It's Batty Around Here!

Talofa Family and Friends,
Looking at our August calendar we see several family members and friends who are celebrating birthdays.  So along with this blog we are sending love and Happy Birthday wishes to all the August birthdays.

This mission is much different than our first mission, but we are starting to love the work as we now have some idea of what we are supposed to be doing.  Being the first of the month Brent requests a check from the service center to pay the missionaries. He takes the check to the bank and cashes it.  (Going to the bank always involves an extended wait time.)   Each missionary receives $100/month for food, bus passes and personal expenses.  That means he brought home $2900 in twenty dollar bills.  We separated them into envelopes, labeled them and helped the Zone Leaders deliver  them to the missionaries around the island.  We were not able to contact the elders who are serving on the far east side of the island so I just prayed somehow we would be able to find them.  It was a tender mercy that I spotted the first two teaching a lesson on a porch a bit off the road and the last two finally responded to our text and we were able to meet them at their home.  Since it's an hours drive on a very curvy, dark road we were relieved we were able to complete all our deliveries.

Driving over to the east end in the early evening

Flying Fox (Internet Image)

I spotted several Flying Foxes.  They are one of several different bats that live on the island.  According to the internet, they have a wing span of 1.5 meters.   At dusk they do look  creepy.  I tried to get a picture of one but they move fast and so I had to settle for an image from the internet.  Brent was driving so he missed most of them.  He kept telling me, when he would get a glimpse, that they were birds.  He finally relinquished when he saw one, and agreed that they were the flying foxes.                                                                         

Community College Campus

                                                                           This week I finally decided I had to start my
early morning walks again.  I have been hesitant to go out because of the dogs.  After a rat encounter at the track by the police station,  I decided to try the Community College campus near to our home.  Because of other early morning commitments I only made it 3/5 days last week but it felt so good to walk again.  My dear friends Heather and Wendy were sorely missed as  walking companions, but I still enjoyed being out in the early morning, just before the sun rises.  It's a great time to ponder about things I've read or lessons I'm preparing. Best of all there were no dogs.

Seal of Samoa - Governor's Office

We also made a trip to the government building this week
to hopefully clear up the problem we encountered at the
Las Vegas airport on our way here.  Hawaiian Airlines was not going to let us board unless we had a letter from the Attorney General of American Samoa, or a return ticket to the states.  A quick call to Emergency Missionary Travel, who purchased us return tickets for August 16, 2019, and we were on our way.  How-ever, since we are not going to use the tickets, we were concerned about getting this important letter from the Attorney General - so important that the first few people we talked to at the AG's office didn't have any idea what we were talking about. The third person we talked to, the one over travel, finally told us not to worry about it - she wasn't even sure what to tell us about what future missionaries should do to avoid the same problem.  That's what I call a bureaucracy!

We also took the opportunity to listen to the two democratic presidential debates.  Brent and I both liked the Congress woman from Hawaii but we know very little about her and she probably doesn't have a chance.  There were also some CRAZY candidates. We are both glad to be shielded from most of the fray but will try to stay informed.

Some of the YW with some of their decorations

Friday night our Ward had an overnight camp-out at Maloata on the far side of the island.   We had no camping gear so only went for Friday afternoon and evening.  The YW did a great job on the decorations and the Elder's Quorum provided a yummy burrito dinner.  Brent got his first dip in the ocean, but because of the heavy rains last week the water was still pretty murky and he lost one of his water shoes in the mud.  He said the water still felt great.  We wanted to leave before it was too dark, as the road was really bad, so we missed the movie "Coco" and the presentation on Family History.  However, we did see several Flying Foxes and were finally able to see the stars!

Bishop Goodwin - air born

The first week we were here we had stopped in at Blue Sky Communications to get help with our cell phones.  The young man that helped us told he was interested in the church.  We took his name and gave it to the Elders and promised him we would be at his baptism.  This morning at church we were so excited to see Manny with the Elders.  He's set a baptismal date for August 24th.  We will be there!

My purpose as a missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.   Even though we are not out actively proselyting, there are opportunities to share the gospel every day.  I try every week to share a little of what I know to be true in this blog.  I hope my own kids are sharing this blog with my grand kids so they will be reminded that I believe in Jesus Christ and His Restored Gospel. Events of this week make plain again that there is no peace on earth, the only peace that can be found is inner peace that comes with a knowledge that Christ can heal any wound or sorrow, carry us through our darkest hours and promise eternal life through obedience to laws and ordinances of His Restored Gospel.  Please open your doors and hearts to the missionaries - they have an amazing message for you and your family.  Have a great week!  Remember - there are still many good and beautiful things in the world!  Alofa Lava, Patty