USS Pearl Harbor

Waiting in line

The island has been blessed to have the USS Pearl Harbor Humanitarian ship here this past week.  It anchored about a mile off shore and is using a transport to bring the sailors in each day.  They set up a medical clinic in Bariki to teach the people and provide a few services and goods. There were vets who provided information about diseases animals can get and carry, and they treated their dogs and pigs for worms and provided neutering services. There was also an ophthalmologist to check eyes as needed.  They gave out sunglasses to all and reading glasses to those older than 45 years.  They also had instruction on diet, diabetes, exercise, and washing their hands before preparing food and checked their blood pressure.  We were blessed to be able to hand out hygiene kits from LDS Charities to all of those who came through.  Although we were only there for one morning, the clinic lasted for four days with a constant line and many were turned away.  We enjoyed visiting with the officers and enlisted personnel who were there to help.  They were so pleased that the people wanted to learn how to better their lives.  The experience they’ve had in other islands is that the people just want the freebies but weren’t interested in learning.  One female soldier said she had never been to a place so hot and poor.   It was the spiritual uplift we needed for the week.  My heart was touched to see all of the good that was taking place.

Sister Tune translating

Helping a blind man
 

A drive back to Betio for more hygiene kits.

A






Sister Cassita and Elder Rasmussen passing out
hygiene kits

Sunglasses for all.

Relief Society Stake Activity

June 23, 2013,
We have received our first transfer.  The only thing that has changed is that we have been assigned to attend a different ward, Eita 2^nd.  It is also held here on campus and meets at 12:00.  I really liked out 8:00 meetings however they made the afternoons very long. The new meeting time will break up the day some but it will be much warmer that time of day.  Today after our three hour block we went to their Sacrament meeting just to introduce ourselves.  Of course the meeting is all in Kiribati which will be a challenge.  Hopefully we can sit by the missionaries or return missionaries to translate for us.  It must be time for more growth as we are starting to settle in and get the hang of our calling.  Just never enough time to get it all done.  We started the new class this week, Reading in the Content Area.  I think it went well.  Yesterday we had a Stake Relief Society activity where they had the Senior Sisters speak for a few minutes and then we broke into four workshop groups.  Sister Talitaina, the senior sister from Somoa spoke about Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social health.  She had the sisters exercising in place till we were all out of breath. 

She is very bold and is taking the direction to “Go to the rescue” seriously.  When her and Sister Ucunibarvi (from Fiji) went to visit one family, the dad was asleep.  She poked him and told him he needed to get up and get back to church, and he did.  These two sisters have only been here a month and they have several families returning to church. Not only are they bold but they are older (our age) and they are islanders, so the saints are responded.  The sisters also brought clothing they didn't want any more and it was spread out on the floor for other sisters to take.  It was all gone within minutes. 




We were asked to teach one of the rotations, on indexing.  The saints have never heard of it here.  For those that speak English and could get access to a computer and the internet it would be a great way to participate in Family History.  We had to use a translator in each group which was also a new experience.  I really couldn’t quite figure out why they wanted us to teach something that they have so little resources to do but when we went to the Eita 2^nd ward today, two families came up to us and asked us if we could help them really learn how.  One couple will be going to the Fiji temple next month and they want to take some of their own family names with them.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.  Maybe this is one reason for our transfer.  We’ll have to find someone who can help us with the language though. 

 

 

Hospital Visit

Last Sunday I went with Sister Bush to the hospital to visit one of the sisters I visit teach.  We haven't seen her at church for a couple of weeks because her mother is in the hospital.  This was my first visit to the hospital and it was quite the experience. The hospital doesn't provide food or bedding for the patients and so it is up to the family to take care of them. The ward we went in reminded me of the hospital unit you see on MASH.  There were 10 beds in one room, with kids running everywhere.  The family member that stayed at night with the patient brought in their floor mat and put it on the floor under the patient's bed to sleep on.  Other members of the family were sitting on the sidewalk outside surrounding the ward eating.  Of course flies are everywhere, there is no air condition so the windows are all open, and it smells like rotting food.  Some patients are on beds on the outside corridors, with family, food, and flies everywhere. The sister's mother is not a member but she wanted a blessing.  We came home and  Rich and the Elder's Quorum president, Tebwe, along with his fiance and I went back to the hospital so they could give her a blessing. As they were giving her a blessing another girl came up to us and asked if they could give her friend's baby a blessing.  We walked over to the next ward which was filled with cribs and sick children and babies, mothers trying to comfort children, and other children everywhere.  They gave the baby girl a blessing who cried the entire time. As they were blessing her, I could feel something on my back.  I turned around so see what I thought was a baby boy, but old enough to be standing in the crib.  He only had one eye and was tugging on my blouse.  I immediately became emotional and thought, where is the Savior that could heal the blind, and make the lame to walk.  The Priesthood is there but only two were blessed. As we walked out of the hospital, all of us were touched.  What more can we do? 

We went back to the hospital to visit and read to the kids. Sundays can get quite lonely when we're not surrounded by our children and grandchildren. We did visit with the Dorm Mother and her mother again. The mother just had her surgery a couple of days ago. Hopefully, she can go home soon. We did visit the pediatrics ward but only three children were there. One was a small baby with heart problems; another fell out of a tree and broke his arm; the other was a 9 year old who was quite tall for his age and VERY skinny.  Rich was able to communicate with his mother enough to understand he cannot keep anything down. The doctors had him on a saline drip is all. He is from Butaritari which is an island I think to the north of Tarawa and belongs to Kiribati. This island is where all the great banana's come from. Anyway, the doctors want to send him, along with his mother, to Fiji for better care. I was able to read a couple of stories to the sister of the young boy who fell from the tree.   Thankfully, the mother could understand English enough to translate.  We are grateful to see that there are not so many patients this week.  There were only 3 patients in the adult ward as well.   Hopefully they are better and were able to return home. 

Hospital Entrance

Apples, Oranges, Pears, OH YEAH!!!

Typical produce section at Moyles, EMPTY

Yes, there are apples, oranges, pears and potatoes available this week.  They had some broccoli and when I first saw it my mouth was watering for a great broccoli salad.  But, alas, it must have been partially frozen in the transport, because at a closer look each head had several dark brown mushy spots. Oh well, maybe when the next ship comes in, which could be 4-6 weeks or longer.

This weeks find at Coral Ace

Stake Cultural Night

Elder and Sister Rasmussen

Once a year all of the wards in the Tarawa East Stake participate in a Stake Cultural Event.  Each ward is asked to prepare a song, dance, and stick dance. We cannot emphasize enough the fact that these people love to sing, dance, and eat.  The event started around 5:30 pm and did not end till 11:00 pm.  I had a great time participating as well as watching the event.

Moroni Ward Dancers

Moroni Ward Singers

Husband and Wife Retreat

Elder and Sister Rasmussen teaching

     Every two years, each church school in the South Pacific sponsors a husband/wife retreat for all of the school employees and their spouses.  Moroni High School held their's on May 16-17.  Elder Rasmussen and I were asked to present on Keeping our Marriage Covenants.  Elder Rasmussen is very versed in the Proclamation on the Family so we used it as our guide along with some other talks on marriage we found from the general authorities.  We had about 80 in attendance including Bruce Yerman, the Director of the South Pacific Schools, from New Zealand, and Michael Carthew, from Australia.  I’m not sure what his position is but he trains the teachers on Power School, the computer program they use for their attendance and grading.  We met in the cultural hall which is not air conditioned.  Elder Rasmussen and I only had to speak for about 45 minutes and thankfully we were first on the agenda.  The speakers were all good but it proved to be a long, hot day.

Teachers and Spouses

Sister Rasmussen and Mary Taitai, School Counselor

When we ended around 3:30 we came home and quickly packed for an overnight camping trip with the same group.  It was quite the experience. We were able to load our gear on this 12 foot boat plus 11 people and head out, slowly, for the island of Biketawa.  Because it was late in the evening  we arrived at Biketawa about an hour before sundown. That gave us time to pitch our tent between 2 palm trees, have a nice dinner provided by the school staff and funded by the seminaries and institute. One thing is for sure; when it comes time to eat----they eat! This island is not very big. You can walk around it in 20 minutes. It is owned by the government but managed by Otintai hotel. The school had made reservations thru the hotel at the cost of 4 dollars per person.  It is a well taken care of island. Several Buia’s (local sleeping houses, and a nice Maneaba.  Well used, but nice. We had to draw water from the well to flush the toilets but rain water was available for showers. Again from a bucket.

Unloading the boat

Elder Rasmussen in the 2 man tent

Preparing for breakfast

Preparing lunch in the Bouia

Fresh Coconut Juice

Add fresh Red Snapper to the menu

Playing games

The locals love to sing and laugh. So, it was quite nice to close the day with them singing and laughing and then  be awakened with the same gentle sounds of singing, hymns this time, and laughter.  During the rest of our Friday we played some couples games and ate and played some more games and ate.

Getting water to flush the toliet

Weaving hats to pass the time

Loading up to come home.  Don't forget the chicken!!!

Front of boat

 Coming back across the lagoon was scary a ride. We used what is called a WAH. It’s about 30 ft long boat with a deep hull (picture above), and it has an outrigger on the left (port) side. We had the hull completely full and 68 people standing and sitting on the top. Truly, from stem to stern was a mass of people.  The waves were choppy but the skipper was not in any race to get back to south Tarawa. He only had a 40 horse power motor.  When we were close to our destination we went aground. So, a few would abandon the boat and we could go a little farther towards shore until we decided to offload everything from the large boat to another smaller boat belonging to brother Tune. By the time we got back home on Fri. night we were exhausted, and grateful for a shower and an air conditioned apartment.
  

Back of boat

    

Visit from the Jacobsens

Chinese Restaurant #1

On Mon. May 6, Elder and Sister Jacobsen came from New Zealand to spend a few days with us.  They came from New Zealand to see the school, classrooms, meet the teachers, and to watch us teach. We took them to lunch on Mon and then prepared dinner for them on Mon. night. 

Chinese Restaurant #2

There are only a few restaurants on the island and they are all Chinese. Then Tues. night the school Administration team took all of us to dinner to a different restaurant, Chinese.

Chinese Restaurant #3

 On Wed. the counseling class wanted to take us to dinner to thank Sis. Jacobsen who has been their teacher and we went to the same place we did on Mon., again Chinese.  We thoroughly enjoyed their visit but it will be a while before we go out for Chinese food.

Elder Osborne, Brother Tune, Elder & Sister Jacobsen,
Sister Rasmussen, Lita (principal)

Gloria teaching