Upper Navua River Raft trip

We did a long boat ride on the lower Navua river early in our time in Fiji.  We heard the upper Navua raft trip was fun so they Temple missionaries decided to try it out.

It was fairly tame, as far as rapids go.  There were a view times we got splashed, and we had a great guide; he told us lots of interesting village stories.We had a very nice day overall.

                     

Preparing for Visiting Natasiri and Navatuyabo Village and Primary school visits

In April when the daughters are going to gather, we will be taking some school supplies, farm tools, and used clothing to people living in villages outside of Nausori.  We are looking forward to it, and have been gathering exercise books, reading books and game balls for the schools.  We also have some backpack sprayers, spades, forks and machetes for the field work.

It should prove very interesting.

Facetime to Emma's Blessing

We have kept up pretty well with the families at home.  Skype and Facetime make it possible to "almost" be there.  We saw Margaret Horne's Baptism, even the behind the curtain talk with Laura and the other children getting baptized at the stairs to the fount.  These communications help make our separation seem not so far, though I will surely be glad to see everyone and hold the little ones again.

Last Monday we were able to be in the Catmull pew at church for Emma's name and blessing.  We couldn't talk but we could hear everything until the actual blessing, then the microphone position wasn't optimal.

Here are some pictures of the characters:

Iva

Iva after she got used to us being on the screen with her.

Charlie

We were happy to be able to almost watch and hear.

Suva activities, those we do outside the Temple.

Swimmers at sunset, at new Lami park.

Young man crossing the pipe bridge.

Pleased to be alive.

Fijian dancers at an event called the Young Leaders Ship Tour, Vodafone arena. Japan sponsors
a tour ship with young people from around the Pacific, this year they included the Ukraine. It was
a fun event.

Wailoku ward on Sunday.  Malakai, with Brother Apenisa Seru,
Bro Nabulivula, Cindy and Rodger.

My lonely tree again. Tide was up with the sun.

There are three bunches of bananas on the
trees behind our apartment.  These trees
were decapitated by Cyclone Winston.  They
say that caused them to get fruit the next season.

Wailoku Ward and Island Saints, continued.

We have been overwhelmed with number of groups coming from the South Pacific island nations to our Temple.  This week we have 26 from Karibati and 24 from the island of Tanna in Vanuatu (Whitegrass Branch).  I have received many papers from families and wards planning to come.  Several of these have been or will be the first members from their islands to receive the Temple ordinances.  They are symbolic of the Church growth in this region, as pioneers they sometimes arrive without some paperwork needed, but we usually find a way to get everything accomplished while they are here.

Right now from Tanna we have a sister with her son's family, she is 97 years old.  Flying to Suva, or taking ships and ferries as will happen from Rotuma and Rabi island, is almost too much to take in for them.  They arrive somewhat bewildered, picture the tired and huddled masses, yearning to be endowed with power from on high.

One of the White Grass Branch sisters had an experience that typifies the manner in which government power can be distorted in any country on earth.  That power corrupts and dehumanizes becomes obvious.  This sister, never having been off her own island, and away from her own village, flew for a one night layover in Port Vila on Vanuatu.  The family shared some apples and she put one leftover apple in her bag.  When she arrived in Fiji, with no ability to speak Fijian and little English, she failed to declare her apple, this resulted in a $400 fjd fine, and left her devastated thinking she would  never be able to afford to pay the fine and return home again.

The Bakatus, sealed with their children, also from Kiribati.
Mahonri Moriancumr is their sleeping two-year old

The Karowas, a returned missionary couple,
who came to be sealed from Karibati.

A Temple sealer, Brother Vakarewakobau and our
Temple Recorder, Bro Sakiusa Maiwiriwiri outside the Temple.

Apenisa Seru baptized his father, Bro. Tuavali
at our Wailoku ward fount last weekend.

Snorkeling near Beqa Island

We drove to Pacific Harbor and went on a boat from the Pearl Resort to a reef near Beqa Island. The reef was called Kobi Reef and had lots of fish and pretty nice coral.  The current was very strong and the swim back to the boat on our guided loop was almost too difficult; like needing to be towed by the group leader difficult. Luckily I made it to the boat to get a picture of the stragglers.

Pearl Beach looking to Beqa Island

Olsens

Cindy

Andersons

Long way back to the boat, into the tidal current.

Octopus

Same octopus swimming

Fighting back to the boat.

Busy times, Saints from Vanuatu, Karibati, and Papua New Guinea

Vanuatu Saints with Cindy.

The last group sent us a present with the next group, the Souvai
family sent us a Vanuatu cloth.

New DVD player in the upstairs kitchen/dining area.

Fiji Central market.

Lawn bowling with the senior missionaries.

Suva bookstore purchase of exercise books for school
donation for family service in April

Mini-rainbow over Temple.

Tides out for the small boats.

Avoa and Heatomeara Sarufa from PNG

Wasea Small and Sr Sefiti are married in the Temple,
4 Feb 2017.

Rotuman garlands.