Ramping Up and Reminiscing

Bonjour encore de notre petite ile de La Reunion, (Hello, again, from our little island of La Reunion)

Life on Reunion is really ramping up each week now.  We aren't really sure why...it could be because the missionary force here has doubled, with all its ups and downs...it could be because without a missionary couple here for about eight years (full-time) Madagascar has realized that many things they were doing for Reunion could now be handled by US...it could be because in anticipation of how quickly the next three months will fly by, we are trying to order supplies , organize all needful things, and minimize any potential difficulties for the next couple who (hopefully) will arrive here, all the while doing everything we have done for the past fifteen months.  District conference is approaching - two weeks from today - Brent and I will be speaking in the Saturday evening session and bearing our testimonies during the Sunday session.  It sounds like a swan song, n'est ce pas? (doesn't it?)

I need an escape from the day to day, so tonight I am going to write about only "Highlights" of the last little while.  Moments that have warmed our hearts, lifted our spirits, and made us smile. So journey along with me as I reminisce....

We have an elder from Korea who arrived 4 1/2 weeks ago; a great young man.  We were talking one day, and I asked him how he was doing.  His reply, "I would really like to have some chopsticks; do you know where I could get some?"  What do they call chopsticks in French?  Is there even a word?  My response, "NO PROBLEM.  We will find some for you."  When I went to choir practice in St Denis (the Christmas program is approaching) I asked a member whose husband is Chinese, if she could help me.  The word for chopsticks is "baguette de Chinoise" and she told me that she had some she would give him.  Brent and I would be attending another branch the following Sunday, so I asked the missionaries to get them from her and drop them off to him.  He called me that night.  "Sister Heap, this is Elder........  I just wanted to thank you for the chopsticks.  I didn't realize what a DIFFERENCE they would make; it was so WONDERFUL to eat with chopsticks again...and...Oh... really...I... just CAN'T tell you.  Thank you so much.  I LOVED eating dinner; I felt so HAPPY."  I could tell from his voice just how much comfort - a little bit of home - they had afforded him.  It made our day; we laughed because Brent said, "Think about it.  If you only had chopsticks, wouldn't it be great to eat with a fork again?"

A sister, also arriving 4 1/2 weeks ago, lives above us.  We knew she was an accomplished violinist, but she has been very busy, learning the language, learning to drive here, learning how to be a missionary, learning how to cook with what is available, so she hadn't even taken her violin out of its case, until....one week ago, when she, too, needed something familiar.  We heard slight strains coming from above, but couldn't really hear well until this morning, Sunday morning.  All the windows were open, ours and hers.  It sounded like she was playing in our apartment.  Imagine this friends:  you are getting ready for church and a live concert violinist is playing "Come, Come Ye Saints." Yes, is was amazing.

Just today we had dinner after church with a special family.  She is a great cook and her dishes are always very tasty and very Creole creative.  She served a salad with potato/ fish cakes for a starter and then presented a huge pot of rice and a steaming pot containing meat and vegetables.  It was delicious, but the meat consisted of round chunks, with funny shaped bones in the middle and definitely didn't look familiar. We were all eating, ( I finally picked my meat up with my fingers when I saw the hostess do it because the meat was difficult to get off with a knife.  Brent was still struggling with a knife and fork trying to be polite) when she asked, with a twinkle in her eye, "Have you ever eaten tail of beef before?" Tail of beef?  Ahhhh, now the funny shaped bones made sense.  Brent looked up at her and without missing a beat, smiled and asked, "You washed it really well didn't you?" (They love his quirky sense of humor here.)  Now we have eaten tail of beef and we'll bet YOU haven't!

Lowlight of the week: The elders in St Pierre had to change apartments so we went down to help them move and make sure that the apartment they left was clean (more than we bargained for!)  I made them pull out a shelf unit in the kitchen so they could clean under it and I'll bet it hadn't been moved for YEARS, it was FILTHY.  I picked up a broom and took a swipe at what a thought was just "dark stuff" that had collected there, when some of the "stuff" started to move and I realized that a lizard was in the middle of whatever it was.  He immediately dropped his tail, I mean literally, he just left it behind, and began waddling away.  The interesting thing was, and I couldn't help but just stand back and watch, that the lizard and its separated tail were moving in perfect synchronization as if they were still connected.  Fascinating little factoid learned while cleaning but definitely NOT worth it.

PHOTO GALLERY:

Whether in this life or the next, we will see you again our friends!
Those are orchids growing in pots on the fence.

The fruit of the island...goyavier.  I can't even begin to describe it: tart, sweet, incredible, but they each have about 12 little BB like seeds inside that the natives just swallow.  We were warned that if one eats too many goyaviers, severe constipation follows.  A colon full of BB's couldn't be good!  I put a whole bunch of berries in a large pan with a little water and sugar, boil them down while I am doing something else, run them through a strainer (if you hit a seed, it would break your tooth) and we use it as syrup for French toast, topping for ice cream, or just add it to plain yogurt. YUM!

This is my little "get ready" area.  There is no vanity in the bathroom, just a freestanding sink; in fact, there are no outlets in the bathroom.  All I need is right here, with a mirror propped up on two slat boxes.  It is amazing how little we really need; life gets pretty simple on a small island. (There is no choice BUT simple for us.)

An entrance to someone's house that brings up images of "The Secret Garden".  I so want to sneak in and peek around.

We took this picture because of the striking lime and red color combination.  When we put the picture on the computer,  we noticed the hanging lilies, a little past their peak, but still beautiful.

Here he is, isn't he ADORABLE?  Our new roommate, El Gecko, who doesn't make any noise and eats all the bugs.

A couple of weeks after the new missionaries arrived, the Zone Leader organized a hike around the Grand Etang (lake). We took an offshoot trail, taking us up to a horseshoe area of seven waterfalls.  These are the missionaries heading up to the waterfalls.  The hike was steep AND worth it.

I couldn't resist climbing over the wet, slippery rocks to have a picture taken close to the bottom of one of the falls which came from several hundred feet above me..  Of course then everyone wanted to do it, getting closer, closer, closer...wetter, wetter, wetter.  They loved it.

Have you seen these people?

Perfect P-Day and Joanie had chocolate chip cookies back at the car.  They were SO grateful.  

                         The Highlights and Lowlights ebb and flow here...much like all of life.
                         This IS our life right now and what a grand blessing and adventure it is.

As President Monson counseled: "So much in life depends on our attitude.  The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference:  To do the best we can and then choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and comfort."

                                                         It works; we can testify of that.

                                                            Love from The Castaways