The setting, the people...

Laurie Patterson in her office at the College of the Marshall Islands - before it was hers, it was a Vice President's office, and before that it was the Maternity Ward of the old hospital. Laurie has become almost indispensible with her mounting responsibilities that they keep piling on her plate. Maybe her motto should be "Laurie delivers!"

Sister Bell and I measuring and cutting curtains for the Ebeye Sisters' apartment from the Delap Chapel curtains - that water cooler has been moved to a perfect place for thirsty workers and traveling missionaries - now if we could just get the rehydration fluid closer...

When I was at the Delap chapel teaching piano lessons, the three sisters came because they had a baptism that evening. Sister Kitiona and I picked up some nearly dead flowers and put them in our hair - Sister Cummings and Sister Avery picked some fresh ones! Beautiful Sisters, those 3!

The big shell in the window sill is Sister Lytle's - the littler one is a clam shell I found at Laura Beach.

Here's two views of the laundromat and neighborhood buildings from my living room window.

The view from my bedroom window is a family neighborhood cemetery - they just had a burial, so they are cleaning up the fallen leaves and burning them under the tree.

It is possible to have good old fashioned homemade American hamburgers occasionally. Elder Keeley and Elder Gilbert savor the moment...

Elder Haddock, Elder Ahlstrom, President Smith - These Elders are the West Zone Leaders out in the "country", where Laura, Arrok, and Ajeltake take up the West end of Majuro. Their Zone also includes Long Island and the outer islands of Ebeye, Lae and Jaluit. They come into the office at least once a week or more - this time their traveling President was on island! The missionaries all love their president.

Life as it comes on the fast track

Service changing my lightbulbs by Elder Fa'alogo and Elder Enlow - they also had to sing for their supper - we need them to sing with the YMYW choir this Sunday and no time to practice...

Eker Keeley and Elder Gilbert - the Lord's outer island connection...(more in future blogs)

Can you find the gecko on my windshield? He stayed there the whole way back from Uliga to Long Island...great grippers for toes.

Sister Avery, Sister Cummings, and Sister Kitiona on their way to a lesson as I head for the Post Office - Dr. Tana would be so proud of them wearing sun glasses in this equatorial sun bath. Sister Avery goes home in 6 days to the waiting arms of a fiancee. He's one lucky guy.

Corinna playing her first piece hands together reading bass clef and treble clef - recognize the book, Kim?

Deborahs' second lesson - her first in her new book!

Elder Keeley's minor 2nd Jaws and an unsuspecting Deborah!

The Long Island District - 22 January 2010

Elder Enlow and I were the photographers - we weren't smart enough to do a Jeremy thing and do it with the automatic timer...

Sister Bell made some great crockpot soup by which we all were nourished after a great district meeting - Elder Thomson (New Zealand) who is going home in 5 days, Elder Haddock whose birthday is a day away, Elder Ahlstrom who is always steady and sure. These Elders would be a joy to any mission president. Come to think of it, we have a whole mission of Elders and Sisters who fit that description. What a lucky president we have.

Bridging 2009 to 2010

I just wamted to remember this skid mark I made when it had rained so much and the pavement was slimy - I just about hurt my knee again, but thankfully didn't go down very hard...whew! Walk, don't run...

Part of the huge after-Christmas mail deluge - Elder Keeley must not have gotten a package :(

My Christmas package from the Bairds! You get a peek at my apartment!

Our Primary getting ready to perform at our Long Island Ward 5 year celebration of our Stake Center Building construction.

Our day at Laura Beach (January 2nd, 2010) began with a walk out to the edge fo the reef where the waves were crashing. The tide was way out and the coral all exposed - it was fascinating and Gary is a biology professor, so Laurie and I had our own personal tour of the reef. But we took a little long, and as we made it to the waves, I could tell that things were changing and the tide was starting to come in.

Our Search and Rescue heroes, Elder Gilbert and Elder Haddock, came out to meet us 2/3's of the way out to find out where my keys were for baptismal clothes - we were just grateful they were there to help us back with the tide rapidly coming in.

Our blue starfish - we saw many on the way out to the edge of the reef a half mile from shore - (we placed him back in the ocean:) )

The Intrepid 5 - the ocean behind us is what used to be the exposed coral reef that the three of us conquered - Elder Hewstone (in his 70's) goes snorkeling generally out there - a much more sensible way to see the reef.

My sweet Chinese neighbors came over to help me welcome in the New Year with some tuna that Don had caught that day...

Fresh tuna steaks!

My refrigerator that everyone loves to look at when they are in my apartment - my Filipino neighbors loved seeing our 10 beautiful grandchildren - notice the easily accesible lanterns when the power goes out.

Beautiful downtown Majuro - this is the main street heading east to the Government Building - in the 1970's the President created this official looking road with a median - he had a vision of tourism with the Marshall Islands Rsort on the lagoon side (on the left just outside my picture).

Sunday, January 10th - Jaycie's birthday! Joana, in the center, is leaving for Hawaii for a few months, so after church we took some pictures - on the left is Oceantie (who just returned from a mission to Georgia), then Joana (a new member of about 2 months), Laurie Patterson (grew up in Mesa AZ) and me (Laurie and I are long-lost third cousins, meeting for the first time in Majuro!)