Locked In

Beautiful Sunrises Every Morning

Talofa Family and Friends,
      My early morning walks are a great time to focus on everything that is right and beautiful with the world.  Every morning this week I was rewarded for early rising by beautiful sunrises. One morning I was treated to a sky that was clear enough to see Jupitar, Mars and Venus  lined up next to the moon. (I Googled to see what they were.)  It was reassuring that the planets are still lined up the way they are supposed to be.   The morning air is relatively cool, it's quiet, I listen to sacred music on my I-Phone and it is like taking vitamins for my soul.  Then I get home and turn on the news......

Elder Wilkie and his sore toes :(

     Elder Wilkie went into the hospital on Tues.

Sisters Bean and Thomson

and  Thursday to have his big toenails removed.  He has been suffering with ingrown toenails ever since he got here.  It's been a pretty painful week for him, but a big plus was he got to spend much of the week on our couch with the air conditioning blowing on him and Elder and Sister Ellsworth taking care of him.   On Thurs. we had two sisters move in with us after there was a brutal murder in the house where they were staying.  They were pretty traumatized when they arrived but seem to be doing better now.  We are looking for a new apartment for them, so hopefully they will be resettled this week.  I've been amazed at these two sisters as they have continued their work, not taking any time off.  They follow the mission rules to a "T" and always have smiles. 

Mata, Jazz, Lu'u- Master Bakers

     A good thing on Thursday was we had some of our Institute students over to bake cookies and watch "The Fighting Preacher" on YouTube. We made a quadruple batch of Sister Edward's delicious chocolate chip cookies (about 14 doz).  While I finished baking them up, Brent and the "Kids" played a hilarious game of 3-Card Uno.  Brent and I have fallen in love with these young adults! We loved spending the day with them!  We were supposed to have a potluck with them this week to celebrate Bob and Lu'u starting their MTC Preparation but now that schools have been closed, starting tomorrow, that might need to be rescheduled.  Bob has been called to serve in San Jose, CA, and Lu'u will serve in Honduras.  Of course everything is up in the air right now.   Many missionaries from here are returning home from missions around the world.

No one ever won - it is to be continued.....

      Thursday night we had a virtual conference with President and Sister Ho Ching and the rest of the Senior missionaries serving in the Apia Samoa Mission.  We were told the church would pay our way home if anyone felt like they needed to leave.  Apparently there were some in Apia who wanted to leave, but that is a moot point for the next 30 days as all flights have been cancelled between Apia and Pago Pago; New Zealand, Fiji and Australia have closed their borders to foreigners so there is no longer an option to transit through there.  There are a couple of young missionaries in Apia who were supposed to be released as their two years is up, but they can't get off the island.
      So far there is no Covid-19 in American Samoa.  They are waiting for test results in Western Samoa on one case. Seven other tests came back negative.  Anyone flying into AS must go into quarantine at a government facility for 14 days and pass a medical exam before being released.  The Governor asked Hawaiian Airlines to cancel flights here until they have more beds for quarantine.  Friday there was a big meeting, and so far all we know for sure is that all schools and colleges are closed starting tomorrow.  That means we will
no longer be teaching Institute, at least for the next 30 days.  As you can see the Government in Samoa has called for a country wide 7-day fast from today until next Sunday.  We have joined this fast and will pray for the medical people and governments around the world who are working on this crisis.
     Life here is similar to what life is like in the States. As  of tomorrow we have been asked to self-quarantine.  All non-essential businesses are suppose to close. Brent and I are no longer suppose to attend baptisms.  All church meetings and activities have been canceled. Today the TSS (Tutuila Super Seniors) met at the Patches.  We sang some hymns, had the sacrament, and discussed the Olive Tree Allegory in Jacob 5-7.  I played a special musical number on my mouth organ, "Where Can I Turn For Peace."  The Patches provided an assortment of olives as a take home treat since we were fasting.   All of us have decided that we are safer here than at home so we'll all be staying, unless something else happens to change.
      So what are we doing to keep busy?  Tomorrow Brent and I are going to go through all of our things and try to downsize, boxing up things we don't need here to mail to the states. That will simplify our lives if we are asked to leave. We'll go to the Post Office and pick up mail and packages for the mission, and repack packages that need to go to Apia.  We are hoping Samoa Air will still carry cargo, even though there are  no passengers.   I've been catching up on my journal, we play games, read, watch The Andy Griffith Show and Mash reruns......
       The ocean has been pretty rough, but if it calms down we'll find a secluded beach and go snorkeling.  Friday we went with the Patches but the currents were so strong and the water so murky it was definitely not a perfect day for this activity.  At one point Brent had to rescue me because even though I was swimming as hard as I could I was getting farther and farther away from the land.  Janine told me today that she read in the paper that there had been strong riptides.  Next time we'll wait for a calm sea!

Elder Patch with Olives for our lesson
We love these people!

      I know for many of you your lives have been turned upside down.  For me the worst part of this is not knowing when it will end.  Every time I start to feel a little sorry for myself I think of the refugees around the world, the people who are still under attack in Syria, the people who have already lost family members to this scourge, and I recommit to staying strong. Almost daily I recite to myself my favorite scripture found in Isaiah 12 and 2 Nephi 22:

And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

  My faith is a great shield and comfort.  I know the sun always comes up. 
Alofa atu, Patty (Nana)