Car Accident

The accident wasn't even near me.  Tanna is one of the southernmost islands in Vanuatu, and Santo, where the crash occurred, is one of the northern islands.  Many missionaries from Vanuatu are called to Vanuatu, and don't serve on their home island.  Elder Benry was one of those, and his home island was Tanna.  When the crash happened, the mission president had just arrived on Tanna, and my companion and I were his transportation, so I was one of the first to know.  I also participated in the funeral and burial of Elder Benry.  His family isn't LDS, so it was a traditional funeral, with lots of wailing and strange customs.

The other missionaries in the crash are mostly ok.  One was injured badly and had to be sent home. The other three are fine, it sounds like, but apparently the driver was having a really difficult time.  I have not met any of them.

That's about all I know.

Isaac

[Answers to questions from the family:]

I've only seen three different religions here: Jehovah Witness, Presbyterian, and of course, LDS. In Tanna, women wear dresses, and men wear lavalavas.  My list of things I want to get so far are lavalavas and these leaf mats they have.  I haven't seen any exotic animals, because they are on the northern islands.  Tanna has dogs, chickens, cows, horses, and pigs, and that is literally all the wildlife on the entire island.  Well, and these small tan lizards that chirp.  And bugs. Native dress: I've seen some colored feathers tied to a stick that is supposed to go in your hair indian-style. I have one, but I doubt it will survive 2 years. There are moths, mosquitoes, and ants.  The rats stay in the walls of the house, and my feet are safe from them. Thanksgiving: I didn't even know it happened. I thought it was next week.