Rex wrote: Roxi's little baby Titus Maverick Patten will be named and blessed in Preston. He is such a handsome, sweet baby. We are grateful so many family members are there to support them. They will try to Facetime us after the blessing to let us visit with everyone. What a wonderful day. 

     That reminds me of another day of blessings. A week ago, Sunday evening Feb. 1, we went to Siberia with the Elders and visited three homes. The first home was that of investigators. The husband was building a gym, and the Elders had helped him mix and pour most of the cement for the floor. I remembered how tired they were one day. When I asked what they had been doing, they said cement work; and I knew they had worked hard.  Then I saw the pad they had worked on. It was about an 18 X 24 foot pad almost 3/4 done. There was a pile of sand to finish, but no mixer. Then I really knew how hard they had worked. They had mixed, poured, and finished the cement in the heat of Fiji.

     The husband was busy and had a good excuse not to listen to the lesson. A ten wheeler truck had driven up the road and broken their sewer line. He was digging a septic tank hole by hand to take care of the mess until the line was fixed.  They don't have regular shovels. They are usually 3 inches wide and 15 inches or so long. While he was digging, the Elders, gave his wife a lesson on the restoration of Christ’s Church in these latter days. As we finished the lesson, we told her how cute her 1 1/2-year-old son was. She announced he was sick, and she was taking him to the doctor on Monday.  We explained a little more about the restoration and asked if she would like us to give her son a blessing.  She said, “Yes.” I was chosen to anoint and Elder Palelei sealed the anointing.

     The next home was that of a member, Brother Prasad. He is 57 and had been very active until he lost one of his legs. Ten miles to church and ten miles home on crutches was too much for him. The Elders were there to tell him that the Branch was going to use some of their budget to hire transportation once a month to pick up the people in his area and get them to church and then back home. They will actually hire a long-bedded truck with benches on each side and a tarp over the top. Going down those bumpy gravel roads will not be pleasant, but better than walking. Brother Prasad had a bad cough, and he asked for a blessing. I was chosen to give him the blessing.

     The last home we went to was a very busy less-active farmer.  He has ten milk cows, no milking machines other than his two hands, and about 45 acres of land that he works by himself, mostly without machinery. As we came in, Betty was drawn immediately to the crocheted doilies and crocheted runners that were much the same pattern her mother had made from the same cream-colored string. The husband said, “Yes, my wife is very smart.” She had decorated the home with much care.

     Brother Chetty offered us an Ice box bar. He said it was made from all natural ingredients, except the coloring, and very little sugar. Betty even ate one.  It was a very good homemade strawberry flavored ice cream bar on a stick. He served it with a bowl. That is the first time more of the bar melted then I was able to eat. So I ate some and drank more. Ice cream is so good on a hot evening.

     He has one son and one daughter.  The son is going to the university in Suva on a Topper, that means Full Ride government scholarship in veterinary science. He must be very smart. His father noted that the 10 year-old daughter is even brighter than her brother. The Elders asked if they could leave a message and were told, “Only after you eat dinner.” Sister Woodward told them that they didn’t need to go to all the work of fixing a meal, remembering the 1 ½ hours we waited for the last members to get a meal ready when they knew the sisters were coming. They said, “No, you eat. It is all ready!” The elders hadn’t told us they had been invited to eat. The three went into the kitchen and almost like magic reappeared with a full meal deal. There was rice with fish and potato soup to put on top; watermelon and papaya wedges neatly arranged on one plate; and thinly sliced tomato, cucumber, and pumpkin arranged on another. Betty noted the presentation was beautiful. Each dish was a work of art. The food was all good and all raised on their farm, except maybe the fish, and that could have been from the river.

     They have a custom in Fiji that they don’t eat with us. They just sit and visit while we eat. Actually the husband visited. The wife and daughter hardly said a word, which seems to be their role. When Betty asked them to come eat with us, Brother Chetty said, “No, this is our custom.” She couldn’t argue with that, but she still wanted to. We ate our fill and there was much left over. Hopefully we left them with some spiritual food that was just as glorious. After the lesson, we each bore our testimony. Betty talked of eternal families, which led the Elders into the purpose of their visit. The ten year old daughter has not yet been baptized, and the Elders asked if they would like her to be taught and prepared for that special blessing.

Take care, everyone!

We love you all!