Sunday, June 11, 2023

Good Monday (Fiji), Sunday (home),

Had a great week at the temple.  There was a group here this week from Vanuatu.  A small island about 1200 km from Suva.  They came late Monday night and stayed until Saturday.  They stayed in the same complex where our flat is.  We were able to work with them quite a bit in the temple.  They all took out their endowments and then were sealed as a family.  There were probably around 30 of them.  Their little kids are so cute.  They would watch for us to come home from the temple and then run and give us big hugs.  One day I was able to get 2 of the cutest little girls ready for their sealing.  They were so scared--different place different faces and different clothing.  But the sealing was beautiful.  Their dad is the branch president.  He's probably only around 30.  They are building a temple in Vanuatu.  Hopefully they will set the example for other saints on the island.  

We did get a car again for the weekend.  It is crazy to drive here.  But we did find a pizza place that was really good.  We're not sure if it was that good or if we were just hungry for pizza!

This weekend was stake conference.  Saturday night was the adult session.  Very well attended and great talks.  There was a visiting seventy, Allistair Odgers and his wife.  They were both such good speakers.  They were from New Zealand so it was fun to listen to them.  The Fijian people really know how to sing.  I have never heard "Come. Come Ye Saints" sang with such gusto!!  On Sunday the general session was held at the church college, which is really a high school.  It was a beautiful place, right on the water.  Again another wonderful meeting.  The highlight was the Primary choir.  They sang three songs and they were so good.  They sang one I had never heard.  It's called "To Be His Child".  You'll have to look it up.  I loved it. 

We've had two more senior couples come since us so we're not the newest anymore.  But we are the oldest!  Last night they had a ZOOM meeting to meet the new mission president.  He is a former prison warden.  After that they did transfers over ZOOM.  It was so fun to watch the elders and sisters react to their new assignment.  Ben, it gave us a taste of what your life is like.  It's so fun to get to know these young missionaries.  

Lynn is out right now helping some sister missionaries move.  The temple is closed today so we might go find him some shoes to wear with his skirt!  We have another group coming in tonight from Vanuatu.  They don't get here until around 11 and we have to check them into their apartments.  

It's a little rainy here today.  We were going to go to the beach with another couple but I guess we'll go another day.  Hope all is well there.  We love and miss you all.  Love hearing from you

Love, Grandma and Grandpa