“Miracle worker”

 Malo Lava everyone!

This last week went by fast! Elder Godderidge keeps getting new assignments from the mission leaders so it never seems to slow down for him.  This week was crunch time to find housing for 2 new senior couples who arrived.  Usually the FM group has taken care of getting Senior housing in place, but apparently there is no more housing available here at the compound so now the mission has to find other housing.  That's been a challenge because there's not much available to rent currently. He finally found one place and was able to secure that for one of the couples. We helped them move there on Saturday.  The other couple will be going to live in Savaii if a place can be found for them.  I'm glad we got here when we did and before so many other senior missionaries arrived!  We have probably the smallest place and for sure the most outdated (it needs a remodel) , but at least it's right next to the office and mission home and temple and we don't have to share with another Senior missionary couple because it's too small! 

Elder G. finished up repairing and repainting the big bulletin boards in the front entryway of the mission home after he took off the broken glass frame that used to be surrounding it.  I missed taking a picture of him in his typical painting glory--more paint on him than the project he's painting, haha,-- but he did a nice job and it looks great! I did take a picture of the finished product so I'll send that.  As soon as he finished that project on Monday, President had another job for him that he tackled on Friday and Saturday.  They bought these big murals that they wanted to hang out in the courtyard area. They actually are 2 murals put together so there's a picture on both sides.  So they wanted to know if he could frame them in wood to hold the two of them together and make them look nice. 

This was when the President asked me where the "miracle worker" was because he had another job for him.  When he asked that, I told him he was cleaning out a pea trap at someone's MQ at the moment, and he said "see, that's what I mean, he's a miracle worker"!  So that was the project for this weekend.  We worked on the mural framing Friday evening and Saturday morning (yes, I helped by handing him stuff and measuring and holding things in place and keeping track of his tools, and cleaning up the mess afterward).  I did take a few pictures of this project. There are 4 of them. They ended up looking really good and the mission leaders were very happy with the finished product!  

After our language class last Wednesday evening, we went out to eat dinner with Elder Amituanai and Elder Chan Boon and Sister Schofield .  We went to a new place we haven't been to yet called "The Pickled Lamb".  It was pretty good!  We didn't have pickled lamb though, I don't even think that was on the menu, so I don't know where that name came from. They had a bunch of yummy looking home made breads and pastries too so we're going to have to go back sometime and try some of those.

Also on Wednesday,  two Elders got hurt during p-day activities.  One of them cut his leg when he fell on a rock and the other one sprained his ankle really bad.  The one that cut his leg went to one of the small "district hospitals" out in their area on the other side of the island.  They're little satellite triage clinics,  kind of like instacare at home I guess.  Anyway they put three stitches in his leg and gave him antibiotics and Panadol (Samoan tylenol). So Elder G. got out of having to do those this time.

This morning, Sunday, we got up early and drove to our zone for church.  We went to a village called Tiavea.  It is one of my favorite villages on the island.  It's in a beautiful mountain area and they have their village road lined with all of the same plants so it looks very well groomed and uniform throughout the village.  It's beautiful!  And so were the ward members, They welcomed us with open arms, thanked us for coming, gave us floral lays after the meeting that had been made for the bishopric. We attended the YSA class during Sunday School with the missionary Elders that are assigned to the ward.  It was a pretty big class and we took a picture with them after the class.  

The teacher of the class spoke pretty good English so he engaged us and asked us to answer some questions and bear our testimonies.  I couldn't understand everything, but I got the gist of his message and he was talking to the class members about the importance of standing strong in their faith.  He kind of called out one poor girl in the class for choosing to stay with family in Apia where she attended school during the school week instead of attending the early morning seminary class in 

Tiavea and then bussing the long distance to school and back each day. I felt like he was really putting her on the spot and criticizing her for the choice she had made to prioritize her graduation from "college",(which here is your Senior year or 13th year of high school) instead of prioritizing her seminary graduation certificate that she could only get if she attended the seminary class in Tiavea.  She politely defended herself during the class because she said she was honoring her parent's wishes and that was important to her too.  He asked me the question, "What would you do if you had to choose between saving your parents or saving your eternal companion if you were with them in a sinking ship? Little did he realize that he was asking the WRONG person that question, because with my swimming skills I could't even save myself!!! So that was my answer, and then I asked him a question, because I didn't understand why the girl couldn't attend early morning seminary in Apia and still get her graduation certificate. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the answer he wanted and he replied that she could only get her certificate from seminary class there.  But anyway, on the way home, I thought alot about the girl and her situation.  I wish I would have had the opportunity to talk to her after the class because I think I might have told her something like this:  You are the one who needs to find the answer for yourself.  We all have unique situations and there's not one answer for everyone.  Only YOU can seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost and prayerfully consider what's the right choice for YOU.  Sometimes it isn't what your parents think is best, and sometimes it isn't what your Sunday School teacher thinks is best, but it has to be what YOU think is best and right after seeking guidance from the spirit.  That's why God gave us that gift.  Because he wants us to be able to access it when we need help with tough decisions like that.  He wants us to get the answer for ourselves.  And often, he will help us find answers that can solve the problem and make it so that you don't have to choose between two good things, but you can choose them both.  (I'm pretty sure she could get her seminary graduation certificate even if she attended seminary in Apia if she asked the right people about it).

I hope you all remember that gift you have from God.  He wants you to come up with the answers for yourself!  

Please keep sending us pictures and videos!  We're a little sad about having to miss out on events at home  and it sure makes it easier for us to be here when we get to see a little bit of what you're doing there!

LOVE YOU ALL!

Elder and Sister G.