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...

As great as the South Pacific is, it's all about the people...

The Liveighs provided all the food for the 3 1/2 day Young Single Adult Conference. I was able to be there for some of the conference when the night before Laurie and Gary invited me to teach a class on Healthy Living - bless them for giving me the opportunity to get to know these Marshallese YSA's! They are terrific!

A gingerly beginning to an increasingly daring water balloon toss out at Mile 17 Park on the last day of the YSA conference.

On the beach at Mile 17 Park, Jojo and I spy a challenge and an adventure...!

Jojo.

Me. In all fairness, she caught me coming back in, minus a shoe that was lost on the take-off.

Here's some local children showing us how it is really done.

Most of the Young Single Adults out at Mile 17, the last day of the YSA Conference. Great young men and women! That's Laurie and Gary bookending the first row in case you can't tell that they are the older ones.

Back at my apartment, Elder Gilbert trying on his suit before the departure date to see if it fits now that he has been on an outer island where the weight loss is inevitable. Notice the nametag on his sleeve, Sister Lytle. Back at the office, Elder Lasky trying to find the best place to store the orange cooler now that there is no P-day sports activity - I don't think it is under my desk, even if you try to match the orange by placing the sunscreen on my computer...

Wednesday June 23 we had a fun goodbye party for Rosa who is leaving for the summer for Guam - while we sisters watched a movie at the Pattersons, Gary made us cookies!

June 25 was the Stake Relief Society Fashion and Talent Show. There were traditional Marshall Island dances...

A mother-daughter cooking demonstration for coconut jam - Yummmmm...

Handicraft and jewelry-making displays...And at the end they invited all the Sisters to come onto the floor and dance the last dance...

Jojo caught me dancing with a young girl who came out on the floor to dance with me.

That last dance was so fun and joyous - sisters loving life and being together!

On Saturday June 26, the tide was low at 10:30, so the Davidsons invited me on an adventure on our P-day - a walk from Rita past the first two islets over to the third islet, Ejit, where we would visit some members of the church. The beaten path to the first islet is the straight line right above Elder Davidson's head. There are no rocks - only coral.

Sister Davidson and I are trying to adjust our red flame tree flowers in our hair for the picture - we both have capris under our skirts in the event that we don't get back before the tide comes back in. There are some pictures I've seen of Elders up to their waists in water where we are standing.

The Davidsons walk on the Lagoon side around the uninhabited islet #2.
With the tide out it was a pretty easy walk past the two small islets over to Ejit. We only had to walk through water a few times. When we stepped up onto Ejit, one of the first people we encountered was this little boy who had a prize from the morning fishing - an octopus tentacle.

Here's our great guide whom we met as we entered his peaceful islet and his Protestant Church on the lagoon side - he volunteered to take us to our members homes because he knew where all our church members lived.

The Davidsons meeting Ejit children who are wondering who these Ri-belle people are who have wandered out to their islet, their aelon aibuijuij (their island beautiful). The peaceful sounds of water and gently stirring air and no roads with cars were like music - even the people were quiet. When we returned to Rita a few hours later, just barely beating the tide, Rita sounded cacophonous. Thanks, Davidsons. Let's do it again - we met some great people.