Sister Act

Halloween decorations on a Family Grave

Talofa Family and Friends,

      Again the week seemed to evaporate until I think of all the things we did.  Monday we said goodbye to Elder Ioane who is now serving in Ghana West Africa.  We will miss him in Institute but know that he will be a great missionary and bless the lives of the people he serves.  Also on Monday I drove with Sister Patch to the far east end of the island to deliver flu vaccinations.  Tomorrow they will all be completed as we have arranged to visit the rest of the District meetings.

Elder Ioane on his way to Ghana

    Tuesday I got to spend some time with Sisters Hymas and Davies.  Sister Davies is from Australia, so she must leave AS  every 30 days to keep her VISA current.  After seeing  Sister Davies off at the airport I treated Sister Hymas to breakfast at McDonald's.  I warned her that we needed to destroy the evidence before arriving at the other sisters home, but alas - we were not quick enough.  Sisters Leiatua and Hyatt saw the empty bag in the car and only thought it fair they they should also have McDonald's.   I love spending time with these amazing young women so was glad to give into their request.  Sister Davies informed me on her return that afternoon, that the Ho Chings had treated her to McDonald's in Apia, so everyone was happy. Wednesday was P-Day and again we ran into the Sisters - this time at Carl's Junior - so enjoyed another meal with them.  Believe me, two meals at a fast food restaurant in one week rarely happens.  These young women are 19 years old.  They are living away from home in a foreign land learning a different language, and for  most days, eating different foods, and living in conditions much below what they enjoy at home.  They walk for hours every day in the heat, spend hours studying and serving others, and when you talk to them they are the happiest they have ever been.  None of them want to return home.  You can't help but fall in love with them!  Sisters Rule!!!

Sisters Davies and Hymas

     Thursday Sister Foster arrived for a two day visit from Apia.  She comes to check on the mission vehicles.  It's always nice to have her come as she is great company and very low maintenance.  This week we went to a Samoan movie that went over my head, did a little shopping, played a few games and watched Part 2 of "The Other Side of Heaven" that is now playing on YouTube.  We also went to the Museum of Samoa that only opened 3 weeks ago. They had some beautiful textiles made from tree bark that boggled the mind to think how much skill and patience they took to create. 
       On a sad note, on Friday we learned that one of our zone leaders, Elder Wannamaker

Sisters Leiatua and Hyatt

was being transferred to Apia to become an Assistant to the President (AP).  We have loved serving with him and will miss his dry humor and beating Brent at Sequence on P-Days.  He was supposed to go home Dec. 13th, and for weeks he's been singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas"  but poor guy - the President has asked him to extend his mission to January.
      The holidays are almost here.  I'm sure the stores at home are decked out with Christmas and our Ace Hardware recently sprouted a forest of decorated Christmas trees with all the fixings.  We are planning a trip to Western Samoa Dec 20 - 22nd for a mission reunion with Pres and Sister Hanneman - but that's as far as our holiday plans have got.

Elder Wannamaker - new mission AP

      A tender mercy on our dog dilemma.  I ran into a lady at the Post Office with a little cute dog inside her purse.  I asked her if she knew of any vets and she said one was coming this week from Hawaii and would be here for two weeks.  She is sending me information on how to get an appointment.  Hopefully this means Lady will be spared experimental surgery via Google.
     Yesterday in church one of the speakers quoted: "Salvation is an individual matter - Exaltation is a family matter."  I write this blog mostly for my grandkids - so to my grandkids - I want you to know that I know that The Gospel of Jesus Christ  is the only way for all of us to be together in the next life as a family.   I encourage all of you to study and pray and receive the same confirmation, and then be willing to make covenants with God and keep His commandments.  I love all of you more than you can know, I miss you and I pray for you every day. 
   

Elder Pingree being very brave

Thursday is Halloween.  I've been told to expect lots of kids so have bought enough treats for 80 kids.  After that I guess we'll just have to lock the gate and turn out the lights.  Happy Spooking to all of you :).
Alofa Atu - Patty (Nana)
   
   

Happy Days

Talofa Family and Friends,
     Today is October 20th - the date of the 2019 Palolo harvest here in the Pacific.  It occurs pretty much on schedule - seven days after the October full moon.  Palolo is a wormlike substance that is released into the ocean during mating by the coral. Tonight, while we are sleeping (between 1 and 3 am), many Samoan families will wade into the ocean with fine nets and flashlights to capture this delicacy that is supposed to be similar to caviar in taste.  Just another thing in nature that is amazing and reminds me how much wonder there is in the world.  If you are interested there are photos online. 

Last Disaster Training

     We had a pretty busy week.  I completed the
Disaster Training for Cyclones and Tsunamis, with the young missionaries on Monday.  Sister Ho Ching is going to start to make it a part of the training for all new missionaries on all of the islands, with reviews throughout the year.  I've had several of the missionaries thank me and tell me that they had no idea what to do before the training.
     Wednesday Elder and Sister Patch (LPN) came over to the house to give the Australian flu shots to the missionaries who spend P-Day at our house.  Tomorrow Sister Patch and I plan to leave early and get to as many District meetings as we can around the island.  She has appointments at the hospital so what we don't finish tomorrow we'll work on during the week.

Elder Moeai (Mesquite, NV) braving his flu shot

     Wednesday was also Elder Edwards birthday.  We celebrated with the Edwards and Patches by going for "Mexican Food" at a restaurant in Pago.  It was probably the worst Mexican food I've ever had, but the company was great and we all had a great time.  We even got into a little group Karaoke at the end - which was fun since I think we were the only people in the restaurant.   Last night we had another enjoyable evening together when Brother and Sister Halleck invited us all to their beautiful home for dinner.  It was definitely the best food we've had on the island, and again the great company made for a delightful evening.

Happy Birthday Elder Edwards

      Our little adventure with "Lady" is getting to be quite pricey.  I had no idea how much dog food cost - but after spending $33 I was relieved that she ate it.  We also bought shampoo ($6)  and a flea collar ($15) which lasted about 3 hours.  Don't ask me what happened to it - but it's gone!  On our P-Day Brent climbed into the shower with her and gave her a good shampoo.  She smells so much better. 
     Brent has been busy this week working on a standardized rental agreement for all of the places we rent for missionaries.  There was no real organization when we got here that made sense to us.  Often Brent would never get a an invoice so he was not able to make payment.  Hopefully starting November 1st everyone will get paid in a timely manner.  Everyone has agreed to get us the invoice 5 days before the end of the month along with the electrical and water bills we have to pay.  It's hard to pay bills when you don't get the bill!

Time to service water filters

Lady Getting a much needed bath

     It's that time again to service the water filters.  Brent put one in last week, we have another one this week and then it will be time to revisit all of the apartments to make sure the missionaries have clean, safe water.  We'll do inspections at the same time to kill two birds with one stone.
Tomorrow one of our Institute students leaves on his mission to Ghana, West Africa.  I have so much admiration for these young people who put their lives on hold and put their trust in the Lord.  This week I've been thinking that I don't think I've ever been happier.  We are busy but not too busy, work with wonderful students and missionaries, and get to live in this beautiful paradise.  I need to remember to appreciate every day. 
      This week we read Philippians and Colossians in the New Testament.  Paul reminds us to spend our time seeking after good things.  Philippians 4: 8 reads -  

"F

inally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

So many good things in life!  Good advice for a happy life.  God bless you and keep you as you go about your lives this week.

Alofa Atu - Patty (Nana)

Institute Students with Brother Ellis visiting from Australia

Happy White Sunday

Talofa Lava Family and Friends,
      This weekend the islands and New Zealand are celebrating "White Sunday" or Children's Day.  Monday is a National Holiday where families meet together.  Since there is a day to honor Mothers and Fathers they have added a day to celebrate childhood and the wonder children bring to our lives.  It is mostly a Protestant holiday where everyone dresses in white, children are fed first at meals (they generally have to wait until the adults are finished and then they get to eat what's left) and often the kids are given a small gift.  Elder Edwards, another senior missionary, left for church early this morning and stopped at a few Protestant churches to snap photos. He was nice enough to share them with me.  Almost all of the kids in our church this morning were dressed in new white clothes.  The Primary presented a beautiful program of short talks and music.  The kids not only sang every song with gusto but also signed the words.  It was a wonderful meeting with such a sweet spirit that it brought tears to my eyes.

Patty, Brent with Brother & Sister Mickelson

     Another treat this week was a visit from one of our Apia missionaries, Andrew Mikkelsen.  He was visiting from Southern Oregon with his beautiful wife (Ashlea), sister and brother-in-law(Anna and Michael) and their 12 yr. old son, James.  We loved showing them the island and getting acquainted.  James favorite part was the "Bat Tree".  Elder Mikkelsen was an AP in the office with us for several months.  He was an awesome missionary!  It's wonderful to see our old missionaries again - They all hold a special place in our hearts. After leaving American Samoa they were headed to Upolu, Savaii and then New Zealand.  What a grand adventure!  We were grateful they took the time to spend with us.  Safe travels!
      The day before the Mikkelsen's arrived we got an email from President Ho Ching telling us he would be here the next day.  They came over to interview all the missionaries on the island, including us.  Their visit overlapped a bit with the Mikkelsens  but it wasn't too big of a problem.  We enjoyed visiting with the Ho Chings and the APs that are traveling with them.  Elders Nelson and Tolman are staying with us until they return on Monday. 

Pres & Sister Ho Ching with the Ellsworths

Mission presidents are called for a 3 year period and it is a 24/7 calling.  President and Sister Ho Ching have a great love for the missionaries and missionary work.  The scripture they chose to represent the service of all missionaries here is D&C 12:8,

"And no one can assist in this work except he shall be ^ahumble and full of ^blove, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be ^centrusted to his care. "

This pretty much sums up what kind of people they are. It is a pleasure to work with them! I was a little concerned when I found out that they were coming because I wasn't sure how they'd feel about our little dog.  I was relieved when Sister Ho Ching loved her.  Having a dog is one thing, but having puppies is something on an entirely new level.  We are trying to find someone who could "Fix" her.  If we get desperate there is always YouTube. (Just Kidding)
   
      Saturday morning we had an Institute In-service meeting with Matthew Ellis, the CES Regional director.  The instruction focused on always centering every lesson we teach on the Savior.  The meeting gave me a lot to think about and I am excited to try some of the things I learned.  Teaching Institute has blessed our lives. We love the students.

Elder and Sister Patch

     One last wonderful thing that happened this week was the arrival of a new senior couple, Greg and Janene Patch from North Salt Lake. He is a radiologist and will be working at the LBJ Hospital.  She is an LPN and is hoping to be able to help at the clinics.  It will be so nice to have another senior couple here.  On our last mission the Senior Missionaries became forever friends, and we have missed those associations here.  Now we have an orthopedic, a radiologist, an LPN and a friend who is a physical therapist.  You'd think between all of them they could figure out how to fix our dog. (With a little help from YouTube). Stay tuned.
     Tomorrow we finish our Emergency Preparedness class with the East Zone. After seeing the destruction from the Typhoon in Japan, I am feeling relieved that we will be prepared if faced with a similar storm here.  We went through a Category 2 Cyclone in Apia and even that was very scary.
     Fall is my favorite time of year.  Even though we are going into summer here in the Southern Hemisphere, I still had to make an apple crisp.  We are expecting the missionaries soon so will go and get it warmed up.  We even splurged and bought vanilla ice cream.  Even though we are having a wonderful time here we still terribly miss our family and friends at home.  It really is true - there's no place like home.  Have a wonderful week and don't forget to count your blessings.
Alofa Atu - Patty (Nana)

White Sunday at Methodist Church

Anna, Michael, James, Andrew and Ashlea

My Heart is Full

Talofa Family and Friends,
     I am happy to report that I survived the Dreaded Jungle Gumboo that pretty much laid me flat in bed for a week.  I'm pretty sure it was the kind of flu people die from as it is as sick as I have ever been.  Slowly I've been regaining my strength and am finally feeling almost back to normal.  Brent was a dear to take care of me.  Thank you for all the kind thoughts and get well wishes!
     This past weekend we have loved every minute of the Church of Jesus Christ General Conference held in SLC.  We were able to get all of the sessions at home over the computer.  Even though the 10 am session started here at 5 am, we were well rewarded for getting up.  It's been two days of spiritual feasting!  How blessed we are to have a living prophet and  such amazing church leaders!  I am so excited that our Sister Missionaries will now get to act as witnesses at the baptisms of the people they've taught. With the new youth program we will all need to step up and help take some of the load off of our bishops who already work so hard.

Whitney Laulu on splits with missionaries

          Even though Samoans are spread all over the world, somehow they all know each other.  A couple of weeks ago Whitney Laulu was on splits with a couple of our missionaries.  He is from Las Vegas, went to Liberty HS and attended the Tropical Breeze Ward.  He knows all of my old seminary students.  He sends his love to his old ward.  His family moved here last year to take care of a grandparent and right now he is preparing to go on a mission.
        Well, my workshop for disasters turned out to be more for small businesses and dealt mostly with insurance issues, but this past week Brent and I met with a man from the community outreach of Homeland Security.  He was very informative, gave us pamphlets to pass out, and tomorrow we visit the West Zone district meetings to start our emergency preparedness training.  I've put together a powerpoint on cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis that I hope will get the message out in a short period of time.  If nothing else they will enjoy the brownies I made for them.  Just from my informal survey of missionaries it was obvious this was needed as when asked they did not know what a cyclone or tsunami was.  Yesterday we purchased a case of water for each companionship in the West Zone which by now has been delivered to each apartment.  Next week we'll complete the East Zone.  It's a start.

Pacific Golden Plover

     This week I was excited to see my first Golden Plover.  This is the little bird that flies non-stop over 1,500 miles from the islands to Alaska to breed in the summer, and then flies back to the exact location in the islands to winter.  Some even go as far as New Zealand!  We are just starting our "Summer" here so will expect to see more.
     Much to Brent's dismay we have a little black dog that seems to have adopted us.  She is always on our back porch, and even when we put her out of the gate at night, in the morning she's back on the porch.  Our friends who lived here had the same dilemma that did not have a happy ending, so I am not going to start buying dog food.  She is still going to have to fend for herself but I'm not so hard-hearted that I don't give her a little something here and there.  The elders named her "Jude" so they can call "Hey- Jude" but I just call her Little Lady.

"Little Lady"

     It was a pleasure this week to have Sister Hiatt from Mesa, AZ stay with us after she sprained her ankle.  Her cute companion, Sister Leiatua, joined another set of sisters for the day.  Elder Leiatua, a brother, served in Apia during our first mission.  Love them both!  Here in Samoa the people often use "Fofo" or healing through deep muscle massage.  After Sister Hiatt told me about her experience with fofo I think I'll pass.  She said the lady started by stamping on her hurt foot, and then had other women hold her down while she "Massaged the bad blood out."  Sister Hiatt said it was excruciating!  I'm glad she survived!

Sisters Leiataua and Hiatt

     Last week in preparing one of my Institute lessons I came across a 2008 General Conference talk by Elder Jeffrey Holland, "My Words...Never Cease."  It addresses one of the reasons some people refuse to accept that we are Christian - our assertion that God continues to speak to us today.  The fact is that there were Christians long before the New Testament was compiled, so having the Bible does not make one a Christian.  "One Protestant scholar wrote, '...If the Spirit inspired only the written documents of the first century, does that mean that the same Spirit does not speak today in the church about matters that are of significant concern?" Ralph Waldo Emerson, addressing the Harvard Divinity School, pled that they teach "that God is, not was; that He speaketh, not spake."  We love the Bible! It is the first book in our Canon of Scripture.  Brent and I are in the process of studying the New Testament right now, along with the rest of the Church.  The Book of Mormon only exists to be another witness of the truth.  It's hard for me to understand why people would be upset that there is additional evidence of the Savior.  For the past two days I've listened to a prophet of God, some of His Apostles, and other leaders give counsel, encouragement and most importantly testify of the Divinity of Our Savior Jesus Christ - I consider their words inspired scripture.  In no way does that demean the Bible.  What a great blessing it is to know that the heavens are opened, and God is still giving us the words we need to hear today.  My heart is full!

Love and Best Wishes for a wonderful week!
Alofa atu - Patty