May 2023

 

Elder Tonga and Elder Johnson

A few weeks ago (May 18th) we got this picture along with the following text message:

"Elders and Sisters our zone conference ended around 4 and we hurried and sped to the wharf. The the boat was leaving about 30 seconds after we got there. After it left, a man came up to us and told us "You are men of God. The boat will turn around." The boat left the wharf, turned around, parked again, and we were able to get on. We truly represent Christ."

I love starting  a letter with a Mission Miracle!

On May 6th, Steve was able to realise one of our "bucket list"  items for things we want to do in Fiji --

The Fiji Drua

                                Attend a live rugby game! 

He went with a good friend in the office, Romulus Toro. I was invited, but my back was not up to stadium steps or stadium seats. 

Steve had a great time, and learned a lot about the game. Fortunately, Fiji won! That made the day much more fun!

Romulus and Steve. You can see that Steve dressed
down by taking off his tie!

Steve got lots of pictures, but 
they were mostly videos
of the action!

May Birthday Notices are few, but Very Important!

Susan

First, my sister-in-law Susan, on May 22. She reports that she took a trip to the east coast to visit friends and family and had a great time. 

Second, ME! On May 24th. Good food, good friends, and a good time!

This is the Greek Burger
with loaded fries!

The Birthday Pazooki
There were 2 spoons,
and I shared liberally
with Steve!

We truly had a month of miracles with a medical adventure (drama?). Sister Kinzer was serving in Savusavu and she sent me pictures of some sores on her right foot that looked like they were getting infected. I gave my usual instructions for care, and told her to check in with Sister Markus (Mission President's Wife, MPW) the next day, Friday, at district conference in Labasa. The following evening, when she met up with the MP&MPW her leg looked much worse, and they worked with me, the Area Medical Authority (AMA) doctor in New Zealand, and a local doctor who is the landlord of the Senior couple up there, to get her on some antibiotics. By Sunday evening she wasn't looking much better, so they brought her back to Suva. I worked with the AMA and office supplies, and got her on a stronger antibiotic. We outlined the area of infection with a marker (by now it was all the way up her thigh), and byMonday morning we thought she was doing a bit better. While  Steve and I were sitting at a cafe having lunch Monday afternoon the MP sent a picture that showed the infection was spreading, pain increasing, and temp 103. We swooped to the mission home and immediately took her into the hospital/clinic. Fortunately, the doctor on duty is one of the best that I work with here, Dr. Voi. He got her on IV antibiotics immediately, and admitted her to the hospital. She spent the next 5 days there. I was so eternally grateful to the senior sisters in this mission. Sister Kinzer was constantly attended by one of us, even though the night! Sister Markus arranged shifts (4 per day) and they never allowed me to do a night shift (which is a blessing, because I know that I would not have functioned well after sitting in a char all night!)

This is the first day. If you 
can't read it, her t-shirt says
"The Struggle is Real"

After a couple of days, she was feeling much better, but signs and symptoms of the infection in her leg were slow to recede. 

Sister Kinzer enjoying a 
milkshake made specially
for her by Elder Hinkson

President and Sister Markus, Me, Sister Kinzer
and Sister Moa, celebrating her return to mission
life. 

It was so great to get her out of the hospital, but she still had several days of recovery, which meant staying in the mission home and working in the office for a few days before returning to her temporary missionary flat with 4 other companions. We cautioned all of them that she was on "light duty". Hard words for missionaries to understand. 

After a couple of weeks she was finally able to return to Savusavu. We still had some lingering problems, but we were able to handle them from a distance with the help of the Baldwins, the senior couple assigned to Vanaua Levu. Our AMA recommended a soaking solution with Apple Cider Vinegar. It was very effective! I called him later and told him that I never thought I would hear the words "Apple Cider Vinegar" come out of the mouth of a practicing physician! He was a good sport about it, and sent me the research article that documented its use and effectiveness in wound healing. I'm sure it was at least as effective as all the prayers that were being offered in her behalf.

Elder and Sister Moyes joined us in May.
They will be housed in a flat in Temple Patron housing and
will help with the myriad of details that come up when 
large groups of islanders come to Fiji
to get their temple work done. The Moyes explained that the "rest"
of their time will be spent serving in the temple as 
ordinance workers. They are quickly finding that when 
big groups are here, there is not much time for anything
but housing issues. They are truly a blessing and a 
wonderful resource!

Ravin Kumar, Steve, Mickey, Alvina Karan
and Kriti

Our biggest event of May was a 2-day seminar with three of the branches that we have been working with in the Korovou area. The folks in the picture above are from the Ministry of Health. They gave a wonderful 2 day presentation on why family gardens help our health, and ultimately the health of the nation of Fiji. Steve and I were responsible for securing the venue (the Tailevu Hotel in Korovou) and providing morning "tea" and lunch. Our funding also allowed us to cover the costs of transportation for the participants. Since all our arrangements were done in advance,  during the seminar all we had to do was sit back and watch as they presented a wonderful program that connected the food we eat to NCDs (non-communicable diseases) plaguing the South Pacific.  I learned so much from them. One statistic that caught my attention was that 6 out of 10 children in Fiji are anaemic. Then they connected that directly to drinking tea with a meal. Apparently, tea blocks the uptake of iron. I really don't think they knew their audience, but I know that everyone in the room has close association in the village with friends and family that are not members and drink quite an enormous amount of tea! 

When I ordered the food for the refreshments that we served, I had to remind the food service staff each time that this is an LDS group and we didn't want tea. I neglected to do that on a previous occasion, and we had an entire urn of hot tea with all of the trimmings for a morning break that nobody touched. I was very embarrassed. This time, the staff did a beautiful job and had hot lemon grass tea prepared, as well as Milo (think Nestles Quick) in the urn. It was well received by our participants. I did warn the Ministry of Health staff that if they wanted alternatives, they needed to bring their own. The whole program was such a testimony to me that Latter Day revelations have given us information and counsel to help avoid the scourge of the NCDs that are sweeping the developed world because of substances that should not be taken into our bodies (coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco). Counsel on things that should be part of our diets (fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and moderation on animal protein) as well as good health habits like exercise, sleep, daily gratitude to our God, and planting a garden have been reinforced in the scriptures of the restoration.

Steve and I consider it a great privilege to be able  to teach and testify of this great work. And one of my favourite scriptures is:

         D&C 29:34

                    Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal

The second day of our seminar
was a practical demonstration
for taking a mix of local 
soils to make planting
mix for seedlings

It was definitely "get your
hands dirty" time!

When the trays were all
filled with soil and planted
nobody wanted to take them
home, as they all came in 
transports and taxis. 
So I became the plant mom
to 100 new babies

I nurtured them along to 
their required planting 
height (4 inches) and
then we divided them up and 
delivered them to each 
branch that participated.

Our last seedling delivery in
Korovou  branch. The seedlings were
all alive the last time I touched
them, and that's all I cared about!

The final hour of the seminar, Steve and I were invited to make the presentations of certificates of completion to each participant, and hand to out seed starting supplies. One of the activities that day was to make an action plan on how this group would take the information they learned back to the branch members and the villages. It was so fun to watch as they all made their plans!  There were some long lists of things to do when they got back to the village.

President Lomovatu of the Verata Branch

Shirley from the Korovou Branch

Sister Baivou of the Verata Branch

Jerry Tuvau, president of the
Korovou Brach

Our entire graduating class
Tailavou Hotel, Korovou
18 May 2023

The last Sunday in May was the Verata Branch conference. I was so proud of President Qoroyo, the Nausori stake president. He told President Lomovatu not to get any special tents or chairs for the occasion, the stake wanted to know how the branch usually held meetings. So in the branch president's home, in the main room, the entire branch (including all outlying units) met for Sacrament meeting. When President Qoroya arrived, he had most of the stake auxiliary leaders, his counselers, and the high council member for Verata with him. Everyone sat on the floor (except me, because my back still isn't up to that, and I brought my own chair). Everyone sat on the floor for both Sacrament meeting and the hour of stake training that followed. Refreshments were served! I saw a few winces as the city-based leaders got to their feet, but they were so gracious and friendly, interacting with the branch members! It was a meeting I will never forget!

Elder and Sister Patton
President Qoroya and his
councilors 

Edward Ramen, the stake high
council

Members of Verata Branch

Maya (left) is stake YW president
so of course all the young women
needed a picture with her.

No month is ever complete without at least one Senior Missionary gathering, usually at a restaurant. This particular time we met at YumYum, a local Thai restaurant. The man in the white circle is the owner and chef, and he prepared a special dinner for our group. It was delicious. We took home a lot of take-away boxes because there was so much food.

Senior Missionaries at YumYum
Restaurant.

Last but not least, I couldn't leave you
without this iconic picture in Suvatown, Fiji
Any one of these gentlemen would be happy to 
follow you around while you do your shopping and 
load your purchases into the wheelbarrow. He will then
escort you to the parking lot, or help you load you loot into
a taxi. This day must be a slow day, because
there are not usually so many lined up ready 
for hire!

Love to you all

Mickey and Steve

April 2023

 

Nani, our current cleaner, loves flowers
and has a bountiful garden which she shares with 
us often. It is such a pleasure to come home
after a long day to a clean flat and 
beautiful flowers!

After all our travels in March, April was a stay-at-home month. We enjoyed pictures and MarcoPolos from friends and family, especially the birthday reminders. 

Angela and Naomi

Chris

Angela had a birthday on April 2nd and she is now 4 years old. 

Chris celebrated at home this year. Sometimes he comes to Ivins and we get to do birthday BBQ together! I love it that our calendar alerts us to these special times of the people we love.

Jim had his last birthday on April 15th, 2021,  and as a remembrance/celebration this year, Joyce, Mike, Julie, her husband Josh, and grandson Hunter drove to the redwoods to visit Jimmy's resting spot near his mom, dad, and brother Frank. It was a poignant and peaceful trip. 

Laurie's birthday was April 18th and it looks like she and Tami had a wonderful adventure across the pond. 

Tami and Laurie

My Sister Sue

Sue and I share the month from late April to late May by being the same age (it doesn't last long) and we usually take time to go to lunch--I'm looking forward to 2025 because we'll have to make up for lost time and go to lunch 3 times!

 

In late March I got a very unpleasant surprise early one morning when I was unable to get out of bed because of tremendous  back pain. After toddling around bent double for about 30 minutes, I was able to become upright with the help of gentle stretching, ibuprofen, and a hot shower. The pain persisted, annoyingly, for several days and I sought the help of a physiotherapist that I trust here in Suva. She sent me for a full set of X-rays. The radiology report contained the dreaded words "age related degenerative changes". I'm assuming that I probably overextend myself in the garden in the days leading up to the crisis. After extensive YouTube, Dr. Google, and Physio consults, I determined that the problem probably stemmed from the fact that I had been limping around on a sore ankle for about 8 months, and my body alignment suffered the consequences.  Note illustration.

Skeleton Guy
One picture is worth a 1000 words.

The bottom line is that it will probably take several months to recover, and there will be lots of aches and pains to deal with in the process. The good news is that my ankle has recovered and I am no longer limping! The bad news is that I'm working at about 1/3 to 1/2 speed. Steve has been wonderful about picking up the slack, as well as kind friends and fellow missionaries. It's hard to see day-to-day improvement, but when I remember how bad it was right at first, I know I've been improving--slowly. 

On Friday April 7th, the senior missionaries gathered at the mission home for a pot-luck Easter dinner. We had ham with all the trimmings, and I couldn't resist taking a plate of deviled eggs, which was well received. These kind of gatherings help us remember the reason for the season, and help with the home sickness that can come at these very special holiday times. I got a very special blessing on Easter Sunday, but I have to tell you the backstory first.

In early April, Elder Udreudre called me to report a very sore ankle and great toe that he had injured in P-day games. I advised X-rays, and met him at the clinic the next day to go through the process. Fortunately, the x-ray seemed to indicate no broken bones, so the clinic nurse dressed the foot and we sent him home on crutches.

Elder Udreudre's foot

Our dear Sarah, the clinic
nurse that takes such good
care of us when we go to
the TappooCity clinic.

That evening, Elder called to report that the dressing placed earlier in the day was paining and burning. I had also received word from the radiologist that there was some "suspicious" areas he wanted to X-ray again to re-evaluate the foot. I suspected that the "paining and burning" might be an allergic response to topical medication used in the clinic. Steve and I drove to the flat and I held that foot in my lap to take off the bandage and re-dress the foot. I KNOW how swollen and tender that foot was, what limited range of motion was present, and that the Elder could NOT tolerate weight bearing. Before we left, we offered him a priesthood blessing, which he gratefully accepted. After the blessing, he shared with us that it was the first time he had ever received a blessing himself, although he had participated in giving many blessings. The next morning, I arrived at the radiology clinic a few minutes before the elders got there. Imaging my shocked amazement when I saw Elder Udreudre walking toward me, no crutches, no limp, no bandage, wearing his regulation footwear. He was smiling and cheerfully explained that he woke up that morning with no pain of any kind. He graciously submitted to more X-rays, re-examination by the baffled doctor, and re-assured all of us several times that his foot felt fine. The X-rays showed that the area of concern was a well-healed previous injury. We all went home, so grateful for the Miracle of that day. 

Elder Udreudre (left) and Elder Lewenilovo (right)

A few days later, on Easter Sunday, Steve and I decided to go to Wailoku Branch for Sunday services because there were some Self-Reliance contacts we needed to make there. We arrived to find that President and Sister Markus were also in attendance, as well as Elder Udreudre and his companion. By that Sunday I was feeling pretty beat-up by the pain and physical restriction of my back, so I asked Steve before we went in if we could arrange for me to get a blessing before we left church that day. After the meeting there was the usual hub-but of visiting and I know Steve approached both the President and the Elders to arrange for us to have a quiet moment for the blessing. President got delayed on the way to the room we needed, so Elder Udreudre and Steve participated in giving me a beautiful, healing blessing that reassured me that this back condition can be handled in Fiji and it won't be a reason to be sent home (something I was very worried about). It was a very special, spiritual experience that was enhanced by the miracles of the week before. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God knows and loves each of us individually, He knows our needs, and He will send the blessings we need according to His wisdom and timing, and our obedience and diligence in seeking those blessings. 

President and Sister Markus (left)
Elder and Sister McBride (right)

On April 17th we were hosted in the mission home for a great meal. Unfortunately, the occasion was to say our farewells to the McBrides, who were leaving to go home to Colorado the next day. It is a phenomen of mission life that you sometimes only hear the good stories when someone is just about to leave. This wonderful couple braved the conditions of the rural regions of the Korovou district to locate members and invite them back to church after the Covid isolation. This is an area of dirt roads, small villages that have no "address" system, and lots of cows, pigs, chickens, mosquitos, and dense jungle growth between villages and settlements. Google maps is completely useless. The amazing story is that they were successful in making many contacts and re-energized the branch. They are well respected and greatly loved in Korovou.

We continue with our family garden project, and we have had some interesting and special experiences because of it. On April 19th we were able to meet with the folks at the Ministry of Health.They have a complete 2 day seminar that covers healthy lifestyle and family gardening. They were very receptive to doing presentations for our groups. They wanted village health workers invited, and their motivation is very much geared to "train the trainer" to have a group of 30 people who will then take the information back to their villages and be influencers for building family gardens and improving diet. We were able to schedule 2 events with them during that meeting, and we are thrilled to be able to take that to our branches (more on that later . . . )

Our audience Naikawaga Village

 

Steve setting up for our 
presentation in 
Naikawaga Village

Sister Baivou with some her 
cucumber harvest

One day we were just sitting in the office and Sister Baivou came by to show us some of her cucumber harvest (from seeds distributed in our garden project). She is from Naikaiwaga, and shared with us that she had taken a 25 kilogram bag of cucumbers to market on the previous Saturday and made $80 dollars. She was so excited--and so were we! She was selling her cucumbers for $2 dollars, so I happily told her that I wanted 3. It turned out that the $2 was for a "heap" of cucumbers, which is a pile of 3 at the market. I was now in possession of 9 cucumbers! Needless to say, I shared a few with others in the office. 

Nausori Zone missionaries and a few 
senior couples

On April 21st the missionaries of the Nausori Zone organised a clean-up service project of Kiuva Beach. It's the closest beach to Suva that I am aware of, and it is one that we have enjoyed several times. Several senior couples joined the effort. I was given the very important task of tearing apart the garbage bags so the bottom seam didn't rip out in the process. As you can tell from the pictures, a very large amount of rubbish was collected in about 2 hours time. The entry-way to the beach looked much better when they were finished. Unfortunately, there remains significant potential for future projects!

That's a LOT of trash

Standing Steve and I, Sister Vakalala and
Sister Komainaiqoro.
Seated, Dr. Radishma (left) Nurse Swasti (right)

The last big project for April was flu shots on April 27th. Flu season in the southern hemisphere is April-July. Fortunately for me, we had a transfer day that brought a majority of the missionaries to Suva and the insurance company contracted with a local clinic to provide injection administration service at the mission office. All I had to do was organise paperwork and lollies. It went very smoothly, and we were able to give 70 doses in about 2 hours. The young ladies from the clinic (one was a doctor and one was a nurse) were very interested in why so many young people were at the site of  the temple with the golden statue, and they were asking many questions. We made sure that the sister missionaries hooked up with them for a Book of Mormon presentations and contact information for future teaching opportunities.

I'm going to finish with this thought from Jeffry R. Holland, because a very dear friend sent it  in a letter recently, and it was just what I needed to hear---

"Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead -- a lot of it. Your keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."

Love from

Mickey and Steve