How did we manage BG (before Google)???

Talofa Family and Friends,
This has been a week of adventure as we attempted to find all of our missionary houses on the island.  It was a lot easier since the Zone Leaders helped us tag the houses on google satellite images.  As we inspected the houses for cleanliness we were pleasantly surprised to find beds made, clothes put away, dishes done, bathrooms cleaned and floors swept.  Remember - we are talking about 18 - 21 yr old young adults who live in pretty humble circumstances with few modern conveniences including no hot water.  Some of them do their wash with a plastic 5 gallon pail and a toilet plunger.  As we were driving, we occasionally came on our missionaries walking to their next appointment.  It doesn't matter whether the intense sun is beating on them  or they're being pelted with buckets of rain, these kids are out there everyday - usually walking miles a day - because they love the Lord and believe that their message will bring happiness to the people they are teaching and also save their souls.  It doesn't take much to fall in love with these young people and have a desire to help them in any way that we can.

Island on right is a protected sanctuary for sea bird
nests - like the Red Footed Booby

   While driving to the missionary houses we took took advantage of the time we had to explore some of the side roads.  We discovered beautiful villages with amazing landscapes, kids playing cricket, a graveyard for Korean fisherman, and some sandy beaches.  Our favorite sign was on a very rough road.  We were probably going 5 mph.  The sign said, "Reduce Speed Ahead."  On the east side, after inspecting the house at Aua, a left turn took us on a beautiful drive across the mountains to the other side of the island.  It is the only road that goes over there.  There were some beautiful views on top of the mountain.  We remembered another day, three years ago, when we traveled the same road with the Schaefermeyers and Callahans. 

Korean Fishermen Graves

View across Pago Harbor - North Korean ship is lined
up with Mt. Peak.

I can't imagine living so far from everything - We currently do not have missionaries there, but when we got to the villages there was an LDS Chapel - so there must be members there. Driving back over the mountain we had a great view of the Pago Pago harbor.  If you look closely you can see the North Korean tanker that was seized by Indoneisa in April 2018 and brought to Pago Pago in May 2019. Apparently it was carrying supplies that violated international sanctions against North Korea.  People here are not too happy about harboring a North Korean ship.
       We also took the opportunity while in Pago to stop at the open air market.  While it's not near as big as the one in Apia, we did manage to find Pankiki (Samoan Pancakes), oka (raw marlin or tuna and onions in coconut cream) for me. and fai'ai (cooked tuna, onions
and coconut cream) for Brent.  YUM!
     We didn't have any sick missionaries this week, but we did have the two sister missionaries from Apia with us for three days.  Zone Conference went well and then there was a youth conference for all the youth on the entire island so President and Sister Ho Ching were here until Wednesday. 
     The picture of Brent and I is near what locals call the Turtle and Shark cliff.  The story goes that a long time ago, during famine on the island, no one would give food to this grandmother and her little granddaughter.  Instead of starving, they held hands and jumped off the cliff here into the ocean.  The girl turned into

Sisters Pulsipher and Fe'a

Brent and Patty at the Turtle Shark Cliffs

a turtle and the Grandmother - a shark.  There's a song the villagers sing that still today brings a turtle and shark to this area.  The man that took our picture told us he has seen them.

Brent and I are taking Samoan language lessons twice a week on line with a BYU tutor who actually was a missionary when we were in Apia. "Ou te 'u 'una 'ia oe e fa'aali lou alofa i lau fanau."  Translates as "I urge you to express your love to you children."  I also know how to say "E pua'i e 'ia le apu."  Translates as "I barfed the apple."  I hope you are impressed :) 

In the Old Testament the prophet Isaiah speaks of a time in the latter-days when there will be a marvelous work and a wonder.  He was referring to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 29: 14 "Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a ^amarvellous ^bwork among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the ^cwisdom of their wise men shall ^dperish, and the ^eunderstanding of their ^fprudent men shall be hid. 18.  And in that ^aday shall the deaf hear the words of the ^bbook, and the ^ceyes of the blind shall see out of ^dobscurity. Take a few minutes to read and ponder this chapter of scripture and ask God for yourself what Isaiah was referring to.  Alofa alu to you all until next week.  Patty

      

Carved and painted tree in a beautifully landscaped yard in
the village of Leone.

On the Road Again!

,

Talofa Family and Friends,

Week 3 of our mission and we finally feel like we are up and running. This week we had a young sister missionary with a respiratory infection, so her and her companion spent the week with us. We have a bedroom in our home meant to board sick missionaries. While Sister Martinez slept, I tried to find things for Sister Reid (her companion) to do. We learned last week that one of our responsibilities is to make candy leis for the mission, so I had Sister Reid help me. She is from Australia and she grew up with this tradition. Candy leis are a Polynesian tradition and Sister Ho Ching, the mission president's wife, gives them to arriving and departing missionaries and for birthdays. You buy tube netting which you stuff with candy, tying off each piece with a ribbon. Making them is not too bad if you have someone to talk to while you're working. The girls returned to their own home last night and I had just enough time to wash the sheets and get them remade in time for the Sister Teaching Leaders who arrived from Apia a couple of hours later. They will be here for a couple of days for Zone Conferences on the island. I attended Relief Society this week and had another opportunity to try my hand at arts and crafts - something I don't generally do at home. We were all given a canvas and paint, and there was an instructor who took us step by step to complete our masterpieces. It was a lot of fun, and I was able to meet more sisters in the ward.

The only hospital on the island.  It's about a 30 drive
from our house.  

Sisters Reid and Martinez

We spend a lot of time every week on the road getting supplies, delivering mail, going to the hospital, visiting missionaries, and I 'm starting to feel more comfortable going out on my own and confident I won't get lost.   There is a 25 mph speed limit on the island, with some places marked even slower.  There is one main road that is paved and goes from the West to the East end on the South side of the island, much of it along the coastline.  The ocean waves this week were amazing to watch as they crashed over in splashes of aqua blue.   Once you get off the main road the roads can be very sketchy!  There are very few roads on the North side of the island.  There are a few villages on the Northeast side where the people have to walk over the mountain on trails to get to the road.     The mission home is assigned four vehicles: a Toyota Rav. a Kia Sportage, a Toyota Tacoma truck and a 15 passenger Chevy van.  We generally only drive the Toyota Rav and the Kia, the other vehicles are here to use as needed.  This week the APs and Sister leaders from Apia will be using them.                                                     
                                                         

Elders Faletau and Larsen - Love
these young men!

This week was transfers.  We only lost one elder and gained a sister and two elders.  Two of our new missionaries are straight from the MTC.  We met them while we were there.  Elder Faletau got transferred to a new area but is still on the island.  However, we won't be seeing him every day and he'll be missed.  You can see that the people here love him as he is covered in leis.  Elder Larsen always has a smile.  He lives just a few blocks from us and is the one who checks us every night on his way up the hill to his house. 

Road to one of our missionary
houses.  I call it the "Great Lakes Region"

Brent and I are trying to learn Samoan.  We have a session with an MTC tutor twice a week for an hour and then he gives us homework.  We are pretty good at memorizing words, but when it comes to putting them together in sentences in any useful way - it gets pretty difficult. I actually dream about sentence structures and trying to figure out how this language works.  It makes my head hurt!

 

RS Painting activity - I have zero art talent
but this was fun and I met some new friends.

On a sad note, Annie called and told me a dear friend had passed away.  It was not that un-expected but it's always hard to say good-bye.  A few weeks ago on FB I saw someone asking what happens when we die?  One of the great things about the Restored Gospel is that it has answers to these hard questions.  It is comforting to know that death is like passing through a doorway to another life, where people we love and have gone before will be there to greet us.  It is like going home.  And because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everyone ever born on this earth will receive a resurrected body at some point in the future. 

 Mosiah 16: 7 - 11:  

 

7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no ^asting, there could have been no resurrection.

8 But there is a ^aresurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of ^bdeath is swallowed up in Christ.

9 He is the ^alight and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

10 Even this mortal shall put on ^aimmortality, and this ^bcorruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to ^cstand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil—

11 If they be good, to the resurrection of ^aendless life and ^bhappiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of ^cendlessdamnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation.

I hope this note finds you well and at peace.  Brent and I are having a great time but still really miss our family!  Tofa until next week - Alofa atu, Patty

We're not in Kansas anymore!

Talofa Family and Friends,

Tutuila flowers - Samoan national flower

     Love and greetings from the beautiful island of Tutuila, American Samoa.  We are discovering that there are going to be many things that are different from our first mission in Apia, Western Samoa.  In Apia we were surrounded on all sides by people we knew, and we lived in a fenced compound with guards.  I always felt safe. In the early mornings I could walk around Pesega without worrying about dogs. This time we are in a house by ourselves.  It does have a gate but during the day, when it is open, people wander into the yard.  I don't mind, except this week a young couple, trying to hide from their families, took up residence in our carport.  They started asking for money, and ringing the doorbell and  running.  The Zone Leaders had to talk to them and tell them they could not be on the property.  The young elders that just live up the road from us stop by every night for a safety check and to make sure the gate is shut and our doors are all locked.  Walking in the neighborhood is out of the question for me.  There are dogs that run wild every where and dog bites are not uncommon.

We live in the village of Mesepa.  Most of the land on the island is divided up into villages.  Each village has its own chief and unique customs.  Our village has "Sa" every night at 5:50 PM.  A large bell is rung about five minutes before signaling to everyone to get home for family prayer.  The bell is rung again at the start of prayer time and again at the end. All roads in the village are closed during this time.

Elder Bailey's Birthday Package from home

Every weekend flower stands start appearing on the sides of the roads.  Every church has beautiful flowers in their chapels.  The Edwards bought one arrangement last week and brought it over for us when they had to go off island for a couple of week.  Except for the bugs that crawl out of it we have enjoyed it at home.

This past week was our first entire solo week with some steep learning curves.  Monday is mail day.  That means we pick up mail and packages from the Post Office in Pago Pago, bring them home, sort, record and repack in large boxes to mail to Apia.  Since families in the states can use flat rate boxes it is much cheaper and faster to send boxes to their missionaries though American Samoa.   Once the packages are re-boxed in large boxes they are taken to the airport here and sent as cargo to Apia.  With almost 200 missionaries (Young and Seniors) receiving mail in the mission you can imagine what a huge job this is!

Crazy house!  Elders live on the 3rd floor.

Our next adventure was sick missionaries.  Within a couple of hours we got two calls about young elders with fevers, body/head aches/ and sore throats.  After consulting with Sister Ho Ching in Apia, we delivered medicine, soup and juice   Elder Ili, one of the sick elders, lives in this huge house built by an ex-NFL player.  The family lets the missionaries live on the 3rd floor for free.  A couple of times up and down on those concrete, uneven stairs and I was relieved when he started to feel better!

Elders Faletau and Larsen helping
 with our bananas.

Wednesday is P-day (Preparation) for the young elders.  Elders Faletau and Larsen came by and helped us harvest the bananas in our yard.  We quickly discovered that getting rid of bananas is like zucchini in Utah.  You almost have to just leave them on doorsteps and run.  Everyone it seems has enough bananas.  I guess I see some serious banana bread making in my near future.  The elders also worked for a couple of hours cleaning up the banana trees that had been damaged in the wind last week.  They worked dang hard!

Thursday - the 4th of July was a bust.  Not a single thing going on!  No flags, no parades, no fireworks...We drove out to the far east part of the island to deliver supplies to the missionaries and do some apartment checks.

Brent's project

Saturday is our P-day.  Those of you who know Brent know that if he gets his mind set on something wild horses can't deter him.  He decided he wanted to redo all the electronics in the office and reorganize the desk.  That was fine, except he pulled out all the wires in the back of the desk, which disconnected our internet and phones, and then he couldn't figure out how to get them back on.  Many hours later, a new router and lost of frustration and everything was again working.  I have to admit it is much better than it was.   

In Apia our Saturday afternoons were generally spent at the beach.  This time our Saturdays will be spent attending baptisms.  Yesterday we attended a baptism in Mapusaga for a family of four, the mother and three children.  It was held in a large room and still there was standing room only.  It was amazing to see how many ward members came out to support this family.                                                                                                                                           
I have to admit that I've been a little lonely this past week.  It's hard to move to a new place where you don't really know anyone.  I'm so grateful that we have the technology available to us to video chat with our kids and grand kids.  We also have a Vonage phone that allows us to call to the states for a minimal cost.  I'm sure things will get better as we meet people. One family in the ward had us over for dinner and we met many nice people at church today.  I'm looking forward to Tuesday's Relief Society activity where I'm sure I'll meet other sisters.

I've been thinking about a talk we heard at the MTC.  If we want to become like our Savior Jesus Christ then we need to understand his character.  He was always reaching out to others; He didn't dwell on his own problems.  It's easy to feel sorry for myself but I know that service is the key to beating the blues. As we understand more of our responsibilities and get more involved life will get easier.  Love to all of you.  Alofa atu!  Patty

Samoa Apia Mission - Take 2

Talofa Family and Friends,

On our Way - Am. Samoa or Bust!

We have arrived safely in American Samoa and have been busy getting settled in.  We have been warmly welcomed by President and Sister Ho Ching, and the other Senior missionaries here, the Abbotts, Edwards and President and Sister Mulisefulu.  Most of them met us at the airport late last Tuesday night with candy leis and Kukui beads.
         We will be living in the Mission Home in the village of Mesepa.  It's a nice 3 bedroom home that doubles as living quarters and the office.  We have an ocean view from our front porch and in the back beautiful green mountains.  I feel fortunate to have air conditioning, but it has to be set at 70 to keep the black mold at bay, so I generally have to wear a sweater at home so I don't freeze. We have a beautiful large fenced yard with our own banana trees and a lemon tree that we were told was blessed by President McKay to always bear fruit to bless the village.  It is loaded now and apparently always has fruit.  The local village people consider the land our house sits on as sacred.  We're told to expect many people asking if they can pick lemons. The nice part about the yard is that someone else does the yard work.

Our Front Yard

 The Abbotts have been here for two months, filling in until we arrived.  Monday they will be flying to Apia where they will be serving in the office.  They have been wonderful hosts and teachers, trying to help us learn our duties. Last night they hosted a dinner for us, the Edwards and Muliselus so we could get to know each other better.  The Edwards are here on a medical mission.  He is an orthopedic surgeon and is working with the local hospital getting it ready to do knee replacements.  Currently people needing that surgery have to go to New Zealand.  (He also said he would be glad to give me my cortisone injections as needed - YEAH!)   Sister Edwards will be working with mental health issues for missionaries who are serving in several different Pacific countries.  Brother Muliselu is the 1st counselor in the mission presidency.  We are looking forward to working closely with him  and the Edwards during our stay here.

Banana Tree - not quite ripe

The best part of our mission will be supporting the young missionaries on the island.  At the present there are 28 of them including 6 sisters. We have met some of them and they are amazing young people! We will do apartment inspections, take sick missionaries to the clinic, get them needed supplies, take care of the finances, and help in any way needed.   Our other responsibilities include transferring incoming mail/packages from the states to Apia and sending out mail/packages to the States from Apia.  Around Christmas this will be a huge job!  Starting in August we will be teaching classes four mornings a week at the Institute here.

Our first week here we have been trying to get a feel for the major roads and where things are.  Luckily we visited here for a couple of days when we were serving in Apia, and it's pretty amazing how much Brent remembers.  We also did some missionary apartment checks, installed a few smoke/C02 detectors, changed water filters, and Brent fixed a leaky toilet in missionary apartments, we helped with a BYU sponsored summer school one morning for elementary kids and got our driver's licenses.  Getting our licenses involved 3 trips to the DMV and a trip to the District Court.  The court building had a metal detector but no one manning it.  It went off every time someone came in, but no one paid any attention.  We had to have our passports, birth certificates, social security cards, and a valid driver's license from the states.  It was pretty much a bureaucracy nightmare!  When we finally got everything they wanted their camera was broken so they told us just to use our Nevada Licenses for 30 days and come back.  Welcome to American Samoa.

BYU Summer School

Before leaving I was feeling anxious about being gone from our family and home.  I was sitting at the piano playing through some of the hymns and came across "When Faith Endures."  It was exactly the message I needed to hear then and today as I feel so inadequate and a little overwhelmed.

"I will not doubt, I will not fear;
God's love and strength are always near.
His promised gift helps me to find an inner strength and peace of mind.
I give the Father willingly, my trust, my prayers, humility.                                                                      His Spirit guides; his love assures, that fear departs
                                                       When faith endures."

I am here in Samoa because I have a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm just finishing the Book of Mormon (I've lost count how many times I've read it) and again it has been confirmed to me that it is a true book that testifies of a living Christ.  Please read it and find out for yourself!   I appreciate the love and support from family and friends to be able to be here and share the message that has brought me joy and peace.  Have a blessed week!   Alofa Atu - Mom, Nana, Patty

#1 Priority - Keeping ourselves and the Missionaries safe
and healthy.  All water is filtered.

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

Last Goodbye at the Mission Home - How blessed we
were to serve with these wonderful people!

 Talofa Lava Family and Friends,

    This will be my last blog for Ellsworths in Paradise, as we have returned home after a restful 10 day trip through New Zealand.  Our amazing family had our home cleaned and put back together, with Christmas lights up, homemade cookies on the counter, Christmas music playing and a yummy dinner prepared.  Annie and Chad moved into Amy and Chad's pool house so the house has been relatively quiet.  They will never know how much we appreciate their hard work and support!

California Redwoods in Rotorua, NZ

      The dramatic change from hot and humid to  cold and dry, left me with a terrible cold/flu that I am just barely getting over. (I generously shared it with Brent, and he is just starting to feel miserable.)  I dont' think I've been warm since we got home.  A trip up north to see Shane's family is temporarily on hold until it warms up.

       Life has pretty much been a whirlwind since returning home, as we needed to buy a car, sign up for Medicare, get our phone service, TV service, computers, etc. hooked back up, all in the middle of Christmas activities with the family. I have felt disconnected with our dear friends in Samoa, as I had little time or energy to check FB or write letters.  Our son Jason, and his family left this afternoon so I finally have a little time before my sister arrives on Friday to get this blog done.

Peti, Patty, Myra, Brent in Auckland

      Just a quick note on our trip to New Zealand.  Our  dear

friends, Peti and Myra Satiu, were wonderful hosts at the beginning and end of  this adventure.  We left most of our luggage at their home in Auckland so we would not have to drag it around with us.  We stayed with them our last night, went to church with them, where we were asked to bear our testimonies in Sacrament Mtg.,  and then spent the rest of the day trying to get all of our bags under the weight limit.  We appreciate the delicious meals, the tour of Auckland, their great hospitality and willingness to dispose of all our excess!  We were so grateful for their help at the airport as we were getting ready to fly home.  It was quite an ordeal trying to check our extra bags.

Brent at a thermal pool

For the next eight days we traveled through both the North and South Islands of this beautiful country.  Some of the highlights were the geothermal parks with bubbling mud pots, multi-colored pools and geysers, the California Redwoods, Milford Sound Cruise, "Lord of the Rings" country and the spectacular scenery.  My favorites were the Pukekura Gardens in New Plymouth and the Hamilton Gardens in Hamilton where we strolled through the most amazing flowers I have ever seen.  

Brent, Patty Tracee & Lee Soti

   Tracee and Lee Soti, friends of the Goodmans, who we met in Samoa, graciously offered to host us in their beautiful Cambridge home for two nights.  We had a lot of fun playing games, and they treated us to a delicious dinner of NZ lamb. Reconnecting with friends was the best!  We took a morning to attend the                                                                                 Hamilton Temple and then completed  
                                                                        the journey back at the Satius. 

    It is like being in a time warp coming home.  In some ways it feels like we never left, but then we pinch ourselves and  remember the incredible experience we  had in Samoa. In no way did we anticipate that a mission could be so fun or so much work.  Because we were always so busy the time flew by.  It was a privilege to work with the young elders and sisters who had been called to serve there.  They will always hold a dear place in my heart.  Neither were we expecting that a mission would be a place to make so many wonderful new friends.  We are planning a cruise together in the summer of 2018, and also get togethers as time and distance allows.  

Milford Sound Cruise

    Brent and I made a commitment to each other when we were dating in 1970, that one day we would serve a mission together.  Now that we know how great it is, we won't shut the door on future possibilities to serve again.  (Don't tell the kids!)  However, our priority right now is to renew relationships with our 16 grandchildren, and support them as they move through their teen years, which seem to be so much more treacherous than when we were that age.     With the craziness the last 1 1/2 weeks, my scripture study time has been reduced.  However, this morning while I was reading I found the perfect scripture to end this blog with.  It is in Romans 12:9-18 and gave me more than enough to think about as we start the new year:

  9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;  11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;  12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;  13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.  14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.  15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.  16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.  17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.  18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.  

I will close this blog with my own testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I believe The Book of Mormon is the word of God and testifies of Jesus Christ and his mission to be the Savior of the World. It has been a great honor to be a representative of the Savior and His Church for the last 18 months.  I have a great love of this Gospel and the work that missionaries all over the world are involved in.  The Gospel has blessed me with an inner peace.  It is my hope that in some way those of you reading this who are not members of the church, will be touched to find the truth for yourself.  Thank you for taking the time for me  to share a small part of this amazing journey.

Alofa Tele, Patty

Final CountdownChloe

Chloe, Connor and Cade Count down the days
until Nana and Papa are home

Talofa Lava Family and Friends,

      It is hard to believe that this will be my last post from the mission office.  I will try to post from NZ next week if we have wi-fi.  What an amazing adventure this has been!  We could have never imagined that a mission could be so much fun, so much learning and so many blessings.  I think we knew it was going to be a lot of work, and it was, but never did we expect to totally fall in love with so many people and with this beautiful country.  

    

Our Farewell Party 

Elders McBride, Kinghorn and Callahan sporting their new ties

        Thursday night Brent was not feeling well and by Friday he was right in bed with a bad flu bug, I think the same one that hit me a couple of months ago.  We had plans for one more beach day on Sat. but Brent was too sick to get out of bed.  I did some last minute shopping and worked on packing suitcases. The Senior Missionaries gave us a going away party Saturday night, and Brent did get up to go to that, but after church today he went back to bed.  Sister Kalama made me a beautiful floral head wreath from the flowers in her yard.  I felt like a queen wearing it.  The McBrides had the Seniors each submit a page to go in a memory book for us to take home, a gift that will be treasured!  We played 5 Crowns and had delicious turkey soup and homemade rolls.  It was a delightful evening! Brent had made new ties for all of the men.  Several of them showed up in church today wearing them.   

       This has been a week of good-byes as we prepare to leave.  The apartment is pretty well packed with just a few things left to do tomorrow.  After Sacrament Mtg. we were asked to come to the podium.  The congregation stood up and sang "Tofa Mai Feleni" or Goodbye my Friend, to us and a young sister who will be leaving for the mission field this week.

Princess, Nikia, Elder Ellsworth Caylin, Jerry & Owen

                                                                         The hardest part of today was saying good bye to our cute primary class.  We were not too sure about this assignment when it came, but it has been so much fun spending time every week with these cute kids.  Our lessons have been from the New Testament, and I have loved reviewing the stories of Christ and teaching the children the lessons that are embedded in these scriptures.

Looks like Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard ......

     For the last couple of weeks I have felt  strong promptings to track down stories of miracles that I have heard occurred here in Samoa.  I have had  amazing experiences as I have  tracked down the people who witnessed these miracles first hand, but was alarmed that none of them had been written down.  The Lord has opened doors as I looked for people who had first hand knowledge of these miracles.   Tomorrow I am going to Savaii to interview a Stake President who had an amazing experience   in 1995.  These are very sacred experiences, and President Joseph, another Stake President, will submit them to Salt Lake for the church record once they are completed.

We will miss the endless beauty of these islands!

      The purpose of this blog originally was to let our family and friends share our mission experience.  Now as I look back on past posts, I can see that it is also a wonderful journal. Spiritual and personal experiences have been  hand written in a book for my posterity.  I have appreciated that many of you have  "Liked" a post or left comments on FB, even though I often did not have enough data time to reply. I am old enough to appreciate what an amazing age of technology we live in that allows us to communicate almost instantly.  One thing I will not miss is the limited access to the internet.  

        I cannot end this blog without bearing testimony of the work we have been involved in over the past 18 months.  We came on this mission because we know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored church of our Savior.  It is not a new church invented by Joseph Smith, but rather the ancient church that Christ established, restored in this last dispensation of time to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Christ.  The proof of this truth is not only found in daily miracles throughout the world as our missionaries share their message, but more importantly can be discovered by every individual person if they are willing to take the time to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  I hope if you are reading this, and have not yet found the truth, that you will consider this invitation to listen to the missionaries in your area and to read the Book of Mormon.  I will end this mission blog with the scripture at the end of the Book of Mormon where the prophet Moroni also extends this same invitation: Moroni 10:3-5 

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.  4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.  5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Oute Alofa Mo Outou Uma Lava, Patty