Settling in....

We are settling in as best we can. We were surveying teachers on the classes they need yesterday and drove to Saniatu to meet with those teachers. We have to determine which classes we teach first and get them approved by BYU-H. The road is rough there and our car had a serious front end problem. They are working on it today and we have a loaner car that we wish was a permanent one.

We had an interesting weekend and took some pictures we will share on this weeks blog.These beautiful trees are all over and there are some beautiful ones here of campus at Pesega.

Here is our first Gecko friend, we will take them to cockroaches’ anytime.

This is what they call Valentine ’s Day in Samoa, the young women in the ward boundaries we live in brought it by. Grandma ate it all because it was chocolate. 

The Samoans carry heavy loads and walk most everywhere this the way it looks along the roads. 

Grandma on the beach just a few miles from Apia. The island in the background of the second picture is Savaii’s, the other big island in Samoa. 

When cruise ships come in to the harbor (it only happens every couple of months), they do a culture show( like at the Polynesian Cultural Center except not as big) for the tourists and the invited the new missionaries today. These two start the presentation. 

They showed us how to cook food, taro and fish today. Yes, those are very hot rocks. 

This is how you start fires in Samoa, and the guy did it in the rain! 

Here they strip tree bark, beat it, clean it and make beautiful Tappa cloth. 

Notice the head bands on these handsome folks and how hard it is raining in the background.   

This is the finished product of their cooking, notice the coconut leaf bowl. More dancing and singing and enjoying the Samoan Culture.   

We are very busy, but Grandma is happier today because they delivered her piano to our apartment. We will take a picture of our apartment with the piano in the future.  It is a Clavinoa  (electric), but it will do!  I haven’t seen one traditional piano yet.  I think it is way too humid. We are going to the Apia temple tonight it is a English session. The Gospels true. 
We love you all, tofa soifa, Elder and Sister Hammond