It's called "missionary work" for a reason.

Mondays include lots of preparation for the week but also lots of fun as all of the missionaries gathered at our apartment to play games and enjoy being together, plus the air conditioner at our apartment works great.

Baby sleeping on a table while we visited her mother.

Tuesday morning we were awakened VERY early by our ringing phone.  One of our members, Sister Mariur, passed away after suffering for several months.  Only 67 years old, she had been unable to walk for quite some time.  We are grateful for the Plan of Salvation and that this loving family knows they will see their mother and wife again.

All of the missionaries met under the KB Bridge early Tuesday morning to pick up litter.  Though the temperature was toasty, we accomplished much good. Sister Carter also met and visited with one of her teacher friends from the high school who happened to be at the bridge prior to the school day.

Sister Ale & Sister Norgrant 

Ready to work

Hard work is over

Seminary is always a highlight of the week and coupled with Young Men and Young Women, it made for an exciting Wednesday evening.  The Young Women traveled to our apartment to learn how to make chocolate chip cookies, and since the Young Men didn’t have anything planned, they joined us.  Now for those of you who know Sister Carter well, you know how humbled she was to teach ANYTHING about cooking, but it went well and the cookies tasted great.  The teenagers ate the results of their efforts and even saved a few to drop off at the Mariur’s and a couple of other member families.

Jose in disguise at a YW activity

Kessy watching the cookies bake

Listening to instructions

Enjoying their work

Working together

An amazing trio

Our Thursday night Institute class continues to mushroom before our eyes!  Twenty attended this week and participated in a discussion about Helaman 12 from the Book of Mormon.  Many of the young single adults attend Palau Community College and  planned to participate in their International Night on Friday.  It was postponed for a few days, so we threw together a YSA party at our apartment.  The students asked for Karaoke and games AGAIN and managed to eat plenty of ice cream cones to keep cool.

Thursday night Institute--zero to twenty in just a few months!

Karaoke listeners

Listen to that harmony

Elder Malais amusing Sister Carter

Luke makes his own music

Song stylings

Looking for a song

Tooth pain struck Elder Carter again this week.  He already had a dentist appointment to remove a crown that caused an allergic reaction, so instead the dentist determined that he needs to have another root canal.  She said it was beyond her expertise, so we made plans for another Guam visit next week.

Chapel cleaning assignments are rotated among the families of the branch, and our turn came up Saturday morning.  We worked with another member of the branch for a couple of hours to prepare the church for Sunday meetings.

Sister Carter & Melody (her birthday)

Not long after cleaning the church, we were in our car on the way to Babeldaob to visit members who live away from Koror.  We enjoyed visiting with several, but one story caused us to grieve with one of our members.  She had just delivered a baby girl who lived only 25 minutes.  She was eight months along in her pregnancy, but the cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck.  What a sad, sad experience for her and how we wished she could have had the medical expertise of doctors who could have saved the baby’s life.

The tremendous lift for Saturday was the baptism of Laninbwij Luke Langmas.  He attends Palau Community College and has been surrounded and loved by other members of the Church there.  He was baptized by his friend Ronnie, another recent convert who received the Aaronic Priesthood the week before.

Luke and six of our faithful missionaries

Luke and Ronnie

Hideo, Elder Malais, Luke, Ronnie, Elder Murdoch, Tradson

Two more recent converts and our elders quorum president spoke about the Atonement in Sacrament Meeting.  All three recounted how the Atonement of Jesus Christ worked in their lives and how it gave them the power to change.  We felt blessed for being there (even though the air conditioner still doesn’t work and it must have been 90 degrees inside).  We’re grateful to serve with such humble, sincere people who constantly teach us to rely on the Savior and we feel their love and the love of our family and friends at home. "Thank you" are simple words, but deeply felt!