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