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