A Brief Moment in Time

Mes Chers Amis et Famille, (Dear Friends and Family, obviously)

It is time for another report from Frere et Soeur Heap in our little rubber raft out in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  Sometimes I feel like we are living on another planet; for example, a while ago we had been so busy and so needed a relaxing evening; just the two of us doing something remotely familiar.  I told Brent, "We are going to do something marvelous tonight!" So I got my trusty computer, logged onto to Netflix anticipating the joy of settling in and watching a movie together, only to have the following message come up on the screen:  We are sorry, but we don't operate in your part of the world.  Really;  I thought Netflix was everywhere!!!!! On to more meaningful matters.

We are blessed with two new missionaries; one, Elder Seifert, has been serving in Madagascar with ten months left to serve.  After he arrives, we found that the French government here will not give him a permanent visa, so he will serve for three months on a temporary visa, but will then have to finish his mission on Madagascar.  We get so frustrated trying to help work out the problems, but because he didn't get a French visa in San Francisco before he came, there is no way they will let him stay here for more than three months.  It was not a good situation.  I was so sure we could get around it somehow!  The other, Elder Mariteragi, is from Tahiti and fresh out of the MTC.  As always, we pick them up from the airport, orient them, feed them, have their new companions pick them up and try to keep them awake until time for bed so that they can begin to make their internal time change.  We did realize something that helped a lot though.  Always, in the past, all of the above was done at one of the churches; but this time, I suggested that it might be warmer and more relaxing - and much easier for me with all of that food - to just come to our apartment and do everything here.  It was so much more comfortable for those exhausted elders; while the mission president welcomed each one over the phone, we encouraged the other one to put his head back and catch a quick nap.  Brent interviewed each of them, I talked with them briefly, the zone leaders oriented them, and then the eating began...boy, can six elders put away food!!! (New elders, zone leaders, new companions).  I wish I could show you their photos, but they were the ones I couldn't download that I mentioned last week.  Next, I want to share a  experience that I know you will relate to.  It is very personal but strikes a chord for us all.

It was the beginning of the Saturday morning session of General Conference here; Temple Square came on the large screen in the chapel, the choir started to sing, and I was suddenly in my home in North Ogden, with family snuggling around me getting ready to listen together, great smells of dinner wafting from the kitchen, pillows puffed up on the couches and on the floor, and just that wonderful "conference-weekend-feeling."  Feelings of homesickness were almost overwhelming with my eyes tearing up and my heart in my throat; I almost felt ill.  The thought came into my mind, "Don't do this.  Your time here will be brief.  Stop and look around at the people here; cherish the differences, the many skin colors, the varied stories that you have been told, the young missionaries with whom you serve.  Live in and love this moment."  It was enough; I still missed conference at home, but for now, home was conference in a small chapel on La Reunion with fifteen others in attendance.  Missionary work is a blessing on so many levels, and that moment was certainly one I will never forget. We will both reference it often.

Highlight of the week:

Thursday we had a south district meeting in St. Paul.  The district leader and his companion came in with grins on their faces and something wrapped in tin foil...they like to cook.  After the meeting, they unveiled a KEY LIME PIE and was it ever delicious!  Everyone wanted to kiss them, and I asked for the recipe.  There are a lot of limes growing here and, evidently, fresh limes make all the difference.

Lowlight of the week:  This week we actually have three...are you ready?

First, we are going into summer here, so it is getting light earlier.  The roosters, which used to wake up at 6:00 AM are now stirring at 4:00 AM.  There is one close by (it sounds like he is perched on our windowsill) who must be the size of a St. Bernard because he is SO LOUD, SO EARLY and wakes all the others up.  When he starts, Brent and I just groan.
Next, did we ever tell you that we have NO outlets in the bathroom?  It is a good thing that Brent shaves with a blade.  I have to get ready in the guest bedroom...Brent actually loves that.
Last, we have a gecko who lives with us, or did.  We don't bother him because he is cute and eats all the bugs.  Saturday, Brent was doing his Saturday morning vacuuming (he is meticulous about floors), moved his briefcase and ran the vacuum there (tile floors) and, too late, saw the little gecko a couple inches in front of the vacuum, and whoosh, he was gone.  We both had to sit down for a minute we felt so bad.

Joanie running the stairs for her morning workout (little pink dot trotting 3/4 the way up).  I wish I had the legs of the two guys bounding up behind me.

Even though we now arrive at the workout park at 6:30 AM, Brent can never seem to get through a workout without AT LEAST one phone call.  Sometimes, I wonder why we came, he is on the phone so much.

We had a cyclone warning last week which made the surf high on our usually serene ocean.  We were coming home from appointments and stopped briefly to look at the waves, when the sun broke through the cloud,s and I was lucky enough to snap this beautiful photo.  See the cliffs in the distance.  The island highway stretches along the bottom of those cliffs.  It is a spectacular drive that we make several times a week visiting the branches on the west side of the island.

The St Denis soeurs wanted help getting ready for a fireside they were hosting and we met at our apartment.  They needed a pattern for a big smiley face and wondered what to do.  I told them, "I have a tire in the closet."  Perfect!  The fireside was a huge success.

Soeur Hartley, front right, had a family tradition that every General Conference, on Sunday morning, they would eat biscuits and gravy.  Her roommates wanted to surprise her this General Conference, so the two on the left came at 6:15 that Sunday morning and we made a surprise breakfast of...you got it, biscuits and gravy, to be served at 7:00.  It was really fun and really good!

The zone leaders have to come to the apartment on Sunday evenings to go over reports and use the computer.  They looked hungry, so we whipped up some crepes and fried eggs.  Look at the smiles.  Elders are always hungry.

The first full P-Day we have taken since we got here.  We went up to the National Park - Plaine de Palmiste (a forest of palm trees) - and enjoyed some hiking.  These lilies were growing along the trail, and the blossoms were as large as salad plates.  Incredible; there must have been a hundred blossoms, just growing wild.

The palm tree forest.

 To those of you who have tried without success to comment on the blog, don't worry; they are not very user friendly.  Kellie has a blog and I have never been able to leave a comment.  To those of you who have been successful, thank you.

Love to you all!  Au Bientot...