Talofa! Another week gone!  How is that possible?  My favorite part of the day is early morning.  I get up around 5 am, go for a 40 min walk under the stars, and return home just as the sun is starting to rise.  After a shower I settle down with the scriptures and read for about an hour.  I have been reading the Book of Mormon again and everyday feel inspired by what I read.  This book is the reason we left our home and came half way around the world.  It testifies of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.  It tells us what we need to do to return home to our Heavenly Father.  It was written for people in our time, and has deep insights on how to face the challenges in the world today.  Even though it was written a long time ago, the themes of the past keep repeating.  Times change, people don’t. If you have ever wondered where you came from, why you are here, and what happens after you die, read the book. I promise you won't be disappointed! 
 Yesterday we went with a few other senior missionaries on an all-day adventure.  We drove to the South side of the island to the  O le Pupu Pu'e National Park and hiked up a trail through lush rain forest to the MA tree.  This is a massive tree with a fin-like root system.   There are several smaller Ma trees but this one was definitely worth the effort to get there.  The guide book says an easy 15 minute walk through a lush forest on a well maintained trail .  Well, the lush forest part was correct, but it took us a lot longer than 15 minutes and you had to climb over roots, rocks, through mud and moss, all the while battling hordes of mosquitoes.  I understand that horses sweat, men perspire and women glow.  In that case, we must have lit up the southern hemisphere! 

Brent, Sister Schafermeyer, Sister Farhmer, Sister Gillette, Me.
The rest of the men are trying to figure out how to work the camera.

Fungus and moss in the rain forest

 Next we drove down the road about a mile and took another trail to the Togitogiga Waterfall and swimming hole.  Never has cool water felt so refreshing!  Of course Brent and the other men had to swim under the falls, while the women were happy just floating in the pool.

After cooling off we drove a little further around the south end of the island to a beautiful sandy beach.  The men snorkeled and the women again were content to just swim and enjoy the incredibly beautiful clear aqua blue water.  The tide was pretty strong so I will wait until there are a little calmer waters before I attempt to use my new snorkeling gear.

Driving home we stopped to visit a small LDS Chapel on the far east end of the island.  The small building is the chapel.  Some of the meetings are held in the open air fales.  The bishop and clerks office, in the back, were about the size of a shed.

                          We enjoyed visiting with some of the members who were there.

LDS chapel right next to the ocean - what it lacks in size it makes up in the setting.

The next couple of weeks should prove interesting.  We were saddened to hear today that President Tolman and his wife are being released for medical reasons and that a new interim mission president will be here Tuesday.  Since I am the president’s secretary, and am just barely figuring out how things work in the office, it is going to be a bit of a challenge.  We wish the Tolmans the best and look forward to meeting and working with the new president and his wife.