An Australian friend, Robyn Harbour, asked me if I would like to help her organize a charity concert with Australian tenor Bernard Hull. We rented an auditorium at the University of the South Pacific and began advertising the event. Bernard has performed in Phantom of the Opera and many other well-known operas and musicals. He is also a man of faith and has a personal connection to Vanuatu. In 1908 his grandfather, Frank Filmer, arrived in Northern Vanuatu as a Church of Christ missionary. The Filmer family was involved in early church work, the founding of schools and a Bible School. Bernard’s mother was born on the island of Epi over 80 years ago. So this was a private family trip but Bernard has been gracious and sung in churches each Sunday and delighted his concert audience on Saturday night. We were able to raise money for Ranwadi School on the island of Pentecost, which I believe Frank Filmer founded, and J. N. Christian School on Malekula. It was a privilege for us to meet Bernard and Debbie, and appreciate his God-given talent.
Vision for Vanuatu 