October 31, 2011

Happy Birthday Paul Innis!  (although by the time I post this, it will be Happy Halloween to y’all!)

Prayers are answered.  Yup – we have had lots of rain and we love it!  May it continue.

Papapapaitai Falls is our gauge for how wet we are.  Last week this was only a small trickle from about ½ way down what we see here.

We have certainly had a busy interesting week.  It began with the farewell dinner for the Temple Presidency and it was well attended.  There will be another luncheon on Wednesday as a farewell to the old and also welcome to the new Temple Presidency.  The new President will be the Fitisemanu’s (they were in as councilor during our time here in 2007) and  the Ho Chings and the Fonoimoanas will be the councilors. 

Pres. & Sis. Hanks with Elder Erickson

What a lovely evening we had on Wednesday.  There were a few couples (the Mission Pres., housing couple, office couple, nurse couple (us) and the translator couple) from the Service Center)  plus the Leota’s 3 children who all went to Sinalei Resort for their buffet and cultural show.  The little five year old fire dancer we saw in 2007 is now 9 and still dancing.  It is such a calm, beautiful place.

9 year old girl at Sinalei

Our home is nicely quiet this weekend.  Our houseguest - who was going to use our house as a base but used it as his central location - has gone.  There is another return missionary here who only left 1 ½ years ago and he brought his bride of 3 weeks for an extended stay (until Dec).  They are staying with all sorts of people but she became so severely dehydrated that she ended up in hospital with an IV to rehydrate her.  During the day, she would stay at our home as where they were staying, there was a brick making business right outside their window and she couldn’t get any rest.  They actually stayed overnight the day that Ed left so it has been rather interesting to say the least.  A day at the beach in the sun with very little water is dangerous.  Once she was given 4 units of fluid she felt immensely better.  We find local elders who play hard on their p-day – no water and lots of sweating and they pay for it for weeks.  Roy’s old buddy from mission days – Malaila – is a Dr. in Tutuila and he said keeping local Samoans hydrated is a major problem.  They just don’t drink water.  He and his wife came over Friday night for a short visit and he works on our temple shift one week /month and has just been called as a sealer.

Today we attended the Saleilua ward as the bishop wanted Roy to work with the RS and Priesthood during a combined meeting to help them realize the importance of recording membership information, and in tracking some of the errant ones during the time everyone was together. They asked us to bear our testimonies in sacrament meeting so it is a good thing I took my book with my written testimony in it.  Most people understand some English but it is nice to give the bulk of it in Samoan.  We were invited for to’onai after and had an array of food – octopus, eel, fried fish, taro, ufi (like potato), corned beef sausage/hot dogs and I think that was all.  That was twice this week for octopus as it was in the buffet at Sinalei also.

On of the year 3 classes at AhMu - the two boys on the front are twins - Peter & Paul, with braids to their waists.

I think my favorite quote of the week that I have been focusing on is President Packer’s when he stated “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.  The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.” 

Well, may you all have a warm, safe Halloween and brush your teeth when the candy is all gone!

Love, Kathy/Roy, Mom/Dad, Elder/Sister Harker

Octobeer 24, 2011

 

I haven’t written for a couple of weeks and have been pretty busy.  Our emotions have been right beside those of you in Magrath as four of our dear youth were tragically killed in an accident last week. The father of one of the girls was quoted in one article I read saying “it was an accident and that is just what it means, an accident – no one is to blame.” 

MJ - reading a book on our drive up to Vailima

Jackie & Joe (9 months) He pulled a hot pot of noodles onto his head, thus the burn

Right now I am sitting in the fale at the Tafatafa chapel while Roy works with the clerks.  We gave a young mother from our ward a ride up to Vailima and I came along and thought I could spend some nice time outside with the birds and breeze.  We had a really nice rainstorm this am and without the sun to chase away the effects of the rain, it is quite pleasant.  We have had a few showers this week so here’s hoping our prayers will continue to be answered.

Last Sunday was our ward primary program – delightful.  The kids were all dressed in white and I was so tempted to sneak a picture.  The spirit they brought to the meeting was as universal as children are.  Even though they spoke and sang in Samoan it was such a delight.  Two little girls had on white veils to go with their dresses and one had a head band with bobble stars!  I did get a picture of a couple of the young ladies outside that were dressed just nicely – one sang a solo and it was quite pleasant. 

I mentioned the phone bills I have been going through each month.  Well, a couple of weeks ago I woke up to the phone ringing about 12:38 am and missed it.  I tried to call back but no answer.  Ok, this time I left my earplugs out and tried to go back to sleep.  About 1:00 in the am it rang again and I answered it …. Samoan mumbling, whispering and I said “This is Sister Harker – who is this?” twice and then they hung up.  Well, I just happen to have a list of all the numbers on the computer at work and went through and sure enough, it was the phone that had the worst record last month for middle of the night calls and texts.  I feel so sorry for this elder’s companion as it must be a nightmare living with this character.  (yes, I informed the mission president)

The sister missionaries are so darling.  There are two of them that have purchased outfits that match and they are just adorable.  At the mission conference this Friday I noticed that a couple of the others had matching outfits as well.  The new mission dress standards are a little more up to date and colorful. The sisters here do have to deal with bishops in some of the back areas that insist they dress like the elders – white shirts and black skirts.  One set was even told to go home and come back dressed like missionaries – they obviously haven’t read the new guidelines.

the lawn

There has been an array of interesting things with the junior missionaries.  The “phone call” elder had a bike accident and his leg had really bad road rash.  When he did it, he shaved his leg and scrubbed it!  Well, a week later it was still oozing and his companion said he had scrubbed it again  - with coconut husk!  It is healing now after he has left it alone for a couple of weeks.   Like Mereda, I have also helped with some of the elders minor sewing needs – bike bag that was coming undone, pants, etc. and told the couple in the office to send any my way that need anything sewn.  It is fun to use our normal everyday talents to benefit some of the Lord’s servants. And sometimes, they just need to come into the air conditioned room, have a glass of cold water and just chat for a few  minutes.  Stamps are sold out of the nurse’s office too so we see lots passing through on Mondays.

our dry front lawn

Friday Roy and I missed most of the morning session of our mission conference with Elder Kevin Pearson of the 70.  We had a young missionary come in just before who had been drinking and the water bottle had knocked his tooth on a plate (about 1 ½ inches long) out and he had swallowed it!  He felt like it was still in his throat.  A trip to the National Hospital (the better hospital told us to go there – probably as he would need an x-ray and theirs is broken) produced no evidence (the dentist had already confirmed our thoughts that it wouldn’t show up as it was plastic) and we brought him back.  He was very upset and really felt it was still there, but there is probably a scratch and swelling from the trauma.  He was able to swallow painkillers, etc. and the Dr. in New Zealand was reassuring.  The poor kid is probably really embarrassed and sad that he now has a gap in his teeth again after just getting this bridge a few months ago. He’s a local boy.

Elder Pearson and his wife were here for a tour for the 3 islands of Samoa and we were privileged to hear him in staff meeting, at FHE for the seniors and then again for the Upolu Mission Conference on Friday.  I think his main message could be stated as “Be a Disciple all of your Life”.  Our focus in the mission should also be to find the reason we are here – find the one person or responsibility that we came for.  He emphasized that the number of baptisms isn’t important – it is what you as the missionary become.  That strength is taken back into the wards and stakes and the gospel grows in that manner. Those missionaries will become the strong leaders that we need so desperately.  Roy has found with the clerks he works with, the strongest are returned missionaries. 

It was funny at one point when Elder Pearson said he had served his mission in Finland and there wasn’t a lot of success.  His friend had gone to Mexico and they joked that every time they knocked on a door in Finland, someone in Mexico was baptized!  They kept saying lets keep knocking on doors and do our part to help the church grow!  We can relate to that a little as Brooke served her mission in Finland and was in the right place at the right time and helped 2 people find the truth.

The fireside on Thursday night had well over 2000 people at it we were told.  We work in the temple that night so were not able to go but it was the same thing in Savaii, I guess.  Elder Pearson is in the area presidency based in New Zealand so we may see him again sometime.

Lole - the young lady who translates for me in RS (and her young man)

As I sit here typing, ready to post on the blog when I get back to the internet, it is so calming to hear the birds twittering and feel the lazy calm of Sunday afternoon in Samoa.  There is an occasional car going by (heading in and out of the beach area) but most people are napping after their afternoon to'onai (traditional feed after church) and the roads are almost void of people walking. I did see two ladies just now walking in their Sunday white clothes, hat and all – so typical of the outlying regions of Samoa.  A choir is singing in a church just down the hill and it is so heavenly.  One of the brethren just brought me a cup of koko samoa – hmmmmmm, jealous anyone?  I make it at home occasionally but there is something nice about a Samoan making it – it just tastes better!

There is only one more week until we have a new Temple Presidency. Tomorrow we will have our farewell Seniors FHE for them (supper and short program).  I love the presidency we have now and will love the new ones too (especially since Carl Fonoimoana will be staying on for another 3 year assignment as a counselor).  Thursday is such a calming day – especially for me this week as I was rather agitated over a few things and came away much calmer.

 Lance has done amazingly well in his reading and this week he made Clifford.  He said he had never done anything like that before - it was awesome.

We hope this finds you all doing your best at whatever you do and that you are blessed with the righteous desires of your hearts!

11 October, 2011

Happy Birthday Naomi – today, and McCoy – yesterday, and my dad – Saturday! 

It is currently raining – not a lot but we will take anything at this point.  The school at Vaiola in Savaii has no water and they are going to be bussing the residents to a bathing place down by the sea (not happy, say the Gouldings who are the ITEP couple over there!).  They are actually here and will probably stay for a bit until the water is turned on again as you really can’t have school without water.

The clinic has been super busy lately – bike accidents, boils, rashes, dehydration, etc.  It is really nice to have Roy there on Mondays and Thursdays (he doesn’t make his own appointments for those days as he works Saturdays and Sundays with the clerks) and the elders love him to speak Samoan.  He can get across information to some of the local elders when Sister Leota isn’t around to speak Samoan.  Sometimes those elders just love to come into the air conditioning and just have a break.  There is one elder that has captured my heart.  He is Samoan from Utah but his parents don’t speak English and his best friend is keeping him on his mission.  His shoes are worn right through and he has a liner from a ladies shoe he put in to keep his socks from wearing through too.  He has another pair of shoes but won’t wear them until his year mark is up – he has about 6 months to go to that!  These shoes were 4 years old when he came out on his mission.  Sister Leota and I are always trying to get him to change his shoes but he is just stubborn.  His parents also won’t write to him.  They said – go on your mission and you can tell us about it when you get back.  He writes to them faithfully every week – a letter to his dad one week and then to his mom the next.  He told the mission president’s daughter that he gets excited when his companions get letters from home as he feels the encouragement and news is for him too!  He is so sweet and a good missionary.

We have had a house guest for the past week and he will keep our home as a base until he goes back to the USA at the end of October.  His name is Ed Austin and he is on a sabbatical from BYU and studying some of the cultural changes, especially regarding the traditional Samoan dance (taualuga).  He is the artistic director for the International Folk Dance group.  Roy actually taught him in the LTM in Hawaii those many years ago.  Ed’s Samoan is a bit rusty but he tries and is getting along ok. 

beginning of the climb

we made it!

 

I walked up to Robert Louis Stevenson’s grave on Sat. am with Rachel and Pearl Leota (mission president’s daughters).  We had a grand time – starting at 0-dark-thirty in the am to beat the heat.  We actually sat in the parking lot for about ½ hour until it was light enough to go as a torch just wouldn’t have done the job, we realized as we got there.  Later that day we took the girls with us to Vavau beach and enjoyed some low-tide refreshment from the sea.  They are great girls and are so fun to be with.

Vavau

One of my jobs while being nurse is to go through the cell phone bills of the junior missionaries and mark down any calls that are excessive in length (they are allowed 5 min per call but I don’t mark unless they are over 10 minutes) and calls made at the wrong time of day – like 1:30 am, texting the same number over and over and at odd times, etc.  It is quite interesting to see how much one missionary can violate the rules – unbelievable.  The phones are necessary for communication so they can’t take them away completely.

We only have FHE with the seniors twice per month so last night we invited a few of them over (on our off night) to watch the movie 17 Miracles that belongs to the Gouldings.  We all know the story of the Willie & Martin handcart company but it was interesting to see it.  There was such a hush at the end and we had some good discussion about it after.  Our sacrifices as missionaries is certainly insignificant (what sacrifice? – we have nice homes, water, way too much food, fans, air conditioning if we want, etc.)

Our neighbors, the Webers, who are the Dentist couple have had a very rough weekend.  They have 14 children, 6 natural and 8 adopted.  The oldest of their adopted children (37) committed suicide on Friday – leaving an ex wife with 2 children and a current girlfriend with one baby.  They have chosen to stay here (exhausting travel and the expense on top of the funeral, etc) and have a confirmation that that is the right choice.  They are doing relatively well but how do you take away the pain?

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian family and friends (yesterday).  We missed yet another one and hope in two years to have a super big thanksgiving.  We have missed 4 since 2004 and just feel sad that some of our children have no where to go.  They manage though and have dinners of their own and invite others so that is good.  I always try to think of specific things I am thankful for and aside from the really important things like the gospel, our family, etc. – I am grateful for the internet!  Our communication with everyone sure surpasses the snail mail letters we sent in the 70’s.  The progress of the gospel through the internet media is amazing also and we really are blessed.

just a brief stop during a Saturday afternoon drive

Well, again I “leave you within the shadow of the everlasting hills” and admonish you to “go forf wif faif” as you continue in your  own lives.

3 October, 2011

Sunday evening walk to the temple - conference is over and we just enjoyed sitting outside for awhile.

What a treat to listen to General Conference – all in English.  I always feel sorry for those who listen to translations of the messages as they don’t hear the Prophet’s voice – they only hear the translators.  We were not able to get it on our TV so we went next door to the Stake Center at 6:00 am.  It was cool enough for me to need a sweater, actually.  Between the two Saturday sessions we went for a breakfast buffet at Aggie Grey’s with the other seniors and the mission pres and his family.  As we were watching, I thought about all the different places our family and friends were watching the same thing we were and yet each person’s impressions would be like the breakfast buffet – we make up our own plates and they will be similar yet different from the other person’s plate.  The talks that impressed me may differ from the ones you were moved by.

These arrangements were at the front of the chapel - notice the small purple flowers are just inserted in the white and the carving on the chapel pulpits

We have three elders leaving tomorrow to go home so I did their exit medical visits.  My, how sad for these young people to not know if they will ever come back again.  One fellow lives in Hawaii so he will certainly keep a connection with Samoa but when you are from Florida, what are the chances of coming back?  Roy’s legacy here is certainly not the norm.  The young elders love to come in on Mondays and visit with Roy, quite impressed that the old guy still retains his language!

Ok – I was creeped out yesterday when I got the vacuum from the laundry room and something was dragging along with the wand – a dead, huge, ugly centipede!  He was not invited to the party so how did he get in!!!   At least he was dead so I know that the poisons we have out and the spraying is doing it’s job but still !!!!!

Roy has had a couple of down days where people have cancelled or he has gone the hour’s drive and no one has shown up.  This weekend he didn’t go on Sat. or Sunday as it was conference so this week will be starting again.  Commitment seems to be a problem all over the world as we find with other’s serving mission have reported.

This Ti plant is so dry and thirsty - right beside the Distribution Center  -  we need rain!

I have submitted my first “Medical Minute” to the newsletter and now will start on the next month’s.  I haven’t had any feedback about the word search so I don’t know if it is worth doing again.  I also have to give a small presentation at the Zone Leader’s Conference (via skype to Savaii and Pago, with the Upolu ZL’s in the office here), along with the Office Couple and I think the Housing Couple. 

We are having a house guest this week for about a month – a fellow Roy taught in the LTM and he is coming to do some research on native dancing.  Should be interesting.

Well, I will close for now.  We love hearing from you all.

Love, Kathy & Roy