A Tongan missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made a heartbreaking final journey home after reportedly dying while serving his mission in Africa.
The missionary, identified as Elder Vave, was returned home in a coffin, with his death prompting an outpouring of condolences and tributes from Latter-day Saints and others around the world.
A moving account of his return, shared on social media by people including one who encountered the funeral procession while travelling home from work, contrasted Elder Vave’s homecoming with the joyful airport reunions normally experienced by missionaries after completing their service.
For many Latter-day Saint families, the return of a missionary is a long-awaited occasion, with parents, siblings and relatives gathering at the airport to welcome them home after an extended period of service.
But Elder Vave’s return was profoundly different.
Instead of walking through the airport to embrace the family waiting for him, his body arrived in a coffin.
“Elder Vave is returning home, but he will not be hugging his family,” the tribute said.
The writer reflected on another poignant difference between Elder Vave’s return and that of missionaries who complete their service — the missionary name badge.
Ordinarily, missionaries are formally released from their calling after returning home and remove the name badge that has identified them throughout their full-time service.
In Elder Vave’s case, the tribute said he would be laid to rest still bearing the title by which he was known during his mission.
“He will be buried with his Missionary pin, and when they speak of him he will continue with his title as Elder Vave,” the tribute said.
The writer described his death through the Latter-day Saint belief that his missionary service would continue beyond this life, turning what would normally have been the celebration of a completed mission into an emotional final homecoming.
Tributes flow from around the world
Tributes and messages of sympathy have poured in from Latter-day Saints and others around the world following news of Elder Vave’s death.
Among those responding was a mother whose son is serving in the same country, although in a different mission. She said she had heard about Elder Vave’s death more than two weeks earlier and understood he had been only about two weeks away from returning home.
“It breaks my heart for his family,” she wrote.
The news also resonated deeply with former missionaries, with one describing Elder Vave’s story as “emotional and moving” as he recalled the close bonds he had formed with his own missionary companions. He called on people to pray for Elder Vave’s family and loved ones as they cope with their loss.
Many of the messages reflected the Latter-day Saint belief that death had not brought Elder Vave’s missionary calling to an end.
“His mission continues on the other side of the veil,” one tribute read.
For one mother, the story brought back painful memories of losing her own missionary son.
She said her son died while serving in the Lae Mission in Papua New Guinea in 2015, with six months of his mission remaining. Elder Vave’s story had brought her to tears, she said, before offering a poignant farewell: “Safe journey home.”
Other messages offered prayers and condolences to Elder Vave’s family, friends and missionary companions, with several expressing the belief that he would continue his missionary service after death.
Details surrounding Elder Vave’s death, including the country in Africa where he had been serving and the circumstances of his death, were not immediately available.
Further details are being sought.
