Allison and Carrie arrive in Fiji

We picked up the Iverson girls at the airport in Nausori at 9 am on Sunday.  They had a long but no disaster trip from Boise, and slept well on the plane.  We went straight to the Wailoku Ward, and caught most of the speakers at Ward conference.  The girls had an interesting time and enjoyed Sunday school and Young Women.

After Church we got them into Patron Housing and took a drive to central Suva, for the required picture with the guard in front of the government building.


On Monday we drove to Takalana Bay for a dolphin tour and snorkeling.  There were lots of dolphins to watch.  The snorkeling was enjoyed, not our best coral site but fun to have the girls enjoying it.

Lemon tea and breakfast.

Nemo and his father.

Everyone thinks the girls are twins, Carrie on left with Allison.

The "classic" racing the boat while dodging
 back and forth in front of the bow.

We had a bonus add-on walk to a small fall and swimming hole,
a nice fresh water rinse for me.

Tuesday found us doing baptisms in the Suva Temple and then driving to Pacific Harbor for a stroll on the beach.  The weather was a bit windy and cloudy, so we did not swim. Still a good day.


Wednesday we had a bus ride to central Suva for shopping.  We were able to see Timoci Wainaqola at his work to see goodbye. Liz had sent some memento Temple recommend holders with the girls for us to give to people, with our email on them, so I gave him one so he can contact us if he wants to.

Wednesday afternoon we were all in the Baptistry, this time with the YSA and school youth.  It is so fun to have a mixed cultural group together for the same purpose.  The girls were baptized by a pre-field missionary from Tahiti, waiting a visa for Quebec.  So worded in French for them.


Wednesday morning we did Suva central, shopping, market, lunch with a T-rex.

Thursday we went to the Fiji Museum and had lunch at Bula McDonalds on the way back to the Temple.  The girls did baptisms every day, hearing English, Karibati, Fijian and French.

Banaban warriors with puffer fish helmets.

Thurston Park derelict fountain.

Bishop Savu;s new boat

Bishop Savu and Rodger

Meir, Carrie, Emmy Savu, and Allison

Temple roof top views

We hadn't all had a chance to do the upper attic Temple tour and roof top view pictures, so Pres. Anderson led us up the ladders as a near-final activity.  The attic has a lot of nooks and crannies, you have to watch your head at times and duck pretty low here and there.

It is a good way to look out over Suva, and to take some pictures of each other to remember our times and service together.

Looking north east over the Patron Housing.

Our apartment building.

If you want to Moroni in your picture,
 it takes some work.

Olsens, Shavers, Andersons and McFaddens.

Winding down, Parting shots

We have been starting to wrap things up.  Patron House scheduling is turned over to our replacements. Temple assignments for training are being parceled out. We are doing some things "for the last time", yesterday was our final early start Tuesday!

We will miss our many Temple and ward friends. Temple regulars are the best people ever.  I will miss my hot chocolate and breakfast biscuits for my Temple breaks.  We have been doing some walking, I will miss them and our fellow missionaries we walk with. There are no seawall and harbor scenes in Eagle.

The pride that Fijians of all types had in the rugby7's Olympic gold medal team would be hard to understand if I hadn't seen it for myself.  The first ever Olympic medal for the country. The team has now been honored with a $7 bill and a special .50 cent coin.

Our walks along the harbor, along Seabreeze park and toward Suva center, usually give us something interesting to observe. Birds, boats, or people.

Net casting for bait fish.

Cindy's main walk is up Princess road to the police station in Tamavua village.  They were building a new covered bench for the bus stop for a month or two.  When finished the sign telling that it was donated by the LDS Church was placed, then partially cracked off the first week.

The friends we have made, especially with our Patron House workers and those in the Temple, are the highlight of our experience.

Sr Korrie has breakfast "tea", hot chocolate and
breakfast crackers.