Christmas Island church on the right and cultural hall on the left.
These are our 5,000 gallon rainwater containers filled from the rain collected on the roof of the chapel. When we first came here we were told to not share water with anyone because it was for the missionaries. We let any member take some and figure if the Lord wants us to have water he'll send the rain. They are filled to overflowing right now.

We were cutting palm trees to make some timbers to build Daiken a new home. Yonei was the only one qualified to use the chain saw and he was barefooted which gave me a little concern. We ordered a chainsaw from the church building facilities when we first got here. Almost five months later I saw on at the island store and bought it. It saved hours the first time we used it.

a little stir crazy

I was fixing rice the other day for dinner. As I stood there rinsing and filling the pan with water then picking the little black bugs out of the rice water I suddenly stopped and said to myself, "self, you have been out here way to long because you don't even think this is unusual."
After a while you just kind of go with the flow. Go ahead and use the well water, it's quicker and I'm sure if we use it for cooking it probably gets hot enough to kill all of the bacteria and bugs. The rain water really doesn't need to be run through the purifier because I haven't seen any little wiggelies in it for awhile. Besides that they are only mosquito larvae. We've gotten so we just eat what's put in front of us and try not to think of how we know it's been prepared.
We are having a YSA get together tonite here at the church. We expect 35 and will have a barbaque per their request. As close as we can get to that will be fried chicken (thighs) we have come to enjoy thighs cause that's all they bring in. Potato salad, baked beans, chocolate cake and we splurged with 2.5 gallons of neopolitan ice cream for $24.50. We rounded up some good boot scooten music and we are going to dance.
On fridays we have started a movie after mutual volleyball. The first week we had ten kids, the second week we had about 20 and last nite we had over 30. We let them play some music and then at 7pm start the show. We love these kids. They don't really have much to look forward to so a little popcorn and candy seems to go a long ways to get next to them. We have even taught them how to put the wrappers into the garbage and put away the chairs.
We have been cooking most of the day except I took an hours break and went fishing for octypus with the branch president. We got four while I was with him and then I came back to kitchen duty. I told Lois that all this cooking was a pretty hard job and she just looked at me with that eye roll that she does so well.
The kit house is looking great. Sister Patten has painted and overseen the painting. (One painter kept re painting the trim that she had finished another color. We will look for linoleum on Monday as the ship from Tarawa has come. You would think they could unload at the dock but nooooooooo the dock wasn't built for most ships so they anchor in the bay and run the cargo in by skiff. We should be ready for some curtains to be put up next week.
Today the workers asked me how I wanted the front door to swing. I told them we wanted the front door to swing into the house and we wanted a screen door on the outside of the front door.
"We can't do that because the screen door has to be on the inside of Kiribati houses. " After further discussion that was leading nowhere I told them to do it how they wanted. The second counselor in the branch presidency was there and said " President Patten, you have to remember that you are not in America."I said thanks Arebonto, I would never have realized that if you hadn't reminded me.
We have come to not have any great expectations when it comes to time, etc. The elders quorum went out to move a man's house a few feet from where it was. That was tuesday and when we were assigned we were told it would be a 10 minute job for ten men. When we arrived it was a frame house with corragated tin all over it and would be a three day job for 50 men.
Was anyone upset? no, they all just laughed, I bought them a strawberry soda and they made arrangements to go back today. We told the owner to take the tin off before today and we would be back. I stopped by last nite and he hadn't done anything. I then went to the elders quorum president and reported that nothing had been done. He said "oh that's alright, we will go and help him take off the tin in the morning." They are just such laid back wonderful people.
I really don't think to many people die of heart attacks over here in the pacific. Diabetes mostly.
Life is good. Lots of things are happening in the mission. We get two new additional elders on the 20th of August. The president told us that lots of things are happening in the mission and reminded us that he had promised Sister Patten that he would only leave us out here at the maximum of nine months. We told him we loved it here and didn't want to be moved anywhere but who knows. At least a new couple would have a great home to live in. I think that is what missions are all about.
We love and miss you all. April, 2009 will be here before we know it.
We found that one of the contractors from Tarawa is married to a Mormon. His father in law is in the bishopric of a Tarawa ward. Sister Patten was all over that. She asked him if he'd ever taken the lessons and he said "yes for FHE" She has him set up with the missionaries to teach him the lessons before they return home on the 13th of August.
The YSA dinner and dance was well attended and a good time was had by all. I cried as I dished up $24.50 worth on neopolitan ice cream. We took some pictures and will post a few asap.

Jeff leaving us - the time went by too fast.
Our missionaries, Elder Rererita from Tarawa, Jeff, Elder Tupou
Bye Jeff, cry cry cry
Daiken and his familybrought shells for Jeff to take home and made a necklace out of some of them. Jeff couldn't take them all. Daiken really liked Jeff and wanted to give him something to remember him by. Two of our Young Women saw the shells on the table and wrote a note with them. "Patten, God bless you". The people here are so thoughtful and when they like you, they really like you. Elder Patten made sure that Daiken had a snorkeling set so he could see fish better and it would help him to feed his family. Jeff wanted to get him a spear gun for the octopus but he left before we could do that - we will see that he gets one soon. Daiken is a return missionary, one of the first on Christmas Island, he is about 50 years old. He has had a battle with alcohol and tobacco and has been in and out of church for a long time. We have visited him many times and the last time called him to repentance. Then Elder Patten said he wanted to have Daiken teach the Elders quorum lesson because he is an educated man and knows the gospel. So the Presidency agreed and he has been faithful in attendance and teaching wonderful lesssons. He has something to look forward too preparing his lessons and has stopped his use and is beginning to get some self esteem and confidence back . What a blessing, the Lord never gives up and neither should we.

Elders Quorum party, notice the chair I am sitting in, you won't see furniture like this anywhere else on the Island. This home is, Naitiniwa's, the Harbor Master. He has furniture and a very nice home for Christmas Island. Naitiniwa is sitting on the floor with his hands up. I was lucky to be at this party, maybe its because we made the cake and brought ice cream.
Independence Day festivities, the schools compete in their dancing. They really are beautiful dancers and the girls know how to make their hips work. The two boys standing in the third picture are directing the rest in music, singing and rhythm and they really know how to do it.

Beginning of the kit house, at least they got it square.
It stopped here until Salona came

And the work goes on, we were grateful for Salona expertise.

Jeff on the morning he left. He took most of the pictures but we managed these at the Christmas Island International Airport.
Elder Reireita Jeff and Elder Tupou. The elders loved Jeff and he had fun with them. Elder Reireita, the Kiribati elder is so inquisitive. When the security girl was checking Jeff's bag (She was quite interested in all of the zippers) Elder Reireita was right over there helping her zip and unzip the bag. If Osama yo momma ever wanted to get on an airplane to the USA, this would be the airport to do it. We noticed a honda 90 cruising along the runway the other day just as the Air Pacific was on his final apparoach.
Jeff stopped and took a picture of us taking a picture of him. It was hard to see him go and we felt a little homesick but then got back to it and we're fine now. Well, almost fine. Lois tells me I cry a lot in my sleep and say Mcdonald's double cheeseburger a lot since he left.
Thanks for the visit Jeff, it was great. Jeff brought us care packages. He thought he would be able to return home on the light side. When we came we brought enough drug store items to start a small pharmacy. We packed most of it up and sent it home with him. We don't plan on going home with much weight.

July 11, 2008

Friday July 11, 2008
Looks like some of the pictures we tried to get on the blog last time didn’t work so we will try again. That is Elder Patten’s job. We have taken more pictures and of course, there is much more to tell. The Elders Quorum Party was last Saturday and so we went around the
Villages with Arebonto to invite Elders to come. It soon became apparent as we also invited the wives that they were not invited. Arebonto said “oh yes, yes they are invited but it is to cook”. It is truly an Elders Quorum Party, no women but actually it was nice. At first I thought “hey wait a minute”, but you know, it’s their party and they did a good job. It was a progressive dinner and at each house, they opened with prayer, sang a song, and gave a talk on the priesthood. The women didn’t seem to mind, they said “Oh we have our Relief Society Party”. Another Christmas Island experience.
We sent Salona home on the Wednesday flight, he is the contractor from Tarawa that came in to save the day on the kit house. He certainly did that, he discovered that some of the material was missing from the kit and will have to be flown in. He also had to recalculate the roof because the plans they had did not match. What a great job he did getting this project up again. The roof is on and most of the framing is done. We will send a picture.
Jeff flew in on the same plane that Salona flew out on and it was so good to see him. Yes, it does make us homesick but it is worth it. We have enjoyed visiting with him so much. Independence Week started on Monday so it is a big deal here. Celebrations going on each day and evening. The little couple that we taught the dancing to, won and so she is now “ Miss Christmas Island” and guess what, her highest scores were on the dancing. We were there last night or rather this morning until l:30 A.M., it got started about five hours late (island time) and went on and on. They have a competition for 10 year old girls as well and one of our LDS girls did really well, I don’t know if she won yet because we left before all of that but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did, she danced so cute in her grass skirt and answered all the questions correctly. It was fun to work with them, the girl is already LDS but can’t come to church because her Grandmother, who is lives with, is KPC and won’t let her. So we have some work to do with the Grandma. The young man who danced with her is not LDS but the missionaries have talked to him and have an appointment so we will see. Actually his Father is LDS but doesn’t come to church because he is the Principle of the KPC school and would lose his job is he came to church. It is really hard here to find jobs but I guess they need to make a choice.
Jeff has been fishing two times, was going to go octopus hunting with Takin and scuba diving but a fishing trip interfered and so he didn’t get all of it in. I think he enjoyed living in the little Kia Kia and showering with the land craps. He spoke in Sacrament meeting two times – here and out in Banana and also blessed the sacrament in Banana and even taught an English class with us. Our two missionaries had fun with him and the people loved him and brought gifts for him when he left. Jeff has gone home now, it was hard to see him go but we will get back to work and there is a lot to do.
It is Sunday again another busy Sunday we always have two Branches to attend and together we had 200 people in church. After dinner we visited a family here and invited them over for home evening tomorrow and will try to get another family to join us. We would like to work our way around the island and continue to bring them in if they will come.
The kit house is coming along and the contractors have only about 9 days left to finish it and then they will have to go home. I hope they get it done. That has been an interesting experience. We will put pictures up if the blog will let us, sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. It is good to hear all that you kids are doing – it sounds like a very busy summer for all of you. Will continue to work hard and do whatever needs to be done. Every week we find more and more that needs to be done, like we discovered two days ago that the tithing settlement and report has never been finished or turned in. They need a lot of training and just as we think we have it done, there is more. I have been meeting with the YW Pres. and we are getting the New Beginnings started here – also the Primary needs to start working on their Sacrament Meeting program, I don’t think they have ever done that before. I think we will have two more missionaries here in August and then it will help to baptize this island. The KPC’s and Catholics won’t know what hit them. We actually could use three sets of missionaries and have room for them but we will see. Sometimes I feel like I am living a dream out here and one morning I will wake up in Salt Lake City and it will be all over, never to return again so we need to work hard and do what the Lord expects of us while we are here. Its all good, we are good and you all are good. What a blessing. We love you all, thank you for your prayers, we feel them and I hope you feel ours for you because they are offered many times each day.