BASMATI LANGUAGE

Hi, this week we have had some saints from one of the Vanuatu islands here. Sister Wells was able to go home to see a grandson be married in the Seattle Temple, so we have been on our own here with the assistant matrons in charge. My big worry was that these women my be Samoan or Tongan in size and I just didn't have any more huge clothes left!!!!! Often they use our 2XX or 3XXX sizes. Every 2 weeks we go through all of the lockers in the women's and get our temple clothes back. Sr. Bahn is tired of the saints not having their own clothes. Dad is in the shower and I can't figure out what I did. OH well. But these women are all smalls or mediums. WE have had the same experiences as with the others -flushing toilets. Only these thought they had never heard such terrible noise.Some could read but most had small verbal skills. One brother never speaks in the temple-at all. So, you must speak for them and yourself. Just a few funny words. You will have to think back to remember the actual verbage and how funny the language is. They speak Basmati. A mix of english with their very small vocabulary; however, they have taken english words and ideas and then add their use of that phrase to make a Basmati idea. Just try and figure these ideas out for yourselves. Today we are going to have another session in their language just so we can hear it again.
Son of God -- pickaninnie of God
Heavenly Father - Pappa
shrub - little bush tree- biggie bush
chasity - one man , one woman, sleepie in one bed
the snake was trickin' me- Eve said in Genesis-the serpent beguiled me
want to go home to Heavenly Father - wanna go back to Pappa
wakie upie -wake up
Settie downie- sit down

I will send more later. This should make all truly thankful for what we have. And that thanks is then turned into service for others. And now we all understand the phrase "cannot do for themselves". I have always thought that meant handicapped. So now we have all grown together in the gospel. The couple in Sigatoga has decided to make the temple trip a project just for their own family. To say I am disapponted is an understatement. People think that by doing it by themselves-they will reap all of the blessings. This is wrong. So we will work on another group temple trip or something else for the future. Sharing of one's blessing only brings, to you the sharer, more blessings. The Lord only then magnifies those blessings, to you, that you were going to receive in the first place. I had to really pray hard to come to these words, so learn from this about sharing one's blessings. I will work even harder to find a project for all of us and the other couple missionaries to do. We are going to Sigatoga this sunday to help organize the bus trip - it is next week. We still would like for you to send any contribution you have to Wade. All of our love, Bula Vinaka Ya'll MUM+-