Missionary Times: Missionary Moments

Happy Thanksgiving

We have been really busy in the mission having zone conference, and getting ready for Thanksgiving. We will have all the missionaries that serve on Majuro here to dinner at the mission home on Thanksgiving day. President and Sister Shaw will be in Tarawa so the senior missionaries will fix the dinner for all the missionaries. It will be fun. The Marshallese people don't exactly celebrate Thanksgiving. The children will all still be in school, and most families will probably not have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, I did see some turkeys at the store..frozen ones like we get back home. We have been able to get everything we need to have a traditional dinner.

Some kids playing on a fallen tree

Majuro participated in the international walk for Diabetes

We had the first zone conference since I have been here this past week. It was really fun. I was asked to talk about good health and then bear my testimony. I had made a cute handout on all the things that the missionaries should remember to do to keep healthy. Then I talked also a little about Dengue Fever, because it is now the rainy season and the mosquitoes that cause Dengue Fever are around more since they breed in the little puddles of rain water. I ended with my testimony. It was really a spiritual meeting. The mission president and his wife had just returned from a Mission President's seminar in New Zealand. They were told to expect an additional 30 missionaries to our mission by this spring. Of course half will go to Kirabati and half will come here. The work is moving forward and its so exciting. I love all the missionaries. I try to keep them healthy, but someone usually calls with some kind of an ailment. We haven't had anything very serious, thank goodness. I do think that Heavenly Father has heard our prayers and is trying hard to bless us with good health. I always tell the missionaries that we also need to do our part and remember the things that will help keep us healthy. (Drink only purified water and drink lots and lots, wash fresh fruits and vegetables with a solution of bleach and water, wash hands often, bathe daily and use special hand sanitizer from the MTC that is good for up to 90 hours (invented by a doctor that works for missionary medical), spray with mosquito spray daily and spray apartment with permethrine every 6 weeks, don't leave food laying around, wash sheets, are the main ones.)

The Sisters at Zone Conference

The Elders at Zone Conference

I have been playing the piano and organ a lot. We had stake conference last week and I played for that. I am also playing for the primary program in my ward tomorrow and I played at the zone conference and for the baptisms in my ward. Tonight was special. It was the baptism of a young couple who just got married last week. I played the organ at their wedding and tonight I played at their baptism. The Sister missionaries who taught them were so cute last week. They wanted to come to my house to make a wedding cake for the couple. I will include a couple of pictures of the wedding and cake. They also got a white dress for the bride (I think it is one of the baptism dresses) and fixed her hair and made her a bouquet and had boutiners for the groom and little boys who were at the wedding. It was exciting to see them get baptized tonight.

The sisters made this wedding cake for the Bride and Groom

The Bride and Groom

Today one of our neighbors who works for the Taiwan Embassy here took all of the senior missionaries on a tour of a Taiwan fishing ship that was docked out in the lagoon. It was so interesting. It had just come into port and was taking its catch of tuna, sorting it and loading it onto another ship, a Korean transport ship which would take it to the Philippines. We got a very extensive tour and got to go all over both ships and meet the captains and see the tuna being sorted and loaded. It was really fun. I am going to take the Taiwanese lady to church with me tomorrow. She has been wanting to go and has been talking with some of us senior missionaries for several weeks. She is the tall lady in the picture. Its sort of unusual to see a tall Taiwanese lady isn't it Jason? The Taiwan captain is also in this picture. (See Taiwan Tuna Ship)

On the little boat going over to the Taiwan Fishing Vessell


The senior sisters, the captain, and Allison, from Taiwan

Some kids fishing on the peer

Its hard to think that it is the holidays, because it is so hot and humid but I did go to the grocery store yesterday and they were playing Christmas Music. It kind of seems weird to think it is really that time of year. I am sure that you are all getting geared up for Thanksgiving and of course Black Friday. I hope you all have a wonderful day and I will try to call to say hi. Actually I will try to do my usual Sunday/Monday calls and then try again on Thanksgiving. Don't forget if anyone wants to call me you can. My number is 435-275-6391. I will try to be here when you call. But..in case I am not I will definitely call you back. It doesn't cost either of us anything. You could probably catch me any day at around 12:30-2 pm Utah time which is 7:30-9 am my time since you are 5 hours ahead of me (but one day behind me). California/Nevada you could catch me at 11:30-1pm. You are 4 hours (and one day behind me). That means that I will celebrate Thanksgiving on your Wednesday. You could call earlier in the morning but I run from 6:30-7:30 am my time and wouldn't be home. You can actually try to call me anytime. If my computer isn't on, it won't ring.

Some Papaya behind my house (not real common here)

. Please know I love you all and am praying for you and for your health and safety. I am thankfull for wonderful family and friends. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.