Keep Christmas in Your Heart

Sweet Christmas Eve Celebration -
One I will always remember with fondness

Talofa Family and Friends,
     Manuia le Kirisimasi!  I hope all of your Christmases were as joyful as ours was.  Through the miracle of the internet we were able to visit with all of our kids and share in a little bit of their Christmas.  Christmas Eve we shared a little Christmas with two of our Institute students, as well as Mata's younger siblings and the Edwards.  Sister Patch got stuck at the hospital delivering babies (a total of 7) so they didn't make it.    Having kids here made the night perfect.  After a yummy lasagna dinner we enjoyed singing carols, reading Luke 2 and playing Charades.  There were a few surprises under the tree for everyone.  My favorite moment was seeing nine year old Spencer open a basketball.  His face was priceless - I'm not sure who was happier, Spencer or me.   The night was topped off with apple crisp and Ice Cream.
     We loved participating in the  "Light the World" Campaign throughout December.  Brent and I had to talk in Church today, and part of my talk was about how to keep Christmas. Here is a short excerpt: If Christmas is not in your heart it will never be found under a tree.  It has been wonderful participating in the "Light the World" and to think of all the kindness and good deeds being done around the world.  It's too bad that we can't keep those good feelings associated with Christmas going all year long.     Charles Dickens, in "A Christmas Carol" wrote "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."   What a grand idea!  Let's try not to pack up the Spirit of Christmas with the ornaments this year.  Let's make 2020 the year we keep Christmas.

Christmas Morning Pancake Breakfast for West Zone

Just imagine the joy we could bring to others and ourselves if we just tried to be a little kinder, a little more generous, and a little more willing to go out of our way to help our neighbor, a little more like our Savior Jesus Christ.
     Christmas morning was so much fun.  Missionaries from the West Zone started arriving at 7:30 am and by 8:30 all sixteen had arrived.  The Patches and Edwards had volunteered to take care of the East Zone at Aua.  We had made a large breakfast casserole and Brent made his famous pancakes.  Somehow we managed to fill up all those bottomless pits.  After breakfast we played our "Ricky Ticky Bear" Game and then for the rest of the day several of them used our Ipads and computers to make video calls home.  By 4:30 pm I was ready for a break! 
     Christmas evening the Edwards had us and the Patches over to their place for a delicious turkey dinner.  Having these two other couples on island with us has been such a blessing!  One tender mercy was that Dr. Edwards offered to give me cortisone shots in my knees as needed.  A couple of weeks ago I finally gave in and got the shots.  My knees feel almost like new!  When I left the states I knew my knees would eventually start hurting, but I had decided I would just bite the bullet.  Having the shots available and someone I trust to give them is truly a blessing!

Christmas Dinner at the Edwards

     We did have a bit of a scare this week with our little dog.  We're not sure if she got hit by a car or someone threw a rock at her, but for days she did not eat, drink or hardly move.   Everytime we would try and pick her up she would whine loudly.  I was pretty sure she was going to die.  There is a Vet Tech on island that we took her to.  We got an antibiotic and pain medication for her.  Today is the first day that it looks like she's going to be OK.   
       Most of my talk today was from the Book of Revelation, and was about being strong in a world of decaying morals.  I'll close with this quote from Richard G. Scott regarding how we can stay safe during these last days. He describes how a strong testimony of the Savior will shield us from the adversary. "A strong testimony gives peace, comfort, and assurance.  It generates the conviction that as the teachings of the Savior are consistently obeyed, life will be beautiful, the future secure, and there will be capacity to overcome the challenges that cross our path.  A testimony grows from understanding truth, distilled from prayer and the pondering of scriptural doctrine.  It is nurtured by living those truths in faith and the secure confidence that the promised results will be obtained.  Your personal security and happiness depend upon the strength of your testimony, for it will guide your actions in times of trial and uncertainty." 

The Three Partners in Crime
(Yes - Brent went on another tie making binge)

     The beginning of a new year is always a good time to make a personal assessment and see where we can improve.  It's also a good time to reflect on all of our blessings.  Our wonderful family and many good friends have blessed our lives over the years.  We love looking at FB and seeing how and what you all are doing.  It's fun to see our old missionaries getting married and starting families, connecting with old friends and seeing how your families are growing.  The greatest blessing I have is my strong testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.  Even though we live in a trying time we also live in an amazing time.  I can hardly wait to see what 2020 will bring. (I'm hoping for an amazing diet pill that works!)  Brent and I send our love to all of you and best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Alofa atu, Patty (Nana)

The Halls Are Decked

Merry Christmas from Tutuila

Merry Christmas to our Family and Friends,
      The island of Tutuila is decked out like I've never seen anywhere else for Christmas. I do believe that we have more snowmen and reindeer than Utah!.. Several villages have gone all out with spectacular decorations on every house and lights on the streets. Our little string of lights across the front of the mission home looks pretty lame next to the light display across the street.
     This past week we really swung into Christmas, with two days having people over for making cookies, our missionary party and a nice dinner with the Senior Missionaries and the Ho Chings.  The Senior missionaries put our heads and talents together and came up with a puppet show and a few songs as our contribution to the program.  The Patches brought some puppets from home, and then fashioned amazing Elder and Sister Claus costumes for them out of a large Christmas stocking.  I wrote the script and Brent had more fun than a barrel of monkeys playing Elder Claus. For those of you who don't have anything to do this week I've posted the video on FB.  Elder Patch wrote new words for a couple of Christmas songs that we had a lot of fun with.   My favorite was "I'm Not Home For Christmas."  We also sang "There are Fleas on My Dog" to the tune of Felix Navidad and "The Ho Chings are Coming to Town."  The Seniors also put together gift bags for each missionary on the island. 

Mata - Christmas Elf Extraordinaire!

Day 2 of Cookie Making with Spencer and Jr.

     Mata, one of our Institute students, was a great help in making a zillion batches of cookies.  Remember, even though you might be freezing, we are at the hottest time of the year.  Turning on the oven only adds to our misery.  The first batch was consumed almost instantly by missionaries, so Mata brought her little brother over, and we recruited Jr. to help us with round two.  These cookies are safely stored for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas.  The Senior couples, Mata's family and Jr. will be joining us for a lasagna supper on Christmas Eve and then we are feeding the missionaries a pancake breakfast on Christmas morning.  Hopefully we can get some snorkeling in before we go to the Edwards  for a turkey dinner on Christmas night and then I think I'll collapse into bed.  

     Our Grandson, Jacob, called yesterday to tell me he was missing the things we usually do together as a family.  He was especially not happy about not getting new pajamas to open on Christmas Eve, and going to Grandma's to make cookies.  His call was the highlight of the week and reminded me of where my heart really is this time of year - with our beautiful family.  Next year Jacob - I promise!  

  

     "I'm Not Home For Christmas"  

I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love

Even more than I usually do.

And although I know it's a long road back

I promise you...

If I'm not home for this Christmas

You Know where I'll be.

I'm here in Samoa

As a missionary. 

(Chorus)

Please save all my presents

For when I return

Costs too much to mail them

And the Ellsworths get heartburn.

Christmas Eve will find me

Lighting up this place.

I'm not home for Christmas

But we'll meet in cyberspace.

Patches, Ellsworths, Ho Chings and Edwards at the Senior Christmas Party - Tradewinds Hotel

      One of my favorite Christmas activities as a child (also an adult), is listening to my sister read "This Way to Christmas."  It's a book of stories from around the world, tied together by a little boy trying to find Christmas after his world has pretty much fallen apart. (It's also available for $1.99 on Amazon Kindle.) The Locked Out Fairy gives him some very good advice: "  Put out of your mind for all time these notions that ye are bound to find Christmas hanging with the tinsel balls to the Christmas tree or tied to the end of a stocking.  Ye must make up your mind to find it with your heart and not with your fingers and your eyes."

     Sending my love and wishes that each of you can capture at some time this week the Spirit of Christmas through the example of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Alofa Atu - Patty (Nana)      

Pray for Samoa

NOT my photo - taken off of FB

Talofa Family and Friends,
     As many of you have heard, Western Samoa is fighting a deadly measles epidemic.  In 2013 the immunization rate was over 80% but then two children died in Savaii of a contaminated immunization and parents stopped immunizing their children.  The result - over 4,000 cases of measles in the country with over 60 deaths, mostly of children under the age of 4.  It is almost certain that the death toll will rise before this is all over.  To put this into perspective - if my math is right - that would be comparable to 100,000 children in the USA dying in a matter of a couple of months.  (USA Pop - 329,000,000 vs. Samoan Pop - 197,000 - 60 deaths).  Two days last week the entire country was shut down.  No one was allowed on the roads except medical and emergency personnel.  All businesses, schools, and government offices were closed. All Christmas parties - or large gatherings of any kind are cancelled.  Immunizations are now mandatory.  If your household is not vaccinated you have to stay home and fly a red flag outside so medical personnel can bring the vaccine to your house.  The real tragedy is that this was 100% preventable.
      So here in American Samoa, extreme measures have been taken to try and keep the disease off our island.  Sadly, this week there were 9 confirmed cases here.  As a result all Christmas celebrations have been called off, schools are closed, church services are very limited and efforts to make sure everyone is vaccinated continue.  It is doubtful that we will see the same devastation as Western Samoa, as the vaccination rate here is over 80% and malnutrition is not as prevalent.  However, one child would be too many.  The lesson here - VACCINATE your kids!

   
This week Sister Leiataua and her companion Sister King spent most of the week with us, as she had to have three wisdom teeth pulled - one side on Tuesday and the other side on Friday.  I have to say that she was a trooper.
Sister King, not accustomed
to air conditioning, spent the week cocooned in a blanket. We love these sisters, but hopefully we will have a break for a bit from house guests.

Elders Larsen and Fa'amasuli were welcome help this week as we made our weekly run to the Post Office.  I'm really not sure what we would have done without their help.  We sent 18 large boxes to Apia, with many still more distributed to our missionaries in American Samoa.  We're grateful President Ho Ching has given us permission to use these Elders through the end of the Christmas season as neither Brent nor I can crawl into the back of the truck to stack boxes.  What you can't see is the sweat literally pouring off of poor Elder Larsen.

Brent, Jr., Patty, Sky, Mata 

     Thursday night we had invited our institute students for dinner and games to celebrate the end of the semester.  I had no idea how many people to expect, and actually had nightmares of being over run with YSAs (Young Single Adults).  However, from the photo you can see that my fears were ungrounded.  Even though we were few in number we had a great time.  After dinner we played the "Ricky Ticky Bear" game (which was a hit) and then watched a movie.  We love these young adults!
     One of our Elders, Elder Pingree, took a leave of absence from the Air Force Academy to serve a mission.  In order to be readmitted he had to talk to his Minnesota Congressman and two other high officials.  Getting this phone call set up was a big deal, Saturday morning we were on edge while we waited for the call and prayed Elder Pingree would make it from the other side of the island in time.  The phone rang - I answered - Elder Pingree arrived!  Whew!!!  His goal is to be a fighter pilot and I think he's on his way.  If all the young people in the academy are the same caliber as this young man,

Elders Pingree and Raybon

our country is in good hands!  Best of luck Elder!
     Friday night was the Christmas Party for the PBO.  This was the first day the Government had announced the presence of measles, and so the police arrived and told us everyone had to be out of the restaurant by 8:30 pm.  That cut the party a little short, but we still had a good time.  That will be the end of our partying for this year, as all future events have been cancelled.
     Sometime this week I was listening to a program and  heard something I'd heard before, but this time it stuck in my head.  "We are not Human Beings having a spiritual experience, we are Spiritual Beings having a human experience." As a consequence of our mortal existence we are subject to disease, heartbreak and trials.  That is why having a strong faith in God and an understanding of who we truly are, literal children of our Heavenly Father, is so important.  That faith is our ark in the storm.
    Trying to tie this all together, to try and make sense of a world that sometimes does not make sense, I came across this quote from an LDS talk by L. Whitney Clayton: "The sweetest gift given at Christmas will always be the one our Savior Himself gave us: his perfect peace. He said: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' (John 14:27). Even in a world where peace seems far off, the Savior’s gift of peace can live in our hearts regardless of our circumstances. If we accept the Savior’s invitation to follow him, lasting fear is forever banished. Our future has been secured. These are the 'good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.' 'Fear thou not,' the prophet Isaiah reminded us, 'for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness' (Isaiah 41:10)."  
Alofa atu, Patty (Nana)

Week of Giving Thanks

Talofa Family and Friends,
     This was a week of friends and service.  Monday President and Sister Ho Ching went with us to the Post Office in their bright red sleigh (aka Toyota Truck with shell) to help us with the expected load of packages.  With Christmas almost here we were expecting more than usual.  It was good that we took the truck, because they would not have all fit in our car. The back of the truck was packed to capacity and we had several in the cab with us.   Many packages for our missionaries were marked "Do Not Open Until Christmas" so I guess the season is here.  True to form, the Post Office decided to dig up the road where you pick up cargo, so we had to hand carry all the packages out to the parking lot.  Why they would dig up access to the pick-up area right at the beginning of their very busiest time of year is a mystery to me.  As of Saturday it was still dug up, so I'm afraid this week will be the same.  The mission president gave us permission to use two Elders to help us through this busy season.  After we get home they have to be unloaded, weighed, recorded and either sorted for the missionaries living here or repacked into cargo boxes to send to Apia.  Then these big boxes (16 this week) are loaded back into the car, taken to the airport, and using a hand truck delivered to cargo.  It is quite an ordeal!

The "Elfsworths" helping Santa

Coral Nativity

     Tuesday I decided it was time to get the house decorated for the Holidays.  We found a large plastic bin full of decorations and lights, along with a Christmas tree in the spare bedroom closet.  Elders Larsen and Fa'amausili helped put the tree together and string some greenery.  Several times this week I missed my daughter-in-law, Channa, who is a talented decorator.  I did the best I could with strings of colored tinsel, a few angels, ornaments, greenery and Christmas bulbs.  Much to my dismay there was not a nativity or ornaments of the Savior.  I looked up all the names of Christ in the scriptures and made paper ornaments with those names.  I like the way it turned out.  Today the Patches brought me a nativity they made with a coconut shell and coral they picked up off the shore.  It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

Mona Leta and Levi

     Wednesday a couple of our Institute students asked if they could come over and fix lunch for the missionaries as a service project.  They made delicious BLT sandwiches for six missionaries and Brent and I.  Three lbs of bacon later I think they were the best BLT's I've ever had!  We appreciated their desire to serve.  The best part was the left my kitchen sparking clean.
     Early Thursday morning (Thanksgiving) I was reading the paper online, having a relaxing morning, when the phone rang.  It was a man who said he was here to clean our roof and he needed us to open the gate.  Sure enough, a whole crew of workers were here with ladders, sponges, scrub brushes, spray bottles and a lot of elbow grease.  Not only did they clean the roof, they washed the entire outside of the house!  While I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner it sounded like we had an entire herd of reindeer on the roof.  I didn't realize how dirty the outside of the

house was but it definitely looks better.  Unfortunately, they didn't do windows but they did string the Christmas lights on the front of the house.
         We invited the Patches and Edwards for Thanksgiving dinner.  The Patches brought several desserts, heavenly rolls, and exotic fruits for a tasting adventure. The Edwards brought their family's traditional stuffing and a sweet potato casserole that was delicious!  We cooked a turkey and provided the mash potatoes, gravy, cranberries, corn  and a jello salad.  We had so much food that we had enough to feed everybody again today after church along with the Ho Chings.  There are still "Must Goes" in the fridge which we will enjoy this week.
      I appreciated the company on a day that can bring bubbling to the surface many memories of past Thanksgivings and the people who are no longer here.  Grandma Kendrick always wanted to chew the neck, Mom always made the best gravy, Dad always carved the Turkey and Aunt Florence always insisted that she loved to peel potatoes.  All people I love and dearly miss!

     After dinner we played our traditional "Ricky Ticky" game.  It's a dumb game that never fails to bring hilarity to the table.  Patches had us play "Vroom - ERRRR" that they play at their house.  The Edwards had run off several hymns for Christmas and Thanksgiving so we all enjoyed a sing-along.  It was a wonderful day with good food and good friends!

Edwards, Patches, Ellsworths and Lady

     Today Sister Edwards shared a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson.  RLS made Samoa his home for many years so that made it even more perfect.  I'll close with his words and wish all of you a week full of Christmas magic as we all look for ways we can serve one another.

“Lord, behold our family here assembled. We thank You for this place in which we dwell, for the love accorded us this day, for the hope with which we expect the morrow; for the health, the work, the food and the bright skies that make our lives delightful; for our friends in all parts of the earth. Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind. Spare us to our friends, soften us to our enemies. Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavors; if it may not, give us strength to endure that which is to come that we may be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temperate in wrath and in all changes of fortune and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving to one another. We beseech of you this help and mercy for Christ's sake.”  RLS

Alofa atu, Patty (Nana)