Settling in and preparing for school……

As I mentioned in the last blog our office was moved back to school. They said it would be ready for us on Monday or Tuesday and of course that means Tuesday. We started to move in and it was not clean enough for Gramma so she sent me after the vacuum, rags, and 409 cleaner. 

 Just because we are in our office, doesn't mean things are done. The main office was open for business (even though they still have a counter and cabinets to install) and parents and students are there trying to register and pay fees.

It is hard to get in the door though, and there is construction in almost every other building and room. School starts for student’s two weeks from this Monday and they swear they will be ready. You can see below why I am a little nervous about that.  

We had a need couple arrive from Houston Texas, Elder and Sister Stevens. They served 18 months in India and will be in Samoa for one year. They are in the Goodlets apartment so we have next door neighbour’s again. The mission presidents wife, Sister Tolman, ask us to take Thursday and take them everywhere they needed to go to settle in. We got their cell phones, internet, Samoan drivers licences, and showed them the five most important stores to get what you need, if the stores have it. Having been in India (they served a mission there for 18 months), the lack of products didn’t surprise them. They will be serving as Educational Specialist and will be meeting with wards and stakes to find out what the education and employment needs for the young single adults in Samoa. It is a pilot program and Elder and Sister Spencer, that we replaced as ITEP missionaries are the coordinators of the program based in New Zealand, They haven’t been trained yet and are unsure exactly what they will be doing. Eventually Pesega College will offer some classes so that these young people can finish their education if they have not graduated. Here are a group of us in front of our apartments preparing to go out to dinner. When we got to the restaurant President and Sister Tolman were there with Elder and Sister Brown. Elder Brown is the medical doctor assigned to the Pacific area, they stay in New Zealand and he was here to visit some sick missionaries in Savaii. The last picture is of the Layne’s, Stevens, Jacksons, and Gramma (I as usual was taking the picture).

Five senior couples including the Stevens went to the beach. Elder Jacobs choose the beach, it was on the south side. It was raining and the rode was terrible driving in and I was glad our Tucson was a 4 wheel drive.

At the beach the first picture is of Gramma, Elder and Sister Layne, and one of the Jacksons daughters that went with us. The next is Gramma and the Stevens.

It started raining again so we headed home with the Stevens. We stopped to show them the falls on the Cross Island road. They got a good picture, but when I started to take one the fog moved in. 
 

After I posted the blog last week Gramma pointed out that I had not posted one of here bird pictures, so here it it’s from last week’s American Samoa trip. See the little blue bird in the middle of the picture? 

 That was a busy week, and this coming week will be busier. The weather is very hot and there hasn’t been very much rain. We hope it doesn’t rain all the time while Joy, Wayne, Matt and Cristina are here. We have about 4 in-service presentations to make to the teachers and staff the week they are here, but we will work around them the best we can. We do love our mission even though we miss all of you. The in-services we will be doing all have a spiritual element to them. That is what is so nice about being in the Church school system, the Gospel is taught in all classes in all subjects. All knowledge is part of the Lords plan. Have a good week, do what is right, attend church, and know that the Gospel is true. Tofa Soifua Grampa and Gramma Hammond.