3/15/2011 Mission trip to Fanning aboard the SV KWAI

The recent mission trip to Fanning Island on the SV KWAI was a success. Somewhat!
Local Kona Hawaii residents Bruce Boese and Pacific CARE Missions director Rich Smith flew to Christmas Island to join with the sv KWAI cargo ship and sail to Fanning Island.

The purpose of the mission was to deliver and install the much needed window materials for the new Health Center, and do some follow-up on the great amount of supplies donated by the Rotterdam Cruise ship. We had plans to board the Kwai about four days after arriving to Christmas Island but a notice to us from ship owner Brad Ives, after being there only two days, was that the ship was leaving NOW for Fanning! We immediately grabbed our things and jumped on to the ship and left for Fanning Island 30 minutes later. The Minister of Education for the Islands had needed to charter the ship and make a visit to Fanning and Washington Islands, and return within the week to make a flight back to their home islands. This allowed us to only have two and a half rainy days during the weekend on Fanning Island.
The window materials donated by a Kona Hawaii contractor, and other expenses sponsored by a compassionate church and member of Grace Gatherings Church, were successfully delivered to the Fanning Health Center by the Rotterdam Cruise ship when it arrived a few days earlier.


The hope was to have time to work with some of the local residents and install the louvered glass windows. Unfortunately, the nurse recommended that there be 2″ security wire installed afterwards, but none was available. We were able to replace the existing front clear glass with the donated obscure type, and teach a few of the locals there how to cut glass, and install the jalousie mechanisms in the future, if and when some security wire becomes available and can be delivered to the Health Center.


Please let us know if you would like to help in that immediate need to finish and secure the Health Center windows. This could be about a $400-$500 expense, and some upcoming opportunities to ship the wire during 2011 with the SV Kwai in August or future sailings of the Holland America cruiseships are being looked into.
Presently, the existing 3 sides of the building look like this:
The front of the building looks like this:

NOTE: If you are a future visitor to the island with supplies to donate, please contact me directly to find out the best method of giving the supplies to a trustworthy representative of the council, clinics or schools.
RICH SMITH
Pacific CARE Missions director

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