At last, back to Tarawa

Hi All,
  It is Sunday afternoon and we have just returned from our regular block in our home ward.  It is time we caught you up on our summer and let you know we will be heading back to Tarawa Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 10).  We have had a glorious summer at home and though much of it was spent with doctors, etc. (in spite of the various physical therapies), we have enjoyed it all.  Sister Waldron's shoulder is nearly 100% as are my teeth and we are returning to the mission field rested, healthy, and excited to get back to the work.  We are really sad to miss the coming winter ;) but look forward to the tropical climate of our home away from home.  Having been in contact with many of our friends in Kiribati we anticipate a happy reunion and their loving welcome when we get there.
  Since coming home in July, Sis Waldron "enjoyed" the manipulation of her shoulder to break all the scar tissue loose and two months of PT to complete the rehabilitation from her frozen shoulder.  She has had several visits to her chiropractor and other physician types culminating in a clean bill of health enabling us to return to our original field of service.  Surprisingly, when we got home and after a routine trip to the dentist, we found I needed some critical work done on my teeth.  So after six weeks of care under a local endodontist and three (yes,3) root canals, I also received a similar clean bill of health to return.
  This has taken almost 4 1/2 months and we almost despaired of making it back, but faith and prayers were answered and we find ourselves almost ready to go.  This afternoon President Mellor will set us apart again and with any luck, we can complete our preparations, purchases, and packing to board the flight on Tuesday at 5:00 pm.  We will fly to LA-X and after a three hour layover continue on to Fiji where we will land at 8:00 am Thursday (they are a day ahead so we lose Wednesday).  There, our change to a smaller, commuter jet will finish our last leg to Tarawa at about 11:00 am.
  This summer has seen us trying to keep busy with good, wholesome activities much like the retirement we thought we might have had last year.  Then, we left our employment at the bank on July 4th and entered the MTC on the 21st--hardly time to settle into the life of a retired, almost empty nest life we might have expected.  We were much too busy in mission preparations those two weeks to do anything else.
  Together with the family now, we have attended several reunions, hosted three of the children from their far flung habitations (Hawaii, Seattle, and St George) as they came home on vacation (including bringing two of our newest grandchildren who were born while we were gone), worked laboriously on the yard, tuned up several automobiles, and attended the temple weekly.  I managed to find time to shoot with my club on the weekends and even, in my capacity as Range Officer, hosted the annual Elders Quorum/Ward Shooting Party and several scout and individual groups to other shooting activities.  Sister Waldron has sewed on Grandchild projects, harvested and put up fruit and even spoke at a Y/W camp down in Price (her fame has spread far and wide).
  Our delayed departure even enabled us to be on hand for the delivery or our 19th grandchild.  We have spent some time this last week with Aaron's family where Sister Waldron got to hold the baby while I hung sheet rock.  Not the most fair trade, but it's what we do.
  I have attached a link in the subject line to an article in the November National Geographic which speaks to the plight of the people of Kiribati (and other island nations).  With whatever climate change is happening, the tides are rising and because of the nature of the Pacific Islands, they are threatened with inundation of seawater which would make most of the islands uninhabitable.  Beyond that sad thought there is an interesting story about the people among whom we serve.  We love them and are happy to be going back.  We pray that the Lord will be with us and guide us to be fruitful and helpful in the things He wants to accomplish there.
  I will continue to do my journal entries and send them out to you.  Sis Waldron has suggested I do a summary and send it to those of you who don't want to be burdened with five pages each week.  I will do that for any who desire--just let me know and I'll put you on a different e-mail list and send you the abbreviated version.
Love to all,
Mom and Dad
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/climate-change/kiribati-against-the-tide-text

East Stake Dance Festival

At the end of May the two stakes in Tarawa celebrate the division of the first stake with a Dance Festival and all the wards participate.  The West Stake had theirs last week and the East Stake was this weekend.  These are some of the shots we took of the East Stake Festival.  It was held outdoors on the Moroni High School sports court and at six pm.  Therefore, the shots got progressively worse as the darkness prevailed and we competed with the big overhead lights.  The evening was pleasant under starry skys and we had a wonderful night of feasting and entertainment.  This is like road shows at home except ten times bigger and more important in this culture.  They practice several hours every night for a solid month.  The whole ward joins in.

This was a group from Bikenibeu 1st Ward.  Special because right in the middle was Sis Nena, one of our sister missionaries, who had learned the dances so she could participate with her ward. 

This group from the No. Tarawa Branch had to ride a boat in for an hour to join us.  Theirs was a great contribution for such a small branch.

Moroni Ward is the ward of all the resident high school students, among others, and they usually dominate any activity they join.  Theirs was more of a non-traditional dance with quite Western costuming and dance moves.  What they lacked in tradition, they made up for in spirit and excitement.

I think the winner was Eita 2nd.  The next few slides show how they wove in the different cultures of the Pacific Islands.  They had four or five different sets including their whole ward.  This one is typical of Tahiti

Also, Tahitian

This one was kind of Maori.  This is the stuff the Haka is made of.  They were very agressive.

These sisters from left to right, Sis Cruz (Hispanic from Maryland), Sis Faupula (Tongan from Utah), Sis Jaik (Fiji), and Sis Nena (Micronesia) all went to the trouble of learning the traditional dances with their wards and proved themselves quite able in the festival.

These are a few of the other missionaries who were in attendance.  Guess which one is from Utah.

We took a close-up to kind of show the fun dance bling, handmade and worn for this festival.

These next four are of Temwaiku Ward and the victors for the night.  They showed up with about 120 participants and they were terrific!

Everyone had a chance to perform their dance sitting down.  This is called Bino.  They carry out a small mat and spread it over their lap and just do the dance with their upper body.  

Note the bling--fingers, arms, etc. all adorned with the decorations made from vegetation.  

They are carrying their mats out for the dance in this shot.

This is our friend Tioromaea with his wife and new child, Gloria.  He held the baby while Utita danced with her ward, Eita 1st.

The baby loved me and allowed me to hold her through the whole dance.  She cooed and smiled at me the whole time.  I'm such a grampa.  

April Humanitarian Project

Several weeks ago there was a cyclone in the Pacific area--Cyclone Pam--which caused much devastation on several islands.  Our area was not ravaged by the storm but several islands had higher than normal tides which caused much damage to homes, gardens and wells.  The island of Tamana was one of these.  Of 157 families on the island 100 had homes damaged and 60 were destroyed.  Their wells were swamped with sea water and their gardens were destroyed.  They needed help right away.  The service center here in Tarawa jumped into action and put through a request to the Pacific Area HQ for emergency relief suplies.  Several members living here, who are children of this island, stepped up to help on the committee.  They helped us procure supplies from local merchants at cost and arranged for the shipping.  I managed to be around for photo opps.  

When the Church does humanitarian projects here, we try to have what is called a "handing off" ceremony to notice the event with interested parties then the PR people inform the media.  This is the West Stake President Uakitera presenting the invoices and shipping manifest to the Tamana Member of Parliament.  He happens to be a member of the church as well and was instrumental in working out some of the details.  Sis Waldron and I are working on a subsequent project with him to provide some water catchment and retention tanks for them.

This is the Nakoroi (Pleasant Trip) which transported the goods to Tamana.

President Uakitera and I monitoring the loading of the rice.

Whoa!!  Is that the last guy who tried to jump off from here?

I was aboard, taking pictures in the hold to verify our cargo.  

Pictures of the goods being delivered to families on Tamana.

Some supplies were just left on the ground where the home was.  They are trying to rebuild; some on their old site but most have moved inland (Such as there is, the island is only a couple hundred feet wide) to rebuild.

Some are under tarps.  I'm sure the bales of clothing we sent will find good use.

More deliveries.  Sis Waldron and I are going to try to work a project with the Member of Parliament  (mentioned above) to get some tanks and catchment systems out to these folks so they have a little more permanent fresh water supply.  Interestingly, this island has a legal restriction forbidding the LDS Church from sending missionaries out there.  In spite of restrictions at home, a lot of their people seem to join the Church here in Tarawa; not the least of whom are the biggest retailer on the island, the Chief of Police, and their representative in Parliament.  

Random photos in January

We took some fun photos in the last couple of weeks but not enough of any subject to make a real focused blog.  So here are a few just so you can savor the things we are seeing/experiencing.

Sis Waldron got a few pictures of these pretty birds, called Kiakias.  They are pure white with blue beaks, smooth as silk and seem to fly in pairs.  

They seem kind of like doves but a tad smaller.

Especially tricky to catch on the wing.  Good job Sis Waldron

This is the best I can do.

Driving home the other night we caught some spectacular sunset scenes.  This one had a lot of fun colors.

This one showed the sun setting through the palms and framed by foliage.

First rainbow we'd seen here.  Rainy season, so you'd think we would see a lot.  Maybe we will see more.

This is a rainbow over the parliament building.  This is where their legislature meets..

Happened to catch this one from the causeway.

Sis Waldron is making a file of pictures of peoples' efforts at landscaping.  "Do what you can with what you have," I always say.

Don't throw away those old lawn chairs.  Great for gardening.

These are the folks from the Humanitarian Dental program, here for three weeks and just doing teeth for anyone who walks in (tons).  L to R Jared, his wife, and her friend.  All dental assistants with the Chisolm Clinic.

R to L Dr. Shields and his wife and in the far back, Dr. Chisolm.  This is a favorite restaurant because it has a covered patio out over the ocean.  Terrific place to have lunch.

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.