Fall is in the Air

Brent talking to fishermen at the wharf

 Talofa Family and Friends,
With the mission president gone for most of the past week, I worked hard to get ahead with my office duties so I will be free when Chad and Amy arrive with 7 of our grandchildren next week. :)
      Some of the highlights of this week were the beautiful rainbows I saw almost everyday.  Saturday I went walking just as the sun was coming up and the sky was a brilliant pink, casting a magical pink spell over the whole earth.  I was glad I decided not to stay in bed, as it only lasted a few minutes and then was gone.
     Thankfully there is a noticeable coolness to the air in the mornings and evenings.  It is such a relief from the oppressive heat and humidity that we have had for the last several months.  The

fish hooks ready to be tied on the line

 days are still warm, but it is definitely more comfortable.
        Saturday morning I asked Patrick Dotson, from our ward, if he would meet the Seniors at the wharf and share his knowledge of buying fresh fish.  Most of us do not eat that much fish because we don't know what or where to buy fish that hasn't been sitting out for hours.  He took us to Apia Packers which is right on the wharf. They take the fish off the boats and it is cleaned, filleted  and chilled.  We bought some yellow fin tuna which we had for dinner.  It was delicious!  We will definitely be going back.  While at the wharf we talked to some fishermen who had recently returned with their catch.  They go out for 3-5 days.  The man on the left just got back from Las Vegas - it is a small world. The amount of fish that is taken out of the ocean here every day by the big boats is mind boggling.  One of the problems the Pacific islands face is over fishing by these big commercial fishing companies.  There are many families whose fathers and brothers go out every day to fish, and the family depends on them catching something that they can eat. Meat, even chicken, is too expensive for many families and only served on special occasions.  Men go out at night with spears and lights.  If they catch more than they can eat you will see their catch the next day on the side of the road with someone fanning the flies away.

Elders Iakopo and Vahai on our way to Tiavea

          Elder Vahai got permission from President Hannemann to attend his younger brother's (18) baptism Saturday, if we would go with them.  It was a 1 1/2 hr. ride through gorgeous country.  Tiavea is an inland village, up in the mountains.  It was like driving through one picture postcard after another.  Elder Vahai's family had prepared a special dinner for us, along with the sister missionaries who had taught the brother. There was fish, pork, chicken, taro and palusami, not an everyday dinner, to show honor to their guests. The custom is that the guests eat first, and then the family eats what is left over. Family members fanned us to keep the flies away while we ate.  I would have much preferred if we all ate together, but that is not the way it is done here.  

Dinner at the Vahai home with Sisters Sauni and Asomua

     The women in the Vahai home make Pandana mats to bring in extra money.  They are made from the pandana tree which has long leaves.  They are dried, split and then wove into mats.  It takes months of work to finish one mat.  The photo shows the unfinished mats stacked in the corner of the home, with the spools of dried pandana leaves on the right.  I can't even imagine sitting on a concrete floor for hours every day weaving.
       After dinner we went to the church where there were probably forty people there for the baptism, plus children everywhere.  Brent and I were a curiosity for them, so most of them kept their distance. Some parents tell their children that Palagis (white people) eat bad children.  Even though the service was in Samoan, there was good spirit and it was a joy to be there.  The singing was amazing - it was so loud that it almost raised the roof, with even the children singing all the verses with no hymn books!  I am really going to miss the Samoan singing.

Pandana mats and rolled leaves

        This coming week Brent and I will celebrate our 46th Wedding Anniversary.  One of the great joys of this mission has been having the opportunity to spend time with my sweet husband.  We got married so young, had children within the first year, and had little alone time until now.  He is ever patient, always faithful and has been a wonderful husband!  Happy Anniversary Honey!
     My Scripture for the week is again from my studying this week.  It is found in the Book of Mormon in Alma 13: 28-29:

A few of the Children at Tiavea

" But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

 29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

God Bless you and Keep you and your families another week.

Tofa, Sister Ellsworth

You can't control the wind. You can only adjust your sails.

Elders helping Brent rescue our old printer

 Talofa Family and Friends,
     A friend gave me some good advice this week: "You can't control the wind, you can only adjust your sails."  That pretty much sums up my life here in the mission - learning to adjust my sails.  However, some things are easier to adjust to than others.  This week, with no warning, a company showed up with a new printer for the office.  I tried to explain that our printer was working just fine and that we had just paid almost $10,000 WST (approx. 4,500) to have it serviced.  That was too bad - the church had a contract with this company and everyone was going to use these new printers.

Market Day with Afalua

Maryon's Bread Store - Neighborhood landmark

I cannot even start to tell you everything I use the printer for, and I knew how to use the old printer.  The new printer came with no instruction manual and is a totally different kind than I am used to.  When I asked what they were going to do with our perfectly good old printer, I was told it was going to be discarded.  Over my dead body!  I had some missionaries help move it into the McBrides office, where hopefully we can get it set back up.  This new printer is going to cause some major adjustment to my sails.  I see a few melt downs in my near future as the new printer and I get acquainted.

Elder Gray & Elder Tupa'i 1st Spaghetti Dinner

 I decided this week to record some of the every day things I do.  Part of my responsibility is shopping for the mission.  I usually take Afalua, the mission cook and good friend, with me. We are regular customers for a few of the local fruit and vegetable vendors.  Brent and I shop here on Sat. for our own food.
         Another regular stop in my week is the neighborhood bakery.  It is close enough to campus that I can smell the bread baking when I walk in the mornings.  A lot of families buy bread everyday, as there are no preservatives and it goes moldy very quickly.  Every morning at 6 am there is a traffic jam around Maryons, as families come to get their bread for the day. When we are buying for the mission I will often order 30 loaves and pick them up the next day.  There are always vendors out front selling taro, cocoa Samoa, cocoa rice....and big pots of stuff -  I have no idea what is in them.  I don't buy food off of the street because I am afraid I'll get sick.
       This has been a week for dog bites.  Two sister missionaries had serious enough bites to require medical attention.  Elder Gray had eye surgery this week to remove something that was growing over his eye.  Since he is resting at the MRC for a couple of weeks, we had him and his companion over for dinner tonight.  They are both local Samoans, and this was the first time they ever ate Spaghetti.  They were a little hesitant to try it at first, but they seemed to enjoy it.  They were trying to teach Brent and I some Samoan words, and they helped me with my Samoan testimony that I want to use when we return home.  They both are hard workers and it was a pleasure to share a meal with them in our home.  I promised them I would buy them taro tomorrow, but also that next time they come to dinner we would serve them tacos, another first.

     My scripture for the week is another favorite and comes from my reading.   Alma 5:14-15:

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

 15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body.

It is sobering to know that at some point in the future we will all stand before God and account for our lives while we we lived on earth.  I will try this week to be less judgmental, and try a little harder to be happy while adjusting my sails.  Happy Sailing to all of you.

Love and God Bless!  Patty

Heavy Duty for our Ipads on Mother's Day
Elder Johansen talking to his family

We need to get Leiataua out of the office before
I strangle him!  Manu'a here he comes!

 Talofa Lava Family and Friends,
     I always say that my personal motto is "No Drama," but when you work in a mission office there is no way to avoid it.  You take 200 young adults, 18-22 yrs old, put them together with companions they don't know in very close quarters, and it is truly amazing that we don't have more drama than we do.
      Elder Leiataua thought he had to be home before his release date for BYU football.  He bugged the heck out me to get him his release date and airplane ticket.  After we got his ticket, he found out the football date had been changed.  "Sister Ellsworth, would it be possible to cancel that ticket and change my release date?"  NO!!!

Elder Tia Tia's Brother (Back 2nd from Left)
Performing with BYU Living Legends

     Young missionaries are allowed to talk to their families for 1 hr. twice a year, Mother's Day and Christmas.  Several weeks ago we had missionaries calling to set up appointments to use our Ipads so they could Skype.  It was fun to see how excited they were to see their families.
      Friday night we had a real treat when the performing group from BYU, Living Legends, performed right here on campus.  This is a group of about 30 students who come from Polynesian or Native American/Hispanic backgrounds, who learn native dances and put a spectacular show together to showcase their cultures.  There were a few from Samoa, including the brother of one of our missionaries.
     Poor Brent!  He poured his cereal into a bowl, and discovered it was full of ants.  He poured it out on a plate and smashed anything that moved.  After he was pretty certain that he had gotten the majority of them, he poured the cereal back in his bowl and ate his breakfast.  The remaining cereal went into the freezer.  Ants are just a fact of life here.  We have had two Senior missionaries get out of their showers and discover as they dried off that their clean towel was full of little biting ants. They couldn't get back into the shower quick enough, but still ended up with welts from the ant bites.  At least we don't have snakes here, which is a big plus in my book !

Brent was not happy to discover ANTS in his cereal!

A couple of weeks ago a counselor in the bishopric asked to speak with us.  We were surprised when he asked us to teach Primary.  We were told in the MTC and by our Mission President that we were not to accept ward callings.  When we explained this to him he replied, "Oh, this is not a calling.  You will not be set apart or sustained.  This is an assignment, not a calling."  Really???  After discussing it, we decided that we could do it, so today was our first class of 7 yr. olds.  Sister Callahan showed us an internet site with prepared Powerpoints for the lessons.  Except for a few technical problems the lesson went great.  They were pretty cute and we think it is going to be fun.  One of the little girls, who is supposed to be in the class, was recently diagnosed with Leukemia.  She and her Mom flew to Primary Children's Hospital in SLC for treatments.  I will send weekly emails to her so she knows she is missed and loved.

Junior Primary sending their love to one of
their friends at Primary Children's Hospital

     My Scripture for the week is about the importance of teaching our children about the Lord. 3 Nephi 22:13 " 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children."

 Being with the kids today reminded me again of how much I miss my own grandchildren.  I tease them that I am going to squeeze their eyeballs out when I finally get to hold them again.  If you have your kids close to you give them a hug.

God Bless you and your families as you go throughout the week.  Love, Patty

Happy Mother's Day!

Ward Choir Practice (the hole in the front is
where Brent was sitting)

Talofa Lava Family and Friends,
     Happy Mother's Day!  Here in Samoa Mother's Day is a huge deal!  Tents have sprung up all over town with people selling flowers, white hats and other gifts for mothers.  Tomorrow is a national holiday to celebrate mothers.  Most everything will be closed so families can spend time with their mothers. Isn't that a great idea?
     Since most of the seniors do not have to work tomorrow, we are planning on driving to a resort on the south side for lunch and hopefully a dip in the ocean.  Brent bought me some flowers for Mother's Day, and add a beach day, and you have a great Mother's Day. Boy, we are really going to miss the ocean!

       I wish I had a picture of my own mother to post, as I have thought a lot about her this week.  Brent and I were both blessed with amazing mothers.  I have also thought about my daughters (I count my sons' wives as my daughters also).  They are all amazing young women who work so hard to take care of our precious grandchildren.  Being a mother was the greatest adventure of my life!
       At choir practice tonight I had Brent snap a picture of our ward choir.  Now that's what a ward choir is supposed to look like.   There are no phone calls, no begging or bribing, just an announcement in the ward bulletin, and people just show up.  Samoans love to sing and they are very good at it!

Bishopric provided Mother's Day dinner for ward choir
Bishop Pauga is in Green Shirt :)

     Finally it has started to cool down a LITTLE.  (less hot is more accurate than cool)  However, with the change of season has come the usual colds and flu bugs going around.  I was not spared, and also came down with a cold.  I have spent a  lot of time in bed, as I couldn't seem to stay awake at the office.  Finally I am feeling better today.
       We did have a scare this week with one of our Samoan elders.  He was eating at a member's home and didn't realize that one of the dishes had crab meat in it, and he had a serious allergic reaction.  It took a team effort of the members and zone leaders to get him to the hospital which was about an hour away.  Luckily, the zone leaders had some Benedryl that they were able to get into him on the way to hospital, as he was having trouble breathing.
We don't like those close calls!

Yacht Club is a great place for dinner and to watch the sun set.
Vellingas and Schaefermeyers

     
         The scripture that comes to mind is tonight is one of my favorites, Proverbs chapter 31.  If it has been a while since you've read this chapter, it is a beautiful reminder of the value of virtuous women.

   10 "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

       Besides my own mother, my life has been blessed with great examples of wonderful women,  from my sisters, grandmothers, aunts, extended family and friends.   The Gospel of Jesus Christ acknowledges the value of women.  I wish all of my sisters at home a happy Mother's Day.  Although I have made new friends here, I still miss my friends back home and think of you often.  You are in my thoughts tonight.  God bless you and keep you!  Love, Patty  

Sisters at the airport on their way to BYU MTC.
They will be serving in SLC, Idaho and Colorado

Fond Farewell to Elder Davis.

Cliff and Kathy Vellinga and myself at humanitarian project

 Talofa Lava Family and Friends,
It has been a rainy week here, I almost feel like my toes are starting to web.  I heard that in the month of April we had more than 10" of rain!  We are lucky to get 4" a year in Las Vegas.
     This week I enjoyed attending a celebration at a school with the Vellingas, who are serving as humanitarian missionaries.  They had helped with this project at a local elementary school. The Dept. of Health was going to close this school because of the poor conditions of the restrooms.  The church went in, tore out the old, decaying wood and replaced everything with painted cinder block, tile and new toilets. The kids had made decorations, and prepared a musical program to show appreciation.  It was my first ribbon cutting for new bathrooms. Good job - Vellingas!

Friday afternoon we closed the office early to go to the movie theater to see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding #2.  I was more than ready to get away from the computer, which I had been working at for hours.  The movie had some good laughs and

Inside of Catholic Cathedral-downtown Apia

 a much needed diversion.  After the movie we decided to go over and see the main Catholic Cathedral in downtown Apia.  It was gorgeous!  I have been in a lot of beautiful cathedrals around the world, but this by far is my favorite.  I wonder if we could arrange to have Sacrament Mtg. there one Sunday?  Probably not.

Sua Trench - South Side of Upolu.  This is the #1 Trip Advisor
Activity if you visit Samoa.  Our kids our going to
love this when they get here in a couple of weeks!

     Since Brent and I are the Zone Leaders for the Senior Missionaries,one of our responsibilities is to plan activities.  We have wanted to go to see the Sua Trench since we got here, so last week we decided that this would be the week.  This is a huge lava hole, with a cave on one end that you can swim through.  The ocean water comes into the hole through an underground lava tube.  There are ropes to hold onto as there is a strong current as the water goes in and out of this tube. To get into the water you have to climb down stairs and then this ladder.  I wasn't sure if all the seniors would go, but I am proud to say not one of them chickened out.  I have to say that most of us are doing things here that we never imagined ourselves doing before we came. We all had a great time!   

     When we go on these weekend activities we try to get a church van so we can all ride together.  Half the fun is the journey.  After the swim, we were all pretty tired, but Elder McBride suggested we stop on the way home and see another waterfall.  (Waterfalls are not rare around here!)  I was exhausted, but he assured me it would be worth it.  It was only a "short" walk. The walk wasn't so fun but the waterfall was spectacular!  Unfortunately, our battery was dead, so Elder McBride snapped this photo of  Brent (possibly the last one of him in this life time) standing on the edge of this giant waterfall that drops straight down about 200 ft.

"The Last Great Explorer"

     Well, tomorrow is another day and I am supposed to be at choir practice in 15 minutes, so am going to close with this thought.  There are so many wonderful things to see and do in this life, don't waste a single day of your life not having at least one great moment of service or adventure.
      My Scripture for the week come my reading this week in Mosiah 7:19-20: "Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.

 20 And again, that same God has brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage."

I send my love to all of you.  Love, Patty

"All right, Elder McBride.  We will walk to one more
waterfall - but it better be spectacular!

                                                                                           

A Week of New Beginnings

New Missionaries arrived Monday & Tuesday

Talofa Family and Friends,
This has been a crazy week with new missionaries arriving, old missionaries returning home, several trips to the airport, a severe pain in my neck (almost certainly stress related) my 65th birthday,  a cyclone that could have been devastating, but wasn't, and a visit from the Area President.  Next week has to be a cake walk in comparison!

It is hard not to get attached to these young missionaries, and as they leave the mission we wish them the very best as they start these new chapters in their lives. It is an amazing experience to be at the mission home when the families arrive to both drop new missionaries off, and then two years later come to pick them up.  Only mothers who have sent missionaries off can understand the aching you feel for them while they are gone.  As a mother of four missionaries myself, I know exactly what these families are going through.   The elders that are in the office a lot for one reason or another are the ones we really get attached to.  Elder Tiatia and Elder Pati were two of these missionaries.  It broke my heart to see them go, (both on my BD) but I know Elder Tiatia will be back soon, and Elder Pati is going to be an awesome missionary in PNG.  The other seven who left this week are to be commended in every way for the many sacrifices, rejections and deprivations they have faced the last two years.  My father, who was not a member, always said that missions were great for young people, as there was nothing worse that life could throw at them than what they experienced on a mission. However, there is nothing greater in this world than being an instrument in the Lord's hands, in helping someone  to come to Christ and recognize the truth.  I know all of you see these young men and women, wherever you live, and I pray that you will feel moved on to listen to their message.

Our 7 Missionaries returning home with Honor
Two to the States and Five to Samoa

Saying Goodbye to two of our favorites

Cyclone Amos Game Night
(I told Brent to look scared!)

I was not prepared for the jolt it was to my pschye to turn 65.  Somehow in my mind 64 still seemed pretty young, but 65!!! Well that is a whole other matter!  Maybe it's that I had to sign up for medicare - or that my dad always said he hoped he would live to be 65 (He lived to be 97) but anyway I am not happy about it.  However, to ease the pain, my sister Shauna and friend Marilyn made me a BD cake when they were here, Brent bought be a beautiful black pearl necklace, and many friends sent BD wishes both here and over FB. This evening (Sunday) the Spencers had a delicious dinner with another BD cake for some of us who shared April birthdays.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The other big event of the week was Cyclone Amos, who started out as a Category 1 - went to a Category 4 - and when it finally hit Samoa last night was a Category 2 Cyclone.  Now on a scale from 1-5, that might not sound like much, but there was some serious rain and wind.  We had the Callahans over for dinner and games to help take our minds off the weather, but after they left the wind really picked up.  At times it sounded like our roof might come off.  To cover up the noise, Brent loaded "Shrek 3" onto his laptop, and we laid in bed and watched that until I fell asleep.  This morning there are a lot of trees down (mostly banana), there was flooding downtown and in some of our missionary housing, but as of tonight all missionaries are accounted for and safe.  The sky tonight is a beautiful blue touched with streaks of pink and orange.

My Scripture for the week is Mosiah 5: 7-8 " And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

 8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

The people who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints make covenants with the Lord, just as Abraham did in the Old Testament.  That is why we build temples.  We promise to learn and do His will, to follow his prophet; in turn God promises us that we will be saved with our families.  If you want to know how you can be with your family forever talk to one of our missionaries, or visit Mormon.org.  

I feel blessed to be here in this beautiful land of Samoa.  I am grateful that we were spared from the devastating cyclone that passed very close.  I love you all, and again appreciate the thoughts and prayers that came my way this week.  God Bless You and Keep You!  Patty

"The Best of days; the worst of days!"

Part of the kitchen floor repair work

A few of the youth from Savaii

 Talofa Lava Family and Friends,
Last Sunday night when I came in to post my blog I was greeted with water pouring out of the office ceiling, from the light fixtures, fans, all over Brent's desk - it was a MESS!  Needless to say, getting my blog written was not first on my mind. I called maintenance, and was glad when they responded quickly.  Monday morning I walked in to the kitchen and dang it if the floor wasn't flooded in there! Another call to maintenance, and after several hours it was discovered a pipe had broken in the floor.  Meanwhile, sister missionaries had called from Savaii with a sad story that their ward had planned a youth temple trip, and their housing arrangements had fallen through - would it be possible for them to stay at the mission home?  (Only 30 teens with leaders)  Not realizing at that point that the kitchen floor was going to have to be jack-hammered and the water main would have to be turned off, I told the girls we could accommodate them. That meant for a time we did not have a working bathroom, and the kitchen was a mess while these good people tried to fix food for everyone.  (Did I happen to mention that the Pres.was off island???)  The same day the kids arrived, McBrides went into their office and discovered that the air conditioner had malfunctioned, and their office was flooded!  Well, I guess if that is as bad as it gets I can handle it. I just saw Ecuador had a 7+ earthquake with many killed, so this is a cake walk.

I love wearing flowers in my hair.
Brent bought me this one which I love!

 The best part of the week was that my Sister Shauna and friend Marilyn, visited from home. I loved having a girls vacation for the first few days they were here, showing them around the beautiful island of Savaii.  We stayed at Savaii Lagoon right on the beach, where the people were wonderful, the snorkeling great.  Unfortunately I do not have Shauna's pictures yet of Marilyn holding a sea turtle.  On our return home to Upolu, Brent took them one day to see the Giant Clams, and also to a beautiful resort for lunch. They also enjoyed a family home evening in the Hannemann's home with the Taimalelagi Family, and a FHE at a small branch where the Schaefermeyers set up a screen and showed "Meet the Mormons."  Hopefully Shauna got some good missionary pictures to submit to the church.  The last day they were here we enjoyed visiting the Samoan Cultural center where we learned about the practice of tattooing, (We actually watched a man get his bum tattooed), how to cook in an umu, wood carving and the labor intensive process of making tapa cloth from the mulberry bark. We were treated to some traditional Samoan dishes, served on plates we wove from palm branches.  We also participated in a traditional kava ceremony, and enjoyed a show of Samoan dancing and singing while we ate. I wish I would have had more time to spend with them, but it was wonderful to see them for the short time that they were here.  They are off now for another adventure in New Zealand.

Afalua, Shauna and Marilyn making their
lunch plates at the Samoan Cultural Center

Another high point of the week was the baptism of Brother Taimalelagi.  This was the family that lost their baby in an accident a few weeks ago.  It was such a comfort to see their strength, especially his wife's, and I know this will be a great blessing for their family.  In one year they can go to the temple and have their whole family sealed together, including baby David.

A special day!  Brother Taimalelagi baptized creating
a beautiful Forever Family.

      Tonight Brent and I went to ward choir practice.  It was so much fun!  The director and accompanist are amazing, the music beautiful and there were probably 30 people at the practice.  I have missed singing in a choir and playing the piano and organ.  There are several sisters here who are very talented pianists, so I have not had the opportunity to play, except when we first got here and I helped out in a Samoan Ward Primary.  This week Afalua and I are going back to the House of Hope and plan on teaching the young women some songs.  I hope it goes well!

The scripture that comes to mind this week after more than just a few trials, is from the Doctrine and Covenants 122:7. Joseph Smith had spent months under horrible conditions in the Liberty Jail, when he cries out to the Lord, This is what he is told -

Showing "Meet the Mormons" in an open air fale chapel

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."

Not that I have looked into the jaws of hell this week, even though it has been almost that hot, but there have been some challenges.  I know that all of our challenges are for our good.  My arms ache to hold by grand babies again, and to put my arms around my family and friends.  Seeing Shauna and Marilyn this week definitely made me a little homesick, but then when I think what a short time I have left here I feel torn, as I know I will probably never return.  I have grown to love Samoa and her people.  I love the opportunity to serve others and to be on a full time mission.  I love working with these incredible young missionaries, and I hope that if ever one of them knocks on your door, you will let them in and listen to their amazing message.  I am starting to understand what it means when missionaries return home and say it was the best time of their life.  God Bless all of you and Keep you in the hollow of His hand.  Love, Patty