Things we do with the Missionaries

President Mecham asked us to practice explaining the Book of Mormon in 180 seconds or less for the occasional quick meeting that may come up.   Here we are trying it out on our Zone Leaders Elder Mafi and Elder Andrew.  First Sisters Tuileto'a and Pikula knocked at their door.  Then Elder and Sister Jones met them at the restaurant called "Troungs", then Elders Loveless and Lapeyrouse met them on the street.  We all did a pretty good job and hope we can remember to use what we practiced. 

The Missionaries held a ward social on Friday, Aug 10th at the church.  The purpose was to bring investigators and less actives into the Church and to socialize with the ward members who attend regularly.  We invited the ward the week before to come to a talent show and a pot luck dinner.  We worried about attendance with such short notice, but had at least a hundred people come for a really great night!  It was worth the work and worry we put into it.  We only have a couple of still pictures to post since some of it I took in movie mode. 
The talent show began with Elder Loveless playing the piano.  He really surprised us all with his comedy performance of "Maple Leaf Rag."  Everyone loved it and laughed and marveled at his talent.  Sister Tuileto'a did a beautiful Samoan dance which held us spell bound.  We had ward members perform as well and it was a fantastic night. 
We also played the "blanket game, " which we will try to use with our family when we get home.  Elder Jones had the honor of being Emcee for the night and later dishing up the promised root beer floats.  ( I must comment that one young girl asked me what a root beer float was the day before the social; she thought you put root beer in a parade......)

We held one more Umu  before Sister Tuileto'a leaves her mission the next week.  We held it again at the Welch's house.  I am inside with Sister Pikula filling taro leaves

with onion, pork and coconut milk to put under the hot rocks and coals that Elder Jones is helping the others with outside. 

Our little band of missionaries before transfers next week.  Elder Mafi, Sister Tuileto'a, Elder Lapeyrouse, Sister Pikula, Elder Andrew, Sister Jones, Elder Loveless, Elder Jones.   August 9, 2012.

Guam Senior Conference

First night in Guam, July 16.  We began the conference together by going to the southern end of Guam to a dinner hosted by the senior couple who live there on some church owned property.  They call it Zarahemla.  On the property there is an old abandoned cement house.  No roof or windows  - but with torches lit and a Mexican feast and lots of good company it had plenty of atmosphere!  We are at a table with the Kjars who serve on Pohnpei and the Anderson's who are the mission office couple. 

All of us outside the Barrigada Ward in Guam where we have our 3 day conference.  All of these people are kind, talented, faithful and we love getting to know them and sharing in the work of the Lord with them! 

Keyboards

At the MTC in October, I learned that senior missionaries could order keyboards through a grant set up to encourage teaching music lessons to interested church members.  Three young women in the Saipan Ward wanted to learn piano and once I could see they were serious about it, we were able to obtain 3 keyboards through this grant in June.  They were asked to commit their learning to the benefit of the Church and to help teach others in the future.  They are taught through a great Church music program which makes it easy for me to teach them and to learn more myself about music and piano playing.   We were so excited and they are all progressing nicely.  Christina Carulla on the left is a YW, Bianca Espinosa and Tori Cepada are in the SYA Institute class and have lessons before we have our Institute lessons each week. 

Piano Lessons

This is the first day of this particular piano class way back in March.  This is Andrea Aberas, her mom Regina,  JM Cruz and Sister Jones.  We loved this first class and have never stopped enjoying learning music together in a weekly class.  In fact, these girls are actually getting a piece ready to play in a recital this October we hope! 

They are such good students!!

A Couple of Days in Institute Class

We have such a great Adult Institute class every Sunday afternoon.  We love studying the scriptures with these good people.  Sometimes we even act them out!   Al Cabael is reading the part of Goliath in the first 2 pictures.