I have been feeling like we need to write about some of the serious things that happen on a mission. Much of it is too personal to share here, but some of it I can.
We spend much of our day talking with students about all kinds of things. Many of them struggle with great difficulties. We have listened to heartbreaking stories about abuse and neglect, feeling trapped and controlled, being persecuted by family members for their belief in the gospel, struggling against great odds to be good and do good. So much of the time I feel completely inadequate to help. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and guilty that my life is so incredibly blessed. Teaching, knowing the struggles, has become an emotional challenge. Most of the time when I teach and testify of the Savior I have difficulty holding back the tears. I look at their faces and see their aching hearts and desperately want for them to feel the Savior's love for them.
I have felt the hand of the Lord in my preparation and teaching. I hang on to the hope that somehow my students will see God in their lives, will fully commit themselves to Him and be filled with His love. Their futures scare me, worry me and leave me wondering. There are things I can't explain to them; things that if they believed would matter so very much. What is absolutely amazing is through all the pain and struggle they find happiness in everyday life; what a lesson it has been for me.
How grateful I am for what I know and what I feel. I find great peace in knowing He has promised to care for 'even the least of these.' I have come to know without question that when we stand to be judged the most important question will be 'how have you loved?' I worry about answering that question. I worry my capacity to love is greater than I recognize. I worry I might have only loved those who are easy to love. I worry I might have neglected to find the ones who really need love because they frighten me. I worry my love has not been pure. I guess all any of us can do is to see His love and allow Him to perfect our own.
Thanks for listening; I love each of you beyond expression. MOM
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Gramps and Dixie's Visit
We had a mid-semester break from Institute so Gramps and Dixie came for a visit. We had a wonderful time. We were very busy and saw too many things to post. We started the week by going to Sauniatu. It is a small village in the tops of the mountains where the saints gathered when they were being persecuted. When the Prophet David O. McKay visited, he prophesied that someday the country of Samoa would be covered with stakes and there would be a temple here. The village includes a school, a church building and housing for employees and senior missionaries. It is a breathtaking spot.
This is the waterfall and swimming area.
Gramps and Grandma Dixie above the waterfall.
Sua Trench is a beautiful spot on the backside of the island. This is a swimming hole that is filled with ocean water entering into it through an underwater cave. It is about a 40 foot climb down a ladder to the water.
On the way down to the swimming hole.
Papa climbing down the ladder. It looked scary to me!
The coast line at Sua Trench--a photographer's paradise! We may never get Matt out of here when they come to visit.
On the way home this day we stopped at a ward party at this beach, Lalomanu.
One day we went out to a resort on the west end of the island for dinner and to see the sunset. The tide was out and on the way we saw these pigs out in the ocean sand digging for and eating clams. It was very entertaining!
Gramps and Dixie at Le Vasa Resort.
We lucked out because there was a wedding at the resort that night, so we got to watch a Samoan show while we were there. This man is blowing a conch shell calling all of the guests to the wedding. I was amazed at the sound that came out of the shell.
These tatoos are traditional in Samoa, tell a story, and are indicative of their village status. They run from the waist down past the knees.
Sunset at Le Vasa.
Always the favorite of a Samoan show--the fire dancer. When he was finished he came and shook our hands. His hands were very, very hot!
On Easter morning, between Conference sessions, Sister Haleck prepared breakfast for all of the senior couples. She made "heaps" (as they say here in Samoa) of food. It was delicious!
On Monday morning we went to see Robert Louis Stevenson's home. Unfortunately, it was closed because it was a holiday. When a holiday (like Easter) falls on a Sunday, the next day, Monday, is a day off of work for EVERYONE! We were very disappointed that we didn't get to see inside. Papa used his best Samoan to talk the security guard into letting us look in every window.
All week, Gramps kept watching the power lines wondering where the generating plant was. We finally found it! He said it was interesting because it was a "delta" system--all Greek to me, but he got a big kick out of it.
We stopped briefly at Papase'ea, or sliding rock, to watch the kids play in the water.
It is quite a walk down and back up to the water. We had to rest a few times (and it wasn't just Gramps and Dixie who needed the rest!)
This was our last night together. We went out to dinner at a place called Sails right on the water. It was beautiful. We were so sad to say goodbye, but so grateful that they made the big trip across the ocean to see us!
And it is back to work!
This is the waterfall and swimming area.
Gramps and Grandma Dixie above the waterfall.
Sua Trench is a beautiful spot on the backside of the island. This is a swimming hole that is filled with ocean water entering into it through an underwater cave. It is about a 40 foot climb down a ladder to the water.
On the way down to the swimming hole.
Papa climbing down the ladder. It looked scary to me!
The coast line at Sua Trench--a photographer's paradise! We may never get Matt out of here when they come to visit.
On the way home this day we stopped at a ward party at this beach, Lalomanu.
One day we went out to a resort on the west end of the island for dinner and to see the sunset. The tide was out and on the way we saw these pigs out in the ocean sand digging for and eating clams. It was very entertaining!
Gramps and Dixie at Le Vasa Resort.
We lucked out because there was a wedding at the resort that night, so we got to watch a Samoan show while we were there. This man is blowing a conch shell calling all of the guests to the wedding. I was amazed at the sound that came out of the shell.
These tatoos are traditional in Samoa, tell a story, and are indicative of their village status. They run from the waist down past the knees.
Sunset at Le Vasa.
Always the favorite of a Samoan show--the fire dancer. When he was finished he came and shook our hands. His hands were very, very hot!
On Easter morning, between Conference sessions, Sister Haleck prepared breakfast for all of the senior couples. She made "heaps" (as they say here in Samoa) of food. It was delicious!
On Monday morning we went to see Robert Louis Stevenson's home. Unfortunately, it was closed because it was a holiday. When a holiday (like Easter) falls on a Sunday, the next day, Monday, is a day off of work for EVERYONE! We were very disappointed that we didn't get to see inside. Papa used his best Samoan to talk the security guard into letting us look in every window.
All week, Gramps kept watching the power lines wondering where the generating plant was. We finally found it! He said it was interesting because it was a "delta" system--all Greek to me, but he got a big kick out of it.
We stopped briefly at Papase'ea, or sliding rock, to watch the kids play in the water.
It is quite a walk down and back up to the water. We had to rest a few times (and it wasn't just Gramps and Dixie who needed the rest!)
This was our last night together. We went out to dinner at a place called Sails right on the water. It was beautiful. We were so sad to say goodbye, but so grateful that they made the big trip across the ocean to see us!
And it is back to work!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
To Grace, Dax, Jenna, Gehrig, Lily, Owen, Claire and Avery - Can't wait for you to visit!
We thought you might enjoy some pictures of where you'll stay, things you'll see, and things you'll do when you come to visit. We can't wait. Here is our house.
Here is the bedroom you'll sleep in.
I'll teach you to play the ukulele, although I'm not very good at it myself. Check out the chair; Gammy made the covering for them.
Every time you send pictures or cards to us, we put them where we can see them.
This is Papa's taro patch; we also have another garden we can get food from when you get here. Have you ever eaten taro before?
We're hoping you'll go with us to shop at the market; we buy our fruit and vegetables there.
You can help us pay for the food with our Samoan money.
Fruit looks different here, but we think you'll like it.
We will take you for a drive around the island. We'll see some amazing things, like this waterfall. We'll find one a little smaller for you to swim in.
When we go for a drive, we'll see how Samoans live. Their houses are a little different than yours.
We will make sure and go to the beach. There are lots of different beaches we can go see. At the beach, we will swim, snorkel and collect sea shells.
We'll see lots of weird sea creatures, like this one.
There will be things for you to do when we are at our house also. This playground is right next to our house. We're sure you'll make some Samoan friends. Kids play on this playground every evening.
One of the things you'll enjoy is seeing all the animals that we see all over the island. We're hoping to see some baby pigs; they're very cute.
It rains almost every day here. This boy is going to school with his lavalava on. The kids wear uniforms to school; every school has a different uniform.
It's also very hot here. Wherever there is water, there's likely to be someone trying to cool off.
We'll see you soon in Samoa. Save up some hugs and kisses for us!
Here is the bedroom you'll sleep in.
I'll teach you to play the ukulele, although I'm not very good at it myself. Check out the chair; Gammy made the covering for them.
Every time you send pictures or cards to us, we put them where we can see them.
This is Papa's taro patch; we also have another garden we can get food from when you get here. Have you ever eaten taro before?
We're hoping you'll go with us to shop at the market; we buy our fruit and vegetables there.
You can help us pay for the food with our Samoan money.
Fruit looks different here, but we think you'll like it.
We will take you for a drive around the island. We'll see some amazing things, like this waterfall. We'll find one a little smaller for you to swim in.
When we go for a drive, we'll see how Samoans live. Their houses are a little different than yours.
We will make sure and go to the beach. There are lots of different beaches we can go see. At the beach, we will swim, snorkel and collect sea shells.
We'll see lots of weird sea creatures, like this one.
There will be things for you to do when we are at our house also. This playground is right next to our house. We're sure you'll make some Samoan friends. Kids play on this playground every evening.
One of the things you'll enjoy is seeing all the animals that we see all over the island. We're hoping to see some baby pigs; they're very cute.
It rains almost every day here. This boy is going to school with his lavalava on. The kids wear uniforms to school; every school has a different uniform.
It's also very hot here. Wherever there is water, there's likely to be someone trying to cool off.
We'll see you soon in Samoa. Save up some hugs and kisses for us!
Friday, February 12, 2010
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.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Re-building Samoa
The Senior Elders had a great experience last Saturday. Our ward adopted a family that was devastated by the tsunami. The Vi'iga family lost two children when the tsunami hit. They lost everything except a cupboard that saved their son's life (he clung to it when the wave hit) and a refrigerator (which they found several hundred yards away) that is a little rusty and dented but works. They say they thank God every day for those two things; essentially, it is all they have left. Our ward decided to try to build them a house in one day. They moved up the mountain to their plantation land so they will be out of harm's way if there is another tsunami. (Who could blame them?) They'll have to change their diets a little -- less fish and more chickens and pigs. Samoans pass land from generation to generation (for the most part, land is not sold here) so they bury their dead on their land. We built the house next to the grave sites of their two lost children. It was both a very sad and a very happy day. We had to finish the house before dark, which we did.
I want you all to know I worked very hard despite appearances in this picture.
We left home at 4:00 am; the home site is about an hour and a half drive away. We started out clean, as you can see in this picture, but before long we were filthy.
It's been years since I've worked this hard, but it was a lot of fun working along side the Samoans and other missionaries serving in this kind of a cause. It was fascinating watching the Samoan construction techniques. We saw lots of improvisation. I never knew a machete could be used for so many tasks. At the end of the day, we were so dirty we had to bathe in the ocean with our clothes on.
Although it was a long drive home after an exhausting day, we had to stop to see a waterfall. It's hard to pass on opportunities to see scenes like this, even if for just a few seconds.
I want you all to know I worked very hard despite appearances in this picture.
We left home at 4:00 am; the home site is about an hour and a half drive away. We started out clean, as you can see in this picture, but before long we were filthy.
It's been years since I've worked this hard, but it was a lot of fun working along side the Samoans and other missionaries serving in this kind of a cause. It was fascinating watching the Samoan construction techniques. We saw lots of improvisation. I never knew a machete could be used for so many tasks. At the end of the day, we were so dirty we had to bathe in the ocean with our clothes on.
Although it was a long drive home after an exhausting day, we had to stop to see a waterfall. It's hard to pass on opportunities to see scenes like this, even if for just a few seconds.
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