July 2-July 16, 2010 - Snapshots

July 2nd was the 28th annual Fisherman's Day - there were some great fish caught from the ocean - the 335 lb. marlin was thought to be the winner until another boat came in the next day with a 337 lb marlin!

The US Embassy invited me as a warden for our mission to the July 4th party to honor the birth of our country.  It was in the Melele Room of the Marshall Island Resort.  Tanintoa's band played during the gathering time.

Both national anthems were sung by Malaelupe Samifua and our Ambassador Martha Campbell and the Marshall Island Minister symbolically cut a cake to celebrate. It was an inspiring gathering with so many good people from both countries.  It is a 4th of July celebration that I will treasure, being far from home and proud to be an American where liberty is treasured                                                                    .

A few days later I was just arriving at the Delap chapel to teach piano, and these children greeted me with their arms around each other.  This is how one sees children all over the island, walking down the road with their arms around each other.  They let me take their picture for a memory...

July 7th Sister Ruiz was brought into the office early from Rita by the Assistants to catch the plane for her transfer to Ebeye -

Long live the Marshall Islands!

July 10th was the Stake Young Women's Fashion Show...

Great decorations, appropriate Sunday dress (Deborah), athletic wear (Julinta), evening wear (Julian),

Wedding day attire modeled with the help of YSA men, one being our mission's own returned missionary Elder Samson.

President and Sister Tibon, Sister Teichert and Maria, and the Long Island Young Women and some fun with the decorations afterwards...                                             

July 14th - A Departure Dinner at the Tide Table for the Office Staff

Elder Gulbransen, Elder Lasky, Elder Mackey, Elder Gilbert,

(There next two are out of order ) July 15th, welcoming the Shaws, our new President and Companion.

(continued from July 14th Departure Dinner...)

Elder Dew. Sister Teichert's chair, Sister Hopoate, President Hopoate...

AND, taking Sister Tuimoala and Sister Ve'e to their new home and assignment in Laura.

The Davidsons, Elder Tingey (District Leader), Elder Sanchez, Sister Tuimoala, Sister Ve'e

July 16th - Departure of President and Sister Hopoate...

and Sister Cummings and Elder Gilbert.

A chance meeting at Rob Reimer Hotel

Two days before Laurie and her brother left for their home in the States with Laurie's newly adopted little boy, I dropped in to their hotel to see how the adoption proceedings were going.  It looked hopeful that all the papers would be in order and she would be able to fly home with her brother - would I like to hold the baby?  My own daughter is expecting soon...boy, would I!               The Elders showed up just a little before I did and were surpised to find Alena there - Elder Moimoi had baptized her not too many months before

It was an incredible snapshot in time...a chance meeting worthy of lots of pictures and smiles.          

He wants me to be his best friend...

One morning I discovered that someone was bringing me thoughtful little gifts - an empty can of corned beef, a coconut shell, a styrofoam container and a fork...a few days before that, someone had dragged Vic and Miriam's blue towel over to my welcome mat in front of my door. The next day, an empty bottle of water to complete my meal of the day before.

Then a T-shirt, in case I needed a change of clothes...

Then a few days later, as I was stretching to go on my run, something was thump, thump, thumping rhythmically on my door, so I got my camera, quietly unlocked the door and quickly pulled it open...

My little friend, who sleeps in the stairwell as I have passed by him for a month now, was wagging his tail. I have not fed him, or petted him, or made any overtures except to sometimes say hi.

He doesn't realize that missionaries are not allowed pets of any kind. But I have seen a Marshallese grounds worker befriend him and feed him, and I think the Hewstones do. We like each other, but he has to know that there can't be a future for us...:) I've lost two dogs on our highway at home - no more dogs to wrap my heart around...no matter how cute their little puppy face is. :)

Making Music in Majuro

After church and before our YMYW choir practice, Corina and some young women sat down at the piano bench and sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" as Corina played hands together - woohoo! Go, Corina! Batteries in the keyboard were the key to give her more time at home practicing when the adapter was on the blink.

On Thursday afternoons I travel out to Rita to teach 3 or 4 piano lesson at the Rita chapel. Sometimes students don't show, but someone always seems to be around - on July 8th these Young Women were at the chapel early for a meeting, and when they heard me playing in the chapel they came in. I played while they sang from the hymnbook - the Marshallese have music all through them, and these girls loved singing the English hymns.

August 5th when some piano students didn't come in Rita, I played some Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy. Soon I had a rapt audience of neighborhood children, and when they came into the building for more, I taught them some Primary songs - "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man", "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" "I Know That My Savior Loves Me." The Marshallese children startle me with their capacity to learn, their desire to learn, their almost photographic musical memories. What began as a solitary musical experience ended up as a sharing time full of laughter, fun and joy...

Disaster Diverted

July 27th I came back to the office from an errand and Elder Dew and Elder Gulbransen were running around gathering all the waste baskets up and running to the back of the office. I followed them and saw water raining from the light fixtures in the Assistants' office. The Elders were unplugging the computers and printers and moving them out, and I started gathering up books and papers. We then proceeded to rescue the President's office as the water rained down. The carpenters upstairs had broken a water pipe and didn't know how to turn it off. Water started running down the walls and we moved pictures to the front office. We emptied many garbage cans and saved all of our electronic equipment and furniture from water damage.

The 8 light fixtures omniously sat there full of water once the water upstairs had been turned off. It was surprising how heavy those garbage bags became when the light fixtures yielded up their water.

The Office Team - with a deserved moment of rest the day of the disaster and a banana cream pie the day after. I almost created a mini-disaster holding the pie the Elders had made for me, slanting it for the picture. But good communication and quick-thinking quickly righted the pie. It was delicious!
And we have new-found respect for each other - as The Office Team.

July 12-16, 2010 - Remember!

The day before the 14th Annual Mayors' Conference, Sister Tibon asked Akamra and Samson and I to perform the musical number. We practiced Sunday night in this beautiful conference center - that's our little keyboard off to the far right off the platform. The kids had two handheld microphones and sang just to the right of the head table on the platform.

Sister Tibon works in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and organized many of the events in the 14th Annual Mayors Conference for the Marshall Islands held July 12-13, 2010.

Akamra and Samson pose in the conference room before everyone enters on July 12 - they sang the musical number "How Great Shall Be Your Joy", broadcast to the Marshall Islands by radio, 95.5 FM.

The leader of the Marshall Islands High School Choir, Malaelupe Samifua, and Julian, a member of the church and of the choir - the choir sang the National Anthem at the beginning of the annual welcome meeting for the Council of Mayors. They were dynamite!

Before all the mayors of the different islands came into the room, Akamra and Samson and I met the Honorable Mayor of Ailuk, Mrs. Jack. She is the only woman mayor and is so warm and personable and doing so much good for her island.

Akamra and Sampson sang right before the keynote address to the Council of Mayors by the president of the Marshall Islands, His Excellency Juralang Zedkiah. It was a wonderful experience.

July 15th, 2010 - President and Sister Shaw made it! The pilot landed safely on what looks like (from the approach) a tiny strip of runway. Elder Mackey and Elder Lasky, the two Assistants to the two Presidents - the Hopoates and the Shaws.

July 16th finally came - all day there were pictures with the departing Hopoates - this is Elder Hill, who has a Cokeville connection to the Teicherts. His Aunt Chris married Matthew Teichert (see you at the Teichert Reunions in Cokeville, Elder Hill!)

Sister Cummings and Sister Teichert - we kept her healthy and going through the end of her mission. The flower in my hair was chosen by her and given to me last Christmas by her companion Sister Kitiona - wonderful memories.

Elder Gilbert and Sister Teichert - Farnsworth cousins forever..

A parting shot with President and Sister Hopoate - smiling through our tears.

President and Sister Tibon made it to the airport just before the final boarding call...

A fond island farewell to dear friends.

It's time - all four are about ready to go through the boarding door. This is a Sister Cummings and an Elder Gilbert shot if there ever was one - I will remember...no one ever dies...