Before School Starts

Elder & Sister Swanger from Vancouver, WA (our neighbors)

We spent this week in meetings helping train the teachers before school starts tomorrow.  Janice presented an hour training on the Church's teaching standards and I gave a motivational presentation on "Every Student Needs a Champion."  I also demonstrated some ideas to increase student engagement in the classroom to the middle school.

We taught our last SIOP lesson for our current BYU Hawaii class.  All that is left is observing the teachers' SIOP lessons in the next two weeks. We start a new class (EDU 312 Pedagogy) on February 14th.  We may have quite a few taking that class because they are reminding teachers that they should only take 3 or 4 years to get their ITEP (International Teacher Education Program) certificate completed.  Some of them are past that deadline and have not even started.

Pigs at the garden toilet

Garden Toilet

We have really enjoyed our time with the other senior couples here.  They are kind and we have great fun together on the weekends.  Yesterday, we drove to the south side of the island to swim at a beach but it was raining so long and hard, we turned around before any roads were closed from flooding.  We did take time to stop at a "garden toilet" along the way.  I was elected to evict the mama pig and her little ones off the front step.  They (the bathrooms) really are quite unique.  I am thinking that I need to build one for our pool back home.  They have an open foyer with nice plants before the restroom at the end.

We are still happy and healthy.  A bad case of flu has been going around but so far we have been fine.  In fact, the warm and humid climate is agreeing with us quite well and we have not had aching bones for the first time in several years.

Today, Janice and I were asked to speak at church on the importance of education.  Janice spoke to the adults and gave them some great thoughts on how to structure an environment for learning in their homes.  I spoke to the young people and wrote them this poem:

If I were Young Again

If I were young again
Here's what I would do. . .
I would study hard
While I'm in school.
I would watch and listen
Speak and write
And read many books into the night

I would ask my teachers so I could learn
To understand, to study, and to turn
My heart to God.  His help I'd seek
For without His Spirit, my brain is weak.

I would not say stupid, dumb, or slow
About myself - for now I know
God helps me if I desire
If I just get to work and never tire.

I'd ask my parents just what they thought
Of who I am and what I'm not.
My education only starts you see
When I give it my best.
That is the key.                         
                                          by Joe Lloyd, January 2019

A New Missionary Couple

We had another good week but it went by really fast because we were preparing for the arrival of another ITEP couple (the Fillmores) from Bountiful, Utah bound for Vaiola (the church school on Savai'i.  It was exciting to get to pick them up from the airport and help introduce them to everyone and get them halfway settled (at least in Samoa).  As soon as they can get their driver's licenses, get their car issued, and meet with IT, we get get them on their way on the ferry to get settled at Vaiola.

Black Sand Beach

After picking up the Fillmores on Friday night, we had a wonderful trip to Black Sand beach on the south side of the island.  I got a healthy dose of sun (a little burn on my face) and we all got quite a bit of sand on our skins that we got to take home to our shower.  It was idyllic and remote. 

We have almost finished our current class.  We have mapped out the entire year's schedule and can make it thought most of the program classes.  

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High Five!

I have to tell a story about Janice.  We were at the grocery store on Saturday night (Frankies) getting a few last minute items for her to make Norwegian Waffles the next day for our Senior Missionary "Break the Fast" meal.  At the checkout counter a middle-aged lady clerk asked Janice "Oa mai oe?" (How are you?) Janice smiled and said "Manuia fa'afetai!" (Blessed thank you!).  Then Janice asked her "Ae a oe?" (And you?) to which she replied "Manuia fa'afetai!" By then, she was done checking our groceries.  She said "Fa'afetai lava." (Thanks a lot) "Manuia le po" (Bless the night or have a good night) to which Janice replied "Manuia fo'i le po" (You have a good night also).  The clerk smiled and held up her hand and gave Janice a high-five!  She left the store smiling knowing she had successfully passed the test!

Happy New Year!

Our Beach Fale on Namua Island

This past week started out with a wonderful adventure.  We wanted to be some of the first people on earth to welcome in the new year so we went to an island on the far eastern end of this island (Upolu) so as to be right on the edge of the International Date Line.

We went over to Namua Island just a

Giant Bats (3 feet across)

Our well-traveled hammock at Namua

short boat ride over to the island over beautiful clear blue water and white sands.  We stayed there for the day and night without electricity on what has to be one of the most beautiful and idyllic beaches we have ever visited.  We stayed that night in a fale just a couple of feet from the surf.  In fact, a few waves washed under the fale in the middle of the night.  We ate a traditional meal baked on an Umu oven including roast pig, taro, and chop suey.  We were bedded down in our fale waiting for the new year when suddenly, everyone in the camp counted down (in their fales) and welcomed in the new year!  As far as we can tell, we were the first handful of humans to experience it.  For the next 24 hours it finally caught up to us in American Samoa just a few miles to the east of us.

Sea Turtle at Namua

We had a peaceful night.  By opening the tarp just a bit, we had a steady ocean breeze on us all night long.  Elder Lloyd hiked up to the top of the mountain on the island and saw some of the large flying foxes.  At sunset, the sky was filled with hundreds of them making their way over to the main island to get their fill of papaya and other fruit they deem delicious!

The boys who ran the boat, jumped over the boat and pulled up a sea turtle.  They brought it to shore for our viewing enjoyment.

We have spent the rest of our week preparing lessons and getting ready for our classes this coming week.  We are busy and happy!