IT'S A SMALL WORLD, AFTER ALL...!

One of the joys of travel is meeting new people. While in Tarawa, awaiting transport back to Abemama, Drue met a fellow “imatang” (Gilbertese for “foreigner”) in the Post Office. Elder Stellmon (and his wife, Sister Stellmon) are Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints missionaries working at the beautiful Moroni High School on Tarawa. It turns out they hail from Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, and they attended Sunday Services in Worley, Idaho, a tiny town in Benewah County, on the Coeur d’ Alene Indian Reservation. We lived near there, and can picture their house of worship. What fun it was to learn all this and make the connection!

Elder Stellmon was able to help Drue find Eldon Corey and his wife (fellow Mormon missionaries who Gary Morgan wanted us to meet). The Corey’s are bringing a private plane to Tarawa via container and have graciously offered to allow Search For One to send needed supplies to Kiribati in it. While at their mission compound, Drue also met another American missionary couple, the Pippens (?), and gave a ‘sidewalk’ medical consult to one of their sick students.

That evening, the Stellmons (see photo) came to our place of lodging with a surprise care package of homemade baked goods sent by the above three couples. What wonders: bread, sweet rolls, cookies, brownies! We left the next morning for Abemama, hand carrying all the goodies. They helped ‘soften (and sweeten) our landing’ here at SFO base camp (as Drue so aptly put it!) A big THANK YOU to all for your care and kindness!