We had grandbaby #12 last week.  Chelsea and Daniel had Taylor Mae Bateman – 8lb 9oz and 21 inches long On August 6, 2012

What a beautiful baby Taylor is – and how grateful I am for skype!

She was 24 hours old in this pictures

We have had a very slow, down, and then intense week.  Roy began to ache last Saturday and Sunday evening he started with a fever, chills, cough, etc.  Well, this has progressed through the week and he finally went to see the nurse on Tuesday. She thought she could hear a bit of crackling in the right lung and wanted us to go to see a Dr. We saw Dr. Puni, he could hear nothing and had us buy some cold tablets from him.  Well, slight improvement, but then he started coughing up junk, still had the temp and head ache, etc.  I called the Magrath Clinic and spoke to Dr. Dahl and we put him on an antibiotic and hoped things would  improve.  He had a blessing on Monday night and wonder how bad he would have been if he hadn’t had the blessing.    Thus, we haven’t been out to any of his units this week and have just laid low here at the house. Wouldn’t you know it – the TV was down too and we had no channels.  We have read our scriptures, watched movies, played games and slept. 

One night he was delirius (probably from a sleeping pill he took)  and his head started to hurt more and more.  We called home again yesterday am and Dr. Tollestrup gave a rx for some meds and the terrific headache has been attributed to viral encephalitis, probably.  (We are lucky to be able to go to the pharmacy with a request for prescription drugs and they will give it to us).  The nurse came again and said she could still hear crackling down in the right lobe.  We feel the tender mercies of the Lord in the fact that we were able to get strong meds from Magrath Dr.s , and when we went to the hospital yesterday, we happened to get there in time for the beginning shift of an Australia Dr. who concurred with the Dr. from Magrath and augmented the meds.  It was so nice to talk to someone who understood and didn’t just brush us off.  From my past experiences with the Dr. here in Samoa, I was just a little nervous and leery of going but we have been helped tremendously.  There were two doctors on and we (without asking) were put in the cue for the palagi Dr.  If he didn’t improve, we were going to have to take him somewhere else (no, not Pago Pago) – further, but we hopefully aren’t facing that anymore. If we had gone earlier in the day, we wouldn’t have had the help of this particular Dr.  So, with a diagnosis of pneumonia as well, he is being treated strongly and he is responding.  Thanks to those who helped with prayers and temple roll, and sorry to those who are finding out through this blog.  We had our kids informed but just haven’t done much past that. Roy was feeling so poorly yesterday, he was wondering if Amuia would let us plant him in the front yard of his home!

just a photo of one of the graves in front of a home (on the left with the yellow fence)

a fale that the junior missionaries live in - typical of most of the missionaries' homes

Pese Brown - 71 years old and one of the members Roy works with

The Vili Taliga tree - gorgeous

boganvillea is gorgeous this time of year

For Monday’s FHE, our group was in charge and we asked President Leota to speak to us for a few moments, followed by a testimony meeting.  We as senior missionaries seldom hear his counsel and going to Samoan wards, we feel testimonies by the spirit only and don’t understand many of the words so it was a treat to hear the strength of others.   We prepared a quartet and sang “We’ll Bring The World His Truth”.  Pres. Leota spoke about helping new converts to attain the most they can by going to the temple to do baptisms, etc.  Baptisms isn’t the goal – being truly converted should be the goal. 

View of the outside of the temple, back.

We have had some changes in Samoa that will interest those who have been here before.  At the beginning of July, the food market and bus transfer in the heart of downtown Apia (across from Farmer Joe’s) was closed and has been taken down.  There is a project underway to build a better, two story market.  The unfortunate thing is that no provision was made for the vendors and where could they set up?  The new market up at Vaitele is beautiful and nice, but a long way from anything and unless you have your own vehicle, it is difficult to get to.  Thus, markets have sprung up all over town – behind the Nia Mall, in the empty lot next to Frankie’s that is next to Farmer Joe’s, a few stalls in the parking lot at the back of Farmer Joe’s, and a bigger one is set up in the lot next to the Coin Save which is directly beside Big Bear.  There are many more road-side stands too.  Saturday, the one next to Big Bear was UNBELIEVABLE – people had spread out their goods all in the ditches and any available space along the road leading down to the craft market.  I had forgotten my camera but the traffic was horrid.  The main market there by Big Bear is so tiny and cramped that it is hard to even walk down the aisles.  The buses are now using the parking lot behind the craft market right by the sea – a lot more organized that it used to be now that this is the main bus terminal.

Across from Farmer Joe's where the market and bus area was

Farmer Joe’s hosts quite a crowd outside along the wall by the car parking area.  With visiting space at a premium since the market closed down, people congregate out there and you have quite a time walking from the car to the store front.  There are often policemen stationed right there, down by the street corner, keeping traffic flowing and pedestrians in line.  The female that isn’t quite all there is stationed in this area, smoking and talking to herself.  She used to be in front and would sometimes be sleeping on the steps but she is always around the side now.

The Molesi store down on Beach Road has been torn down and a new structure is going up.  For those who lived here in 2007 – it is quite a colossal structure.  There is a Frankie Molesi store opened up in the structure that has it’s opening onto the street that the theatre is on.  For those who have left during our time here as missionaries, the store is wonderful – clean and with wide aisles, etc.  Some of you may have shopped there before you left, but I am not sure. 

As you turn left at the first light coming to Apia from Pesega, towards Farmer Joe’s, on the right was a water filled ditch along the right side of the road – often filled with trash, etc.  There is  major construction going on where they are lining up, in the ditch that has been dug out, concrete blocks that must be about 4’x4’, with a hollow core down the center.  The water can continue to run and the top is a sidewalk for pedestrians.  I hope they do this all over town to save the trash from accumulating and hopefully, the smell won’t be as bad.  The same thing is being done in another part of downtown – can’t remember exactly where.

the "new" market area - taken from the window as I drove past

Anyway, it is a nice Sabbath day and I am at the office doing this blog so I can get it sent out today. Have a great Sabbath, all of you and thank you for your prayers and love.

This is the scene we see most nights coming back from the Malaela area

We have started to do the East Stake that covers the area down where the tsunami was and up inland a bit.  I have been doing a lot of indexing while waiting for Roy to do his training and have also had a chance to visit with a couple of people from our temple shift back in Malaela.  I just love Amy and will include some pictures of her and Tuuu, her daughter.

Tuuu's pig pen

Amy (left) & Tuuu at lunch at Tuuu's home

Don & Rhonda were here for a two week visit in July and we enjoyed our time with them. 

What a pleasure it was to attend the English speaking ward while Rhonda & Don were here.  For two weeks straight I understood the lessons, talks and was able to visit with people in our old ward.  Well, the next Sunday we attended our Samoan ward for Sacrament meeting before heading out for the other side of the island for training and it was such a pleasure to have little Florina come and snuggle up beside me all through sacrament meeting.  The next week Newman sat with me for quite awhile and I love when he puts his little head down on my chest to pause for a moment in his busy-ness.There are pleasant parts of both wards.

The highlights of Don & Rhonda’s visit included eating out at a few restaurants, a picnic at Vavau (too chilly for swimming), climbing to Robert Louis Stevenson’s grave, going to the temple, shopping, RLS Museum, making Rhonda a puletasi (traditional Samoan women’s dress), snorkeling at Matareva, and lots of driving and seeing.  Sauniatu was nice, especially walking through the gardens and interperative rainforest but the water was so dirty from all the rain that it didn’t look swimmable to us. 

oops -I have them leaving before they come - oh well

picnic at Vavau - too chilly to swim - really!

Their first trip to the ocean though was memorable.  It was cloudy and rainy but we thought we would go anyway.  We walked way down the beach from Coconuts Resort, past the fresh water lagoon (we forded over the stream with our things held high) and settled on the beach.  It began to rain so we packed all our stuff in bags and put them under a mat at the edge of the bush to keep the rain off.  We kept a close eye on the things while in the water and couldn’t see anyone even near.  Well, when we got out, we found someone had crawled through the bush and under the mat and stolen Rhonda’s camera and Roy’s retirement watch and food out of the cooler!   We ate a bit of lunch that was left and then the rain was really pelting.  It felt like hail coming down and actually stung our skin.  The wind was really strong and we were quite the sight trying to get back to the resort where our car was!  Wading across the stream was a memorable part of the homeward trek – with our things held high and the wind just whipping the water.  The good part of Coconuts Resort was the dinner and siva afi (fire dance) show later that week.

We had 3 incoming couples last week.  One couple went to Savaii, one stays here and one went to Pago.  They stayed with us for two nights until their flight out so it was fun to get to know the Jordans.  We have one more couple coming in on Monday who will be a temple couple and they have both lived here before - teaching and he served his junior mission here, like Roy did.  We are certainly blessed with the number of Senior missionaries we have.  I have had a little bit of a busy time getting the house ready for the Spencers who are in #16.  The floors were redone and so there was a fine mist over all the dishes and the newly painted cupboards so I washed and bleached everything. 

The training in Malaela is on Wednesdays and is a long day.  I take work to do but also have had a chance to visit with a few people.  The bishop’s wife – Muni Stowers – was so sweet and stayed while we ate the breakfast they had prepared.  She took me over to Amy Latu’s place just past the church and then we visited here at the church for awhile.  I offered to drive her home with the dishes and Amy & I continued up the road to AmyVida Tuuu’s place.  She is Amy Latu’s daughter.  I work at the temple with both these two sisters and it was so nice to visit in their places and feel of their spirits.  The church helped these people get back on their feet after the tsunami, building homes, showers and bathroom facilities and putting in water tanks.  I was able to get a picture of the tree that Amy ended up in during the tsunami and heard Tuuu speak of how her grandson (3 years old) was pulled away from her during the tsunami.  He is buried up the hill in a family plot.  Despite the tragedy that they have gone through, they are such a warm and loving people and I feel blessed to have them as friends. The Stake Clerk's name is Uluau, I believe is the spelling.  His mother was killed in the tsunami as well and he told me his story this week.  What a tragedy for this whole area, yet they are bouncing back and living happily again.

Amy (on right) & Tuuu in front of Tuuu's house that the church build after the tsunami

Tuuu with her cocoa pods

Tuuu with the bathrooms and water tank donated by the LDS church after the tsunami

One Sunday, Lusia Auelua, another shift worker at the temple, made us to’onai as she lives in the house across the street from the Lotofaga ward.  It was lovely and nice to visit with her.  I hope these people don’t feel they need to entertain me as I have things I can do and plan to do while I am here.  

It is a nice place to be in Malaela - I sit in a room in this brand new church with the windows open, a fan going and watching the sea just off the coast of Malaila – right by Namua island.  It is little sad to see the basketball court across the highway, by the sea and the chain link fence marring the view of Namua.  That is one of the most beautiful places in Samoa.

We had a tough week at the mission last week.  Three missionaries returned home early - obviously due to misconduct.  It is interesting that the phone bill is an indicator of some of the problems - kind of a barometer.  The President is such a good man and is really concerned about them when they go home and how they are received and their repentance.

 I just love the happiness of the Samoan people.  No matter what they are doing, they will stop and wave and give us a big smile.  They aren't caught up in the worldliness that we find at home and are just happy.  I know a lot of our young people could learn a great deal about priorities from these people.   I was talking to one lady here who is from the mainland (palagi) married to a Samoan and is so happy to be raising her kids here without the "trips to the mall", the "makeup", the competition regarding clothing, etc.

a truck left from the tsunami and the tree where Amy was in the top when the wave subsided

We have begun our third reading of the Book of Mormon, marking references to baptism and repentance.  This rotation will finish just before we leave our mission.

We continue with our reading program at our ward and with a couple of families.  I am beginning to assess who gets what books when we leave and it will be exciting for them to set up their own libraries in their own homes.  Two families in particular will get the lion's share as they have shown the most consistent use and responsibility with the books.  I am eternally grateful to our Relief Society for sending those books to us.

Well, I must carry on with this day.  Thanks for reading.