How things are going

I thought I would just say a little aboout how we are getting along, great. As senior missionaries we can swim, and snorkle, but as temple missionaries we are in fat city, folks! Swim, snorkle, take a 3 day weekend occasionally, and 2 weeks off while the temple is closed for cleaning and minor things. Every day the temple is open we are there and that in itself is a gift, too. We will have new apartments about the end of october or so. The acreage around --well let me tell you the short story. The Church was looking for a temple spot and needed a minimum of 5 acres. So after researching they found that the Australian Embassy owned the land. The church made an offer and quite surprisingly it was accepted. The savings for the church was several million, wow. Then the American Embassy wanted the parcel, and too bad, so sad, it was already promised. So the new American Embassy is 2 doors down, also on Prince's Drive, with the other Embassies. Now the parcel is being filled out. They are adding the following: A house for the Mission Pres. like the temple Pres. has. and a 2 story building with a basement and a play ground for the visiting islanders and their kids. The building will house the mission offices, Church Distribution office, and all other Church Services needs. Also in the basement [a walkout back] will be patron housing for islanders to come and stay for a week. The play yard is for the kids who are being sealed to their folks. A couple lives in the housing and rides herd on all of the familes. They are the Tagidugu's. [tange gee doo's] This their home now. In Church Services for example, translations on various projects takes place. also 3 small apartments are being finished. Then all of the temple missionaries and presidents will be able to safely locked in in case of troubles. Last coup all were evacuated and sent to another island for a week. Well you know what I am waiting for....a coup. Don't tell dad, it's a secret. We don't know what anything is costing, but we do know that the church is paying the workers 3.50 an hour and that the American Embassy is paying 1.50 an hour, however we will not let them work on sundays. Dad is washing dishes and always we water our pineapples. We plan on eating those suckers before we move into our new housing. Pray for the pineapples! The water supply here is not so good,so we have a 3 stage filtering system that keeps us healthy. So we use the soapy water for the pineapples. The soapy water will kill the bugs. This friday is Good Friday and we will have a different schedule. Three sesssions starting at 6:00, 8:00, and 10;00. Then we all invited to a feast at Br. Vitinavulagi's village for a feast in their lovo. The Fijians did not have pottery to cook in so they used a lovo oven in the ground and wrapped their food in banana leaves to bake it. Also dad and I are speakers here for Easter services. We are honored. We are in the Samabula 2nd Ward. I have already written my talk , or rather it was given to me and I just wrote it down. I have so many true stories that individuals have told to me. So now is a good time to tell them and who told me the story. I started with Sr. Crumby and will add them as time passes. These are all true examples that I have used for all of my many church jobs. Each has a wonderful spirit about it and is a cherished gospel truth. Few are funny or are of happy events; however, the spirit tells the story. These stories are my treasured real gems, so love them and use them often. Sunday is the story of the St. George Temple and the 2000 stripling warriors as told by Sr. Stewart while she and he husband were in the first temple presidency of the Houston Temple 2000-2003. She read this first hand account to me one evening , as I had arrived quite early for my shift on that night in October just before they were released from their callings. As always bula vinaka, y'all and love mum.