Vanuatu woman, Olivia Mahit, says that knowing that “the Lord is in the details of our lives,” strengthens her commitment to do His will, and help everyone she meets to “know they are loved by Him.”
Olivia Mahit volunteers as an Area Organisation Adviser for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She joins other women leaders serving across the South Pacific in Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Mahit provides training and mentorship for local Church leaders in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, participating in councils within the Pacific Area, and working together with men and women of the Church in their respective areas.
During her regular work hours, Mahit is employed at Bank South Pacific (Vanuatu) Ltd., where she provides training to staff and assists with human resource management.
Mahit believes that it is not a coincidence that her work skills match what is now needed for her church service.
“The Lord gives people opportunities that prepares them for His work,” she says.
“There are many women in Vanuatu and elsewhere, who carry a lot of responsibility and, like me, are doing a lot of multi-tasking—working, going to school, raising a family, and caring for people in their church responsibilities. Their efforts are not unnoticed.”
“The Lord knows who they are, and they are loved,” Mahit says. “Heavenly Father notices each one of them. He is always ready to reach out to help strengthen them.”
Mahit’s mother-in-law had a profound influence on strengthening her faith in Jesus Christ and His restored Church.
“I loved listening and learning about how she and my father-in-law joined the Church, the challenges they endured, and their faith experiences that led them to the temple,” Mahit said. “I wanted to have my own temple experiences.”
Because there is no temple in Vanuatu, Mahit and her family travelled to Fiji, over 700 miles away, to participate in sacred ordinances which make it possible for her family to be together forever.
She and her husband, Graham, made a promise with the Lord that every three years they would return to the temple. Mahit said, “The Lord has been faithful to help us fulfill those promises. There have been a lot of challenges, but He has delivered.”
Sister Mahit is passionate about helping prepare other families to attend the temple and receive sacred ordinances for themselves and on behalf of beloved ancestors.
Prior to her current calling, Mahit volunteered as a family history consultant, helping people research and record their family connections and prepare for their own temple experiences.
When travel was not possible due to pandemic restrictions, Mahit knelt and prayed to her Father in Heaven, asking what she could do to magnify her service. She was inspired to start a family research campaign, which she called “For the Love of FamilySearch.”
She reached out to the youth in her congregation and invited them to be involved. This effort gathered momentum as the teens shared their successes through social media.
Mahit’s husband and Bishop of the Blacksands Ward (congregation), invited youth to prepare to present five generations of their family tree in a special event to be held on Vanuatu Constitution Day at the Church’s local meetinghouse.
The meetinghouse was filled to capacity for the presentation.
At the exact time of the Blacksands Ward gathering, the Church’s worldwide leader, President Russell M. Nelson, announced that a temple would be built in Port Villa, Vanuatu.
Sister Mahit joyfully exclaimed. “It was an experience that I will never forget. The Lord is in the details of our lives, and He loves us.”
