There's No Place Like Home!

Tutuila Missionaries - April 13, 2020

Tolofa Family and Friends,
     It's been a week since we returned home from American Samoa.  When I posted my last blog I had no intention of writing more - but now that I'm stuck home in isolation for another week I thought I would say "Hi" to all the people we left behind and give them an idea of what life's like here in the states, and to friends here who I haven't been able to see.  Lucky for me our Stake is the "LasVegas Paradise Stake" so my blog title still works - we are still "Ellsworths in Paradise." The last couple of days in American Samoa were a little stressful as I was getting one set of information from Homeland Security and people on the island about our departure, and the mission president was getting different information from the area office.  Luckily the night before we left everyone was on the same page.        With the help of the other two

Chartered Delta 767 sent to pick us up

senior missionary couples, the Edwards and Patches, we managed to get all the luggage and missionaries to the airport and checked in within the narrow window of time we were given.  I was touched by the drive-by farewell parade by members of our MIW ward.  We really missed the opportunity to say good-bye to everyone there as we haven't been attending church together for several weeks.

MIW Farewell Parade

   
I am still humbled and grateful that I belong to a church with the resources and love that allowed us to be evacuated. It took a great deal of effort of many people to negotiate  with the local government to allow a plane to land, even though the island was in total isolation.  I appreciated the TSA people who were so helpful and got us through security without any problems.  The plane was allowed 1 1/2 hrs on the ground to refuel and load passengers - with no crew allowed to leave the plane.   We were originally going to fly to Tahiti, but that changed, and we flew straight to Honolulu.  Because there were only 29 missionaries, plus a few stranded FEMA workers, almost everyone of us had a seat in First Class.  The missionaries in the regular seats had a whole row to themselves.  Even with that the majority of the plane was empty. I could definitely get used to reclining seats but I'm afraid my pocketbook will not stretch that far.

Last moments before we said goodbye :(

     Landing in Honolulu we all unloaded, went through customs and said goodbye to two of our missionaries who live in Hawaii.  The airport was eerily empty, with almost all shops and cafes closed.  The exceptions were Burger King and Star Bucks which enjoyed a brisk business with our missionaries.  After a couple of hours layover we all boarded a commercial plane for Seattle.  Unfortunately these were not First Class seats, but I still managed to sleep most of the way. 
     A lot of credit and thanks needs to go to Church travel, who arranged for all of us to go our separate ways from Seattle.  One sister was traveling to Germany, and others to Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Texas, Utah, California and Nevada.  All 29 of us arrived home safely!

Home at Last!

     Our daughter, Annie, picked Brent and I up at the airport - social distancing just had to wait!  Elder Moeai from Mesquite, NV, traveled with us to Las Vegas, and his mom and aunt treated all of us to beautiful, fresh flower, hand made leis.  Thank You!
     Our kids and their families have all been isolated for over a month, and we had been super careful with masks and hand sanitizer, so I didn't worry about all the hugs that were waiting for us at home.  Almost our entire family was waiting in the front yard with a big sign - it was quite a homecoming.

Saying Good-Bye to Pago Bay 

Saying Hello to Las Vegas

       The first few days home were spent unpacking, going through stacks of mail, and just trying to adjust to our new reality.  So what's life like now that we've settled in?  Our kids helped us navigate the world of Apple TV, Fire Sticks and Hulu to get our TV back and running.  I can turn one of the TVs on but I still have a long way to go before I can figure out how to get to the shows.  Thus, if I want to watch something, my I-Pad is still my first choice.  Then there's the problem of a car.  We've spent a lot of time online looking.   Thankfully our son is letting us use one of his until we are able to purchase something.  I always lean toward practical - but since this might be the last car I ever buy I'm leaning toward not so practical - something really comfortable like a Chrysler 300 C.  Right now we can get a great buy on whatever we choose to buy. Any suggestions?
           My morning walks are still early, but instead

of worrying about the heat and humidity I have to be prepared for chilly.  I love the wide open spaces with the huge sky.  I see a lot of quail and geese and rabbits, but still am waiting for my first Road Runner sighting.  I've traded one paradise for another - with beauty everywhere I look.
     Brent is back to working on the house.  He has  been busy fixing the side of the house where a new electrical panel was installed while we were gone.  He has a few days before the permit runs out for the final inspection. (Another silver lining of coming home early.)  He has a list of things he wants to do that should keep him busy for a couple of months.

     Yesterday I celebrated my 69th birthday.  I had asked the grand kids to send me a video of a talent or skill.  It was so fun to see what they came up with, everything from music to magic to a rendition of Patrick Henry "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech. Brenten's talent is imitating people who work in nail salons - his routine is very funny.  So he came over and gave me a gel polish pedicure to go along with his dialogue. Our son Chad topped the day off with a ride down the Las Vegas Strip in his convertible Porsche. So you can see I had a great birthday!
    There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of the people we love and had to leave in American Samoa.  Then there are friends and family here that we are still not able to see.  All of you are in our hearts even if we are separated by distance.  I'm trying not to be too stressed about where the world goes from here but it's hard.  I just need to keep trusting in the Lord and praying for an end to this crisis.  Brent has a poem on his dresser that seems appropriate to close with.

"Don't Quit"                                                      By John Greenleaf Whittier When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is strange with its twists and turns As every one of us sometimes learns And many a failure comes about When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don't give up though the pace seems slow— You may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out— The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell just how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit— It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Love to you all - stay safe!  Patty (Nana)

God Be With You "Til We Meet Again

Ready to Travel

Talofa Family and Friends,

    Happy Easter!  This will be my last blog from the beautiful island of Tutuila.  Wednesday we got a call from Homeland Security wanting to know how many missionaries would be traveling on the Delta Charter leaving Pago Monday the 13th.  Over the last few days it has been confirmed that this time it is for real - we are going home!

     Leaving friends and the mission we have loved here is bittersweet, as we look forward to seeing family and friends at home.  The last couple of days, everytime I go somewhere or do something, the thought sinks in that it is probably the last time I will ever do this.  Yesterday was the last time I will go on my early morning walk at the Community College Campus.  It was dark when I arrived, but slowly the colors of the sunrise, muted pinks and greys, appeared in the East.  With the mists on the mountains, the cool air, the familiar sounds of birds, crickets, roosters and dogs, the bats going home from a night of hunting, all of this has been wrapped up in a single memory that hopefully can be pulled out again and again to enjoy. 

Brent's Favorite Tree 

     Friday Brent and I drove out to the far east side of the island and over one of the cross island roads to the village of "Aoa", trying to soak in as much memory as would fit in our old heads.  If we lived here a hundred years we would never tire of watching the waves in the ocean.  No matter if the water is calm - the brightest aqua you can imagine, or slate grey, with angry waves crashing on the rocks and curling on themselves, it is memorizing.   The mountains, shooting straight up, carpeted with an unlimited variety of green - ferns, flowering shrubs, trees and palms, leaving no room for an  additional root to take hold.  An occasional outcrop of blackest volcanic rock, serving as a reminder of how this all began.  The white terns, always as a pair or trio, dancing in perfect synchronization, dipping, diving and soaring against the mountains. The villages, perfectly manicured, dot the coastline, sprinkled with storm-damaged houses from somewhere in the past that don't have any right to still be standing.  The flowers everywhere, each seemingly trying to outdo each other with their brilliance and variety.  This truly looks like paradise!
     

The last couple of days have also been spent saying good-bye to friends.  Yesterday we had lunch with Ropeti Lesa, a friend we served with during our first mission and the head of  the PBO here in American Samoa.  We left with his promise they would visit us in Las Vegas.  Tonight we had a lovely dinner, sitting next to Pago Bay at Sadie's - Great Friends - Great Food!  Brent finally got his steak he's been longing for.  Calls to Institute friends more often than not ended in tears.  Junior and Mata are coming over today  for a bit - and then that will be it.  All of these final good-byes to people who have inspired us and befriended us - we are leaving a huge piece of our hearts here.
     Today, Easter Sunday, will be different than any other Easter I remember.  Our Easter service will consist of Brent and I reading scriptures, praying and listening to music.  The rain is pouring like it can only do in the tropics - it's like the sky is crying also.  This morning we need to start collecting luggage from missionary apartments before the missionaries leave their apartments for one last day.  We have to be at the airport early tomorrow, so there will not be time to do it then.  We will finish putting the last few things in our suitcases and have them ready to go.  This evening we will share one last meal with the TSS (Tutuila Super Seniors) being hosted again by the Edwards.  Boy! We are really going to miss these people!  We pray for their safety

as they continue their work here at the hospital. 
     We are not sure what to expect when we return home.  Our kids have already informed us we will NOT be leaving the house.  The news we see is so surreal - mass graves, empty streets and businesses, buildings being converted to hospitals, medical personnel working to exhaustion, unemployment skyrocketing... It is hard to wrap my head around it all!  Here in American Samoa we have been living in a bubble with no virus.  It's  scary to be stepping into this strange, new world.  Since we are flying home by way of Tahiti (to pick up additional missionaries) and Hawaii (to drop some off), I don't think we'll be home until Wednesday.  At no point along the way will we be allowed to get off the plane, so I have a feeling I won't be too anxious to get on another plane for a while.
     In Samoa, when someone leaves the island, they are often sent off with the song "Tofa Mai Feleni", or Farewell My Friend.  It seems a fitting close for this last blog.
   

Tofa mai feleni, o le a 'ou te a ae,

Fo lau i le vasa, le ui e pule i mele

Ke nei gale mai Samoa, sio ta eleele ae

 Manafua mai pea, le au pasese.

Oh I never will forget you,

Samoa e nei galo atu

Oh I never will forget you,

Samoa e nei galo atu.

(“Tofa mai Feleni” by Faatui Fuimaono)

God be with each of you and your families.  Let all of us rejoice in the promise of Easter!

Alofa atu,

Patty (Nana)

Tutuila Strong!

Talofa Family and Friends,
     I guess if you have to be stuck somewhere, a beautiful island in the South Pacific is not such a bad option.  I'll have to admit that I was a little down yesterday when I saw on FB most of the missionaries in the Apia Samoa Mission leaving Upolu for the states.  However, somehow things always look brighter in the morning and today I'm determined to enjoy one more day here in paradise with our 27 young missionaries.
     Our grandson, Mark (one of 7 of our beautiful adopted grandchildren) sent me the results of his DNA test yesterday. I told him his spiritual DNA is 100% Child of God and Awesomeness!   I had already jotted in my conference notes "DNA" to remind me include in this blog something that has been playing in my mind.  My mom's great-great grandmother, Maria Bowers, came to the states in the 1850's from England.  She traveled with her husband and six of her eleven children.  They had endured much persecution after joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were traveling to join the Saints in Salt Lake. Her husband died in Iowa and Maria continued on with her six children in the first handcart company.  My thoughts have turned to her many times in the last several weeks, when I have been frightened of the unknown.  I'm sure there were times when she felt overwhelmed and questioned if she could do what needed to be done.  But she did it!  If she could endure her trials - I can endure mine! I have the right DNA.

     This last week we stopped at "Lady's" new home just to make sure she was all right.  She was happy to see us and a little confused when we left without her.  She is in a good place and will be well taken care of.  That will be the last time we see her as it was pretty traumatic for both us and her to say good-bye again.
      Today we went to the Post Office to check for packages.  Gratefully there were only about five which we just had them mark "Return to Sender".  Wow!  Why didn't we know about this option before??? Think of all the headaches we could have avoided!  We also did the same with all of the letters.  It's sure a lot easier than loading them up, repackaging, recording everything, standing in line at cargo... Yes!  Another silver lining. :)   This week we did our best to return the packages that had already arrived or in some cases redistribute snacks and treats that parents did not want returned.  So far the Post Office is open, but that could change any day.
      To take a break from being in the house we did go to Two Dollar Beach for one afternoon to snorkel and swim.  It's unbelievable how many beautiful tropical fish there are right off the coast.  I wish we had the money for a saltwater tank after we get home, but I'll probably have to settle for a fish screensaver.  The currents are still pretty strong, so it doesn't take long to tire us out. Since our experience several weeks ago, when we almost got swept to Fiji, we are overly cautious.   It still felt marvelous to get in the water and relax for a few hours.

   This past weekend was General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and also a celebration of the 200th Anniversary of  Joseph Smith's First Vision.  Members have been looking forward to this for a year, and when church meetings were canceled I was concerned about where our missionaries would be able to  watch conference.  Because of Covid-19 the entire conference was only available by internet.  Since we could not fit all 27 missionaries easily into our home I called President Ho Ching and got permission to host them at Senior Missionary homes.  The Edwards and Patches were thrilled to be able help out and to share this experience with some of our young missionaries.  So Starting Saturday morning at 5 am (we are 5 hours behind SLC) to Sunday at 11 am missionaries were fed both spiritually and physically from one of our three homes.  I'm sure it's a conference we will all remember.

Conference with the Ellsworths

Conference with the Edwards

Conference with the Patches

     The new Church symbol unveiled at conference is fitting for the Easter week.  It represents the living Christ emerging from the tomb.  People ask why we don't have crucifixes in our church and the answer is simple - we worship a living Christ.  The real hope for all the tragedies in the last couple of months is that Christ did rise.  We all will rise!  This Easter week might be short on Easter Bunnies and traditional activities but I hope it is bathed in contemplation on the significance of what happened on that first Easter,  a reason for us all to rejoice!

1 ^aIn the end of the ^bsabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for ^athe ^bangel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

3 ^aHis ^bcountenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

5 ^aAnd the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

6 He is not here: for he is ^arisen, as he said. Come, see the place where the ^bLord lay.

Have a blessed week and stay safe!
Alofa atu,
Patty (Nana)