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| Elder Malais playing for the YSA to sing in Sacrament Meeting |
Our Monday--full of scriptures, piano lessons, games with
all the missionaries, and family home evening with the young single adults--was
a tiring, yet fulfilling day! After
rushing to finish all the regular preparations for the week, we met together at
our apartment to play games and build stronger bonds with our younger
missionaries. We love each one and are
grateful that we have this brief time to serve the Lord together.
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| Clue? |
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| Looking good |
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| I've got it! |
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| That's not it |
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| It means... |
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| Hurry...hand it over |
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| Uh, uh, uh |
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| It's like... |
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| Questions only |
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| I can't think of any |
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| So good at this game! |
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| What kind of question? |
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| She's a natural at this |
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| This is hard |
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| I've got this |
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| Well, a question... |
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| The definite winner |
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| I've got a question |
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| Oh, oh |
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| Who will last longer? |
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| Seriously? |
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| You had to be there! |
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| I've got hundreds of questions! |
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| Ah, not again! |
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| You got me! |
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| What do you mean that's not a question? |
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| I'm terrible at this game! |
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| Sister Ale was the big winner! |
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| I can do this |
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| I'm thinking, I'm thinking |
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| This is easy |
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| My turn, again? |
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| Waiting their turns |
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| Oops |
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| I got it! |
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| Good game! |
Our first family home evening with the young single adults
was a nail biting affair—at least for a little while. Seven o’clock came and went, but no young
adults showed. About 15 minutes later,
one man walked into the classroom at the college, and we thought he might be
our only one. Fortunately, the rest of
them sauntered in a few minutes later and explained about a brief band concert
in the school’s cafeteria. We started a
half hour late, but Elder Carter’s short lesson powerfully reminded each of us
that our Heavenly Father molds and shapes us through our experiences and that
we need to be mindful of the Spirit to recognize His hand in our lives. Sister Carter directed a quick game with
everyone drawing certain items on a paper plate placed on their heads. Plenty of laughter accompanied their art “showing”
as they shared their masterpieces. Elder
Striplin ended the evening sharing a scripture and they all left happy carrying
a piece of triple fudge cake.
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| Listening carefully |
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| Good stuff |
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| I've got it |
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| Happy for the camera |
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| Drawing for the lesson |
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| Omgar |
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| Fun game (to watch) |
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| Looking good with a paperplate |
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| Liking it |
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| Showing off |
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| What a drawing |
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| Hard to see this artwork |
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| Adding a spiritual thought |
We enjoyed delivering First Presidency messages during a
gentle rain on Tuesday morning. The
temperature seemed moderate (78 degrees) and we found plenty of people home. Some mentioned how much they enjoyed the
previous month’s message, so we delighted knowing that they actually read and
understood the Brethren’s article.
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| Delivering a message |
Since this month marks the 70th anniversary of
the Battle of Peleliu, the United States sent the USS Sacagawea and the marine
band to help commemorate this historic moment.
They performed In Peleliu on September 15th, and then we were
able to watch their performance on Palau Tuesday, the 16th at
Bethlehem Park. They opened the program
with a New Orleans style brass band and followed with the full band playing
many of our favorite classical and modern pieces. It was a bittersweet time for us. We absolutely loved the program and realized
how starved we’ve been for such cultural offerings. Part of our pleasure was watching the local children
in awe of the talented soldiers. They
were hanging on the edge of the platform or running back and forth in front of
the conductor. So much for concert
etiquetteJ Funniest event of the night was watching a
big black dog nonchalantly saunter through all the musicians in the middle of
the program. We must be acclimated
because the thing that surprised us was that it was only ONE dog.
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| USS Sacagawea anchored in the harbor |
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| Ready to start |
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| Saxophone |
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| Flute |
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| View from the audience |
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| Director/announcer |
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| French horn |
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| Kids enjoying the concert |
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| A moving hound |
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| Electric guitar |
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| Piccolo |
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| Kids hanging on the side |
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| Finished |
Every six weeks we enjoy having lunch with all the
missionaries of our zone. We went to
Carp Restaurant and were able to see one of our members and an investigator
there plus enjoy good food and tease Sister Ale about her final days in the
mission field.
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| See that plate? |
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| One of Sister Ale's last meals |
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| Elder Bush and Sister Muller |
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| Elder Carter and Elder Striplin |
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| The whole gang |
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| The whole silly gang |
Seminary on Wednesday evening was bittersweet. Only three students were on time, but finally
a few more showed, and then a few more, and finally five more. We ended the lesson with 23 in attendance! The bittersweet part was that our lesson was
interrupted multiple times. Since the
lesson was about how to recognize promptings from the Holy Ghost, it made it
difficult to feel the Spirit with so many distractions. Maybe we should just count our blessings
because we’ve been praying for greater attendance at Seminary!
During our district meeting this week Elder Striplin focused
on using scriptures on the doorstep. After
instruction, we role-played several situations, then ate a bucketful of
cookies.
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| Sisters Ale, Talakai, Purcell, & Muller |
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| Elders Murdoch & Malais |
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| Elders Bush & Striplin |
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| Sister Ale playing the mission hymn |
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| Singing and playing |
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| All in Palauan |
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| Learning the words |
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| Singing with heart |
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| Finishing off the cookies |
Elder Malais and Elder Murdoch
spent much of the day taking care of paperwork for the delivery of a brand new
2014 Toyota Tacoma pickup. After several
hours and multiple visits to many offices, they gained possession for a few
minutes then turned the truck over to Elder Striplin and Elder Bush. The 2012 Tacoma will be shipped to Chuuk
October 2nd.
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| Ready to roll |
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| Love the new wheels |
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| New is nice |
Saturday morning we followed our regular route on Babeldaob
to visit members far away from Koror.
How difficult to tell them this would be our last official visit as we
are leaving next month. Elder and Sister
Proffit, our replacements, will enter
the Provo MTC next week prior to their assignment here in Palau, so we’re sure
our members and friends will be in good hands as we say our goodbyes.
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| Bonjour & his mom |
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| Heather |
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| Heather's little girl |
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| Sister Carter & Calista |
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| Calista, Elder Carter, & Jerry |
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| Sister Carter & Juliet |
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| Some of our destinations |
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| One of our major highways |
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| Coconuts within reach |
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| Another destination |
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| Villages to visit |
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| More villages |
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| Sister Paz & Sister Carter |
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| Toby & Elder Carter |
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| Sister Carter & Vicenta |
The highlight of any week is the baptism, and this week we
were blessed to watch Hinkley Ngiraked and James Beltau baptized by their
friend and relative Teruo Melus. Teruo is
a powerful member-missionary, so we can only imagine the dynamic full-time
missionary he will be as he leaves for the Canada Vancouver Mission in
December.
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| Teruo, Hinkley, James, Sister Purcell, Sister Muller |
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| Teruo, Hinkley, James |
Once a year the Primary children present a Sacrament Meeting
highlighting what they’ve learned.
Sunday, September 21st was the date for our children to sing
and speak their way into the hearts of the congregation. Each of them spoke clearly into the
microphone, sang the songs so beautifully and with enough volume that they
could hear them in the back of the chapel, and invited a sweet Spirit to
confirm the truth of their message that families can be together forever.
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| One of our Primary practices |
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| Johnson Family |
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| Primary children |
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| Borja Family |
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| Melus Family |
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| Rodney, our narrator |
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| Ann & Coco |
Though this has been another busy week, we are blessed to
serve in the Koror Branch with our Palauan brothers and sisters. We are grateful for their righteous desires
and choices that bring happiness to them and us. Our family at home continues to bless our
lives as they lovingly support us. We
love you!
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| Malakal Bay |
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| Beautiful |
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| Love the water colors |
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