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