A Question of Perspective and "Centering"

Comment allez vous, nos amies? (How are you, our friends?)

Our greetings and our hope that all is well for you and for those you love.  We have been serving as missionaries for almost 71/2 months now.  In ways we feel like we just left home and, in other ways, we feel as if we have been here forever.  Our life is different than it was in North Ogden; the experiences we are having here, we would never have had anyplace else.  Are we happy?  Very!  Is it challenging?  Definitely.  Do we have our moments?  Well, let me put it this way:  I try never to look at chubby little calves or tiny sandaled feet toddling down the sidewalk...too difficult.  But would I change anything?  Not a chance.  We pray daily, and know with faith, that our being here will, hopefully, strengthen the legs of those we love and cherish to stand in holy places and will help plant their feet on the solid ground of the Gospel.  Not a doubt, this is where we need to be.

We had an experience recently that made me pause.  Brent got a call from one of the companionships with a question:  How is the branch piano supposed to be used?  It seems that one of the members, I'm sure with the best of intentions, had become upset because, after church, some of the youth were playing the piano; not banging or anything like that, just playing songs.   He felt that the piano should only be used for church hymns, by those called to play.  The missionaries didn't know quite how to handle it.  Brent told them that the piano was for the use of the members.  That as long as it was treated it with respect, it could be played by anyone.  In fact, if the youth wanted to take piano lessons, they were welcome to come to the church to practice as long as an adult was with them.  He told them to explain the policy to the branch president and carry on.  I have been thinking a lot about that lately in connection with perspective.  How easy it is to get just "a little" off center in our thinking; I use myself as an example.

In our last post, I talked about the VERY TIGHT timeline we experienced when President Adams was here and a new district presidency was called.  I, having a tendency to more like Martha than Mary, just felt relieved when it was all over and the work needing to be done, was just that...done.  But later, as I thought about all of it, I realized what a miracle had just taken place.  President Adams had come from 500 miles away to talk with priesthood leaders he barely knew.  After deliberation and prayer, in the same afternoon as the interviews, a new president was called, who in turn, without leaving the building, just kneeling in prayer in another room with his wife, handed in the names of his two counselors, who came as quickly as they could to be interviewed.  One came in levies because, living so far away, he couldn't go home to change.  We have watched in awe as the mantle of leadership has fallen on them:  their enthusiasm, their love, the direction of the Lord in their going forward, ways members have been touched already. It was a miracle that I needed to recognize more fully to "center" myself yet again.

Because the missionary work is so very difficult here, with few outward signs of success, we often remind the missionaries to daily watch for the hand of God in their lives.  "How has He helped you, lifted you, led you, strengthened you, or blessed you that you might not have recognized?  Watch for, remember, and write them down so they will not be overlooked because of the things that didn't happen."  Sometimes we feel so alone and inadequate; we all need the "centering" of recognizing how many ways we are guided and helped each day...not in the major ways, but in the small and simple ways that show our Heavenly Father's hand and love in our lives.

Lowlight of the week:  One of the sister missionaries, who is impeccable in her appearance, found out that she had head lice.  She probably picked it up by leaning her head back on the couch of an investigator.  To complicate the matter, we had exchanges that week so not only was her companion exposed, but also another sister missionary who spent the day and night with her.  We quickly became experts on what to do and made sure that everyone did EXACTLY THAT!  She was devastated, but all is well now.  Brent said, "I think my head is itching!"  I laughed.

Highlight of the week:  One of the sister missionaries, who came to La Reunion from Madagascar, had an English program with her called The Companionship Study Program.  She is Tahitian and speaks very little English.  Her companion found it, leafed through it, and asked me about it.  I called Madagascar and found out that if she completes the assignments and passes a specified test - that we can proctor - she can use the results on resumes, etc. to show English competency and, also, it will help prepare her for college entrance exams.  None of our other Tahitian missionaries knew anything about it.  We immediately ordered the program for all of them and they are very excited to have this opportunity.  Another one of those HUGE blessings because a sister missionary paid attention and asked some needed questions.

Photo Gallery:

The branch at St Marie had a "Parole de Sagesse" (Word of Wisdom) Saturday activity.  We all walked to a park, played games together, and ate healthy snacks.  The man in the white shirt is Frere Ferrier, the branch president., who is now the district president. 

Juice and oranges at the park.

A while ago, we posted a picture of Alexandra's baptism.  Well, now we are posting a picture of her wedding to one of the branch members.  It was such a happy, happy occasion.  All of the branch members helped with the decorations, food, clean up, etc.

Helping in the kitchen at the wedding.

President Poncherville, of the St Paul branch, a former South African soccer player, invited Brent to a Saturday morning ocean fishing trip.  No reels, just poles, lines,  and a lot of fun.  A great friend and valued member.

Le couple missionaire at the wedding feast.

"The boys" enjoying a Creole lunch, rice, beans, and sausage (tasty, but not very healthy) after a morning of fishing.  Interesting sidelight:  the man in the red hat, who doesn't speak French, just Creole, told Brent that he fed and supported his family by going out in the ocean everyday in a small rowboat, alone, and fishing with just a line and hook, no pole.  Brent said that his hands were totally calloused; they bonded instantly.  Quite a history...the original Old Man and the Sea.

The fishermen as they all met another day.  We had just attended a baptism and they were getting ready for the "soccer game" between the branches.  Make no mistake, it was serious business, with all ages participating.  BTW, it ended in a tie.

Helene Chion-Hock's baptism.  Her grandparents, who were in school in France as a young couple, became interested in the church after seeing a handmade poster made by the missionaries "Families are forever".  They talked to the missionaries, took the lessons, were baptized,  finished school, and returned to La Reunion, where they were the only members.  They taught and converted many others and the rest is history.  They are a wonderful family and a foundation for the church here.  He now serves as a patriarch on the island, which doesn't generally happen until a stake is created.  But we have one here, and he is such a blessing.

A Bientot, thank you so much for your interest in...

The Castaways

Some Days Are Diamonds; Some Days are Stones

Bon jour nos amies. Ca va bien?    (Hello our friends; are you well?)

Remember the old John Denver song? (Blog title)  Brent and I laughed a while ago and started singing that song  because it perfectly describes our days here.  Some days really do glitter and shine, like diamonds, and we carefully tuck them away in our mental file.  Other days are just better over:  days when we are saying, "WHAT?  They really did/said that?  President Adams wants WHAT?  WHAT are we going to say to them?  WHAT will happen now?  WHAT are they thinking?  WHAT in the world are we going to do about that?" Open the window, take a deep breath of humidity, and just keep calm and carry on!

The hurricane abated with only torrential rains; President Adams arrived on Sunday instead of Thursday, and we squeezed five days of work into three, and, as always, ca march!  (It works)  We had  the Saturday zone conference on Monday - yes, Pday - with 6 1/2 hours of teaching by President Adams, all in French.  I can remember dreading those days, but this conference was very enjoyable for me.  Because he is American, President Adams speaks slower than the members here, and I could actually understand most of what was said for the entire day.  Usually after lunch when the stress of feeding the missionaries is over (will there be enough without wasting money by making too much?)  I have been known to have a blank stare all afternoon, but, this time, I was focused all day.  Brent, of course, is always focused, but he did jump at the opportunity of leaving the meetings to take a trip to the store when I found that my sour cream had mold on the top.  "I'd be MORE than happy to help you out!"

The zone conference seemed minor to what took place next.  The District Presidency had to be released, so there were beaucoup, beaucoup men who had to be interviewed.  All of those interviews had to be done on Monday and Tuesday, with the new District President called Tuesday afternoon.  His counselors had to be called and interviewed Tuesday evening because President Adams was  leaving the next morning.  On Sunday Brent traveled to all of the branches to have the new presidency sustained, with  President Adams coming in again on Sunday night to set them apart.  The district reorganization necessitated the reorganization of two new branch presidencies, who were chosen on Sunday evening and interviewed on Monday, followed by a LONG training session for the new district presidency Monday night.  This Sunday, Brent will travel again to the two branches to sustain the new branch presidencies and then everyone will be in place, for a minute.  Whew! Were you able to follow all of that?  We barely could.

Lowlight of the week:  Well, we finally saw it...a babouk...the large spider that we read about before we came here.  We were coming home, with the Adams, after one of those late night sessions, and it was spread across the wall in the stairwell.  I wanted to put my hand somewhere near it so that you could get an idea of its size - maybe a volleyball? - but I had heard that they are amazing jumpers, and I had visions of it jumping on my chest, so I decided otherwise.  We did hit the wall to make it move, and, wow, can they run!  We couldn't believe that anything with such long legs could move so fast.  Funny side light:  one of the apartment doors on that level was slightly open because the people have a cat that likes to go in and out.  The spider ran across the wall, zipped around the door and into their apartment!   It makes me shudder to think of seeing him sitting on the couch!

Highlight of the week:  The sister missionaries had exchanges this week.  The one exchange companionship stopped by the apartment about 9:30 PM - the time they are supposed to be home for the night - to tell us that they were going leave to meet the other companionship and switch back, which meant traveling about forty kilometers down the coastal highway.  Brent said not to go, it was too late,  to do it in the morning, but to call the others to let them know the plan.  Then he said, "But I want you on the road by 4:30 in the morning."  (You know how Brent teases.)  Well, these two sisters are Tahitians and didn't understand the humor.  A few minutes later we got a frantic phone call from the other companionship saying, "Do they REALLY have to leave at 4:30?  Can't they come just a little bit later?"  Brent couldn't believe that they thought he was serious, so we called them down, explained, and laughed for 10 minutes.  They really were planning on following directions and leaving by 4:30.  How cute is that?

                                                                 PHOTO GALLERY

Zone conference meal...Mexican goulash...a family favorite.  I made quacamole from scratch with local avacados.  I don't love quacamole, but this was fantastic!!!!  Some of the foods here we will really miss; we have never tasted such flavor.

There he is; I wish you could get an accurate perception of his size.  By the way...Brent is afraid of snakes, but I am afraid of SPIDERS.

For Christmas, Sister Adams had ties made in Madagascar for all of the elders, scarves for the sisters, and we gave them the Adams' gifts at the Christmas party.  We thought it would be fun if they all showed up at the zone conference wearing their gifts...hence the photo.

On Tuesday, we had about five hours before all the interviews began, so we got up early, headed for the mountains for a short hike and then down to the beach for a some ice cream.  Sister Adams said, "That water looks so good.  I love walking along the beach with the water splashing on my feel."  Guess who said, "Take off your shoes, we're going in!"?

I loved this little drawing in one of the primary rooms.  The scripture, the hearts, the smiling faces, and especially the little girl with the mermaid body.  I guess she is sitting down.  Isn't that SO cute?

Elder Heap waiting out the downpour.  It can rain so hard, but you know that if you wait five minutes, you will be able to make a run for it without being drenched for the whole day.

There are a lot of feral dogs here and this one, sitting on top of a mailbox, needed to be remembered.  Really kind of cute in a scruffy sort of way, but I sure wouldn't want to try to pet him.

We are thinking, two days after Valentine's Day, of those we love and who play such an important part in our lives . We are blessed with a wonderful family, whose love always lifts and sustains us.  We have many friendships that are constant and treasured.  We know that God loves all of us and that He is there for us at every turn in the road.
 Love, the greatest gift.

A bientot!

The Castaways

Yet Another Update from the Castaways

Bon Jour Tous,

Well, we are on hurricane watch again...torrential rains, winds not as big this time, the storm surging through the ocean right between Reunion and Madagascar and, hopefully, missing a direct hit for both of us.  President and Sister Adams were scheduled to come in tonight (Thursday) for a zone conference on Saturday and several other meetings with priesthood leaders, but, of course, everything had to be cancelled. Our worst day is supposed to be tomorrow, and right now we are only on yellow alert (yellow, orange, red is the progression to indicate seriousness), so, maybe, we will only get wet.  I wish you could see the rain; it is like a fire hose pointed at our sliding glass doors.  Unbelievable!  But, I KNOW, it is warm here and we have NO snow.  What do we have to complain about, right?  We have followed the weather back home closely, heard about it from many of you, and we know it is a good winter to have missed.

On our last post, we talked about some of our areas of focus here in addition to the missionaries.  It is interesting how quickly that can expand, with fingers leading out into other directions.  Last Thanksgiving we helped the missionaries with a fireside...remember the blessing tree?  I had asked them at the time if the branch had a budget for them to work with.  Their response was that no organizations had a budget; there was no money.  "What, that can't be right?"  "No, really, there is no money for anyone."  So Brent had a job to do:  find out how the island finances work, which he has been working on, treading very carefully, but asking questions, talking to branch leaders, checking with President Adams. Why don't the branches have a budget?  Meanwhile, we have both been addressing, with the missionaries, the lack of youth programs here.  Granted, some branches have few youth - one branch has one young woman and one young man, siblings - but there could be combined activities with other branches.  The missionaries are excited to work with the youth and have many good ideas of things to do. We are moving ahead with a plan to implement a Wednesday activity night.  I have been looking for Boy Scout Handbooks and Leaders Manuals in French, with no luck, but we have ordered one of each in English and the elders will translate, one at a time, the sections that the leaders need.  Also, I have talked to the district Young Women's leaders...only a few Personal Progress booklets here, and yes, they would love to be able to work with the program.  I think you can see the problem:  no money, no way to order the materials because the branches don't have ordering accounts, and the mission can't pay for branch supplies.  We did what any of you would have done and the booklets are on their way.  In the mean time, Brent is working with a member who understands church accounts and how they work, to set up bank accounts for the branches so that when they do get money, they will be able to use them to order supplies.  Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of church materials here, just not always the ones they need.  Be grateful that a phone call or a distribution center is so accessible for you.

On 23 January, Brent celebrated his 75th birthday in the middle of the Indian Ocean; what an exciting way to mark a milestone.  We took our Pday on that Wednesday and went (what else) up to the last cirque - Cilaos - which we had never visited and spent the day.  We discovered an interesting fact that you might enjoy.  This island was created by a huge volcanic eruption, and, at one time, was just one big volcano.  After many eruptions, the volcano imploded, creating the three cirques, or bowls,  in the center of the island and leaving one smaller volcano on the south side.  Cilaos is supposed to be the most picturesque, with a beautiful little town, spectacular vistas, and hiking trails for every level of hiker.  We were planning on taking advantage of a good hike that day, but when we arrived, we found, to our disappointment, that the trails were closed due to damage from the last hurricane.  Great, great day anyway and we loved and appreciated every minute!

Lowlight of the week:  When I received my instructions from the former mission presidents wife, she cautioned, "Don't bring circular skirts because the winds here will blow your skirt over your head." Really?  I didn't have any circular skirts, but did have one that was a little flared, not much...but so cool and comfortable to wear.  Monday I had to accompany one of the sister missionaries to the dentist - wisdom tooth problems - walked outside to make a phone call and, all of a sudden, my face was covered with coral.  You guessed it...my skirt!  I really hadn't believed her, but she was right; it blew right in front of my face! (and no slip because it is too hot here) Luckily, I was the only one in the parking lot.  So embarrassing!

Highlight of the week:  The night before Brent's birthday, the doorbell rang.  Four missionaries were standing there with a box of chocolate eclairs, a lighted candle in each one, two containers of ice cream, and sang Happy Birthday to him.  They came in laughing and proud of themselves for the surprise and we all shared the treats.  On Thursday, the day after his birthday, we went to the south of the island for a district meeting and two missionaries there - elders - had baked him a key lime and an apple pie. They were bursting their buttons because the pies were SO GOOD.  Again, we all enjoyed the treats and had a good time together.  Such a great, great experience.

District Young Women's activity.  We had the most wonderful Saturday together and that was when I was able to talk with the leaders about what they needed to begin the Personal Progress program in all the branches.
There are vanilla beans growing on one of the trees behinds us in this picture.

Two Sundays ago when the St Andre "group" was begun.  Interesting sidelight:  Earlier in the week, six missionaries with two branch presidents and the district president met to clean up the small building to be used.  Brent spent several hours on the end of a power hose washing down the outside of the building. The missionaries were cleaning, hanging white boards, etc.  I was inside mopping floors.  It was so hot that the sweat was literally dripping off the end of my nose, and I didn't wipe it off because it appeared again instantly. Anyway, I looked out the window and the three priesthood leaders were standing in front of the building discussing where to put the sign (which hadn't even arrived yet!)  I almost shook my wet, dirty mop out the window on top of them.  "Oh sorry, I didn't see you JUST STANDING THERE!"  I think you get the picture, but they rally did work hard later.

The night we had Cindi, Nicholas, and Chloe, our investigators,  for dinner.  Such a darling family!

Birthday eclairs for Elder Heap!

The Birthday boy in Cilaos.

Birthday pies...the elders you can see were the chefs.  Everyone is clapping after singing Happy Birthday.

Pday hike with the missionaries.  This canyon is just a short distance from our house.  We all felt like mountain goats and had to watch our footing very  carefully.

Just had to share a little of our island beauty.  There is a whole row of these trees blossoming along the roadside.  Our personal favorite so far; we love yellow!

One of our great blessings here is the feeling of connection we have with home, family, and friends.  We may be half way around the world, but Heavenly Father has helped us to still feel a part of everything that has always been so important to us.  One, of many, blessings unique to serving a mission.  Thank you for your love and support; it is what keeps us going.

A Bientot!

The Castaways

In Case You Have Wondered...

Cher famille et amis, (Dear family and friends),

You may have wondered why this blog is not full of experiences we are having teaching the gospel, after all, we are missionaries.  Well, although that does happen occasionally, the major part of our time here is spent in other ways.  Most importantly, we are responsible for the missionaries on La Reunion:  their physical, emotional, and spiritual well being.  There are two districts here with six missionaries in each district.  We meet weekly with both districts, one on Thursday and one on Friday, discussing investigator progress, problems they may be encountering, etc.  There is always a lesson given by one of the missionaries, and when necessary, we take some time to cover items: teaching gospel principles,  helping them understand the "whys and hows" of mission rules,  discussing new teaching ideas and techniques, giving pep talks, or just doing whatever the spirit directs us to do, which is sometimes just  sitting and talking after the meeting to get to know them in new ways and to laugh and joke with them.  We have made quick trips to apartments to help with companionship issues (Brent does all of this in private with each missionary; I sit and talk with the missionary who isn't being interviewed).  Brent counsels them on how to handle issues in the branches, how to work with the branch presidents and mission leaders, helps the elders with personal ups and downs, leaving the sister missionaries' up and downs to me, and generally just helping them with whatever comes up.  We have given advice (whatever it is worth) on a variety of personal challenges:  athletes foot, running out of money before running out of month, always feeling hungry and unsatisfied, broken beds, problems at home, not being able to sleep, problems with feelings of inadequacy...the help we try to give covers a huge spectrum of needs, but the main focus is just being there for them...grandparents away from home.  Our second responsibility is the branches.

We have five branches, and this Sunday a new group is opening up (a group is when there aren't enough members to form a branch, but enough members in a specific area to justify having their own meeting space).  We travel to and visit a different branch each Sunday, attending and participating in the investigator class if there is one, being in Young Women, Primary, everywhere we can to support the members.  Brent will sign temple recommends while we are there if needed, meet with members who ask for time, and just answer questions that the branch presidents may have, i.e. what to do if someone can't find their membership certificates (there is a brother serving as a branch president with no record of ever being baptized or ordained to the priesthood.) The record keeping needs a huge shot in the arm, but the lack of accurate records, or any records at all, is only a minor challenge.

We have a modern-day Korihor here who is causing problems with many of the members, visiting their homes, trying to convince them that the church has lost its authority, trying to pull members away.  Oh, there is never a time when there isn't an issue to deal with.  We spent one whole week translating (Brent translated; I was the scribe) sensitive documents, all hand written in French, that needed to be translated into English so that the First Presidency could read them.  We scanned and sent the originals and the translated letters to President Adams, who then forwarded them to Salt Lake.  THAT was exhausting, and again, wouldn't have been possible without help from our Heavenly Father.  We, gratefully, daily see His hand in the work here, with the missionaries, with the leaders, with the members, and with the investigators.  Speaking of...

We met an exceptional young woman at the bakery where we buy our bread and, as we visited with her, told her what we were doing on La Reunion. She asked about the church, so we sent the missionaries to see her, and then invited her and her family to the St Denis branch Christmas party (remember, where I sang in the choir?)  They came, and we had a great night together.  She expressed an interest in attending some meetings. This Sunday they are coming to church and then to dinner at our apartment along with the missionaries.  Hopefully, we will have a "missionary" experience to share with you after all.

Highlight of the week:  I discovered a wonderful new room freshener:  I take fresh vanilla beans (they look much like a green beans) and put a couple in each room.  The fragrance begins floating immediately through the air.  Just a whiff of fresh vanilla...Ahhh, it is amazing.  Vanilla beans are VERY expensive at home, but I can buy a whole bundle here for just three euros.

Lowlight of the week:  We were at the airport waiting for a new missionary to arrive from Madagascar.  It was a hot, humid night with much airport congestion, both vehicles and humans.  People were irritable.  We, of course, were wearing our missionary attire and name badges.  Four different people came up to Brent demanding that he do something about the nonfunctioning rest rooms.  Some days you just can't win!

Elder Heap talking with the missionaries during a P-day activity.  In 2010, the volcano here had a major eruption and the lava flowed over a huge area and into the ocean.  They are sitting on lava rock.

Three of us arrived at district meeting in pink, so we just had to pose together!

A better picture of the lava flow area.  Can't you just picture molten red lava covering all of this area and stretching as far as you can see on either side.

Our new elder from Madagascar.  When I get discouraged with the language, I will always think of him.  He came to Reunion and had to speak French.  After ten months, he was transferred to Madagascar and had to learn Malagasy, a very difficult language.  Eight months later, he was sent back here and had to start speaking French again.  It has been a challenge for him.  He told us, "I have struggled with language my whole mission".  A great, great elder who keeps moving forward - NO MATTER WHAT - or in which language.  

The Young Women and leaders of Le Port.  Each one has a special gospel history of trial, faith, and testimony.  We wish we could share some with you, but all are uniquely personal.  When we get home...

I think you know these two people.

The entrance to our apartment building.  As you can see, everything here has a security gate and the building has a code for access.  Beautiful island, but no one trusts anyone.

I know this is blurry; the camera couldn't focus, but can you believe that evening sky?

Nous vous aimons tous (we love you all)

The Castaways

Red Alert on La Reunion

Bonne Annee Nos Amis en Amerique!  (Happy New Year Our Friends in America)

Greetings of love for the new year to all those at home.  We understand the weather is frigid there...sorry, but here it is a balmy 85 (don't be too envious; it is also VERY humid).  We celebrated a totally different New Year here on the island as we joined with a group of the members at the pier for a Creole celebration.  Much delicious food (as always), eaten late (as always), great conversations with much animated arm waving and gesturing (as always), and yet another array of memories tucked away in our mental photo album.  We didn't stay to welcome in the new year because we had the sister missionaries with us and they (and I) wanted to be home to see the new year from our apartment which overlooks the whole city of St Denis.  I have to say, it was an AMAZING sight!  The sky, as far as I could see in either direction, literally exploded with dazzling fireworks which lasted for twenty minutes and was followed by the release of floating lanterns...remember in Tangled?  These lanterns are about the size of a 40 gallon drum so their light is very bright and can be seen for a long time.  After all of the excitement, sound, and explosion of the fireworks, the peaceful, glowing lanterns floating upward and upward and upward was an intensely spiritual moment for me.  It was a breathtaking New Year's celebration that, visually, will be difficult to equal and we will never forget the sight.  We will also never forget what followed.

The next day, we heard that there may be a cyclone/hurricane (those words are used interchangeably here) coming toward our island.  We have heard this before, with nothing ever materializing, so we didn't think too much of it.  By Wednesday, however, we were on orange alert, which means "Get Ready" so we contacted all the missionaries and instructed them to have extra food, plenty of bottled water , batteries, candles, a tankful of gas, and anything else that they thought they might need.  The winds were picking up and it had started to rain; we knew that we would experience at least some of the tropical storm.  Wednesday morning we were on red alert, which means NO ONE leaves their dwelling for ANY reason or they will be heavily ticketed.  It was strange looking on the city below with totally empty streets.  All day the winds raged at 80 - 90 m/hr and the rain fell like buckets being dumped from the sky, but the most alarming part of the storm was the ocean.  Usually calm and serene, the surf boiled with waves of about twenty-one to twenty-five feet crashing on the shore; we could hear the sound of it even though we live probably five miles up the mountain.  Our apartment never lost power, but many of our missionaries were without power all day and into the night.  The worst part for me was the late afternoon, about 5:00, when everything just stopped: no wind, no rain, no sound, just the heavy, humid air and the steel-gray skies.  It was eerie and made me very uncomfortable.  The storm site I was following indicated that we were in the eye of the storm, and I thought, "Okay, then what comes next?"  We finally went to bed and during the night could hear the wind and rain picking up, but when we arose the next morning, all was calm and it was over...just like that!  Some parts of the island had many downed trees and, of course, there were broken branches everywhere, but no structural damage anyplace as far as we heard.  The natives here said that it was a "little" storm; they have experienced winds of up to 200 m/hr; I can't even imagine that.  I thought so many times during the day of hurricane Sandy and all the tragedies of New York.  Storms like that are terrifying.  When I alerted the family about what was happening, Tucker said, "I hope you don't get washed up on African shores somewhere!"  At that point you really do feel like, "Hey, we are 500 miles from another major land mass; what do we do out here if things really get bad?"  As it was, Brent and I rather enjoyed a day of catching up, alone, in our apartment once we knew that all of the missionaries were safe in theirs.

Our mission here will be one-third completed next week; we can't believe that.  In some ways it seems like we have been gone from home for such a long time and yet, in other ways, it seems like we just arrived.  I would have thought that I would be babbling along easily in French by now; not so.  The language has been a challenge for me, and for Brent, even though he had spoken it decades ago.  We have decided that the important thing is just to keep praying, studying, talking, not worrying about all the mistakes we make, knowing that we are doing the Lord's work the best we can, and having faith that when it is really important, He will make up the difference.

Highlight of the week:  A humorous anecdote about the storm.  We were so busy taking care of everything here that we were surprised to receive a frantic telephone call from President Adams.  "I hear you are on red alert over there!"  "Yes."  "Well, why didn't you call me?"  "Because everything is under control and we didn't want to bother you."  "Well, there are people in Salt Lake watching this stuff and they are going to be calling me and asking me about the hurricane...I NEED DETAILS! There will be mothers calling Salt Lake checking on their children on La Reunion and I need to have something to tell them!"  We were in big trouble (and we could see why, but we just hadn't thought of calling), but he and Brent had a good laugh, later...much later.

Lowlight of the week:  The morning after the storm, Brent and I needed to stretch our legs, so we went to the workout park early.  As we walked up the ramp, I was delighted to see huge snails, as big as your fist, everywhere.  I said to Brent, "Oh look at....."  CRUNCH!  He hadn't looked soon enough.  We both just let out a little moan as we observed at the crushed shell.  Bad moment.

We had a meeting at the bottom of the island, in St Pierre, and arrived twenty minutes early, so we went down to the beach because we could see that the sunset was going to be spectacular.  It didn't disappoint, and we wanted to share this beautiful part of Heavenly Father's world with you.

Brent LOVES peanut butter and they don't have it here.  One of the elders once found a small jar in a grocery store in St Pierre and Brent was able to buy some, but none of us have ever seen it since.  The day after Christmas, the zone leaders came over to our apartment and said, "We have some good news and some bad news; which do you want first?" The bad news.  "Okay, well one of the elders beds collapsed last night and will have to be replaced.  Now the good news, and you have to just say "Yes."  Okay, what is it?  and the elder rummages in his backpack and pulls out this huge bottle of crunchy Skippy peanut butter, which was obviously part of his Christmas sent from home.  Brent didn't want to accept, but he insisted saying, "You already agreed to just say yes."  Moments like this REALLY touch your heart.

Elder Tema, second from the right, the Tahitian elder who served with us when we first came here , arriving from Madagascar to spend twenty-four hours out of the country to meet Visa requirements.  We SO wanted to keep him but, alas, he had to return.  The other two elders are our zone leaders.

When we have had a tough day and cooking dinner isn't an option, we visit "the mustache man" to purchase one or two of his delicious grilled poulets (whole chickens).  His personality is just as large as his appearance, and we love our visits with him, but we love his chickens more!  As AJ would say, "Delish!"

After the rains.

Now you can see better why he is called "the Mustache man."

My visiting teacher Lorraine Tennant, aka Mrs Cavanaugh, sent me some of her MOST delicious candy in October.  I waited anxiously but by Christmas had decided that it was gone forever.  Two days after Christmas, however, I was surprised and excited to see her package in our mailbox.  I told Brent, "I know the candy will be stale, but I'm eating it anyway.  I can't wait to have something familiar."  I opened the box to find an Arabic newspaper and a Super Mario Bros XBox game, in German!  I have tried to figure it out, but am totally mystified.  If you have an answer, e-mail me. I know I am smiling, but I was REALLY mad all that day!

We stopped at a little roadside stand and Brent bought me these flowers to celebrate the new year.  I know it is winter at home, but the flowers are blooming everywhere here...in the summertime.

May your new year be full of all that you deeply wish for.  You are in our thoughts and prayers daily.

                                                                    A Bientot!

The Christmas That Almost Wasn't

JOYEUX NOEL TOUS! (Merry Christmas All!)

Our love and warmest holiday greetings to all of you at home.  Obviously, we have thought of you often with tender hearts and fond memories that have filled our Christmas stockings to over flowing.  I have had a difficult time getting to this post because of, well, I guess that will be the focus of this blog. Coming to grips with spending Christmas so far from home, and in an entirely different culture, has been somewhat of an interesting process this year.  Putting that process into words will no doubt help me understand better what really happened, and why.

I knew that Christmas here, where such a huge part of the population isn't Christian, might be difficult. I also knew that Brent and I, along with the young missionaries, would be focusing on the the spiritual aspects of the season.  Hence, I decided that I wanted none of the traditional trappings: no tree, no decorations, no lights, no Christmas carols, etc.  Looking back now, I realize it was self-protection.  I did not want to experience anything that would make us homesick for Christmas on 3200 North surrounded by family and friends.  But it all changed one Sunday during a Young Women's lesson when I heard the Priesthood singing Silent Night. The feeling flooded over me that my attitude was "Just Wrong!"  I needed to embrace Christmas on La Reunion; I needed to put up a tree (there was a small one in the closet), make wassail, play carols, and proceed with a heart full of joy that Christmas was upon us once more. So we did exactly that.  We bought a string of red, twinkling lights for the railing; put up the little white paper tree (no lights; it REALLY was paper and we were afraid it would catch on fire), bought a hand-carved creche and a Christmas tablecloth at the Madagascar market, downloaded some beautiful, spiritual carols, and voila, our little apartment had a nice warm Christmas glow.  As Brent and I spent those two weeks reading about the birth of our Savior and His most precious of all gifts to us, we were surrounded by not only familiar feelings, but also by wonderful sounds, sights, and smells.  The peace of the season blessed our lives, the missionaries, and our work here.

On Saturday evening, 15 December, the four missionaries in our area (two sisters and two elders) had no appointments, so the six of us went down to the Barachois (a commercial area by the ocean) to sing Christmas carols.  Remember, many of the people here are Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim, so we weren't sure what the reaction would be.  There are very few decorations, but the city had put up a huge Christmas tree at the park with some displays, shopping, and family activities.  The park was surrounded by a huge wall with policeman at the entrance.  Some of the more reticent performers in our group (Brent, mostly) wanted to stand across the street in a dark corner, but I marched the group right up to the main gate in front of the arch light (if we're going to do this, people are going to see and hear us) where we stood for an hour singing carols from the hymn book.  It was THE most memorable night!  Some visitors hurried by us, not even looking, but others stopped with their small children and listened, almost reverently.  One man walked up to us wanting to see what the book was we were singing from, so we showed him where we were in the song and invited him to sing along.  He, and his whole family sang several carols with us.  Others stood by us and had their pictures taken.  Some in Hindu attire stood in the shadows and listened.  A group of teenage boys came by, making remarks and acting cool, but when we invited them to sing with us, they did, and their whole attitude changed.  After they quit singing, they sat on a wall and listened until we went home.  We waved and wished them Joyeux Noel.

The missionaries all gathered in our apartment at 11:00 the day of Christmas Eve for five hours of singing, eating, activities, eating, a spiritual message, eating, a white elephant exchange, and more eating.  They all had assignments, and came very well prepared. It was a joyful, joyful day.

Remember when we first arrived here we told you about meeting the granddaughter of the couple Brent baptized in France?  The Saturday before Christmas we had lunch with her and her family and, as a Christmas gift, she presented Brent with copies of the pages from her grandmother's journal that told about meeting the missionaries, hearing the lessons, being baptized, what her testimony meant to her, and their subsequent activities in the church.  It contained pages and pages of her grandmother's personal feelings about the gospel and when the missionaries found her.  Tears flowed as Brent read what his "French mother" had written.  She was a wise and wonderful woman; and for Brent to be presented with those pages is truly a mission miracle.  Christmas in La Reunion...it turned into a great blessing.

We send our love and wishes for a year ahead filled with the richness of all God's blessings to His children.  May we all remember the source of hope...the babe of Bethlehem...and the true gifts of the season.

I joined the St Denis Christmas choir and had the best time with the members; it also helped my French.  Their branch Christmas party was so, so fun, and I was told that the choir sounded great.  I hope so because it is the only choir I have ever sung in where the choir members argued with the director about how the songs should be sung.  A totally new experience for me.  At first I thought they were kidding, but soon realized that they were totally serious.

Again, the St Denis fete (party).  This little Mary just won my heart.  I wanted to take a picture of everyone, but when the shepherds and wise men came, there were so many of them that all you could see were backs.  No one was left out.

Down at the bottom of the island, at St. Pierre, we not only acted out the events of Bethlehem, but also the events of the American continent.  Samuel the Lamanite really took his part seriously.

Aurore Payet, the granddaughter of Brother and Sister Defaye.

Elder Heap reading the journal pages of his "French mother".  The picture on the cover was taken when they were serving a mission at the Swiss Temple.  What an amazing blessing.  When the missionaries were here on the day of Christmas eve, one of them even started to cry when he read it.

A Bientot mes amies!

The Treasure of Thanksgiving Memories

Bonjour Mes Amis,

Every Thanksgiving at home, as I placed our Thanksgiving decorations in their assigned spot, I would lovingly set out a book by Truman Capote entitled, A Thanksgiving Memory.  It was an autobiographical account of one Thanksgiving spent with a slightly eccentric aunt who was viewed by the rest of the family as more than just a little odd.  He described so eloquently the crazy fun they had together, the love they shared, and the tremendous influence her goodness had for him, that I have made it a tradition to cuddle up and revisit those two old friends each season before my Thanksgiving preparations began.  It gave me pause to consider my blessings, my obligations, and my focus for my own family during one of my favorite holidays.  This year, far from home and those who have made all our holidays so memorable, Brent and I have had an opportunity to pause, consider our blessings, our obligations, and our focus for yet another holiday season.

We have much to be grateful for: a wonderful family chez nous (at home) who have given us total support and joy;  bonne sante (good health) to be able to serve a mission; les missionairies (French spelling) with whom we labor who are obedient, hard-working, and absolutely the best; a message of truth to share that can bring joy and hope to people half way around the world, whose traditions, skin color, dress, and beliefs are much different than ours, but who are our brothers and sisters and for whom we feel an immediate and almost unexplainable love.  Gratitude is the emotion that we feel most often here as we recognize that we are helped at every turn; we could NEVER do this on our own and gratefully, we don't have to.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with the missionaries on Monday, November 26, because Thursday, Thanksgiving day, was just another work day for all of us.  On Pday, we all met at the church at 4:00 and enjoyed a full Thanksgiving meal together.  Each companionship brought something to help with the food, and Brent and I supplied the turkey (breasts cutlets only, a whole turkey would cost 150 euros here), stuffing, potatoes and gravy, and a ham with peach sauce (just to make sure they went home full).  We were together for 41/2 hours, eating, talking, singing, and ending with all of the missionaries telling why they were grateful they had decided to serve a mission.  A new Thanksgiving Memory totally different from all of the others tucked, for now, so tenderly away.

The next Friday, November 30, six of the missionaries teamed up to host a fireside honoring an American Thanksgiving in one of the branches.  They put a big tree made of paper up on one of the walls and gave all those in attendance several fall-colored paper leaves, on which they were told to write what they were thankful for.  Each family then got up together and told, one by one, what they had written on their leaves before attaching them to the tree.  There were several investigators there, and the activity allowed them a chance to get to know everyone else as feelings were expressed.  A very effective, spiritual, and sometimes funny activity that brought everyone together in a unique way. The members here always provide food, Creole mostly, which is most common food here, and we had a Creole Thanksgiving feast together when the fun and games were over.  One mother had sent her elder some boxes of jello, so he made a big bowl of jello...nothing in it, just red jello.  You would have laughed so hard at all of the people here looking at it, poking the spoon in it, and wondering what it was.  All over the room you could hear the words, "jello" "jello" "jello" as people explored the red, wiggly mound on their plate. Some were trying to eat it with their fingers; a lot of food you wouldn't expect is eaten with the fingers. It was so fun!  Great night with a big crowd in attendance.  Again, a Thanksgiving memory enjoyed in a totally new and different setting.  We have included some photos so that you can share the night with us.

Highlight of the week:  It is the MANGO season here and are they ever delicious.  I would try to explain it to you, but it would be like trying to explain to someone who had only eaten peaches bought from the store what a freshly picked peach tastes like.  Impossible!  We literally eat them every day.

Lowlight of the week:  I finally got my hair cut...not a good move.  I avoid looking in the mirror because my hair always looks flat, my eyes always look tired, and I don't have a clue what to do about either one of them.  C'est la vie (that's life).

The work is difficult here; it is a socialistic society and many of people's material needs are taken care of so they have no need for religion.  Every once in a while, the missionaries meet someone who is so totally prepared for the gospel message that teaching them is almost unnecessary.  Such was the case with Alexandria (white T shirt).  She accepted the lessons readily, was full of faith and commitment, and was baptized in just a few weeks.

Thanksgiving dinner together at the church.  In the beginning, Brent and I were busy helping with the food; when he finally got a chance to dish something up for himself, these elders were already going back for seconds.  There were sixteen of us for dinner. One of our Tahitian sisters brought the ketchup; it is new to them and they love it!

I had to include this photo because all of us have seen Brent's "What? You have got to be kidding me" expression.  I don't know what was said, but there you have it.  I laughed out loud when I saw this picture.

When we came here, the missionaries told us that no one decorates for Christmas because the island decorates itself, and it is true.  You know when Christmas is near because the Flamboyant trees burst into bloom and they are EVERYWHERE.  This was one of the first trees we saw, and I loved that the man parked his basket business under its beauty.  I will send more photos of them in the next few weeks.  There are literally rows of them that will be in bloom.

The Gratitude Tree of blessings.  Brent and I could have filled the whole tree ourselves.

Juenes Filles (Young Women) in St Marie.  After the photo, we all had a group hug.  Some things just never change!

December 4 we sent our first missionaries home.  We had sent two elders home about a month after we arrived, but we didn't know them as well.  These sisters we have worked very closely with and it was bitter-sweet to see them go.  Many happy memories.

We send our love and best wishes for a warm and wonderful holiday season for you all.  We will miss you and all the warmth and meaning you bring to our lives, but this year we are happy to be where we are and grateful for the blessings we are daily given here.

As always, a bientot!

Brent and Joan