A Special Delivery
The Mystery of the Missing School Furniture and Books
What started as a regular shipment of donated school supplies from New Zealand to the Marshall Islands turned into a delightful, unexpected outcome.
Children from the Marshall Islands received pre-loved furniture from Furniture for Schools Charitable Trust and LDS Charities. Photo: LDS.
Over the last few weeks, humanitarian missionaries Craig and Nancy Preston have been working with Furniture for Schools Charitable Trust (FFS), LDS Charities and the Marshall Islands Ministry of Education to bring pre-loved desks, chairs and books from New Zealand to local schools.
In an unexpected turn of events, “It came to our attention that some small chairs and tables were delivered to a school that was not on our list,” said Elder Preston. “We decided to go see why and where the furniture was delivered.”
It was discovered that the head of Ministry of Education Procurement had made the delivery to a small, tucked-away special education program for blind and deaf children who were in desperate need of school furniture. The school is called the Majuro Deaf Education Center.
“We were greeted with broad smiles, bows and handshakes,” Elder Preston said. “No words were spoken except by the Special Education Coordinator Jennifer Shoniber, as she was the only one who could hear and speak. We were grateful that a good man with a kind heart knew about and helped this very important special needs classroom.”
Majuro Deaf Education Center’s Jennifer Shoniber and teacher of the Deaf Davina Johnston with Sister Nancy Preston and the newly donated table. Photo: LDS.
Prior to the shipment the Prestons, serving a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visited some of the schools in the area to assess their needs and get a wish list from the principals. On November 27, the container was delivered to the campus of the Marshall Islands High School and Middle School where an opening ceremony was conducted featuring a short address by the Minister of Education.
The donated equipment consisted largely of second hand desks, chairs and donated library books from donor schools throughout New Zealand.
The furniture was then allocated according to the Preston’s initial needs assessment to Marshall Islands High School, Marshall Islands Middle School, Raiok, Woja and Ajeltake Elementary Schools as well as the Majuro Deaf Education Center.
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