In 2009 two brothers named Tivles lived side-by-side in a remote village in the South Seas’ island nation of Vanuatu.  A pair of missionaries made an exploratory hike out of their normal area and found the two Tivles families.  The families were very receptive to the gospel message.  Both families consisted of a father, a mother, two sons, and a daughter.  Both families were eager to be taught, and were soon baptized.

The Tivles families lived in Narango, a village 1,000 feet (.3 km.) up a steep mountain.  The nearest branch of the Church was in the village of Tanavoli, 7 miles (11 km.) away.  The two families arose at 4:00 a.m. every Sunday morning and began the long walk to church.  The trek took almost three hours each way.  The return was either made in the heat of the day, or the families more often chose to linger at their bush meetinghouse until they could return home in the cooler temperatures of the evening.  Their weekly trek always began in the dark, and often ended in the dark.  This pattern continued for three years until a transport became available that could take them to their meetings for a fee.

In the latter part of 2013 many people in Narango and the neighboring village of Jarailan began joining the Church.  As many as 24 people at a time were baptized in a single baptismal service.  In May 2014 Narango Village was made a dependent group to the Tanavoli Branch, and a tarpaulin-covered meetinghouse was constructed in the Tivles families’ yard.  The meetinghouse also serves as the place where seminary classes are held.  One of the Tivles women is the seminary teacher.  She teaches 6 member students, and 28 non-members.

By late June the attendance at church in the parent branch of Tanavoli was 45.  The attendance in the dependent Narango group was 98.  A decision was made to construct a nice bush chapel between the villages of Narango and Jarailan.  With the baptism and leadership of the Jarailan Village chief, it was projected that many, many more baptisms could be expected from the combined populations of the two villages.

The sacrifices and faithfulness of the two Tivles families has blessed the lives of many people, and particularly their own.  A son from one family left in May 2014 to serve a mission in far-off Paris, France.  A son from the other family will leave in August 2014 to serve in Brisbane, Australia.  The daughters from both families are also preparing to serve.

Truly, as the hymn states, “sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.”  (Hymn #27, “Praise to the Man”)