March 29, 2012

Sister Gertsch brought over the first lot of books from the mission office

For those who aren't aware, I have a project with our RS at home to collect used books (mostly children's) and mail over here.  I will be doing a reading session with our ward and when we leave, the books will be divided up between the families that have participated so they can start their own libraries.  We had a shipment of books arrive last week and more today!  It was so exciting to open them and find books of all ranges. Shauna Davies sent another 3 boxes, I think but the rest are all here.  I talked to the Bishop on Sunday and we started with our ward this week.  We actually began last Saturday when we took some books out to Amuia’s grandkids.  Johnson & Felicity are 9 and we worked through a bit of a workbook and then read one book together.  I left a few books with them and Ulanita will read with them in the evenings.  Johnson does really well but Felicity is shy.  I also left them with some coloring books and pencil crayons with a sharpener.  Ulanita said the coloring book I brought at Christmas was finished in one day!   I was pleased at how well they colored but suggested she take one page out per day for them to color.  Johnson and So’oga are going to be going next month to New Zealand to live with Amuia Jr & his wife.  It will be an awesome opportunity for them – I wonder if the twins will have any separation anxiety.

Johnson, Felicity & Ulanita with yours truly and some books

Johnson is very obedient and gives the Scout Motto whenever Amuia asks him to

Pili cutting down some sugar cane (tolo)

Tuesday  night we had our first ward reading time – chaos!  The room the Bishop told me to set up in was being set up for a combined YM/YW activity (and all the rooms were being used for different workshops) so I just set the books up in the boxes and set a few rules but it was so noisy.  Next time we will divide into the primary age groups and the mothers will take the groups (they did that today) but we will go into other rooms and the ladies will choose the books.  They will also choose a few to have for “free read”  time with their group at the end.  I know it will be a lot better.  We are storing the books in the bishop’s office for now.  When the new ones arrive I will take them a few at a time and introduce to them and also have some here to do some reading with Amuia’s grandkids.  It was fun and productive on a small scale.  I am allowing the older children to sign out the chapter books and they won’t be allowed any new ones until they return their first books.  It doesn’t seem fair to the younger children but they aren’t responsible.  If I let the books out to the younger ones, we might as well kiss them goodbye.  The mothers were able to check out books if they wished.  So, we are off to a good start.  I will try to remember my camera in future to capture the sessions on computer. 

It has rained really nicely off and on for the past week  We canceled going to Namua with the Gertsh’s as we weren’t sure of the weather.  Instead we went for a drive past Falelatai and up to the Faleseeala chapel.  We went in the Preece’s van so 6 of us could go and then we went to Coconuts for a walk on the beach and then dinner.  They had their fiafia – great show and the food was really nice.  It is cheaper than Sinalei and I like the food better (a la carte, rather than buffet).

The sunset out one of the doors at the Pesega Gym during the 50th Anniv. of the Stake

We bought a can of peanuts that were packaged in China and in small print it says “May contain traces of nuts”!  Imagine that.  That would be like 100% juice saying may contain fruit. 

We finished the Book of Mormon last weekend.  We decided to read the New Testament together now.

Friday we went over to the Sua’s to visit Sose.  She is Sister Sua’s mother.  I remember her from when we were here in 2007 – at the temple.  She is quite ill, had stomach surgery a couple of months ago but isn't thriving. She is such a sweety and we really miss her at church.  She was quite the dancer when she was up and about – a real character and a real dear.

Sose - at home

We had a PEF meeting this week and it was nice to get a list from Sister Nola Gertsch and just start somewhere. It is much better for the coordinators or the institute instructors to contact them, but I have been asked to help and it will become easier as I establish a calling relationship with them.

Our am swimming continues and it is glorious.  When it was pouring with rain a couple of days ago, we could still exercise - if I was walking, I would rush home but as I was already wet it didn't matter.

Carl & Nalani Fonoimoana

 There is going to be a Mission President's conference in April here in Samoa.  It will include all the South Pacific presidents (including the Australian Missions) and the area Presidency, I believe as well as the area Medical Advisor (Dr. Burton).  It will be nice to hopefully see them again.  The Gertsch's are good friends with them from their hometown.  I was helping Sister Leota and a young lady from Australia assemble some give-aways for the Mission President Wive's meeting yesterday. - nice change from my normal day.  

The Fonoimoana's left for America today.  They were in the Temple Presidency and will certainly be missed.  Pres. & Sister Pauga are again in the Presidency, being released only last November from the former Presidency.  They are lovely and it will be a pleasure to work with them.  

Time for bed.  Thanks for reading.  I have a little letter I send to my grandkids each week that covers some of our activities, so I hope I haven't forgotten anything in this blog.

March 21, 2012

Last week was a flurry of activity in the evenings for the 50^th Celebration of the organization of the Apia Stake.  We were treated Royally, with front row seats and beautiful flower leis on the two evenings we went.  They had a kind of service with singing and talks, followed by dancing and singing performances.  Thursday  we were at the temple for our shift and Friday was  a dance.  They are  very noisy and we were happy to stay home and watch a movie. Sunday evening was a fireside with Elder Watson, area Presidency, but I was sick and hadn't even gone to church and Roy was out doing some visits.

dancing at the celcbration

Pres. & Sister Fitisimanu, temple President

We had a 6:00 am session for the temple for our RS birthday celebration on Saturday am– what a nice way to start.  After, I went over to the English ward’s zumba class and healthy lunch.  It was a great way to celebrate the RS birthday.  Our ward's was going to be at 10:00 with lunch following but the other ward had booked for the same time. So, we were postponed until 6:00 pm and that left me free to go to the english speaking ward's party.  In the evening,  I had Roy drop me off.  We found out it was for the men as well so he changed and came back (how were we to know??).  The skits were great - about visiting teaching - telestial, terrestrial, & celestial.  Even with the language barrier I got most of the message and they were so funny.  The meal was typical samoan and not memorable. 

Vaitoloa 1st Ward RS Presideny

The Saturday temple session was was lovely except for the spider that was crawling on Sis. Mauigoa sitting next to me!  Creeped me out!  It was huge and creepy and must have come in with her clothes or something. 

Zumba class is going to be on Tuesday evenings at the Pesega Gym – great for me.  We had it last night and it was great.  Sister Gertsch came too and Beth Hunt and Sisters Craig & Heem were there too.  Angie Palepoi came - bless her heart.  She is in her upper 30's and had an accident when she was young and her large motor skills are hampered.  She did a great job.  We tone some of the movements down to accommodate old knees and backs but it is still great exercise.

Tuesday, March 20, we had a defensive driving course for the seniors and the service center employees.  It was interesting to hear a few of the differences and go for a  brief driving test. 

Janet Scanlan came to sit with me during the program - little sweetheart

Roy & Newman

My mornings have begun with a swim session up at the Craig estate with Sisters Leota, Hanson, Mariner and Tuivaiti – it is so pleasant. We exercise from 6:00 am until 7:00.  What a blessing Sister Craig is – I really need this diversion and exercise program.

Roy is really having some heavy days lately.  He has to work when the clerks are available so that means Sundays and evenings for some.  What he is doing is very necessary but is a drop in the bucket of what is needed.  It would be ideal to have a couple called to a Stake and work with that stake for their entire mission.  As Hatu Tiakia (service center manager) says, if he has 5% success in his calling, he will be doing well.

As Zone Leaders, we have had a busy time lately - couples leaving and coming.  The best part is going to the airport to greet or say good bye, when we can.  The Merrell's left almost 2 weeks ago and the Bonilla's left that night for health reasons.  The Osborne's and the Preece's came and then the Weber's left this past Monday. Whew - the new Dentist comes in about a week.  

The Merrells with us, the APs & Afalua

The Webers, us, APs & Pres & Sis Leota (Pearl was taking the picture - (Pres. daughter)

Well, talk about the tender mercies of the Lord.  My glasses broke and needed to be sent back to Canada - hmmm, how to get it there fastest.  The Weber's could have taken them and mailed from the US after they finish with their trip to New Zealand.  So, I was in the temple on Thursday night (the glasses had broken the day before) and Pualele Craig came up and said "I am going home tomorrow - do you want to send anything?"  Wow - she was going to Lethbridge!  I sent my glasses with her and she mailed them to Brooke, who will mail them back in time for her to bring them back in two weeks! Little things often happen that we feel we are taken care of.

Hooray - today 5 boxes of used children's books arrived (four more to come).  Our RS at home has been collecting them and sent them only a week ago!  (They go across the border to Cutbank and mail them to the mission's Pago Pago address).  I am going to be doing a mini library story time for our ward, with help from the Bishop's wife and the young women (their president has ok'd it). We will have story time with the young women reading books to small groups of children and I will be reading as well.   I will also try lending out a few and if they are returned, then they can take out another one.  I still have to determine the exact time we will be doing this.  When we are done our mission, if someone wants to keep going, they can be in charge of the books, otherwise I will donate them to individual families so they can start their own home libraries.   I will also use some of these books for Lance's reading times on Monday.  

"The Last Supper" before the Webers left

Speaking of mailing packages, my good friend Lynne sent some things we needed and part of the pkg. was weatherstripping for the doors.  I have noticed a decrease in gecko's already and hope the ones in here just die off.  We have aided in the death of a couple but I am not sure they are all gone yet.  

On of my favorite fales - the tree is growing right through the middle of the fale

We have 3 days left in our Book of Mormon reading and it has been wonderful.  We have purposely not read ahead so we can be right on schedule with the program.  

Well, I should finish this up and head to bed  - morning swim comes early.  Thanks all for reading -

 

March 5, 2012

Milo Sabine Harker – March 2, 2012, 10:53 am, 9 lb and 9 days early.  What is interesting is that her dad, Ian, was 9 lb and 9 days early too.  I was able to see her on Skype for a few minutes when she was a few hours old – what a treat.  She has lots of dark hair like her brother and sister.  Sharleen is exhausted but doing ok.  I actually had a nice chat again today on skype with the whole family, including Grandma Playfair.

Milo

For FHE last Monday we had a dinner as the Merrells and Rachel will be leaving before the next one.  It was nice to hear their testimonies and feel of their love for Samoa and her people.  The Seniors seem to be drawing together a bit more and I think they are inviting each other to do things.  Of course, the Johnsons and Ereksons knew each other in Africa and have a close bond.  Rachel actually left this morning and is enroute to Provo now. 

The work with PEF started for me last week.  We had a meeting with all those involved and then Sister Gertsch and I spend a few hours in my office space going through the files and actually calling a few people.  The hand of the Lord is in all His work as was evidenced that day.  She had called a lady who I recognized as being in our ward and made some really positive connection.  The next name we came across was from a village that Roy happened to be visiting that afternoon.  A phone call, a discussion with the bishop and we found out the story on that young man who left for Pago last week and has no contact # - but we at least know where he is. One other name on our list to find was a girl in our ward who was married last Nov. and is expecting a baby.  She had never had a dispersement of money but was on the list.  A series of phone calls (one to her sister who I new, yielded a phone number and that led to her husband and then a home number).  There was no answer but a few minutes later she called me back on my phone. Another young woman lives in the village that the co-ordinator of our temple shift lives in.  One phone call to her (and I just happened to stumble upon her number from a long time ago) yielded the girl’s information and her phone number. So, within a few minutes we tracked down a few people.  We will continue this week on our collaborated efforts to find these students.

We held a “Wishing you well…” party for Rachel Leota for the Senior Sisters here at our home on Wednesday evening.  I made a well that people just dropped cash or cards into and we had cards to write advice on to take with her on her mission.  Of course we had food – just appetizers this time and it was really nice to not have too much!  The object of the well was to give her some direct money to be used to purchase winter clothes when she is in Utah.  We actually went around the circle and gave our advice verbally, as well and it was nice to share this time with the other sisters.  Rachel will be a fabulous missionary – watch out Utah!

Wishing Well

The phone bill is in for February’s charges so my time is occupied again.

Yours truly

The Gouldings

Elder Goulding and the pool

Friday, we decided to climb Mt. Vaea to Robert Louis Stevenson’s grave.  Rachel and her uncle, etc. were going to come but didn’t as it had rained in the night and they were cautiously avoiding any slippage!  Elder & Sister Goulding, Sister Ericksen and Roy and I headed out at 7:30 am and made the climb.  We took it slowly and it was wonderful.  The climb down was a little slippery but we all made it back – hot and happy.  The happiest part was going into the RLS Pool, at the bottom of the trail.  We just headed in, clothes and all and had a wonderful refreshing swim.  We have plastic seat covers in the car (a bane on hot days) so we all went home wet and cool.

some of the seniors

Bro. Sua and family members

Saturday was our outing to Tafatafa with the Senior missionaries.  We had 7 couples, Afalua and her daughters, the Fonoimoanas from the temple and Sister Moaga from the temple.  The Sua’s who have been temple workers prepared a small umu (most of the seniors don’t care for umu) and we did tin foil dinners in a fire on the beach.  The Sua’s are from the village of Tafatafa and arranged it all for us.  Some of the seniors swam, some didn’t and it was a delightful time.  We drove home through the area that had been hardest hit with the tsunami as two of the couples had never been there before. I took a few pictures but this week my camera has been acting up and I didn’t end up with many from the week’s events.

the bonfire

Roy’s latest frustration with the work is the power outages that have shut the work down.  Some of it is random from a storm and some, he will get there and the power company has decided to work that day in that area.   He has had some real success with a couple of the units he worked with before this Stake who have called and had him come back to help them further.  He worked with the clerk in our own ward last week too and that was enlightening to the clerk.

I took a lady from our ward up to the hospital to get some antibiotics so she can have some much needed dental work done.  She spoke a lot about her life and the problems she faces.  I just know it is reflective of a lot of the people here and I feel so helpless.  Giving them money doesn’t solve their problems – they still face their demons and need to realize that when you follow the Lord’s program you reap the Lord’s blessings.  Family prayer and family scripture time are so important.  General respect for your spouse generates it back to you.   I just finished a book by Kitty de Ruyter who was in a concentration camp in Indonesia during the second world war.  Her mother was a devout woman and kept her family faithful.  That faith prepared them for many things in life, including accepting the principles of the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Well, our reading and marking of the Book of Mormon will be complete this month and it has been wonderful.  I recommend it to anyone with an interest to see how many reference to Christ there are in that dear book.

Sunset coming home from our outing on Saturday

We are grateful to be a small part of the work of the Lord.  We know we are the backup for God's army (the junior missionaries) and it is a pleasure to be part of their lives.  Today (Monday) is the day the zone leaders come into town for any business and it was so nice to chat with a few of them.  We have quite a few new zone leaders as we had about 15 missionaries leave 2 weeks ago.  The missionaries have really done a good job of letter-writing instead of emailing their families.  It has kept them in their areas rather than having them roam town for a few hours of idle time.  They have set some nice goals for baptisms (3000 for the year) and they are doing a good job of bringing their converts to the temple.  

Well, we love you and leave you for another week.