End of School Rush………

As the school year ends things get a bit hectic. The students have weeks of school tests and Samoan government examines. We also, are trying to finish up our classes, plan for the coming term, and get caught up. We had a great meeting Wednesday night with the Pacific Area President, President Pearson and it really helps us remember that we have important callings and what a blessing it is to serve. The first photo is a small gecko that was so determined to eat ants that he followed them in to the “ant trap” and perished from the poison.

A week ago we went out with the Mulitalo’s (he is the NFL player) to dinner at one of Samoa’s more posh eateries. He is the big guy on the right (in case you couldn't tell). They are very nice and are here to have their children experience their Samoan heritage first hand. As their children get older they will probably move back to the states.

Gramma wanted Livy and Kimberly to know they play tennis here too. The Church has several nice tennis courts here and some children take lessons. These Pictures are of one of the instructors and students. At the end of the court is the second picture you can see Gramma watching it all. Personally, I think it is a little hot and humid to play tennis.

Gramma took a couple of pictures of a bird we saw on our way up the mountain to Sauniatu. She asked Taft on the phone this week if he would try to identify it. You can barely see it in the first picture and a little better in the second. The background is a plantation where they raise taro, I guess these birds like taro.

A group of Senior couples got together to eat (surprise), because the Winters are going home this a week to Idaho Falls. The picture of the table Gramma and I was on did not turn out very well. It is at our local Chinese eatery.  We really don't eat out that often, but the blog's seem to have one every week.

The last pictures is one of our many heavy rainstorms (it is after all monsoon season). The kids in the neighbourhood are having a great time. Gramma always wants to go join them, but it doesn’t seem right for a Senior missionary sister to be doing it. I walked Gramma to her piano lessons yesterday morning and got caught in a down pour coming back to the apartment soaking me to the bone. The rain is warm so it is like taking a cool shower.

That’s what’s going on here at the end of school rush. We found out that our Principal’s spring meeting will be the first week of March in New Zealand. That is a lot earlier than last year so we will have to go to New Zealand again at the end of our mission to give our final report to the ITEP coordinators. We had hoped that the conference would be later and we could report at Principals meeting and then be able to go home through Hawaii. It is less time on a plane going that way and Gramma does not like long plane rides. We will do what we need to do, I told her that the ride from New Zealand to home won’t be long because she will be heading home to see here Grand kids. We don’t need to worry, we have a long time and a lot to do before then. We love and miss you. We see online that the weather is getting real cold as our weather here is warming up. Actually we find that some of the snowy pictures look nice to us. Be good, go to church and do your duty, say your prayers, and may God bless you. Tofa Soifua, Grampa and Gramma Hammond