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Finally, and Go Figure
Finally, after a long wait, we are teaching institute. This is the Magiagi Institute Building, our home away from home away from home.
We get to do two things we love every day--teach and hang out with kids. We are learning to love the Samoan students here. We are trying hard to create an atmosphere of fun and learning. It's been a little frustrating this first week because we seem to be having more hanging out than going to class. Hopefully, we'll get that fixed soon.
What a blessing it is to be able to study the Gospel daily and teach and testify of the Savior's teachings. We share an office. One of the best things about a senior mission is the chance to spend every minute of every day with someone you love. We have many non-members at institute. In fact, our institute president is a non-member. Go figure. She's awesome and it's a blessing to be able to work with her. There are some amazing kids here. We talked one day about memorizing the Proclamation on the Family. One girl, last year's valedictorian at the church high school, came in the next day with the whole thing memorized perfectly. We see great dedication. None of the students have cars; every day, they have to ride two or three buses, which can take an hour or more, and spend several hours' pay to get to school and institute.
As would probably be the case with any foreign country, we scratch our heads daily wondering about things. We are struggling to remember the names of kids in our classes. Many Samoan names are very difficult and some are very long. We ran across a name that boogles the mind--Fa'aeavainu'ufaumeavalifotuosamoa, and that's just the first name. Even when the kids are given palagi names, they can be very long; the name of one girl in our class is Agabeingridphyllicia. Fortunately, many of them have shorted names they go by. I did an experiment. We made cookies for institute registration. The first day, almost everyone to whom I offered a cookie took the peanut butter instead of the oatmeal chocolate chip. I thought that was odd; I didn't know Samoans loved peanut butter that much. Then it dawned on me--maybe it's not the type of cookie, but the size. I noticed the oatmeal were slightly smaller.
So, the next day I made the oatmeal slightly larger. This is the result. Go figure.
We had fun this week watching Moroni be replaced. He was damaged in the earthquake that caused the tsunami in September.
This may have been the first time Moroni has ever had a hat in his hand.
The new Moroni is now installed and doing well. We're hoping he survives the next earthquake, cyclone, etc.; unfortunately, in Samoa, things like that are only a matter of time. What a blessing to be in the shadow of the temple daily. We are settling into our lives here and feeling more comfortable and blessed every day.
We get to do two things we love every day--teach and hang out with kids. We are learning to love the Samoan students here. We are trying hard to create an atmosphere of fun and learning. It's been a little frustrating this first week because we seem to be having more hanging out than going to class. Hopefully, we'll get that fixed soon.
What a blessing it is to be able to study the Gospel daily and teach and testify of the Savior's teachings. We share an office. One of the best things about a senior mission is the chance to spend every minute of every day with someone you love. We have many non-members at institute. In fact, our institute president is a non-member. Go figure. She's awesome and it's a blessing to be able to work with her. There are some amazing kids here. We talked one day about memorizing the Proclamation on the Family. One girl, last year's valedictorian at the church high school, came in the next day with the whole thing memorized perfectly. We see great dedication. None of the students have cars; every day, they have to ride two or three buses, which can take an hour or more, and spend several hours' pay to get to school and institute.
As would probably be the case with any foreign country, we scratch our heads daily wondering about things. We are struggling to remember the names of kids in our classes. Many Samoan names are very difficult and some are very long. We ran across a name that boogles the mind--Fa'aeavainu'ufaumeavalifotuosamoa, and that's just the first name. Even when the kids are given palagi names, they can be very long; the name of one girl in our class is Agabeingridphyllicia. Fortunately, many of them have shorted names they go by. I did an experiment. We made cookies for institute registration. The first day, almost everyone to whom I offered a cookie took the peanut butter instead of the oatmeal chocolate chip. I thought that was odd; I didn't know Samoans loved peanut butter that much. Then it dawned on me--maybe it's not the type of cookie, but the size. I noticed the oatmeal were slightly smaller. So, the next day I made the oatmeal slightly larger. This is the result. Go figure.
We had fun this week watching Moroni be replaced. He was damaged in the earthquake that caused the tsunami in September.
This may have been the first time Moroni has ever had a hat in his hand.
The new Moroni is now installed and doing well. We're hoping he survives the next earthquake, cyclone, etc.; unfortunately, in Samoa, things like that are only a matter of time. What a blessing to be in the shadow of the temple daily. We are settling into our lives here and feeling more comfortable and blessed every day.
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