Monday, August 25, 2008
Better late than never...
Hi Cookie - I sure hope your day was a great one. I have been practically off the planet the last 5 days, so please excuse my husband for not posting a happy birthday to you, but we wish you a merry one all the same. The kids really enjoyed getting to finally see ya'll through skype!! I enjoyed it, too. Sounds like you are having the time of your life and I am so happy for you. One more year and as always one more year wiser. Love ya, Aaron, Mandy, Kalvin, Sage, Kobe and Daisy
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Happy Birthday Mom from the Torres'.
We sure do love and miss you.
Izze wishes she could walk the dogs with you
and Dante wishes you could buy him
a slurpee and maybe go for a swim.
I wish you could just drive up for a visit
and let me show you around our new neighborhood.
And David wishes for a long chat with his
favorite mother-n-law while playing a game of Uno...
Hope your day was wonderful.
I love you. am
Happy Birthday!!
Hey mom,
We just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday and to let you
know we are thinking of you today. We hope you have a wonderful
Birthday and that you know we love and miss you. Thank you for
all you do and for the blessings that we have felt. Take care and
have fun!
We just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday and to let you
know we are thinking of you today. We hope you have a wonderful
Birthday and that you know we love and miss you. Thank you for
all you do and for the blessings that we have felt. Take care and
have fun!
Happy Birthday Sister Cookie!!
Hey Nana....we all just wanted wish you a very Happy Birthday!!! We love you and hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks for your love and support.
Hugs and kisses.
Jane, Max, Ava, Sophie
Russ & Michelle
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Happy Birthday Mom
I know that you are already on an island getaway for your birthday, so what more could a girl need. I just wanted you to know that I love you and I love the pearls!!!!! I kind of have the skirt working. I sent you some photos in the mail and a card with tons of glitter from April (on the 12th of August), but who knows when it will arrive. We love you both!!!
The Acosta Family
The Acosta Family
Monday, August 11, 2008
NAUVATUYABA [nauvoo t amba] Village July 2008
This village is on the Nauva river and has a sister village on the other side of the river. There are 250 villagers in the village and half are LDS. Same for the sister village. The village has a chief-and he is methodist. The church has a beautiful chapel and there is a methodist chapel,too. The Wells have understood the importance of the church having a high profile, so they raised the money to buy a small aluminum boat so the kids didn't have to swim the river to go school. The standard gift is kava. We brought vinal flooring for their community center. Cost us 75.00 each couple. Boat=350.00 We were
also there to have Pres. Wells bless a new house of a member. This pic is of the chief [in glasses] missionaries and the Wells family. Yes thats me-with my head down and laughing. Next pic our mission nurse and husband Bohmans. below pic white haired Sr. Wells, me, Bohman, Stephens and Staggs. Your favorite out door kitchen, w dry wood space, blue door shower, white door toilet [out house] .
Most cook out side and have propane gas stoves inside. Each person was given
each a flower lei or neck cape, with flowers attached. There was a welcoming cermony and we will be glad to take your gifts moment and then dancing with the old ladies with few teeth and smiling for the camera.
below Sr. Stephens and myself. Wells, Bohman, Stagg, and Dad in middle picture.
This is what in the pacific is called a bush chapel, w out house on the side. It has one large room and 2 small classrooms. You never can understand how these folks think. The kids just swim the river for school. With a few dads taking their school books on their heads and walking, mostly, through the river. If you can't swim someone will let you hang on their backs and they will ferry you across. Dads from the other side help you come back in the evening. Now for church they would have to walk 1 hour to get to a bridge and to stay dry for church. Still the kids just swim the river to go home from church-to beat their families. Remember how we have never allowed swimming on sunday? Rather a different situation and still yet the same. What would you do??????
The boat is used for sundays to keep the sisters dry. We had different drinks at the village. Me drinking green coconut milk. Good, sorta !!! Shows me with blond hair, sorta. We are crossing on a little foot bridge. Bohman, me, Stagg, sister from the ward. Next is the " lollie attack!!" of Sr. Stagg. She brought lollies and they were gone in 10 seconds dad said. She was so funny. See the sister raising her hand-that was to just slow the second time around'ers down.
left courner The inside of a standard house.
vinal flooring, no chairs or maybe a table and a few folding chairs. When they finished their new building the LDS members divided up the folding chairs and all families had a chair or two.!!! The glass louverd windows below are standard windows here in the pacific=we have them in our flat too. There are no heaters here and few have blankets as they are very,very costly.[28.oo]
middle pic .kitchen in members new house
w dry fire wood underneath. She is cooking on a metal counter with real fire.!!!! in her house. These people pretend to be in the 2008's but really they are still back in 1850's. President Wells gave these members a beautiful blessing on their little concreat block home. And yes they do have electricity, real shower, and toilet. They have a septic basic toilet, and yes you are seeing right a pool table. Our brother Br. Sauvu had lived with his mom for 11 years to save for a home. And in truth the Wells and Nielsons gave him 5oo bucks each to make the house happen. Already members are telling the departing missionaries to be generous with them when they leave to go home to america.
I know it sounds like begging but this is all that they can do. Any cash they earn goes to pay for electric costs and propane. You can see us leaving the village with our capes and flower pieces around our necks. We had a grand time and yes we did bring our own food to eat. And still I got sick. This country can use weed eaters for anything and everything and will trim up everything that moves slowly. Because we were coming they mowed all of the grass all over the entire village. !! I gave our capes to my little house cleaner, Sr. Seru. She used the fabric for new curtains for her home. She has never had curtains and was so pleased. This village is the nicest we have seen and the only one to come close to it was in Tauevoni island and was called Somosomo. [ so mo so mo] There the houses were made of wood and concreat blocks and they were all painted cute colors. The small river ran through the tiny place and had high earthan sides and huge trees through out. This is the village where the woman was fishing and we were the last to see her alive
. This village [Navatuayaba] has water and shade. Still our little family we had been present at the blessing of their house their young mom had just had a miscarriage and it was because she still must go to the river to get their daily water[to flust toilets, etc.] and the strain was just too much. The church has given these villagers children the only way out of this poverity and life cycle. The true belief that the Lord wants better for them and will help by sending others to help them - out of love- we help. And the knowledge that you can live a better life than that of your parents and still be a good son or daughter. However, having said that they will still have to move back to the village in the end- they have no retirement and none can pay for a home in the city[ Fijians that is, not Hindi]. Another time we will talk about democracy and all of its failings-it will never work here. Democracy works in christian countries-mostly. We are a blessed people, but we will see how our own world changes, when we , are then in the minority, in the near future. That is the true test of demoncracy, so bring it on.
The boat is used for sundays to keep the sisters dry. We had different drinks at the village. Me drinking green coconut milk. Good, sorta !!! Shows me with blond hair, sorta. We are crossing on a little foot bridge. Bohman, me, Stagg, sister from the ward. Next is the " lollie attack!!" of Sr. Stagg. She brought lollies and they were gone in 10 seconds dad said. She was so funny. See the sister raising her hand-that was to just slow the second time around'ers down.
left courner The inside of a standard house.
vinal flooring, no chairs or maybe a table and a few folding chairs. When they finished their new building the LDS members divided up the folding chairs and all families had a chair or two.!!! The glass louverd windows below are standard windows here in the pacific=we have them in our flat too. There are no heaters here and few have blankets as they are very,very costly.[28.oo]
middle pic .kitchen in members new house
w dry fire wood underneath. She is cooking on a metal counter with real fire.!!!! in her house. These people pretend to be in the 2008's but really they are still back in 1850's. President Wells gave these members a beautiful blessing on their little concreat block home. And yes they do have electricity, real shower, and toilet. They have a septic basic toilet, and yes you are seeing right a pool table. Our brother Br. Sauvu had lived with his mom for 11 years to save for a home. And in truth the Wells and Nielsons gave him 5oo bucks each to make the house happen. Already members are telling the departing missionaries to be generous with them when they leave to go home to america.I know it sounds like begging but this is all that they can do. Any cash they earn goes to pay for electric costs and propane. You can see us leaving the village with our capes and flower pieces around our necks. We had a grand time and yes we did bring our own food to eat. And still I got sick. This country can use weed eaters for anything and everything and will trim up everything that moves slowly. Because we were coming they mowed all of the grass all over the entire village. !! I gave our capes to my little house cleaner, Sr. Seru. She used the fabric for new curtains for her home. She has never had curtains and was so pleased. This village is the nicest we have seen and the only one to come close to it was in Tauevoni island and was called Somosomo. [ so mo so mo] There the houses were made of wood and concreat blocks and they were all painted cute colors. The small river ran through the tiny place and had high earthan sides and huge trees through out. This is the village where the woman was fishing and we were the last to see her alive
. This village [Navatuayaba] has water and shade. Still our little family we had been present at the blessing of their house their young mom had just had a miscarriage and it was because she still must go to the river to get their daily water[to flust toilets, etc.] and the strain was just too much. The church has given these villagers children the only way out of this poverity and life cycle. The true belief that the Lord wants better for them and will help by sending others to help them - out of love- we help. And the knowledge that you can live a better life than that of your parents and still be a good son or daughter. However, having said that they will still have to move back to the village in the end- they have no retirement and none can pay for a home in the city[ Fijians that is, not Hindi]. Another time we will talk about democracy and all of its failings-it will never work here. Democracy works in christian countries-mostly. We are a blessed people, but we will see how our own world changes, when we , are then in the minority, in the near future. That is the true test of demoncracy, so bring it on. We all had a wonderful day and the church was very, very well represented, and the villagers were impressed with all of the palanques who came. Truely every moment that we were there was a missionary moment. We were told to be so careful and loving to all. Not that you needed to be told, but the office missionaries had not been to a village and above all did not need to talk about the dangers of cooking with real fire in your own home!! We did well. All of our love to all Sr. Mom and Br. Dad Bula Vinoka, Ya'll
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Holiday trip to Taveuni Island, Fiji
The Temple closed for cleaning on June 28th and will reopened on July 15th. We have had the opportunity to spend a little time getting to better know the Fiji Islands. On Monday June 30, we took an overnight ferry to the island of Taveuni which is to the northeast of Viti Levu island where we live. It was a very interesting trip to say the least. Our friends that dropped us off at the docks thought that they should say a special prayer after they saw the folks that were to board the ferry with us. It was just like Harry Potter when he went down the wrong alley. Quite an experience. I was more prepared for this than your mother was. As you enter the ferry, which was old and very rusty, it looked like the rusty Star War's transport. Your mother was quite surprised with the mode of travel and really stood out. It was a very multinational group with very few white folk. They were mostly native Fijians/Indians with a few Tongans, Samoans and other islanders. There was also a small group from New Zealand. There are various fares that you pay depending on the sleeping accommodations that you can afford-on the deck in the back with only benches and a covering on the top(it was rainy and cold with babies and little children and not much shelter- not a good place to be, it was interesting as they did not go inside as this was all they had paid for), inside on non-reclining padded chairs(which were like airline seats with a snack bar and televisions), upstairs on open sleeping bunks(which had very few people but was a lot more comfortable) or in cabins which could be afforded by only 3 groups. We fortunately were in a cabin, which was actually pretty nice for the 1920’s(really just OK) with a private bathroom and AC. We had to drag our luggage up there thru very small passageways. We had dinner in a lounge(fish which wasn't really too tasty-really tough and dry probably left over from Capt. Bligh’s first journey to Fiji) and then settled down for the night. The seas were very rough and the food jumped around our tables and we had to take seasick pills (my travel editor is assisting me with my descriptions and is making me crazy) we made it to the first stop-Savusavu(the southern port and the island of Vanua Levu), in good shape. The travel editor (ak devil woman, miss busy body, your mom, etc., etc., etc.)was awakened at 4:00am by the intercom to hear the announcements upon our arrival. I slept in to 4:45 while mom called the missionaries and we had to get off the ferry for a few minutes at 5:30am to deliver a package(powerful bug killer that couldn't be transported by air) to the missionaries on that island. There was only a faint light as we got off the ship and the missionaries were there with their white shirts, badges, and sulus and looked quite out of place on the dock with myriads of darker faces . The only light was from the ship as there was no moon. They looked like we felt the day before when we got on the ferry. Next to us was a large private yacht about 120 feet long- quite impressive. Yachties(super rich folks from New Zealand, Australia and US) tie up at the various ports in Fiji and spend months traveling to the various islands. The Fijian govt will charge them extra fees if they stay more than 9 months.
We said goodbye to the missionaries and the ferry left for the last 4 hours of our journey to Taveuni. It trip was rather uneventful and the breakfast was better than the dinner the night before. We finally sighted Taveuni and pulled in at about 10 am. The island is rather small-25 miles long-and like the rest of the islands had been volcanic and has the black sand and dark volcanic boulders. The waters were various shades of blue and green and reminded us of the Bahamas. Taveuni is called the Garden Island-and for a good reason. The flora is magnificent, there are many species of birds(because of the absence of the mongoose, a natural predator) lots of waterfalls and natural pools. A very small portion of the land is used for agriculture as it is mostly mountainous. When we got off the boat, we were met by a driver, who happened to be LDS and we used him to take us around whenever we needed transportation. As we were leaving the dock, we saw a woman out in the water fishing and asked the driver exactly what she was doing. Check the story in the blog about fish stories to find out more about her. The driver took us to our hotel which was only about 5 minutes away. The hotel was the first major hotel built on the island but is now not as exclusive as others that cost up to $2500 per day. A new resort is being constructed on one of their small northern islands owned by the major owner of the “Red Bull” energy drink. As soon as the golf course is finished along with the landing strip, it will be ready for the super rich and will command $10,000 per day with each suite having 5, yes 5 pools. A church member from Suva and the ward we attend is greatly involved in the project. Mom wants to talk to him so that we can go there and test it out, as inspectors, when it is completed. Back to our humble abode, as we would eat breakfast or lunch, we could watch the waves pound the seawall and the water would splash 12-15 ft into the trees. There is only one major road, which only went around about 60% of the island and was not well maintained. We would dodge potholes, small and large, as we traveled around the island. I’ll post some pictures after this narrative and describe some of the things we did while on the island. Our trip back was smooth and the food was much better.
Did you find the fish story? Kind of interesting that we were some of the last ones to see her alive. Will post pics on the ferry,golf, snorkeling and the resort.
This is the golf course at Taveuni. The rock is volcanic black as is the beach.
Mom taking it easy. The little island that you see in the background is where we went to snorkle.
When we left the harbour at Suva, we encountered this 3-masted ship moored in the channel.
Looking from the back of the ferry as we were about to leave Suva on our little trip.
The international timeline runs thru Taveuni- my left foot is in yesterday and the right foot is in today. Time for the day starts exactly where I am standing.
Same for Mom. We hiked up here from our Hotel to find this secluded spot for foto op.
Flowers that fell from the trees outside of our room. Mom found the shell at the golfing beach, so we have 2 nice soap dishes in the apartment.
Hand-held self portrait- not too bad, great of Mom. Harder than you think to get things centered.
Fish painted on the dive shop wall. We saw fish like this off the little island that we went to for snorkeling
Momma pig and her brood right on the side of the road. One can see all kinds of animals along the way but have to be careful not to make them roadkill!
Small branch building in the town of Somosomo. They are going to tear it down sood to build a new chapel on the land. They have 3 branches on the island.
View out the back of the resort. The tide is out so you can see the sandy areas. There was no beach for us as the waves came crashing in at high tide and would hit the seawall and splash up to 15 feet high.
Showing my recovery abilities on the course. Ball stuck on top of lava rock.
This is our LDS cab driver who also played in the band at the resort. Quite a character!
View back to Taveuni from the island that we were dripped off on to do our snorkeling. We had the island all to ourselves. Snorkeling was great with all kinds of fish.
Getting ready to go out on the snorkeling boat. Had a great time. Only took about 10 minutes for the boat trip where they left us off and came back 2 hours later to pick us up. Quite an adventure.
We said goodbye to the missionaries and the ferry left for the last 4 hours of our journey to Taveuni. It trip was rather uneventful and the breakfast was better than the dinner the night before. We finally sighted Taveuni and pulled in at about 10 am. The island is rather small-25 miles long-and like the rest of the islands had been volcanic and has the black sand and dark volcanic boulders. The waters were various shades of blue and green and reminded us of the Bahamas. Taveuni is called the Garden Island-and for a good reason. The flora is magnificent, there are many species of birds(because of the absence of the mongoose, a natural predator) lots of waterfalls and natural pools. A very small portion of the land is used for agriculture as it is mostly mountainous. When we got off the boat, we were met by a driver, who happened to be LDS and we used him to take us around whenever we needed transportation. As we were leaving the dock, we saw a woman out in the water fishing and asked the driver exactly what she was doing. Check the story in the blog about fish stories to find out more about her. The driver took us to our hotel which was only about 5 minutes away. The hotel was the first major hotel built on the island but is now not as exclusive as others that cost up to $2500 per day. A new resort is being constructed on one of their small northern islands owned by the major owner of the “Red Bull” energy drink. As soon as the golf course is finished along with the landing strip, it will be ready for the super rich and will command $10,000 per day with each suite having 5, yes 5 pools. A church member from Suva and the ward we attend is greatly involved in the project. Mom wants to talk to him so that we can go there and test it out, as inspectors, when it is completed. Back to our humble abode, as we would eat breakfast or lunch, we could watch the waves pound the seawall and the water would splash 12-15 ft into the trees. There is only one major road, which only went around about 60% of the island and was not well maintained. We would dodge potholes, small and large, as we traveled around the island. I’ll post some pictures after this narrative and describe some of the things we did while on the island. Our trip back was smooth and the food was much better.
Did you find the fish story? Kind of interesting that we were some of the last ones to see her alive. Will post pics on the ferry,golf, snorkeling and the resort.
This is the golf course at Taveuni. The rock is volcanic black as is the beach.
Mom taking it easy. The little island that you see in the background is where we went to snorkle.
When we left the harbour at Suva, we encountered this 3-masted ship moored in the channel.
Looking from the back of the ferry as we were about to leave Suva on our little trip.
The international timeline runs thru Taveuni- my left foot is in yesterday and the right foot is in today. Time for the day starts exactly where I am standing.
Same for Mom. We hiked up here from our Hotel to find this secluded spot for foto op.
Flowers that fell from the trees outside of our room. Mom found the shell at the golfing beach, so we have 2 nice soap dishes in the apartment.
Hand-held self portrait- not too bad, great of Mom. Harder than you think to get things centered.
Fish painted on the dive shop wall. We saw fish like this off the little island that we went to for snorkeling
Momma pig and her brood right on the side of the road. One can see all kinds of animals along the way but have to be careful not to make them roadkill!
Small branch building in the town of Somosomo. They are going to tear it down sood to build a new chapel on the land. They have 3 branches on the island.
View out the back of the resort. The tide is out so you can see the sandy areas. There was no beach for us as the waves came crashing in at high tide and would hit the seawall and splash up to 15 feet high.
Showing my recovery abilities on the course. Ball stuck on top of lava rock.
This is our LDS cab driver who also played in the band at the resort. Quite a character!
View back to Taveuni from the island that we were dripped off on to do our snorkeling. We had the island all to ourselves. Snorkeling was great with all kinds of fish.
Getting ready to go out on the snorkeling boat. Had a great time. Only took about 10 minutes for the boat trip where they left us off and came back 2 hours later to pick us up. Quite an adventure.
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