them after he completed his work with us.) We enjoyed visiting with them for several minutes before their plane departed.

      After we picked up our luggage, we were transported to our hotel, the Pacific Marina Inn, near the airport. (The special price was $54.58 per room per night.) Shortly after arriving at the hotel, we learned that the plane to Christmas Island was to be delayed. Instead of leaving Tuesday morning, the plane was now scheduled to leave on Wednesday morning. After getting settled in our rooms, we gathered under a tree in a nearby park for prayer and further training by Randy English about the culture on Christmas Island and what we could expect to do. Some tentative plans were made about how we could now get all the Bible classes taught with one less day on the island. (A considerable amount of time was spent by everyone prior to the trip in preparation for teaching while on Christmas Island.)

      Monday evening the seven of us walked about a mile to a restaurant for supper. After return from supper many of us continued to plan for how to accomplish our goals for Christmas Island.

      Tuesday was essentially a free day. We were up early for breakfast at the hotel restaurant. We rented a van and went to Pearl Harbor. There we viewed the movie and rode the boat to the memorial. It was a bit depressing.

      Later we went to the big shopping mall in Honolulu. We were not able to buy much there as our suitcases were very full. Jeannie and I did buy a few T-shirts at Woolworth. The group ate lunch together at the mall. We spent most of the afternoon driving up the east coast of Oahu. At Sunset Beach we played on the beach. There are very big waves there. We then drove through the Dole pineapple plantation. We stopped and ate fresh pineapple. At the plantation it was almost as good as the pineapple in Guyana.

      We then drove to downtown Honolulu. We watched the sunset about 6:30PM from Waikiki Beach. We ate supper together at the International Marketplace. Then we returned to the hotel.

      On Wednesday, 22 September, we left the hotel at 8AM. I paid $3786 at the airport for 6 tickets ($616 each) and entrance visas ($15 each) to Christmas Island for the West-Ark team. (Randy covered his own expense.) We departed on Air Nauru at 10:15AM. There were only 5 other people on the Boeing 737. Lunch was served on the plane. We landed on Christmas Island at about 1:15PM. The temperature was 31 degrees Celsius (88°F).

      Customs looked through about half of our luggage. We were happy they looked through the suitcase with our clothes and the box with the drugs so we didn't have to explain what all this other stuff was that we were bringing into the country. What they didn't see were the things we left on the island, which included 14 cans of grape juice, a communion tray set, 30 T-shirts, many books and Bibles, and all sorts of things that the women used to teach a children's Bible class each night and on Sunday morning.

      At the airport we had two rental pickups waiting. We packed them full of our stuff and our bodies and headed for the Captain Cook Hotel, the only accommodations on the island. We passed the brethren on the island who were coming to meet us. They finally caught up with us at the hotel. On the way to the hotel, one of my suitcases fell out of the back of the truck and got banged up a bit on the highway. The total cost for the rental trucks and the fuel for 5 days was $640 Australian ($432 U.S.).

      Jeannie and I, as well as the Canfields, stayed in a bungalow on the beach. The other three men on the trip shared a hotel room. The bungalow cost $77 Australian per night. (That was $52 U.S.) For a room for three, they paid several dollars extra. Jeannie and I ate breakfast and supper at the hotel most days, and spent over $20 each per day. Some in the group ate many of their meals in their room from the groceries they brought from Honolulu. The total cost at the hotel for the men (who came without their wives) was about $100 (U.S.) each.

      After we got somewhat settled at the hotel we drove to Tabwakea village where we were served coffee by the local Christians. It began raining. This was the only rain we had during daylight while we were there. The American men then went into London village, while Meg and Jeannie stayed at Tabwakea to visit with the Christian sisters.

      In London we went to the house of Dr. Tira, the one physician on the island. We wanted to discuss with him where he thought we should conduct the clinic while we were there. We learned from him that the U.S. Navy was on the island. The Seabees were building new classrooms at the school and a medical team was seeing patients.

      The medical team consisted of a physician, a P.A., a dentist, and corpsmen. They had treated patients at Banana village on Tuesday and were planning to return there on Thursday. They were working in London on Wednesday and Friday. The island doctor thought they had been to Poland, a village of about 250 people on the far side of the island. Since they were not going to Tabwakea, the only other village, the local physician thought it would be best for us to see patients there at the church's meeting place as we did last year.

      Our principal goal for this trip was to conduct medical clinics in Banana village to aid us in establishing a new congregation there. The church had been established at Tabwakea about 3 years ago. There were a few Christians living at Banana, but it is too far for them to go for Sunday services at Tabwakea. It is about 30 minutes by truck between the villages. There are very few vehicles on the roads on Sundays so they were not able to "catch" a ride.

      We agreed to have clinic at Tabwakea as this was clearly the area most needing medical assistance at this time. We had clinic at the church's meeting place and in a local brother's house on Thursday and Friday afternoons from 1 to 4 PM.

      Early Wednesday evening we all returned to the hotel for supper. Randy, Jerry, and Kelvin then went to Banana village, about 3 miles from the hotel, where Jerry and Kelvin each taught for 1 hour at the home of one of the Christians. This was repeated each night while we were on the island. About 20 adults attended each night.

      The rest of us went to Tabwakea each night after driving through London picking up a truck load of Christians and a few of their friends. London is about 5 miles on the far side of Tabwakea. Jeannie and Meg taught several children each night while I taught a series of lessons to the adults on the Christian marriage. After I spoke for about 1 hour, Harvey taught an evangelistic lesson for about 1 hour. (Kelvin was teaching the same lessons at Banana.) After we completed both lessons the audience would ask Bible questions for awhile. These meetings usually lasted from 7:30 to about 10PM. We would then have to take everyone home. We would usually get to bed by about 11PM, though some nights it was after midnight.

      Jerry taught mid-day classes for men on Christian leadership on Thursday and Friday at the house of one of the Christians in London. Many visitors were in attendance as much effort was spent in the mornings inviting men in the village as well as local business leaders.

      We used a local nurse as translator at the clinics each day. A different nurse worked with us on Friday. We treated 27 patients on Thursday afternoon. Every patient that came to the clinic was taught the Gospel by our workers who were assisted by the local brethren. Jeannie was kept busy at the clinic sites serving to keep the patients flowing. As the only health care worker on the team, I had to do vital signs, obtain history through an interpreter, exam the patients, then find the appropriate medication to treat their condition, and document the visit. This multiplicity of responsibilities prevents larger numbers of patients from being seen in this type of medical mission.

      We used a banner at the clinic site that reads "Church of Christ Medical Mission." This prevented any doubt about who was providing the service. The church at Tabwakea had clearly benefited from the medical mission we had conducted there last year. Last year patients did not begin to show up till 45 minutes after starting time, but they were there eager to be seen when we opened for business this year.

      Thursday evening it was decided that we could hold a clinic in Banana on Saturday and Monday mornings. While the U.S. Navy had treated hundreds of patients in Banana, they had done so at the Catholic church where the Protestants would not have set foot.

      The Navy physician had seen a very malnourished 5-month-old infant (who weighed 5 Kg) on Thursday at Banana and requested that I look at it on Friday. Randy and I picked up the nurse to serve as translator as we went to find the baby and its mother. The baby looked like a starving child from Somalia. The mother claimed she only had time to feed the baby three times a day. We emphasized that the baby would not live unless she devoted more attention to his needs. There seemed to be no other problem except malnutrition.

      Later Friday morning we stopped by the U.S. Navy's clinic site where Randy and I visited with the dentist, physician's assistant, and nurse. Later we visited with the Navy physician.

      Before lunch on Friday we drove back to Banana village where Jerry baptized 2 men in the Pacific Ocean.

      The clinic on Friday at Tabwakea was finished at 3PM as no more patients were coming due to the preparations for the big celebration at the school at 4:30. We saw 30 patients that afternoon.

      From 6:30 to 7PM all of us went to the new building dedication at the Tennessee Primary School (located about midway between London and Tabwakea). Here the U.S. Navy was being honored for their work on the island, particularly the construction of the new classrooms at the school. The local music and festivities were quite enjoyable to witness. The behavior of some of the sailors was not particularly very representative of the average American and especially not of the values we were teaching on the island. Christmas Island was the final duty in the Pacific for those serving on the naval ship. They departed on Saturday for Hawaii where most of them returned stateside by plane. The ship was then sailed to California where it was decommissioned.

      The party interfered only a little with our crowd at Bible study at Tabwakea. It had no effect on the attendance at Banana that evening.

      Saturday morning we held a clinic in Banana village at the house where the evening Bible studies were being conducted. This house belongs to the brother-in-law of a faithful Christian in Banana. The brother-in-law was baptized prior to our departure from the island. There was much enthusiasm built in the community about the clinic prior to Saturday morning so that there were plenty of patients to see. The nurse was quite late in arriving to interpret so we did not close the clinic till 11:30. We treated 37 patients. The people seemed even more interested in hearing the Gospel than any other location had on the island where the Gospel had been preached. (Perhaps it is too bad we were beat to the site by the U.S. Navy. Or conversely, perhaps it is good that we were forced to assist the established church at Tabwakea.)

      Saturday afternoon we went to a picnic site on the beach with the local Christians from Tabwakea and Banana. We drove to a site on the lagoon side of the island where two of the locals caught quite a quantity of fish with a net. The fish were then returned to the picnic site where they were grilled. A pig had been butchered Friday and made into barbecue for us at the picnic. Also, rice and bread were served as well as some other dishes not readily identifiable.

      Before we left the States, Jeannie and I were quite concerned about how they would be able to serve so many of us when they have so few plates. At the picnic site a couple of the women sent one of the men to get some palm leaves. From these leaves they wove baskets from which we were able to eat.

      Everyone ate under a cluster of very large bushes that served as cover from the sun. The limbs were such that we could walk upright. The span of the trees covered quite a large area. Mats were placed on the ground for us to have a place to sit.

      There are very few chairs on the island. Everyone is accustomed to sitting on the ground or floor. Shoes are not worn into the area where people sit. Shoes are taken off and left outside before entering a house. Most of the people never wore any shoes. Nothing more than thongs were ever worn. To church Sunday our interpreter worn one red one and one blue one of different styles. No concern for fashion exists on the island. Both sexes often wear a wrap around skirt, though the men were more commonly seen in shorts. Women never wear pants or shorts. (It looked quite improper to us to see the female Navy nurse and dentist in pants and shorts, but apparently it was tolerated by the locals.)

      At the picnic our 7 team members were served first. Then the local men joined us. After we were all finished and got away from the eating area, the women sat down and literally ate our leftovers straight out of our "plates." Jeannie and Meg sat back down with them and visited with them till they were finished eating. It was around 2PM before we ate; most of the children had been fed constantly since before we arrived shortly after noon there so they did not eat while the rest of us ate.

      After the meal was completed and everyone had eaten their fill, Jeannie taught a Bible class for the women. The men found another tree which was shading a mound down the beach where we all sat down. Here Jerry taught a Bible class for the men. We returned to the hotel about 4:30PM. After a light supper we went back to our nightly meeting places for Bible classes.

      Sunday morning, Jeannie taught a Bible class starting at 10AM for the women while Meg taught the children and Jerry taught the men. The worship service which followed was led by the local Christian men as they normally would in our absence. We brought from West-Ark a used tray for the fruit of the vine so they no longer have to use an ice cube tray for that purpose. I was given the responsibility of preaching the Sunday morning sermon. Basically, it was just the next lesson on Christian marriage in my series. It was my longest lesson and probably the best one for everyone to hear on Sunday. The services were completed by 12:30.

      Randy, Harvey, and Kelvin went to Banana to conduct Sunday morning services. This is the first time I am aware of that the church met in Banana. After Kelvin taught the Sunday school class and Randy preached the sermon and the Lord's Supper was served, two of the local men came with the others of our group to Tabwakea. They arrived just before my sermon was completed. We had a song and a prayer together and the services were dismissed. Not long afterward we ate a meal together. None of the members left before the meal was finished.

      After everyone finished eating, I agreed to examine and treat those members of the church who were not able to be seen during the clinics we were holding. Counting the members and their children, Jeannie and I treated 19 patients. As we were not rushed and everyone was a friend, I attempted to teach Jeannie to take blood pressures. She did not, however, feel comfortable enough with it to do that part of the visits at the clinic on Monday.

      Late Sunday afternoon Harvey baptized a husband and wife at the lagoon. The husband attended every evening service we had. I had examined his wife and daughter at the first day's clinic. The daughter has epilepsy and cannot be adequately treated on the island. I had absolutely nothing to offer. They were seen by the Navy the day after I saw them. The naval physician said he was able to provide them with medication that would likely be helpful.

      On Sunday night Meg went with Jerry to Banana. At Tabwakea Jeannie taught the children while I taught my final lesson on the Christian marriage. Harvey taught after me. Our lessons were a bit shorter that night as I knew there would be many questions after we finished. We did not get back to the hotel till about 11PM. As we had to pack, it was after midnight before any of us got to bed.

      We were awakened at 4:30AM by a cold wind blowing rain into our bungalow. We closed the windows on the ocean side, pulled up more covers, and went back to sleep. We were up at 6AM.

      Jeannie and I left first for the clinic site at Banana at 7:50AM. The others came about 15 minutes later. I took one of the local men and drove to find the nurse to translate. We saw 36 patients before we had to pack everything up.

      We then all went into London where we found the local island doctor. I left all the medications with him that I had left over. I know these will be used as he used those I left last year. He dispenses them just as we prepare them, leaving in place the labels that say "Church of Christ Medical Outreach" and have a Bible verse on them as well as the instructions and name of the drug.

      Afterward all the men went to the bank where we had to exchange money to pay the hotel bill. On our return to the hotel we stopped at Tabwakea where the ladies presented all of us with a crown of flowers. On the way to the airport we filled the trucks with gasoline.

      In all, 8 souls were added to the Lord's church while we were on the island. We provided medical care for at least 150 people. A new congregation was established at Banana village. Now there are two congregations meeting every Sunday on Christmas Island. This mission to Christmas Island has added considerably to the strength of the church on this island.

      We left Christmas Island on Monday afternoon about 3:45PM and landed in Honolulu by 7PM. (There is no time change.) The plane was about one-third full.

      We rented a van and went to downtown Honolulu near Waikiki to an Outrigger hotel where we spent $49.13 for a room. Most went out to eat steak and lobster. Jeannie and I went to bed early and slept late the next morning.

      Tuesday morning we split up and went shopping, within walking distance of the hotel. Jeannie and I most enjoy the International Marketplace where one does not have to pay the first mentioned price. We all met together for lunch there. There was a little more time to shop after lunch before we had to meet at the hotel.

      Jerry was unable to get affordable tickets that would allow him to return to Fort Smith on the same plane with his wife and us. His flight left about 2 hours before ours. We all went to the airport and checked in our baggage when it was time for Jerry to check in. Jeannie and I purchased a dozen pineapples at the airport to send with our baggage. After Jerry left we drove around awhile and stopped at a yogurt place. Before returning to the terminal we purchased flower necklaces (leis) for the wives present and back home.

      Randy stayed in Hawaii 2 or 3 more days after we left, then he came to Fort Smith. Our plane departed at 7PM. We changed planes in Dallas and arrived back in Fort Smith about 9:45AM. My parents and several friends from church were present at the airport to welcome us home.

      Jerry's plane arrived about one hour after we did. Only his wife was waiting at the airport when he got here.


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      Link to:
      • Christmas Island 1992 Medical Mission
      • Vanuatu 1995 Medical Mission
      • Guyana Medical Missions 1991-2010
      • West-Ark Church of Christ Mission Projects Home Page