Missionaries

Three pictures of missionaries looking over the balconies at their apartments. Top: Sisters Ika and Vanu. 2nd Down;Elders Early, Cook, Butler and Allred. At Church: Sisters Ika and Vanu, Elders Cook, Allred, Early, Butler(seated). Perry Baclu with walking stick was baptized in Nov. Around mango tree: Elders Butler, Allred, Tory Cepeda, Elders Roko and Delphin. Apt: Elder/Sister Jones with Elders Cook and Butler. FiniSisu Balcony: Elder and Sister Jones. 

Christmas Parties in Saipan

This is "Noche Bueno" a Christmas Eve Celebration of the Filipino culture.   Most of our neighbors in the apartment complex we live in are young Filipino families.  We were so glad that they invited us to join them.  We women had matching dresses from when Cherry Labana (2nd mom in from the right) had a surplus clothing sale at her apartment a few days before.  We thought we were very funny to wear matching dresses and it surely made me feel part of the group!   Elder Jones was asked to give the blessing on this midnight feast and we felt a closeness to all of these people. The Labana's and us, the Joneses, are the only LDS people who live here right now.

This is also Christmas Eve, but in the afternoon.  This is a little "servant's house" next to the big house that our Bishop lives in.  Sister Gloria is his housekeeper and the Relief Society President in our ward.  She made a huge array of Filipino food for us and Elder's Allred and Roco.

Here we are with the missionaries in our apartment.  Standing l to r, Elder and Sister Jones (in her Christmas dress), Elders Delphin, Roco, Allred, and Butler.  Seated, Elder Cook, Sister Ika and Sister Vano.   In the picture above is also Brother Roy Dolon, our wonderful ward mission leader.

Now here is a party at the Church.  It was a week before Christmas and we really got into the spirit with this children's game that was taking place on the stage.  The children were asked to line up and take turns at the microphone to see who could say the loudest and longest "Happy Birthday Jesuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssss!"
Thank goodness the Bishop quietly and tactfully got it changed to "Merry Christmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssss!"

And one more game to show what good sports Elder and Sister Jones were in playing the "marriage game." 

another picture of Christmas Eve

The Skies Over Our Missionary Labors

We just can't stop taking pictures of the skies over Saipan.  Maybe it's the huge ocean all around us that causes these billowing white clouds and the lack of city lights that makes the night sky so clear but whatever it is, we love the variety of scenes painted in the skies over the labors of our days and nights.

First picture:  we were on a balcony of a home that was once grand, I am sure.  We were teaching with the Zone Elders the value of marriage to a couple who want to put their lives in order so they can both be baptized.  They even want to go to the temple and have their two children sealed to them.  They have alot of work to do to accomplish this, but we loved their sincerity and agreed to add our prayers to theirs. 

Next picture is just of some clouds as we were leaving the airport to see Elder Allred off to Palau.  Then we went to find Ladder Beach in a search to find a place for a beach cook-out with our Insititute group.  We hoped for a good sunset over the Island to the south of this beach which is Tinian.  This is where the US plane took off at the end of WWII to bomb Japan with the Atomic Bomb.  This was the best we could get that night. 

The last picture was a night sky with a full moon and clear stars.  We came our from a dinner at "Roy's" Hotel, and just stood and looked at the moon and the clouds.  The Hotel is really the Grand Hotel.  We have found that their are at least 6 really nice hotels on the beaches here, but our favorite is Roy's because he works there.  And because the buffet is spectacular Asian food.  Roy Dolon is our ward mission leader and we work closely with him in the missionary work here.  When we went to pay for our dinner, he came and told us that he already had paid for it.  We ate here one other time a month ago and loved it then too.  As we went to pay we found that Dolares from our ward had already paid for our dinner.  She is the creative genius in the kitchen and has taught me some neat (strange) Filipina dessert recipes.  There is one more ward member who works here, we may have to go eat at this restuarant at least one more time!
Seriously, the respect and honor that we receive here is beyond what we deserve.  We find that just by being the senior couple with enough faith to serve a mission, we are loved and honored.  We have alot to live up to!

One more thought about the skies from Mom; I think about the puffy bright white clouds against a dark blue sky of the night, I think of the billowy white clouds against the crisp bright blue of day and the sunsets and rainbows and I am reminded of a loving creator who made this beautiful world.  Much of Saipan with it's natural beauty is corrupted by what man has done here, but God still watches over it.  I can feel Heavenly Father from his skies watching over His Gospel being taught and spread here.  The Church members and the missionaries are reaching out to all the people of the Island and it is growing bit by bit. I believe that long after my turn here and even my turn on earth is over, that everyone I have seen here, everyone who has seen us with our "Church of Jesus Christ" name badges will remember and will have a better chance to accept Jesus Christ.