Weeks 31 and 32 in Tarawa

It's been a long time since we tried to post a video.  We hope this works.  While this isn't the highest surf we've ever had, it gives you a good idea of what we live with day and night.  The sound has become familiar and comforting; it's something we will always remember and always miss when we return home.









While we're at it, here's something else we marvel over: the beauty of the cloud formations and sky.  The little white dot near the top center of the photo is Venus. 

One of the fun things I've been asked to do is occasionally help teach Ioram's physics class.  When I came this day, he apologized that he hadn't been able to round up the equipment he needed for the lab and would have to reschedule to another day.  I looked at the lab on Hook's Law, the force-displacement relationship in the linear region of a spring, and realized I could do it with a meter stick instead of a wound metal spring.  I ran home, got a meter stick, a bottle of water, a measuring cup, and a few twist ties.  The students were able to measure the deflection of the end of the meter stick clamped to the table top with 100 gram increments of water added to the bottle hung from the end.  I think the students actually learned about F=kX.



At the Young Women's meeting last week, the Young Women's Presidency asked Sister Sumner for a quick idea for something to do because the girls didn't come prepared to work on their Personal Progress books.  In a moment of inspiration, she suggested they pair up and style each other's hair and then have a fashion show and a discussion on personal grooming.  It was a great hit.

 

 Most of the girls here have waist long, thick, dark, curly hair, so braids and buns are common styles.  We've seen some really amazing hair styles.

This lesson on personal grooming will be followed in two weeks by a lesson on personal hygiene which will be taught by the school nurse.







On Saturday, April 25th, a school anniversary celebration was held by the alumni association, LAMB.  This picture shows the chapel decorations and the alumni president, Tepwi, giving his farewell speech.  He and his wife are moving to an outer island where his wife has been offered a wonderful new job with the National Ministry.  We loved the wood carving of Moroni at the front right.  It's always hard, however, to sit through long talks in Kiribati.

We were asked to be judges for the marching parade and food activities after the program.  They think we know how to judge these things.


This past week has been crazy busy with daily after-school online surveys for BYU-Hawaii.  They wanted to get information on student attendance and motivation.  Our internet situation made it hard for us to do as many as they would have liked, but we did our best  under difficult circumstances.

Weeks 29 and 30 in Tarawa

These past 2 weeks have been filled with thoughts of Easter and General Conference.  On Wednesday, April 1st, Miiran's choir classes presented the Easter assembly.  Once again, the program was excellent and touching.  You can see the new chapel piano on the left which I helped assemble just last week.  It is such a nice addition, but everyone worries about how long it will last in this hot, humid, salt air climate.  The school Easter break went from Good Friday, the 3rd, through Tuesday, April 7th.  The 7th was National Health Day. We were hoping to go on an adventure, but it rained the whole time.  We got a lot of work done in the office!

On Easter Sunday, April 5th, we had a combination Easter dinner and farewell dinner for Elder and Sister Wall who are leaving April 13th.  We had saved a large chunk of real bone-in ham just for this occasion, a rare treat in Kiribati.












This is our Easter  and farewell banquet table.  The senior couples get together about once a month, and it's always a special treat.  We have much in common as senior missionary couples, and it is wonderful to bask in the glow of the spirit.  One of the sad parts about the Wall's departure is that so far there is no replacement coming.  We will miss them, but President Weir, seated on the couch in the far right corner will miss them most of all.  The Wall's did so much to help the young Elders and Sisters on Tarawa. 












Seated around the table, starting on the left are Elder and Sister Bogh, the TVET couple, Sister Alldredge, the mission nurse on Tarawa, Sister and Elder Wall, President and Sister Weir, Sister and Elder Waldron, and Sister Sumner.  After our dinner, President Weir invited us to each share our testimonies.  It was a sacred and sweet experience as we witnessed to each other our love for Jesus Christ, our gratitude for His atonement, and the truthfulness of the restored Gospel.

It's been a few months since we posted another sunset picture from our back yard, so we thought it was about time to share another one.  We are amazed every day by the beauty of our location.  We sit at our dinner table three times a day watching and hearing the pounding surf.  We will certainly miss these things when we leave.

 Thursday evening, April 9th, the Service Center employees and the Moroni High School teachers and administrators planned a farewell for the Wall's.  As the guests of honor, they were the recipients of woven wreaths, dancing and singing.  The variety of the potluck dinner afterwards was amazing.  There were tears as they said their final goodbye's to the group.

I only took one picture of the group getting ready to sing and dance.  I took videos, but decided against trying to post any of them.

We were able to listen live to only 2 sessions of General Conference because of the 18 hour time difference, but yesterday and today we were able to watch all 6 sessions.  We feel the spirit as we listen.  The counsel we've received is truly from God, and we will do our best to follow His will in our lives.  We have much to be grateful for but much to improve upon, as well.

Week 28 in Tarawa

This past week has been taken up with doing DIBELS reading timings, teaching ED 385 Assessment, and preparing for the New Beginnings program.  We drove to Betio on Friday with Sister Alldredge and Sister Wier, our mission nurse and mission mother.  We were glad to see local workers repairing the damaged causeway between Betio and Bairiki.








While in Betio we stopped by to visit the sister missionaries.  We were impressed with their cleanliness and organization.  Notice their goals on the wall behind them.










On the wall behind the door were their lists of investigators and baptisms.

Here is yours truly making little sailboats with the 8 Young Women's values on the sails.  We borrowed the idea from our Principal's Conference.  The Theme this year is about embarking in the service of the Lord.









These next three pictures show the decorations for the New Beginnings program held in the chapel Friday evening.  The Young Women did a beautiful job singing "Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God" and "I Walk by Faith".  I got to play the brand new piano which I helped assemble just 2 hours before the program started.

The tallest young women on the right is Leilani Solomone.  She is a senior at Moroni High School and also the Young Women's President!
(NOT the Laurel President, the YW Pres.)








We knew the Young Women had planned a dance after the program, but we didn't know that the Bishop had arranged for the young men to perform.  The Young Women seemed very pleased.  We also didn't know until the very last minute that the Bishop was providing a very nice dinner.  Sister Sumner had baked 8 dozen cupcakes thinking that was all there would be for refreshments.





While shopping in Betio, we stopped at another trade fair and happened upon a real treat: Nestlé's Quik!  That was the best chocolate milk I've had in at least 7 months.  It's funny how sometimes you miss the little things.

Weeks 26 and 27 in Tarawa

 

These past two weeks have been filled with reading fluency timings (DIBELS), classes, church assignments, Relief Society birthday celebrations, a field trip, a baptism, and even some shopping. We managed, however, to go to the Golden Restaurant with Elder and Sister Waldron and Sister Alldredge for a wonderful meal at sunset on Friday, March 20th. Even after being here 6 months we still can't help but be amazed at the beautiful sunsets.

Many have inquired about storm damage here.  Typhoon Pam passed 1000 miles south of us, and heavily damaged Vanuatu, but the high tides and swells still caused some serious damage to the roads on Tarawa.  The first picture shows half of a main road eaten away between Eita and Bairiki.  The second picture shows huge concrete blocks tossed clear over to the other side of the road on the causeway between Bairiki and Betio. 

On Wednesday, March 11th, the Taiwanese ambassador spoke at our student officer induction assembly after pinning the officer's badges on each new student officer.  He gave a very interesting talk about how students can achieve much more than they think they are capable of.  Note the new piano in the lower left corner of the picture.  This is the piano I brought back from New Zealand.  The school finally has a piano that works in the chapel.

On Friday, March 13th, the Tarawa West Stake Relief Society birthday celebration was held on our campus.  This was the booth for having your picture taken.  We had ours taken but decided we've already posted enough pictures of ourselves.

After refreshments, the dancing began.  We liked this picture because it conveys the exuberance of the people for their dancing.  Even the little kids get out and dance.

The next day, Saturday, March 14th was the two-stake Relief Society birthday celebration in Bairiki.  These are all the senior couple sisters who were present.  From left to right they are Sister Baber (she was visiting with her auditor husband from Majero), Sister Waldron, Sister Bogh, Sister Wall, Sister Sumner, and Sister Alldredge.

Here is one of the many birthday cakes served at the 2-stake celebration. The two pictures below show more of the traditional dancing.  Each ward was assigned one of the Pacific island dance styles.  Our ward was given Hawaii, so our sisters did the Hula.  Our ward was assigned the colors yellow and blue, hence the outfits above.

 

 

After returning from the Relief Society birthday celebration, we were able to witness another baptism in the ocean behind our apartment.

On Thursday, March 19th, the Interhouse track and field day was held in Bairiki. This picture shows the 6 teams lining up for the parade past the stadium where we sat and judged the marching.

Weeks 24 and 25 in Tarawa (and New Zealand)

 

On February 26^th we left for the Principal’s Conference with our principal, Lita Iabeta.  She is an amazing person and has done much for the church as well as for Moroni High School.  She even assisted with the translation of the Book of Mormon into Kiribati.

We rented a car and drove down to Hamilton only to find that the temple was closed for cleaning on Friday, Feb. 27th.  We had a wonderful visit with the senior missionary couple from Farmington, Elder and Sister Monson, in the visitor center.  A week later, after the Principal's Conference was over, we again rented a car, drove the hour and forty five minutes and attended a temple session.  Sister Sumner was also able to do some initiatory work.  The temple was small but beautiful.  At the temple we met another senior couple serving in Auckland as name extractors.

 

Since the temple was closed, we drove in the rain to Rotorua, New Zealand’s “Yellowstone”.  We walked around looking down into bubbling mud pots, one of which spit some hot mud on me (no harm).  We walked along the lake edge and came to a Mauri exhibit of a war canoe that was pretty amazing.

Saturday morning, Feb. 28th, we decided to ride up on the Skyride tram and try out the mile long luge run.  Actually, I purchased the tram-luge run package without Sister Sumner knowing.  She was a good sport, however, and agreed to give it a look. You can see Rotorua and the lake in the background.

We took a picture of a family getting ready to go down the luge run.  Seeing little kids and grandparents going on the run gave Sister Sumner confidence to give it a go.  Afterwards, she wished I had bought more than a single run.

One of the attractions at the top of the tram was a jelly bean store.  These three pictures were made entirely of jelly beans!

There's Gollum admiring my precious!

We drove from Rotorua to Matamata to see Hobbiton, the set used for the Shire in the Hobbit movies.  We stopped at this visitor center in town and were informed that the tour would take three hours and cost $75 dollars each, so we took a few pictures and left.

The theme of the Principal's Conference was "Embark", the same theme for Young Men and Young Women this year.  We heard from the area presidency and our ITEP and Seminary and Institute leaders during the 3.5 days of the conference.  We came away recharged and refreshed to return home and fulfill our callings as ITEP missionaries.  We found it so helpful and enlightening to meet and discuss our efforts with the ITEP couples from the other islands whom we had never met before.  The "Embark" theme fit so well with the island schools in the South Pacific.

We loved all the decorations, but especially loved these table centerpieces.

This shows the layout of our conference meetings as seen from where we sat.  The principals sat in a large U in front of the ITEP couples.

Thursday afternoon, we went as a group to the marine museum in Auckland to learn more about the history of South Pacific island boats.  We toured this replica of a twin hull boat that was used to cross the Pacific in ancient times.  This replica was actually manned by a volunteer group from Hawaii who were sailing to many locations in the Pacific.  This replica, however, had very modern navigation and communication equipment on board.

We took a brief boat ride around Auckland.  This is a view of the city from our boat.

We were told to be sure and try the local fish and chips meal.  The meal was delicious for both of us and a handful of seagulls.  They would come right up to us at the table and take a French fry right out of our hand.

The Auckland skyline is famous for this needle-like structure, which can be seen from 30 or more miles away.  We could see it from the balcony of our hotel, the Spencer on Byron, in Takapuna, and even got to watch some fireworks launched from the needle to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Takapuna is known for its relatively recent volcanic activity. At low tide we went walking out on the lava flow where we could see the remnants of trees that had been destroyed by the lava flow, leaving circular rings and holes.

Being in New Zealand was a lot like being back in the U.S.  We realized, while there, that this was most likely our last excursion from Tarawa before our mission ends about a year from now.  It's hard to believe that our mission is one third over.  We feel so very blessed and privileged to be able to serve the Lord here.

We've been incredibly busy since returning, but will try to post a brief blog for week 26 in a day or two. 

Week 23 in Tarawa

Since school started, we have been very busy  so we have missed some time.  Right now we are in Aukland and can't download from our camera, so we will only talk about week 23 until we get back to Tarawa.  We put in this picture that we call our "Village Inn Breakfast.  Real eggs with real cheese, American Hashbrowns, and genuine bone in ham.  It's not so primitive as we thought.

Week 23 was Zone Conference.  This is always a treat.  The seniors cook the meal for the missionaries and enjoy the meetings.  I baked 36 hamburger buns. Betty will be happy to know that I used her roll recipe.  They were delicious.  We had Sloppy Joes on them. The missionaries were thrilled to be shown the movie, "Meet the Mormons".  The seniors had already seen it earlier.  President Weir gave a beautiful talk on obedience. You may be interested to know that in Kiribati, we are not "seniors" we are couple missionaries.

 

During the week we had extremely high tides, causing floods all over the Island.  I included a few pictures of some of the flooding we saw when we were out and about on Friday afternoon.

 I included this picture to show some of the debris that washed up with the waves. We actually saw the ocean washing over the road on one of the causeways.  It was pretty scary to realize the power of the sea, even with as small waves as we were having.  The kids, though, were having a wonderful time playing in the surf.

 

 

This is the water washing over the sea wall across from the I-Mart store we like to shop at.

Below are the decorations for the school opening social.  The students prepared all of the decorations, planned the food and the entertainment.  They did a great job.