Meeting Marathon

The second Sunday of each month is a marathon of meetings:  branch presidency meeting, Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School, Primary, Priesthood Meeting, choir practice, Priesthood Executive Meeting, Branch Council, plus an added fireside this evening.  The meetings are easy.  It’s all the preparation for them that keeps us hopping as we prepare agendas,  flyers, lessons, visual aids, make phone calls, confirm others’ participation, search for music, conduct, and rehearse music, seek for messages from the Prophets, and try to stay in tune with the Spirit while we’re organizing all the details.  We wouldn’t want it any other way!

Bro. Kinjo, Elder Carter, Sister Carter, Bro. Nicerio

Bro. Kingjo, Sis. Nicerio, Bro. Nicerio

Elder Carter and a beautiful chef salad

Sis. Nicerio, Scarla, Bro. Nicerio

Scarla (she arranged the fireside details), Bro. Nicerio, President Kesolei

The last three days we’ve been able to spend a few hours with our Church Educational System coordinator Freddie Nicerio, his wife Stephanie, and the area coordinator from Japan, Brother Kinjo.  Our meetings included ways we can love and support one another more in our marriages as we fulfill our secular and spiritual assignments.  Brother Kinjo took us to dinner Saturday night before he flew back to Japan, but we were able to host the Nicerios for dinner on Sunday afternoon along with our eight younger missionaries.  Arranging dinner among the multitude of meetings wasn’t easy, but we were all able to eat together for almost 40 minutes before we flew out the door for the fireside.

A few who attended the fireside

Though our Saturday was peppered with a variety of missionary experiences, the highlight was the marriage of Tomai and Feverlynn Ngiramengio Ngirakesiil.  Immediately after the wedding, Feverlynn was baptized a member of the Church and another part-member family gave way for a full-member family.  They and their two children, so needed in our branch, are already talking about going to the temple next year.

Feverlynn trying on her baptism dress

Feverlynn's baptism

Sisters Masi & Ale with Feverlynn's family

These last two days have been beautiful, bright, and sunny, but the balance of the week was a test to see how much rain could fall in the shortest amount of time.  We’re not sure that we can adequately describe the type of rain we have here.  It can pour like crazy for a minute, an hour, or all day, then a few minutes later it’s difficult to tell that anything happened except for the multitude of potholes filled with water.

Meyuns dock before another storm

We enjoyed a rare but wonderful occurrence today.  Skarlee Renguul, one of our recent Seminary graduates, just received his mission call and read it to the branch.  On March 12, 2014, he’s on his way to Brisbane, Australia with a 10 day stay at the Provo Missionary Training Center.  We’re thrilled for him, his call, and his desire to serve the Lord.

Skarlee opening his mission call

Skarlee is on his way to Brisbane, Australia

Our missing members list is shrinking!  Our treasure hunt this week was successful as we found several members with a couple of them hiding in plain sight.  Our search takes us all over the islands, but this week we made the jail one of our destinations.  As we visited with a couple of people incarcerated for multiple years, we felt sorrow for their poor decisions, pity for their living conditions, pain for their families, and a determination to visit more frequently to try to alleviate some of their suffering.

Sister Ale & Sister Purcell ready for games.

Elder Dopp helping us with an answer.

Sisters Ale, Norgrant, & Purcell waiting for their turn.

Elder Murdoch working on his clue while Elder Malais waits.

Elder Carter trying hard to beat Elder Murdoch's team.

Two of our missionaries, Elder Fullmer and Sister Masiasomua, spent last weekend in Guam for mission meetings so the rest of us, all eight, took a couple of hours on preparation day and played games, including a hilarious round of Catch Phrase.  It’s one of those “you had to be there” moments, but we will always remember the peals of laughter as we tried to guess answers based on Elder Dopp’s hints, plus it’s a good thing the game itself is made of sturdy plastic or it would never survive the tossing from one lap to another.

Elders making cookies--scary!

Where do we start?

Mixing it up.

Following directions

Elder Murdoch happy with his labors.

Elders can cook--sort of!

We are surrounded by outstanding missionaries, faithful branch members, sincere investigators, and can feel the long distance support of our family and friends.  We are so blessed!