Quick trip to North Tarawa

Occasionally we get invited on a little outing on the mission's launch.  Today we are on our way out to the north end of Tarawa for "transfer day" to exchange a couple of missionaries.  It is only a 45 minute commute but the sea and the weather were perfect.  It was a lovely, refreshing ride.

Elder and Sister Bogh are the VTEC missionaries.  Like us, they came along for the ride and a break from the usual.  They are kind of on break anyway because school is out until February and they are  in charge of helping the Vocational program here at the high school.  He works with the wood and small engine shops and she works with Home Economics--cooking, sewing, etc.  They are lots of fun and we love them.

These are Elders Maisey and Smith, the Zone Leaders making the companionship changes.  Left of Elder Maisey's shoulder on the horizon, you can see Nanikai.  Left of that, on the left border, you can see Teaoraereke where we live.

I don't know if he was down in the hold for a reason but this is Elder Vaia, on his way to serve on North Tarawa.  A large Samoan, he would make two of me, but sweet and humble.  

We were at wake-less speed approaching the beach because of the shallow water.  The run out from the beach is so gradual that at low tide you have to walk in for a quarter mile but at high tide, you still have to be careful not to ground the launch.  As it was we still had to walk in.  There is a small bungalow just left of center on the beach.  The foliage is quite heavy here and most of the people live off the copra industry.

Here we are walking in (about 30 yards) with the supplies and luggage for the elder.  It was knee high all the way.

Just about to the beach, I gave Sis Waldron the camera to snap one of me coming in with Elder Maisey.  They wouldn't let us carry anything.  Wouldn't do to have one of the old fogies flounder with any goods.

The branch attends church here in a mwaneaba, which is actually the most comfortable way to go.  It is shady and there is lots of airflow to keep it cool.

With a portable pulpit and Sacrament table you have all you need for an LDS service.

Stacked neatly at the rear are ten pews for use in Sacrament Meeting.  A typical one room chapel.  The architecture is pretty simple; rafters are at eight feet and pearlings are at four.  Corregated tin to top it off and masonite for the floor.

This is the buia next door and is characteristic of the a family home on the island.  This one has the hull of an old canoe as its wall for some privacy, I suppose.  It is not structural.  

There were a couple of young girls listening to their radio in their "bedroom" and allowed me to take a picture of them.  Quite tidy!  I wish my kids could have kept their rooms so nice.

This is the view of the little bungalow mentioned several frames above.  Must be the mother-in-law apartment.  Nice, one room on the beach--I'd take it.

These little "boys" were waiving at us as we left and I got around to taking this with the telephoto lens from about 100 yards out.  The boat was rocking and moving so much it took me half a dozen shots to get one worth keeping.  Bare necked kids are the order of the day.