The Inn is Full

Talofa Family and Friends,
     Here it is Monday evening, and I am finally going to get a short note off.  Last Monday was Zone Conference and our big contribution was to get 18 large Pizzas  to the church in time for lunch.  Unfortunately we missed the meeting as we had Institute classes, but it was still fun to see all of our missionaries in the same place at the same time.
     Early last Tuesday Brent took "Lady" (Our adopted friend) to the Vet from Hawaii to get her spayed, de-wormed and all of her shots.  I was pleasantly surprised when the final bill was $40 for every thing!  She was still drowsy when we picked her up later in the day, and the Vet asked us to keep her in the house for the first couple of days.  It's taken several days for her to get back to her frisky self but today she is the same sweet dog - Only problem, she now thinks she is an inside dog which she is NOT.

Tutuila Zone Conference - Meet our "Kids"

Friday night our patients are starting to feel better

      It's been several weeks since we've had sick missionaries stay with us, but this week has made up for that.  Wednesday Elder Kendall arrived with a high fever, body aches and fatigue.  We had just got him tucked in when we got a call that Elder Coombs had viral pink eye and needed to be quarantined.  I bought a giant container of Clorox wipes and was vigilant about wiping everything down - including him.  Friday Sister Leiataua joined us with the same complaints as Elder Kendall.  The two that were sick were no problem as they almost slept around the clock, and we enjoyed getting to know Elder Coombs and Sister Leiataua's companion, Sister Hyatt.  The girls went home this morning.  However last night I woke up with ear aches and a sore throat - Have been in bed most of the day.  At noon today the Zone Leaders called and said Sister Leiataua had relapsed and needed to come back.  She got here about the same time Brent got all the bedding and towels washed and put away from the week before.  We have a mission nurse here, Sister Tele Hill, who is so good to check on our missionaries anytime we need her. She is a tender mercy!
     Western Samoa is in the middle of an epidemic measle outbreak, with an entire wing of the hospital dedicated to measle patients.  Two children, an infant and an adult have already died.  There are billboards and radio announcements urging people to get free vaccinations.  People arriving here by ferry or plane are all being checked by the Dept. of Health before they are able to enter the country.
      President and Sister Ho Ching were here this weekend for a leadership conference.  Saturday morning, while President Ho Ching was in meetings, Sister Ho Ching hung out at the house.  It was nice to be able to spend some time with her.  In the afternoon she went with Sister Hyatt to visit a family they're teaching.  Sister Hyatt had an appointment with this family today and the entire family wants to get baptized - Hurrah for Israel!
       Saturday night we were invited to join the East Zone at Vaitia, for a special program three wards had put together.  They had gone to a lot of work to invite non-members and less actives from the surrounding villages.  For part of the program they asked all the missionaries to sing three songs, that we practiced before it started.  I don't think it is ever a good idea to have Palagis  (White people) sing for Samoans as Samoans are amazing singers!  Thankfully, a few Samoan women joined the chorus.  Part of the program involved lighting a large bonfire to represent the "Light of Christ".  When they started pouring a lot of gasoline on the stacked wood all the Senior Missionaries started moving people back - especially the children who were right in front.  The fire started with a BOOM!

Missionary Fireside at Vaitia - with a real fire!

     This past week we remembered the 100th Anniversary of the end of WWI and the 30th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down.  The blood and sacrifice of all our young men and women is a high price to pay for our ideals.  Just a reminder of what those are:

"....We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness..." 

Alofa Atu,                                        

Patty (Nana)