Happy Thanksgiving……………..

We have mentioned the “dog” problem here in Samoa. Well, the government is trying to do something about it, thanks to a grant from Australia they bought some trucks and traps and started to work. This week we had a trap behind our apartment, but not one dog was caught in it. All the other placements on campus seemed to be successful. Here is the trap. The little kids knocked the bait of the trigger so maybe that why they weren't successful

The Goodlets are not the only couple leaving this coming week. Elder and Sister Tonumaipea, they are from Australia, leave on Thursday. They have been the mission secretary; they are very quiet and kind and will be missed. The other picture is of our family home evening where we all posed to say goodbye to these two couples.

It was prize giving day for the Middle School. It took about three hours; everybody seems to get a prize and a certificate for something. It’s a big deal here. They had one the day before at Sauniatu (we missed it), and there will be one here at Pesega College on Tuesday.

This young man won a book case full of used books from the library for reading more than any other student. 

Like I said it is a big deal and parents and family come to support them and give the lays of candy.

This is a picture of our friend Daisy’s son.

It is beginning to be the monsoon season and we have had some heavy rains. It drives some of the large centipedes up on the sidewalk. You do not want them to bite you! It also flushed this bird nest out of the rain gutter. That four inch pipe gushes out water in the heavy rains.

While you were celebrating Thanksgiving Thursday, (Friday here), we were celebrating Christmas. The English ward invited us to the ward Christmas party. They have it now because many people leave during Christmas.

They had the primary do a manger scene. Then they sang, danced, and danced again. Believe it or not, they also ate.

Here is Gramma with the Goodlets, and Harpers (they are from Meridian, Idaho). They are here for six months to help with technology. They worked our laptop over and it does work a lot faster. The other table is Elder and Sister Layne and the Assistants to the President. The one on the left, Elder Shepard, goes home at the end of December.

This is our Senior Couples thanksgiving meal Saturday night. Everyone is working hard in the kitchen; Gramma is hiding behind Sister Jackson. There were a lot of anxious missionaries ready to eat.

The food was great it was a “real” USA thanksgiving feast. Sister Goodlet and Gramma visited, they know that their time to visit will soon be limited. When we arrived home we were greeted by this beautiful sunset. It seemed to say, “You have a lot to be thankful for here in Samoa".

We do have a lot to be thankful for, our family, the Gospel, and the opportunity to serve as missionaries in Samoa. We have learned many things from the people of Samoa. Here are two of them. 1. The happiest people don’ have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have. 2. The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least. We love you and always ask the Lord to bless you. Tofu Soifua, Gramma and Grampa

Gardenia’s and Garden Parties…….

Gramma loves Gardenia’s and was given bouquets of them by one of our substitute teachers and another by her friend Dasiy. She placed some in the office and at home. They do smell nice, but makes my allergies flare up a little.

This has been a very busy week and it looks like the coming week will be even busier. We had two days of training from two BYU Provo instructors introducing all of the Samoan school English teachers to a new curriculum. It is part of their independent study for high school and middle school students and is adapted for the teachers to use here. We were impressed with it’s possibilities. The first two pictures are of Bruce Yerman the director of all Church schools, introducing what this pilot program is about.

In the Samoan tradition, at the end of the training, gifts were given to the guests. First, our BYU instructors, second Bruce Yermans father, he came with Bruce to speak to the students. He won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics, and had several stories to share with us. 

A beautiful boat was presented to Bruce, by our principal Leau (pronounced Lay-oo in Samoan). The first picture is Leau explaining the place where the participants set in a boat race.

Friday night Gramma and I had an assignment to get the Goodlets to a surprise party at their friend Apu’s house. We came up with a strange story about going out to dinner and picking up Apu and her husband to go with us. In typical Samoan style, Apu called and said we are not ready stall them for 45 minutes. So I visited them and said we were going to have to go later. They didn’t question that, but asked “how are six of us going in your small car”? I was caught off guard, but told them we would work that out later. Several of the senior couples couldn’t come because they had gone to the airport to take the Winters, (the couple across the street from us), they were going home to Idaho. Well it was a total surprise and the Goodlets were very touched by it all.

Here is a look at Apu’s home. She is from Australian so they have much more furniture than most Samoans.

Here are some pictures of the missionaries and other quests at the party. Those young Elders seem to know when food is going to be served. 

This picture is of the little piglet we ate. The bowl at the bottom is a raw fish soup.

Gramma and Sister Goodlet poised in front of the food table. It was a good party with live entertainment and lots of visiting.

With Samoan snacks and lunches at our training for two days, and going out with the Bruce and the Stonehockers for dinner after our training, our already touchy digestive systems were already in bad shape. We were careful at Apu’s party, but needless to say we spent the weekend at home near the bathroom, enough said. We did make it to the English ward sacrament meeting. I told Gramma that I would have been better off with Twinkies and a Dr. Pepper. We have one and one-half weeks more of this wild schedule and then it is supposed to slow a little for a month. We will see. We love and miss you all. God bless you in all the decisions that you have to make, and he will help you if you ask. The Gospel is true! Tofa Soifua, Elder and Sister Hammond

Birds, Cows, and Classes……

It has been a busy few weeks as we try to complete our three ITEP classes, prepare for next term, and get everything else done. We have three days of training with BYU this week and between that, end of year activities, testing, and everything else, we feel a little stressed. We did have a surprise Sunday morning when the Krispy Kreme fairy arrived at our door (Sister Goodlet). She had heard us talking about not tasting a good doughnuts for months so she had a friend they met at the airport bring a box of Krispy Kreme's from Australia. They were good!

 

Gramma is still trying to get a good picture of this bird for Taft to identify. This picture is this week’s attempt. 

Speaking of birds, here is a mother hen and some of her chicks digging in some old grass. They found something they liked. When I got out to take pictures the rooster got a little upset and I thought for minute it was going to come after me. There are so many chickens on this island. In the early morning you will hear hundreds of them “cockle-doing” around the Pesega campus.

Here is Samoa’s version of the “Don Carter” family roundup. 

A mile or two down the road is a Samoan cowboy.

We are having 20 new Elders and Sisters coming into the mission this week and 20 leaving. Here are some of the effects on “our” group of Elders and Sisters. Here is Elders Moimoi  (left) and Ainoa. Elder Ainoa transfers to a new companion I don’t remember the name, but he is the largest Elder in the mission. He is 6’5” and weighs 350 pounds.  Elder Ainoa is quite small for a Samoan. Should an interesting companionship. Elder Moimoi is getting a new missionary from the states to train. The fale over the shoulder of Elder Moimoi is where they live and they do have mosquito nets!

Here is Elder Simati (left), no he is not a gangsta, and Unga. The guy on the far right is a ward member that was helping them with a service project that we interrupted. Elder Unga is from Tonga and he is moving to a new area in American Samoa. Elder Simati gets a new missionary.  One other change with our group is one of our district leaders, Elder Ramsey from Tonga, (not pictured), he is going home to Tonga this week.

As we make it around the south east tip of the island we can always tell if it has been raining a lot because this falls appears in the distance. It was flowing this day. 

Well, that it for the blog this week. We love your emails, pictures, and they don’t make us home sick, they just makes us think of how much we love you. Keep them coming. We are extremely busy, and time is going so fast, but we know we are doing the Lords work. Do what is right and remember to pray for us as we are praying for all of you each day. Tofa Soifua, Gramma and Grampa Hammond.