Elders Masaga, Mikkelson, Wilson and Anderson.

 Talofa Lava Family and Friends,
This is going to have to be a short post as it has taken me over an hour trying to load a couple of pictures.  Again I am at the office as our internet is not working at home.  This afternoon at Relief Society sisters were talking about the attacks in Paris.  What attacks in Paris???  I know all about the cheating scandal in the world of Cricket, but had to come to the office to learn about Paris.  Very Sad!

This week we said good-bye to Elders Masaga and Anderson.  They are opening up the island of Manua for missionaries.  Elder Anderson's great-great-great grandfather was one of the first Mormon missionaries in Samoa and Manua was the first place he landed back in

Front of Flea Market

the 1800's.  The Andersonfamily is very excited about this assignment.

This weekend we took it easy.  We cleaned the apt., did grocery shopping (did I mention how I will never take super markets for granted again) and went to the flea market.  This place is huge with well over 100 stalls where they pretty much all sell the same things.  We went looking for things to send the grandkids for Christmas. (Hope they like things made out of coconut shells.)  What is really amazing about this place is that everything is taken down every night and then put back up the next morning.

Bell Tower - Road  #3

 Another thing that is crazy about Samoa is there are no addresses.  Very few streets, even in Apia, have street signs.  To solve this problem the senior missionaries have designated streets by stop lights running east past the temple.  That makes "First Street" the one you turn on to go to the open air produce market, or the Chinese Food Restaurant.  You will know you are on "Road #3" by the clock tower.  This is the road you want if you want to find Ace Hardware, the pharmacy or Lucky's Food Mart. (The best place to buy meat).  Road #4 is where you will turn right to go to the hospital and the best Pizza Place in town.  Road #5 goes up over the mountain.  On the way you will pass the Robert Louis Stevenson Plantation.  This system actually works very well, unless you want to go West from the temple, then you are on your own.

Well, our nurse that started last Monday lasted two hours.  That's how long it took her to realize that it was not a paid position, except for blessings.  We had told her that when she came in, but somehow the message was not communicated so she understood.  She stayed long enough to give the sister missionary her Hep A shot, and bandage a sore toe, and she was gone. That means I am once again the nurse.  Last week, after sitting in a very hot doctors office for an hour with two elders, and a trip to the hospital for a blood test, I thought these two elder would appreciate lunch at McDonalds.  (You can not even imagine how good a Big Mac tastes!)  We didn't have time to go in and eat so we went through the drive through with strict instructions not to tell any of the other missionaries (Especially Anai and Galvez who had begged to go the week before.)  As we pulled up to our apt. where we were going to go in and eat, who was standing there?  Yup!  You guessed it.  Galvez has to go in for another lab test this week, so it looks like another trip to McDonald's is in my near future.

The Scripture that comes to mind this evening is John 14:27 -"
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."  Unfortunately, the world we live in is in chaos in many places.  I am grateful for the peace in my life that I feel when I follow the Savior.  One of my favorite primary songs says: "Keep the commandments...In this there is safety and peace."  I know from experience that this is true.
May the Lord Bless You With Peace and Keep you Safe all through this next week.
Love, Patty