Happy New Year - 2020!

Brent and Patty at Palolo Beach on New Year's Eve

Talofa Family and Friends,

     Manuia le tausaga fou! (Blessings for the new year).  New Year's Eve we drove out to the far western part of the island with the Patches to watch the sun set on 2019.  Because the way the International Date line runs, American Samoa is as far West as you can go without jumping to a new day.  So you could say we were the last people on earth to bid farewell to 2019.   Even though it was cloudy it was still a beautiful sunset.  Brent tried to swim but with the tide low the coral was a danger.  I opted to wade on shore and look for shells.  However, every shell I picked up was "occupied" by one critter or another so I finally just started looking for interesting rocks, hoping not to disturb anything that was alive. 

     New Year's Day we went to the "Flower Pot" to try snorkeling with the Patches.  It was high tide but we got caught in a very strong current, I was afraid at one point we might end up in Fiji. All four of us struggled to get back to shore, ending up quite a distance from where we started,  and decided that  we wanted to live more than we wanted to snorkel. 

The Paeuli Family baptism with Sisters King & Leiataua

     The last couple of weeks we have been to some amazing baptisms.  The entire Paeuli family of eight were baptized, which was pretty exciting.  They are looking forward to going to the temple together next December.  Every Sat. we try to attend as many baptisms as possible.  Although most of them are in Samoan and we understand very little,  there is always a sweet spirit and the members always make us feel welcome.
       This past week we visited several missionary apartments to make repairs, check on emergency supplies  and inspect for cleanliness.  A common problem is door hinges rusting off.  Brent has been replacing them with stainless steel hinges, which would not be hard if the doors were squared.  The elders in Auto were happy to get all their cracks filled with foam and the sisters in Nu'uuli and Tafuna were ecstatic to get new beds and mattresses. (I'm pretty sure the health department would close us down if they saw the old mattresses.)  We will work on upgrading the bedding in the rest of the island.  Brent's fix-it man skills have been put to good use.   

Elders Wray and Tresgaskes helping Brent

      American Samoa dodged a bullet last week when a large storm skirted around us.  We had an incredible amount of rain with strong winds, but count our blessings that it was not worse.  Our ward has been divided into districts based on neighborhoods to help in case of an emergency.  Our district is working together to make sure everyone has a 72 hr kit and emergency supplies.  We are assessing our resources, have made an evacuation plan, and organized teams for house checks.  We have restocked our emergency food and tomorrow will refill all the empty 3 & 5 gallon water bottles.  When the power goes out we have no water - so storing a lot of water is critical!  In the storm that hit in 2017 the power was out for over a week - in some places 3 weeks!  Everything in our house is electric, besides not having water we would not have air conditioning, lights, ability to cook, recharge cell phones (if we still had service) or communicate with the outside world.  The Edwards are planning on staying at the mission home in case of an emergency, so at least we would have excellent medical care.     

Sisters Thomson and Bean putting beds together

      It takes a brave heart to look in the meat section at the grocery store.  These Three Little Pig (heads) have been there for a while, along with the whole pig that went to market.  Apparently there is not a big demand for pig heads.  There is generally a different surprise every week -mostly things I didn't even know were edible.  What is lacking is a good steak at a price we can afford.
      We finally moved Lady's food inside, as it seems the toads here are also fond of dog food.  Update on Lady: She is back to her cute  self.  She is house broken, doesn't bark, has a sweet temperament, loves kids...Anybody want a dog?

"This Little Pig went to Market..."

           It is customary here to remove your shoes before entering a home.  Yesterday, at our Ward District Meeting held a a member's home, we went to leave and discovered their dogs had helped themselves to several shoes. At the mission home it is often an obstacle course to get into the door.  To me it doesn't seem like rocket science to leave your shoes to the side of the door where they do not create a safety hazzard!

       Well, it's time to get ready for church so will wrap

this up.  This year the Church will be studying the Book of Mormon.  Today we reviewed the testimonies of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses.  There were several people, other than the Prophet Joseph Smith, who saw the plates.  Even though the majority of them later left the church, not one of them ever denied what they had seen, 

even on their death beds.  I will add my witness that the Book of Mormon is from God.  Every time I read it, it is confirmed again to me that it is a true book.  I'll close with part of the statement made and signed by the Three Witnesses that can be found in the front of the Book: 

       .....And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.   

Shoes at the Mission Home

This picture is for Connor and Cade - It is one of the toads we
regularly find in Lady's food - Yuk!

       Wishing all of you a wonderful week.
Alofa Atu, Patty (Nana)