Two days before leaving Palau at the end of their mission in July, Elder Scott Lieber and Sister Kristin Lieber experienced an event they describe as nothing short of miraculous.
The foundation of the event began over 40 years ago, when Elder Lieber served as a young missionary on Palau.
Found in the western Pacific Ocean, the small island country of Palau consists of over 300 coral and volcanic islands and nearly 22,000 people. Palau has one branch, the Koror Branch, and 421 Latter-day Saints. The first missionaries in Palau arrived five years before Elder Lieber in 1978. The island is part of the Micronesia Guam Mission.
In an interview with Church News, Elder Lieber explained that he helped start the first Scouting organization on the island of Palau in 1983.
One day, while returning from a first aid activity, Elder Lieber, his companions and the boys they were with came across an overturned boat in the ocean near the Didall Causeway between Koror and Meyuns. Next to the boat was a young girl, an older man and an older woman face down in the water.
One of Elder Lieber’s companions, Elder Matt Fairbanks was quick to act. He jumped in—about 25 feet down to the water—swimming to the older man who was face down in the water and pulled him to shore. Elder Lieber was second to jump, swimming to the lifeless young girl, carrying her to shore. Finally, the woman was brought in by Elder Tirin Ratieta.
When Elder Lieber pulled the girl to shore, she was unresponsive. That’s when the missionaries began CPR while they waited for emergency services to arrive. Later that evening, Elder Lieber and his companions went to the hospital to give a blessing to the girl, who was in a coma.
Read the rest of the story on the Church News.
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