So many wonderful men & women leading the church here on Kiritimati Island

THE OCEAN CAN BE TOUGH

WELLBEING #3

One day when we were driving back from Poland Dee and I saw a big object out near the beach.  From the road we couldn't tell exactly what it was so we drove off the road to investigate.  As we got closer and closer we both felt kind of sad to think someones beautiful boat had come to such a sad ending. We found all kinds of rubbish along the beach leaving us with the suspicion that it must have been driven onto the coral during a terrible storm. The next day Dee was in a meeting with the Kiritimati Branch presidency and mentioned seeing this sad site. The president informed  him that it was his boat that had broken away from it's mooring during a big storm.  Then we were really sad that we hadn't even known to make our regrets to him.

GO CLIMB A TREE

SEND THE KID UP THE TREE

One Saturday afternoon some of the branch elders gathered at the church lot to clean off the coconut trees. The coconuts grow in clusters at the top of these tall giants. As the individual fruit ripens it crashes down with mighty power damaging anything unfortunate enough to be under it. The many trees we have in the back yard don't do any damage but the 1/2 dozen in the front yard are dangerous to members and their vehicles. I watched them for a while before asking if someone would go back up so I could take some pictures to show the g-kids back home. They sent the 10 year old kid up who had been helping them. I was worried for a minute but as I watched him jump up, leap onto the trunk and begin to climb, I realized it was something he probably did very often. 

Home Sweet Home

WELCOME TO OUR ISLAND HOME

You will enter through the only outside door to our home. It leads you into our kitchen/office. Even though it is small it has all a woman needs to plan, prepare, serve then clean up a delicious meal for up to 4 people at once. The stove/oven is gas which is good because the city electrical power goes off now and then. The tap water is automatically pumped from the well out back, it is handy and good for many of the everyday needs. The rain water funneled from off the church buildings is collected into large storage tanks located close by. This treasured commodity is right across the driveway where we refill our 5 gal bucket once or twice a day so we can pump it through the filter system located just to the side of the sinks water taps. Our versatile table can be pulled forward when needed to provide a bigger surface for meals/office work or pushed back under the shelf to allow more space for walking around the kitchen. We have a micro wave oven, a toaster, 2 laptop computers, shelves for our dishes and  food, 2 way radio, telephone and more shelves for office supplies. We spend most of our 'indoor' time here.

TO CONTINUE .....

Next to the stove, down the three foot hallway (where the washing machine sits) and through the curtained off doorway, you will come upon our sitting/sleeping room. It really is comfortable and so very handy. This window looks directly onto the church building area where we can keep an eye on the coming and goings of the islanders. We sit quite a little distance from the road so we have a lot of privacy and unless there is an activity going on (which we generally join) it is really quiet. The 'night stand' to the right of this photo is a couple of loaded storage bins covered with a white cloth. On the other side is an easy chair (easy to move from place to place) that blocks 1/2 of the closet's double doors. There is an upper and lower shelf for books and extra storage. I am standing next to the doorway to the little bathroom which has a stand up shower, small sink & potty. What more could a couple of busy people want. I can sweep the whole place in less than 15 minutes and dust the one piece of real furniture in 1/2 a minute. Pumping the water is a 2 to 3 times a day project. We fill at least 10 water bottles and a water pitcher each time. Then there are the 2 meals a day that I slave over (JK). Definitely a great place to be!!

DAY OF CELEBRATION - JULY 12, 2012

Kiribati Day of Celebration - July 12, 2012

This picture was taken on one of the days of the week long celebration that is held each year to honor the freedom of their country.  Most of the events were held here at this stadium. This special area is set up for 'important' people of the island and visitors. You can see Dee up front to the far left of this picture. He is watching the soccer game very intently. It was a great game. The table behind the sitting area (at the front of this photo) is for the food that will be set up for lunch a little later. The wonderful women cook and prepare for days. This long expanse is heavily loaded with these foil cooking pans covered with tin foil. We walk along filling our plates from the large selection supplied for us.  I tried to down load another picture of the other bystanders watching the game but it didn't come up.  Toward the back of this photo you can get a glimpse of the place where the teams are grouped. It was a wonderful day. We had such a good time all week watching several sporting events, marches, parades, and dances. We went to watch the beauty contest but it didn't get started until after 10 pm and we had to be back home by 9 pm. Friends told us the next day that it didn't get over until after 1:00 am. 

October 2012 General Conference

While it was still dark at 6:00 AM Sunday morning, several members of the Kiritimati Branch in the South Pacific gathered together at a member's home to watch the first (Saturday) session of General Conference. All six full time missionaries serving on this beautiful island (Marshall Island Majuro Mission) were in attendance.  The sun was shining brightly as the morning session ended and we all prepared to regroup back at the meeting house where our regular Sunday meetings would soon be starting.  We will travel back over there tonight at 7:30 PM to watch the rebroadcast of the Saturday afternoon session that will start at 8:00.  It will be a late night by the time we get home. Then tomorrow morning (Monday) we will retrace our travel to London, to watch both sessions of Sunday's live broadcast. Our wonderful hosts will supply lunch for the gathering.  The saints here on Kiritimati Island in the Republic of Kiribati are amazing people.  

Beautiful white beach just a short distance from Poland

About a month ago we took the sister missionaries with us when we drove up to Poland to pick up the Elders who had been up there finding, teaching & preaching. The six of us drove on to Paris so we could gaze at the beautiful waves from that location. On our way back home we stopped for a short time at the mystical white beach. The sand here is so soft, white and clean. One of the islanders told us it is a moving beach. Over a period of so many years it will actually move along the coast line as the waves gradually shove it around. Bless her heart, one of the sisters offered to take our picture. We don't have many of the two of us together.