FOOD, F.H.E., FUN and FAITH

- FOOD -
For two zone conferences we talked about food. First we talked about the importance of healthy eating and during the second one, we all cooked together. The senior sisters on the islands came up with great recipes for the elders. We put them together in a cook book and fixed some recipes out of the book. Above is Elder Sears cooking a mexican dish.

Elder Cherrington and Matuauto

In Guam Elder Sears, Mabey,and Standage cutting up chicken for chicken curry.

Since most apartments have rice cookers, we learned to open cans, dump ingredients and push the on button. It doesn't get any easier for missionaries than that!! Some of the questions that were asked by the missionaries while learning to cook were:
1. What does drain mean?
2. How do you dice?
3. What is white sauce?

Elders in Siapan loving the food

Elder Tew ready to eat chicken curry

Elder Wood. We have some great cooks... even better eaters!!

- FAMILY HOME EVENING -

We were in Chuuk for District Conference. We had an extra night together with the missionaries. The senior couple, the Duncans, put together a family home evening for us where we played a great game of scripture chase.
Below they are on the edge of their seats waiting for the first scripture!

-FUN -

It's so fun to get together with the sisters. We had many of them in Guam for zone conference which is unusual. We were able to meet together - just the girls - in a sisters session of zone conference. Can you imagine the fun girls can have when we get to be together?

- FAITH -

We were filled with faith promoting experiences during our zone conference tour. President Dowdle taught about faith. He reminded us that Faith is:
l. an assurance of things hoped for, which are true.
2. Evidence of things not seen, and
3. A principle of action
We gain a witness of our faith after we try or (act), we must be focused on Christ, and sometimes it takes stepping out of the light into the darkness.

Kosrae below

Pohnpei

We were filled with faith as we traveled with Elder and Sister Choi. We traveled to Palau and then Yap for District and Zone Conference. He taught us how to learn. Serving a mission is the beginning of learning to align our lives with the Lord. Then:
1. We listen
2. We watch others and learn
3. We feel - when you feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, you are obligated to act on it.

Our Palau zone conference below

While in Yap we visited some branch members. This is the Ayin family at their home.

After District Conference we had a youth meeting

We had the wonderful experience of hosting Sister Dibb and Allred from the general auxiliary presidencies in Guam. Sister Dibb visited some of the Young Women in their homes. She strengthened these young women and reminded them of the importance of personal progress. She even signed off their accomplishments in their books. The girls were thrilled and honored to spend time with her.

There it is... the end of a 6 week transfer.

Since Last Zone Conference

This is the young people in the Mwan branch. The church did a humanitarian project for the Chuuk schools. They put together backpacks for the students, first grade to Jr. High. The young men/young women put the packs together the night before,

with some missionary help, then..

Loaded them up ready to deliver

Loaded and ready to go... the backpacks are there under the missionary's, I promise

The rewarding part was handing them out at the schools.

I thought it would be fun to show you some of the english words the children are learning.

Are they cute or what...they didn't really understand what was happening when we handed them their packs, they didn't understand our English, but it didn't take them long to catch on.

The church provided over 500 backpacks filled with school items for children in Mwan, from 1st grade to Jr. High age. The following days we had many mothers of the children come up to us in restaurants and on the streets thanking us for what we had done for the children. What a great feeling.

BLESSINGS

This is Elder Stanley in Palau. During our last few zone conferences we have been discussing and reminding our missionaries of the standards in the "Missionary Handbook". As we were all reading from it, I noticed that Elder Stanley had a cover on his. On his cover was the word "Blessings". When we follow that standards outlined in the missionary handbook, they become our blessings. Our obligation as missionaries is to understand and live the principles and standards taught in it. We have the promise that we will be protected physically and spiritually as we do. As missionaries we strive to live the higher laws taught by Jesus Christ. We are then blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Thanks for reminding us of our blessings Elder Stanley!!!

So Much to Blog, So Little Time... long post

Here we are on the mission boat on our way out to the island of Romanum to dedicate the new chapel. Elders from left to right: Ulmer, Mitton, Tuitianu, and Ako. Kerfin Dien on the right just got his mission call and was called to the Marshall Islands mission.

Elder Sorensen and South

Arriving at the chapel in Romanum

As we made our way through a path, this is what we saw. All the primary children and their leaders dressed in white waiting for us, singing primary and Chuukese songs to greet us.

What a beautiful sight. We had lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes.

An open house was held before the dedication for all the locals to come and see the new building. Missionaries and local leaders were waiting for them. Elder's Ako and Matuato are teaching a interested local man, aided by Xerxes Kata, of the Sapuk branch presidency.

Then on to the next week. This is our couples conference. We have 6 couples right now. We consider working with them one of choicest blessings. Our office couple wasn't in this picture. This was our last conference with Elder and Sister Hopoate. It was a great conference, but it was hard to say good-bye to them.

After the conference we were all able to go to dinner together. It was an amazing sight seeing them all together and feeling of their strength.

Next we really did say good-bye to Elder and Sister Hopoate. They came to our house for the last time and we had a meal with the mission presidency. We will miss their leadership, thier intimate knowledge of the island people and their ways, and their way of showing their love to all people.

After that we had our zone leader council. This is all our zone leaders and assistants. From back left: Sister Dowdle, President Dowdle, Elders Bunderson, Carter, Davis, Whitehead, Wells, Dold, Varo, Terriipaia, Walpole, Brown. Front row: Elder's Sorensen, Acton, Parker, Lange, Whetten, Paton, Taufa, and Hill.

Learning together

We had an activity where the elder's had to hold on to someone's hand with each hand. They had to untangle the knot without breaking the chain.

They were blindfolded while doing it.

Once they did it blindfolded, then they had to do it without blindfolds... This proved to be more challenging.

They never did get untangled. The lesson learned was not to lean on the arm of flesh, but to listen to the spirit.

After a great zone leader council, we went bowling for a fun activity.

Elder Dold showing his championship form.

President Dowdle, Elder's Lange, Whetten and Taufa taking a needed break

Elder's Brown, Bunderson, Acton and Whitehead relaxing

Elder's Sorensen and Varo, waiting for their turn.

Elder Whitehead, President Dowdle, Elder's Brown and Lange. During this time we also held our zone conferences through out the mission. We will post those next...

Successes and Inspirations

Each quarter our mission sends out a newsletter filled with experiences the missionaries are having. Our mission is spread out so far that often times the missionaries don't get to share in each other's experiences. We call it "Successes and Inspirations." I thought I would share some of the experiences the missionaries are having as they seek to do the work the Lord's way.

Seeking Families - You Get What You Go For - Elder Hill writes:

"We met at Robert's house, (a new convert) and Reuban and Mitchell and their family happened to be there. We watched 'The Mountain of the Lord' with them and when it got to the part when they showed the inside of the Salt Lake Temple, they loved it. Mitchell had such a big smile on her face. We talked about how families can be together forever. Her eyes lit up and she asked Robert if they could could go to church with them this Sunday. The spirit was just so strong! Mitchell and Reuban asked if they had to be married to be baptized. We told them yes and explained and he said 'good, I thought that would be a good question to ask...' Mitchell had gone outside and came back in for the closing prayer. When she came in she was crying. Reuban and Mitchell decided right then to get married so they can be baptized and work towards going to the temple. All three of us were just full of smiles and I know that the Spirit was present in this lesson.

Finding and Teaching by the Spirit - Elder Maybe writes:

Last Sunday I decided to fast that we would be able to set up a baptismal date with someone, and today my many prayers and fasting were answered. When I fasted I didn't even have anyone particular in mind that we were teaching. I just knew if I fasted and put my trust in the Lord he would provide a way. Well, this week a Palauan couple we have been teaching Jack and Sariah, have just taken off. They read the Book of Mormon together, they talk about what we have taught and they talk about the feeling of the Spirit. We owe much of this success to Brother Konneh who came with us to teach them and bore a powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Church. The Power of members is real and the power of fasting is real. I know it, for I have seen it. I can already see more happiness in their lives, they have a great light about them now. They are both excited to come to church and are excited to be baptized.

Personal Revelation - Elder Carter writes:

Looking back upon my study journals and notes from meetings I saw a pattern in my life that I had never seen before. I like the words of Nephi best in describing it as found in 2 Nephi 28:30. The Lord teaches us 'line upon line, and precept upon precept...' by looking back on my records I have seen how the Lord, in his own way has taught me principles of revelation, even since before my mission. I can now look back and see what I initially took for granted as my own thoughts and see that the Lord directed them and through them have taught me. The records I have kept are now very precious to me because in them I find the whisperings of the wisdom of the Lord and as I read them I receive more light and knowledge. Journals and record keeping have now taken a completely new meaning for me.

Book of Mormon - Elder Bridgewaters writes:

We had a tender mercy this last week when we were in a three-some. Friday morning we went to a graduation because some members asked us to take pictures. So as we sat back, this man walked up to us, sat down next to us and out of a plastic bag he had in his hand, he pulls out a worn triple combination and says 'this book is amazing, its really good'. He went on to tell us he had read it six or seven times already. The man's name is Sasaki George and he was actually a referral from Joab Mongkeya. He already had a testimoney of the Book of Mormon. I couldn't keep the smile off my face. God Loves us.

Sister Loeak says:

When I teach and share scriptures I can feel myself that I make my people understand. They love reading the Book of Mormon as we read with our investigators. Last week we read with James and Maryann's family. All of them read and write what they learn. James, the father is reading 2 Nephi 27 now; he was sharing something he likes and feels that the Book of Mormon is more clear to understand. Maryann's reading 1 Nephi 13, she was saying that something whispering to her ears to pick up the pamphlet of the Restoration and read it and compare to what she read from 1 Nephi 13. Then when we or Sister Waetford pulled out the pamplet of the Restoration and asked her to read all the questions in the back she was shocked and told us that she read it before we came.

Making and Keeping Commitments - Sister Waetford writes:

This week we also talked with the family about prayer and how we say it properly. The children are fantastic at praying, always volunteering to pray. In discussing with this family about things we can mention in our prayers, the parents commented on their youngest sons how they always pray for food and a car. They always pray for these things and the family giggled at this young child's faithful prayer. I shared an experience of a family in Yap, how the young children constantly prayed for a car but the Father did not believe. After a year or two, the family received a car. I saw our family we were teaching that their attitude changed and they even encouraged the youngest sons to keep praying. When we went back to visit the family this week, they had great news! By miraculous design, they received a car from a relative. I was so excited and happy for them and gave a prayer of gratitude to our Father in Heaven. As I watched the excitement of the family's new addition, I heard the older son say "see Reanjay (the younger brother), it's because of your prayers we have a car."

June Zone Conferences

We were sitting outside waiting for turns for president interviews and the zone leaders returned from the post office. It was letter day!!! This is always a great day in Chuuk because sometimes there are problems getting mail. Some missionaries have waited up to 5 weeks for a letter from home. The reason is because there have been power outages in the post office and the workers can't go through all the incoming mail. The missionaries are forced to wait and wait. This was a good day for letters. Even our senior couple received letters!!

Chuuk Zone Conference. We've started holding them at the Hotel where we stay, The Blue Lagoon. It has air conditioning (sweet). One of the missionarys had the idea for all of us to hold Book of Mormons. He said we should try to get it in the Ensign or Liahona. Watch and see if we get in!!!

Guam Zone Conference... our biggest

Saipan Zone Conference

Kosrae Zone Conference

The Palau Zone with Pres. and Sister DeVallie as a bonus. He is a counselor to Pres. Dowdle

Pohnpei zone conference, taken just outside the chapel.

Yap zone conference was held in two parts. The second part we came fasting. After a spiritual zone conference we all went and had a meal together This is outside the restaurant. I hope all the mom's were able to get a good look at their wonderful missionaries. We love them, and love working with them.

LETS TALK FOOD

The elder's in Kosrae asked one of the branch sisters to prepare "local food" for zone conference. Here it is...

Here we have taro, (brown) breadfruit, (yellow)

Kosraen tangerines, (yum) rice, (a staple) and sukiaki, (made with papaya)

a local soup and a basket of coconuts to drink. The baskets are made for special occasions and are made out of palm fronds.

Elder Paton showing off his fish head.

Hawaii is supposed to be the Spam capital of the world. Well Guam has to be a close second. This is the "Costco" type store and they have long aisle's of it. It goes on,..

and on,...

and on....!!!!!

This is the meat department in the local grocery store

We have yet to eat turtle, dog, or turkey tail. We have no plans to do it and we counsel our missionaries to avoid it as well.
Bon appetit!!!!!