Hi everyone, another week has gone by and they are going fast. We have been very busy - out with the missionaries every day. Some days are longer than others but they are all good. We have been working alot with substance abusers this week. We had 20 people come to the 12 step meeting last Tuesday and Elder Patten and I have decided to start another meeting in the church on Thursday evenings. We have all the people that we met last week coming plus many more and the other missionaries are also bring others so we will have a good group. The 12 step meeting needed some work and so we found it easier to start another one with what we feel would work rather than risk affending anyone who runs the Tuesday group. It seems that when Elder Patten and I meet the people and talk with they listen and will do the things we suggest. I think it is because we are old and they respect older people. Most people here don't live past 50 or 60. They also are learning that we have stayed active in the church and that all our children and grandchildren are active and that is new to them. Many of them have believed that when the missionararies go home they leave the church. Probably a rumor started by those here that belong to other churches, unfortunately it is most the white ministers. We tell them that its not true and we tell them about all you kids and they love to hear about you. That is why we need you to send pictures so we can show you off - we don't have a printer so we can't get them off the computer.
You will see a picture of a lady holding a baby. There is a story about that. Just a few weeks before we got here, the missionaries were teaching a family and found a baby that looked very sick so they reported it to the mission pres. and it just happened that the doctor from U.S. was here so he went to see the baby and put him in the hospital and saved his life. The baby weighed 9 pounds and he was 8 months old. It is a miracle that he is living. When I saw him today I felt so bad because he still isn't cared for properly. He has scars and sores on his body and in his hair and he is thin and doesn't smile. His little arms just hang when you touch him. The missionaries tell me that he is much better but he doesn't look healthy to me at all. He is about McKays age but very tiny. Their home is bad, the father drinks and the mother doesn't smile and seems kind of gruff. We are going back next week to see them and we will rely on the Lord to help us know what to say and do. Elder Beecher is also in one of our pictures, he is from Ceder City. We tell him he looks like Tom hanks. Elder Woodland is in the picture too and they are talking to an investigater - we really love those two elders.
All of our part member and inactives came to church last week and we have invited them again. We feel so blessed that they will listen and make the effort to come. The people are humble here and when the spirit is present they feel it and respond. We took the sister missionaries out to lunch on their p day - Elder P thought they needed a treat. We had pizza. He teases the missionaries a lot and they love him - I think he has become a surragate grandfather to them. We are busy going with all the missionaries and sometimes its hard to fit them in.
Anjab is two weeks sober now and I really didn't think he would live long because of his drinking. Jack is two weeks sober and very committed. Terry is eating all day suckers now instead of smoking. Dale is going on a month sober now and there is a light in his eyes that we didn't see before. They are all coming to church we are so grateful for their faith and effort. We had a couples meeting with the Pres and sister Bleak and they told us not to worry about our children while we are away because they will be blessed and their needs will be met. I believe that and it helps me to know that you will receive added blessings. Tomorrow is sunday again and so it will be another 6 hours in church day - then we are going over to the sisters for dinner and then out to see several families. So it will be another big day. We come home so tired and fall into bed but we always get up smiling and ready to go again. The AP'S just came to our door and brought us a pudding they had made. These missionaries are so great! Oh, by the way our little pet gecco is still alive and lives under our stove just eating bugs so Elder P feels better about that. He is not very good at killing anything except the roaches.
We have so much to be thankful for. This is the Lords church and He is in charge and the missionary work will go forward. I am so grateful for all of you and your support - thank you for your prayers we have felt them and we need them. Elder Patten went to bed early tonight so I told him I would do the writing - he will add more tomorrow. We love all of you and I will say goodbye for now.
Elders Woodland and Beecher with Junior an investigator....Same elders with Sister Patten.....We all have a bet in the district as to when this house will fall down. They still are living in it and the kids say they are afraid that it will fall down on their family.....These ladies were awaiting the clouds to clear after a quick rain.
We just got home after a long Sunday. We start at 8:00 a.m. and it's now 10:00 p.m. A good day though. Lots of inactives, investigators, and addicts attended both of our branches today. After church we ate with Sisters Croaker and Seely and then visited with a young man and his girlfriend who have several children. We asked him if he wanted help with his drinking and he thought about it a bit and said that he thought he could take care of the problem himself. Sister P. then reviewed with him how well that was working in his life and he thought and thought and then said he was afraid. Afraid of what? said Sister P. After much contemplation he told us that he was afraid that if he quit cigarettes and alcohol he would have a heart attack. After that insightful and much thought out answer we had to explain that maybe he had his thinking turned around a little. While teaching another young man tonite a rat came calling to see what all of the activity was about. He ran right by Sister P's foot. Fortunately for all concerned she didn't notice it but was watching the mother of the house throw rocks at another brother rat. I should explain that the rocks made up the floor. On the way home I told her that isn't it interesting the things that you can get used to in six weeks. I said it was a good thing she had a long skirt on and she didn't see the rat because her legs would have been higher than her head in a nano second. She was busy counting roaches running up the wall and beetles checking out her shoes. One of our friends in Uliga branch lost her brother last week so we will take food tomorrow. The funeral is called a midge and it goes on for about a week. Most of the people here have diabetes. Their diet is bad and no one knows what insulin is. The common tablet for controling diabetes is tylenol. The average age in this area is somewhere around 50. Life is good. We love what we are doing. We are sending a young man to the mtc tomorrow. he's never been off the atol and has to fly to Honolulu, then transfer to a flight to Los Angeles, then to a flight to SLC. He's excited and ready to go. Today he had one frayed white shirt and a pair of worn out slacks and that's about the size of it. We put a few dollars in his hand to help him a little. The young ones like him are the future here. He's a sweet boy and will be a good missionary. The days and weeks go by to fast. We try to do as much as we can each day so that when we get on that airplane to come home we will know that we did our best. Love, Elder/Sister Patten
