we're moving........

We have just found out that we are going to be leaving Majuro. We will be leaving soon for Christmas Island, Kiribati. Christmas Island is located about 1500 miles south and west of Hawaii. From here we will return 2500 miles to Hawaii and then onto Christmas. The missionary work is doing well there and it is one of the brighter spots in the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission. The church provides a 300 square foot kit home for us and a 2007 Toyota diesel van including the fuel. We will be living on the grounds of the church there. There are four towns on Christmas. London, Paris, Poland and Banana. It is quite a bit bigger than where we’ve been. 25 miles wide and 30 miles long. It has a current population of about 5,000. Our responsibility also includes branches on the Fanning Islands. The Fanning Islands is an 18 hour boat ride one way. The total population of the church is approximately 1,000 members. Church attendance seems to be above 50% and as I said the missionary efforts is bearing fruit. Some little “problems” arise from time to time for example we’ll have to talk to one of the Branch Presidents about ordaining two new deacons. When the certificates were ready to prepare we noticed that both boys were only eleven years old. We have to always remember that it is a learning process. President Hinckley stopped on Christmas in 2003 for a short stay and promised the saints there that if they remained faithful they would prosper and they would send their sons and daughters forth on missions. I think as of now there are six full time missionaries serving. One of the sister missionaries serving here in the MIMM is from Christmas. When Elder and Sister Rose had to go home because of illness (he’s fine now but they won’t be coming back here) assignments changed a bit. We had felt that we were probably going to be called to Christmas and when the president asked us we were not surprised. I’ve been called as a counselor in the mission presidency and as I tell Sister Patten I’ll be the “Chief High Priest” of Christmas, Island. I know, I know I just couldn’t help saying that. There will have to be some adjustments regarding eating, etc. Fish is in abundance which is fine for me but Sister Patten isn’t quite as fond of sea food as I am. Plenty of bananas, coconuts, bread fruit, papaya, etc. Most other things have to be shipped in so the food cost is quite expensive. The currency is the Australian dollar so I assume the prices that we have heard are in that currency. Eggs .80 cents apiece. Chocolate chips are about $35.00 for 5#. It should even out since the church provides for us in other ways. I’ve told Sister Patten that we will buy whatever she wants and I’ll eat the fish. They say that all you have to do is drop a line in the ocean and you will catch fish. With that in mind I am going to take a fishing pole with us. I can hear some of you laughing now because you know of my fishing prowess but nevertheless I have always wanted to catch a fish from the ocean and I’m going to try. Christmas has some notoriety as a wonderful place to salt water fly fish for the famous “bone fish.” Fishermen go there to test themselves. I won’t be going for the bone fish just a simple reef fish caught off of the dock will be just fine. We did learn this week that the members are planning a fishing trip off island on March 1st. and have invited me to go. Like all missionaries, we are leaving here with mixed emotions. We have met some wonderful people here, have experienced some success and leave feeling like we have done our best. We are up for the challenge and know that if we do our best the Lord will bless us. A grandaughter thinks it's great that we will be moving to Christmas Island where Santa lives. We talked in both branches today. I will let Sister Patten tell you about that.

I don't know if our new home will come up regular size or not. Anyway if not we will send new pictures when we get to Christmas Island. Sister Patten will add to this blog the first of next week. We are getting ourselves ready for the big move and will tell you all about it soon.......

in the lagoon

We were visiting another senior couple the other day. we were talking and i looked up and here's a little guy probably 11 or 12 getting ready to jump off of their deck into the lagoon. He was with these other kids and didn't seem particulary concerned that he didn't have a suit on. On the whole the people here are quite modest but not this little exhibitionist. I stopped in the mission home and took a picture of the zone leaders and assistant's shoes that they removed before meeting with the President. We will
be publishing some interesting news shortly on the blog. Keep tuned.......

February 5, 2008

February 5, 2008 Our good friends Elder and Sister Rose from Bountiful have left this mission due to his illness . He had Pneumonia last year at this time and was very ill. He got it again 10 days ago, the Mission Pres. was away and so Sister Rose had to rely on the nurse here and her conversations with the mission doctors. They all tried to treat him without putting him in the hospital here because it is pretty scary. The nurse was in contact with the mission doctors constantly and they all did the best they could but I think it went too long. Elder P and I bought pedialite and gatorade and took it to them in Laura the previously Sunday thinking it might rehydrate him but he kept throwing it up and the decision was made to take him to the hospital for an IV . Once he got the IV he started to get a little better, but was still very sick. The Pres. came back from Christmas Island and immediately talked to the mission doctors and the decision was made to have him sent home. They left last Friday which was February 1st. Before they left we helped Sister Rose (Connie) pack – she had to do it in about 2 hours. She had stayed with us while he was in the hospital and we were all very worried but everything happens for a reason and I think the Roses need to go somewhere in the states where medical help is good and quick. So off they went. We will miss them – we had some good times together, they are just down to earth people and every once in a while when a tough day came along for them or for us we could talk to each other openly and then move on. We will stay in contact with them (they are the cruise people) and all will work out.
We have been seeing families this week and I have been working with both YW branches here preparing them for a New Beginnings night – they have never had one before. I found the Personal Progress Books in the Branch Pres. closet which we cleaned out last week and so I am hoping that the girls will get the vision of it and will work on getting their awards. I have had them make posters to announce it and make a poster for the YW Theme so they could stand and repeat it. We did a family home evening last night with one of our good families, the son and the husband are attending our 12 step program and doing well. The neighborhood children saw us coming and all came into their little home, they wanted to be a part of that. So we sat in the floor and talked about Samuel the Lamanite (thank you Janae). We played the games and they all loved it and asked us to please come back next week so we told them to invite their neighbors and we would. We had made sweet rolls to give to them and it’s good we made plenty. They served us dinner and didn’t have any themselves because there was not enough. I didn’t eat much but told them that I would take it home. It wasn’t bad but I just couldn’t eat to much of it, especially the raw fish, and boiled bananas although I noticed Elder P ate everything on his plate.
Remember James? The little boy who knows so much about the gospel - we have been working with his family and his Father is now coming to church and taking care of whatever he needs to with the Branch Pres. We love that family – their little daughter was baptized last Saturday so we gave her a CTR ring and gave James another one (his grandma took his). That is a family we will miss if we go somewhere. Actually there are a lot of families we will miss. We are working with another little family who are non member. They are getting married this Friday so they can join the church – they both speak English and are educated and they will be a great asset. We told them we would bake them a wedding cake. Life is good and we are fine – we love all of you and thank you for your prayers. We pray for you daily and know that the Lord will bless you while we are gone.

Marshallese Relief Society ladies reading the current church news. These two photos were taken at the Laura branch meeting house where they enjoyed a Taiwanese experimental farm cooking demo. The young man who gave the demo is a member of the church. The Taiwanese government is trying to help the local people learn how to do a little gardening.
The Roses leaving Majuro to return home after Elder Rose's bout with pneumonia. I must say that Elder Rose looks just a little to happy to be leaving. Actually he was putting on a brave face and was still pretty ill. He went directly into the hospital when he arrived home and we are happy to report that he is now home and on the mend.