Elder Wacolo - Good Bye

On Wed. March 26, we had a going away dinner for Elder Wacolo. He has been the area authority seventy over Kiribati for almost seven years and was being released to serve as a mission president in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Wow, what a change.  Being from Fiji, he has never been to Arkansas before.  We told him he might need an interpreter there as well. He shared some of his story with us.  Over the years he and his wife have raised 20 children, including their two biological children.  It is Polynesian culture to raise children of family members and friends if you financially can do so.  Their own two children include a ten year old daughter and a 17 year old son. When he was called to be a member of the seventy he was a stake president and had only been a member of the church for twelve years. His calling took him away from home a lot, sometimes as long as three weeks at a time.  

???, Pres. Uoritaki, Elder Wacolo, Tiorika, Elder and Sister Rasmussen

He promised his wife that after serving his five years as a seventy he would take her on a week-long cruise.  The first presidency asked him to extend a year so the cruise didn’t happen. He promised the cruise again after the year of extension but they asked him to extend a second year.  He told her for sure after the second extension they would go on a cruise, but before his second extension ended when he was called to be a mission president.  At least he can take his family with him.  I love it when I see such fine examples of members who have truly put the Lord first in their lives.

Turian, Sister Rasmussen, Marinoa, Lita, Mai

Elder Rasmussen eating again!