February 27, 2012

The Samoan people really live close to the spirit and have tremendous faith.  Last week in Sunday School one brother was giving his feelings about the picture of Christ on the cross between the two thieves and I couldn’t understand what he was saying but the tears were quietly running down his cheeks. Through translation I found out he was so overcome by the atonement and said how he wished he could have taken the Savior’s place on the cross himself.  It really touched me to hear him speak of that.

Afalua Tuivaiti, the mission cook.  What a sweetheart!

Elder Erekson, Public Relations, told us that a couple of weeks ago they were doing some filming up at Sauniatu for a film for the anniversary of the 50^th year of the first stake in Samoa.  It was a very drizzly, overcast day and the crew said “We can’t film in the rain – it has to be clear”.  The Stake President asked to be excused and went over to the chapel and had a prayer.  The clouds parted, the rain stopped and the sun shone.  As soon as they were done, the sky closed in again and the downpour continued – a true manifestation of faith.

The Seventh Day Adventists here in Samoa are a bit divided due to the jump across the dateline.  Some insist that they need to worship on Sunday now as that was the 7^th day that week and some continue to worship on Saturday.  The problem has also manifest itself at least once that I know of in the LDS Church.  The temple president was speaking with a temple worker who said he still has a testimony but no longer goes to church because it really isn’t the Sabbath.  He stays home and reads his scriptures.  Ummmm, what about the 12^th Article of Faith that says we sustain & obey the laws of the land? It doesn’t matter what day – I know in Saudi Arabia our friends used to worship on Fridays as that was the designated day in that country.

Misimoa - one of the security guards at the Mission Home - everybody's friend.

I have been busy the past little while getting things ready for the new senior couples that come.  We make a packet of information with maps, phone lists, temple schedules, hymn books with the song lists in Samoan and English in the front, etc.    The new office couple came on Saturday.   We will miss the Merrells and know the good work they have done here.  The Gertschs have been here for a couple of weeks now and are settling into the Institute at Magiagi ok.  They will work on PEF as well as teach classes and I have been asked to work with the PEF to help keep track of the students and their payments.

Elder Johnson, Roy, E & S Hanson

Sister Johnson, E&S Merrell, E&S Gertsch

Last week we took the Gertschs to Vavau – it was our own private beach and was lovely.  There seems to be a lot more rock in the little bay since the tsunami in 2009 but it is still lovely.  We snorkeled around a bit and had some lunch.  I just love the peace of that place. 

Roy has many concerns with the work he does.  He knows things are improving a bit but there is so much to be done in each unit and stake.  Some of the things he comes across are just head shaking.  He said he could write a book about some of the situations he finds but he would be asked to not print it!    And then he meets with some fantastic people – new Stake Presidents that are just on fire and doing great work. 

This wee we will are ½ way done our mission.

We attended the Service Center Devotional this am and I just can’t get over the beautiful choir we are, sitting in that conference room and singing praises during the devotional.  Amazing voices.

Today is the first day the Merrell’s aren't  in charge of the office.  They will be here for another 2 weeks helping the Partridges who came on Saturday but they are on the way out.  It will only be another week  before Rachel leaves for her mission in Provo.  I am excited for her but we will sure miss her, especially at the temple. 

I have been asked to work with the PEF but I need some direction.  I have attended one meeting so far and will have another one this week.  The Gertschs have had training prior to coming here and will  be of help as I don’t want to overlap what they are doing.  Oh well, time will tell. 

Neko sent us a card she made – so nice that she does that. 

Thanks Neko!

I have had a really sore neck lately – I think typing at the computer doesn’t help and carrying my big bag around.  Elder Bonilla put his back out in Australia last week and is still having difficulty walking around – kind of like what Roy does to his back.

I went to Mutual last week in our ward and helped the youth learn a song called “Arise”, the theme song for the 2012 mutual year.  I played it on my ipod for them and then the next day we made a CD so they can play it whenever they want to practice. 

Temple last night last week was so busy – I have never seen the sessions, sealings, baptisms, etc. so full.  It was Rachel Leota’s last time as the temple is closing for 2 weeks maintenance and we will really miss her.  She will be leaving in a week’s time for her mission in the Provo Mission.  The Webers and Fonoimoans will both be leaving next month too so we are going to have some adjusting to do.

Rachel Leota - the life of the mission!

We did the bulletin board for the mission office last week.  Sister Leota was excited to make it her own so we began over a week ago.  I cut backing and made labels for the mission president’s pictures and we put up the fine mat on Monday evening and mounted the pictures on Tuesday.  It was really hard to watch the mat being cut – it was probably 30 feet by 10 feet.  Those take years to make and Sister Leota got it from her family.  It was older as it had some holes in it but still was in pretty good shape.  We put all the pictures on black matting.  They had black frames around them and were about 6x8 in size but some were horizontal and some were vertical and just didn’t match.  We put them all on a uniform sized backing and it just straightened things up so well.  There are 50 pictures up and the most recent are in the third frame with the Samoan artifacts.  Sister Leota bought a to’oto’o (wooden staff) and fue (talking chief uses it for ceremonial speaking – wooden handle over his shoulder with the afa (sennet) hanging down over his back) and a small kava bowl to be put up in the display and it looks awesome. 

Saturday  we went to meet a family that was baptized about 2 years ago.  Brad & Becca, who stayed with us before Christmas for a couple of days, sent a package and wanted us to take it to them. There was a DVD in it that they had made so we took a computer and showed it to them.  They are so poor – 7 children and he works as a security guard in the church compounds (we didn’t realize until we saw him and it clicked).  They are so humble and so happy. What would our North American kids do without a TV, any electrical devices, furniture?  They had only a bed frame that they had things stacked on so we all sat on the floor.

Opening their package

watching the DVD

Before we went to visit that family, we went to the airport to greet the new office couple – the Partridges.  My camera gave out after one picture so we aren’t in it.  FHE tonight is a pot luck supper and we will greet the Partridges officially and say tofa to the Merrells and Rachel.  We are actually  having a kind of goodbye shower for Rachel.  It is called "Wishing you well" and I have a well I made that people can put money in to help her buy winter clothing while in Utah.  She is going to have a surprise to what she really will need.  Any excuse for a get together is nice but this is especially nice for Rachel.

February 15, 2012

This past week I have helped Afalua with lunches for Zone conferences.  She works really hard in the kitchen on those days and I like to help if it is needed (she does have others than come too).  I was busy with the phone bill this past week. I look for someone who is 100% - no calls between 10:30 pm and 6:30 am and no calls longer than 10 minutes. I give a treat to them to try to encourage good behavior.  Well, no treats this month.  There is one very sociable little female missionary who has many calls coming her way and for a long time - interesting.  

a view of the temple from the back

Hatu asked this week if I will help with the PEF.  I need to learn a fair bit about it but it will be mainly tracking down people and recording in their online files that they have been spoken to, etc. We have a meeting next week with the many people involved so I will try to catch on a little to know exactly what I am going to do that won't interfere with what others are doing.  The Gertsch's are a new couple for Magiagi Institute and will be working in this area as well.

Friday night we went out to dinner with the some of the Seniors to Kokobananas – nice group.  Later that night we went to the airport with the Leota’s and AP’s to do 2 things – drop off Rachel Leota to take the plane to NZ to get her visa for her mission (she has gone past one MTC date, waiting for her visa) and to pick up the Gertsch’s – the new CES couple to teach institute at Magiagi (and they will work with PEF).  Prior to that, I did the shopping for some food for them and cleaned their house to make sure it was ok.  They have a crew come in to do it but there are always those areas that need extra care.  This falls under our responsibility as Senior Zone Leaders.

The Gertsch’s are really nice – from Midway Utah.  We had them over for supper Sat. night with the Bonilla’s.  In the next month we will have a few more new couples as the Merrell’s and Webers are leaving and replacements are coming.  There is also a Dr. coming, through the government so they won’t be missionaries but will live in our housing and attend FHE, etc.

Roy & the AP's (Rodgers & Funaki) at the airport

We had our 38^th anniversary last week – we went to dinner at the Tusitala Hotel – 2 other couples came and we had a nice supper.  We worked at the temple on our actual day so we went out the next night.  It is really nice to go out– I get tired of trying to fix good meals and things just don’t always turn out right and I am getting tired of the things that do.  My baked goods just don’t shine like they do at home – probably the flour, etc.  Who knows?  Anyway, I try.

We have had a wonderful week of rain – I love it as the air is a little cooler.  We have had a leak in our laundry room that floods part of the floor everytime it rains – but they have mostly fixed it.  Well yesterday I was cleaning the floor out there and notice coming out from by the base of the sink cabinet something that looked like a string with a pompom on it.  It was a fungus of some kind that looked like a variety of mushroom.  Most interesting and no, I didn’t think to take a picture of it as I had pulled at it before I realized what it was.

a garden with coconut husks for mulch

Last Wednesday night Rachel Leota consented to teach any of us (and there were only 2) to do some basic steps in Samoan dancing.  I loved it – I don’t have many opportunities to dance but when I do, hopefully I will remember.    We should have another class or two before she leaves for her March 6 MTC date. 

Monday evening was our Valentine FHE and the temple group was in charge.  It was so nice - they decorated the Service Center board room and had wonderful food - of course, when Sister Fonoimoana is involved.  She is a fabulous cook.  Each FHE group was to perform 2-3 items - music or poems.  Well, our group was first so Sister Gertsch read a really nice reading about not waiting until our loved ones are gone to tell them we love them.  Roy surprised me and read a couple of Valentine poems that he changed a few words to.  One was "Kathy kissed me" and the other was "A Valentine for my Wife" or something like that.  I am not a cryer but it was so touching that I almost did!  I then played and sang "Three Coins in the Fountain".  Well, it went on to the other groups and they did cowboy poetry!  It was funny and nice because Bro. Hanson had written them himself but nothing to do with love or sweethearts - just trucks and cowboys.  Someone then read the poem of "Casey at the Bat" or some baseball poem.  I was beginning to feel a little foolish for having done something romantic but that is the theme of Valentine's isn't it?  The Temple group ended with singing songs as a group and Pres. & Sister Fitisimanu sang a duet.  The main theme of their music was love at home and the gospel.  We ended with a video of some paintings of Christ's live.  It was very nice overall.

Yesterday, Valentine's Day, I stayed home in the afternoon when Roy went to do his training.  I got a call from  Lani Smolik from the Service Center saying that Moana (one of the secretaries) needed someone to help her YW group make cookies for their activity.  Someone lined up couldn't do it.  Well, that is OUR ward.  I was so excited and talked to the leader and arranged to have the girls come to our home to do it as the church has no baking pans, mixer, etc. and I had no car to take all the stuff there.  (Besides, our home is a little cleaner than the church kitchen).  It was a wonderful "afiafi" (evening) and the girls are so sweet.  When they left, the dishes were all done, the kitchen spotless and the floor was swept.  I am going to help them with some cards for Mother's Day and also the Theme for 2012 Theme Song.  I am downloading it and have the sheet music printed off so they can learn it.  It is nice to have a focus in our own ward.  The leaders and girls are really sweet and most speak English - of course. Moana asked if I had any ideas for New Beginnings - any of you that have any ideas, can you pass them along to me?  Thanks.

YW with their cups with their names on them

icing the cookies

mixing the cookies

Roy has been busy working on a new cover for the year book we give to the missionaries when they leave.  This new cover is at the request of Pres. Leota and has the temple on the front, as well as the motto that is on our mission t-shirts.  

front of t-shirt

back of t-shirt

The Service Center installed a satellite for our TV this week - we can now see CNN, BBC, Discovery and have a few more choices than 3 local and religious channels.  I do love the commercials that the Samoans make - they are witty, fun to watch and well done.  

I will leave you with my favorite scripture - Proverbs 3:5-6.  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart--- etc.  I know that is the basis of all my life.  I trust in the Lord and his timing and hope you all do too.