New Mission Couple

Last Sunday, 10 July, we met the new office couple that replaces the Davidson's.  We were able to attend our meetings and get to the airport in time to meet Elder and Sister Gibbs.  President and sister Duquette were also there, along with the Lindemans, sister Tucker and us.  They flew in from the Auckland, New Zealand, MTC, the same one we attended.  I think I mentioned to you that they are from American Somoa.  They are a very nice couple that   will be great.   We had to get back to our apartment and get things going for a welcome luncheon that all of us were giving for the Duquette's and the Gibb's.  I think I mentioned that we were having a potato bar.   I baked the potatoes and made chili, but that wasn't all we added to our tatters, there was chicken alfredo sauce, sour cream, green onions, cheese, and tomatoes.  We also had a green salad, and for dessert, banana splits!  It was DELISH!  We had thirteen people in our little apartment that day!  We borrowed two long tables from the mission office so that we would all be comfy, normally we just hold the plates in our laps.   I think the Duquette's and the Gibb's feel very welcome.   I don't have a picture of the Gibb's, but I'll attach a picture of the Duquette's.  By the way, I started whacking at my hair, that's why it looks so beautiful in the picture.  ha ha!

In sacrament meeting, bishop Mahit spoke to the members for about fifteen minutes about the nasty habit of kava.  Kava is a drink made from a root, which when they drink it, they become high and hallucinate.  It is against the word of wisdom, but some are having a hard time with that.  The bishop did not mince words, he was very direct in speaking to them.  It's has been used socially and ceremonially for hundreds of years in the south pacific, so it will take time.

Monday evening we held family home evening at the Roundy's.  President and sister Duquette came once again.  We are glad that they want to join us for our activities, I think the Granger's wanted the separation, just a different style of leadership.  They said they wanted to have contact with adults too, because they will have plenty of contact with the young missionaries. 

I'm back to making hot pads for the missionaries.  You can't buy them here, not even in the Chinese shops.   I just make them out of old towels and fabric.  I sandwich towel inbetween two pieces of fabric and sew them up.  Sister Tucker then gives them out to the missionaries. 

We'll be leaving Friday the 13th for Honiara, in the Solomon Islands, for our last round of audits.   It's nice to be on the road again and do what we've come here specifically to do.  We'll be saying good bye to the dear friends we've met as we've travelled the islands.  This is not an easy place to get to, so I doubt we'll be back.  We wish them all the best in a beautiful, but tough place to be.  We will ALWAYS remember them in our prayer, they will need it. 

We're still dealing with bug bites.  Our apartment manager keeps saying he'll do something, but you know how that goes sometimes.  I just keep soaking rags with permitheran and stuffing them down behind the couch cushions, and windexing the part we sit on.  We only get a bite once in a while, so we can do that for a few months I suppose.  I'll close for now.  We'll be in Solomon until next Tuesday, so I'll email again when we get back in town.  We love you all!  Love, Greg and Ann