Just some news

Well hello from Fiji, it does sound so good writing that. Now doesn't that make good sense? Yesterday at the temple I just got sick and had to go home. The bathroom and I had quite a thing going on, and in truth my back hurt so I had to go and lay down in the biggest womens changing stall and just elevate my feet. I did that for quite a while , maybe, 10 minutesand then I heard voices coming and jjjummped up so fast I almost fainted. If they had seen me lying on the floor they would have had a fit, and we didn't need that. So next long break with my friend the bathroom and I left. We have had a group from the other side of the island here since last friday. School is out for 2 weeks and this group has come 5 times to do baptisms. Some groups are so [from the bush] that you have to really baby sit them carefully. We have another ward group coming from the Vanuatu island group nexat friday and Pres. Wells just warned me yesterday that they were a verrry, verry from the bush group. I'll let you know how it goes.



I spoke to Sister Bohman this monday at a missionary dinner and she told me some interesting and sad things about the sister missionaries little lives here in the pacific. She had 4 sisters going ome this last week and she really felt for them. You see 2 were going home to Papua New Guinea. Papu New Guinea is above Australia - half is part of Borneo-the other side of the main island is Papu New Guinea. These little sisters will never marry. You see they still have the dowory system here in the islands in some islands. We love to think of the " Johnny Lingo " movie and that the man payes the money or cows, no, no, no. In the village these 2 sisters are going home to , the cost is 900$ american!!!!! There it is not possible to marry , that is if there were any LDS men who would marry. These women go on missions and see some of this world. They ride in planes, use escalators, teach the gospel, and then go home and will never be spoken to in their villages, because what man would bother - they know there is no cash. In the islands many still use a form of the dowry system. Then just complicate this process with the church, these women can read and are far more litterate than these men, and they have moved back in time to a place where there still is no electricity!!! THis just isn't fair. But you should here Sr. Bohman tell their story. These young women learn how to read and preach the gospel, and are succesful. They are able to go to the temple several times and are worthy in every since of the word. My heart just breakes, but not with Sr. Bohman. These women are given the only opportunity they would ever have to learn, to preach, to go to the temple a few times, and to see themselves moving in this world as true latterday saint women. An option they would never have had were not for the church missionary fund. Sop they go home full of all the wonderful things they have had and accept what life then sends.

Here in the islands men are not marring, because t6here are no real jobs. Most of the LDS men have no realcollege education. And the men in the church who do have jobs all work for the church in any way possible. Many in translating church magizanes, scriptures, conference talks [this is an all year job.] If the Lord had not said that we are to be taught in our own languages there would be no jobs for these men worldwide. Here the Fijians are mostly lazy and still have no real schooling. The Indians have all of the education and the understanding of how and why you work. You must pay for each child to go to school. At the LDS school it is 130$ per child each year. Plus uniforms and books. So many church kids in the out in the bush don't go to school. So the RM come to the temple faithfully, both men and women, but will not marry. They can only take care of themselves if they still live at home. That is why the USA won't let Fijians, Tongans, Samoans come here on missions anymore. They leave to work. But mostly to marry white girls with families who will help them forever. And this is all over the world now. Our RM.s are not marring and women now don't belive marriage will work out anyways; so now our young adults world wide are planning to be single and childless. THis is the next big trial we as a people will face. And of course the fact that there will fewer children in many areas of the church. Didn't plan to make this sad, but folks = you have been raised right and thus are living the full gospel life the Lord has planned for all of his children. Many of our friends in Houston have told there children to wait on all of the about things, because they regretted marring so young, etc. Really I just wanted to thank all of you for shouldering the real joy of the gospel. All you are so wonderful and we can see the incredible children you are raising. We love and adore all of you. All my love, Bula Vinika, Ya'll love mum