Tuesday, we went with Taito and Ariel to visit Marica at the market to meet her and see her little business. Taito bought us each a fan and recorded a short video interviewing Marica for Self Reliance. Before we left, Marica told us she would need help with Girl’s Camp – games and movie. We didn’t have time to ask specifics. We would call her later. Later, we kept calling, but no one answered. We forgot that her phone had been stolen from her home, and we didn’t realize she hadn’t replaced it.

Wednesday, after we had returned from the Service Project in Seaqaqa, Rex slept while I wrote emails. Then we loaded the truck with ceramic plates, utensils, and cooking supplies and took them to the church. No one was there. We went to the store to see if we could find Marica, but no. We decided to eat Chinese while we waited for her. When we went back to the church, we saw Marica had been there, dropped off a couple of things and gone shopping. No one else was there except Josephine. Evidently, we were the entertainment. We played the card game Golf with her until Marica came.

They were grateful for everything we had brought. While I helped Sister Marica peel potatoes, Josephine peeled all the cassava.  That’s a big job! The girls all came and helped with food preparations. They needed a rice cooker. On our way home to get it, we met the Elders on their way to the bus station, and we drove them there. As we were driving back through past the church, we saw Marica walking towards the bus station. We drove her home and left her there to get her foam mattress and all her sleeping supplies while we got the rice cooker and some knives, then went back for her. We just got her things into the church, when she realized she had left her purse on her front porch. It had all the money in it for buying more supplies for camp. We raced back and got it.

We got back just in time to teach our Business class. Only 2 out of 8 were able to come. The others had called at the last minute with good excuses. The class went well. We were done in an hour.

Rex and the youth played Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John before dinner was ready. We could hear all their laughter from the kitchen.

While I was alone in the kitchen with Marica, she and Rakuita had been talking about us. she gave me one of the best compliments I have ever received. She thanked me for all Rex and I do for the branch. She was so cute! She said, “You aren’t like the other Senior Couples who have come here.” I’m sure that’s an understatement! I wish I had it recorded so I could remember her other words. She basically said that they love how we are always there to help with all the activities. They can feel that we genuinely love and care for them, and the youth can hardly wait for each Friday night activity. They love that Rex gets out and plays with them. Later Sister Rakuita also told me thanks and gave me a hug. The members here are so loving and sweet to us. These are two of my favorites.

For dinner, we had cassava, rice, chicken curry with large potato cubes and Tang. Talk about carbohydrates! The girls cleaned up after dinner, and we played Scum while the leaders finished eating and visiting. About an hour later, we watched the movie Anxiously Engaged. The girls liked it. We left right after and got home about 11:30 PM.

Playing Matthew, Mark, Luke & John at Girls Camp

Always a joy to eat on ceramic plates. We will miss our sweet Josephine on the end.

Two investigators with Emma Bull in the middle

Angie Naidu, Elizabeth Hewson, and Shallot Prasad

Sisters Rakuita & Marica

Sisters Fiu & Aumua

Playing Scum

Look at Josephine's beautiful braid. It's tough to see her go.

Friday we woke up tired. Wonder why!!! We spent a couple hours trying to get the Internet to work, but to no avail. I feel helpless when I have no Internet. It makes me feel far away from home and totally out of touch. Finally, we called Vodafone, and the lady said she was on task to make it better.

We had missed going to the Old Folks Home on Tuesday. We try to go every week, and we had promised we would come. Even though we were tired, we spent 1 ½ hours playing with them. They love having us there. The Little One can’t talk, but she had somehow told her brother not to let Rex go, so when he shook hands, Roop held on and said she doesn’t want you to go. Stay! That melted Rex’s heart.

Brother Bull had told us the girls would go home Friday morning so we went to pick up all our supplies. The girls were still there! Marica said camp would last until Saturday, and she invited us to a Sunrise Service Saturday morning. All the ward leadership would be there. Since this would be Josephine’s last activity before she moves to Lautoka, we let her choose the treat – chocolate chip cookies.

Rex dropped me off at home to make cookies while he took the truck to Ascos to be serviced. It took him 20 minutes to walk up the hill home. The Internet was working. I was happy! I saw the bag of Lady Finger bananas the elders had given us the night before. They were past their prime and wouldn’t even last another day. I made a double batch of banana bread before I made the cookies. Rex got his Sunday School lesson ready for Seaqaqa then walked back down to get the truck.

Kelly is working full time during the two week school break, and I didn’t know if she would come to piano lessons, but we were there just in case. She didn’t come. I visited the ladies in the kitchen and played the piano (one finger) while Dad played outside with the youth. It was not only Girl’s Camp, but the weekly youth activity. We gathered a group and played Scum until the girls’ dinner was served. After the girls went to eat, Rex handed cookies to all the boys. He also invited the boys to see the Money Making Morons Movie. Most of the boys were nonmembers. One asked how much the movie cost. Rex said, “Same price as this activity.” The boy said he wanted to come. They always say that and usually don’t show up, but it was sweet of him to say.

After the youth activity ended at 8:30 PM, Rex passed the cookies to all the girls and leaders inside. The cookies brought a lot of smiles.

We were invited to eat dinner with the girls, but I was so tired that I just needed to get home. They offered to send food home with us, but I just had to leave or fall over. Rex sweetly took me home. I didn’t even eat anything here before I went to bed. It’s been a long, hard week. I do what I have to do and then collapse!

This morning, Saturday, we woke at 4:30 AM to make it to the sunrise service. We didn’t see anyone for a half hour. Then we saw the Chapel light on. Sister Marica was in there alone praying. We waited for her to finish, then visited her for a while. No one else came. The girls were all still asleep, but we told her she needed to get back with them. We would let her know if anyone else came. No one did. We worked on the ward list and plotted and planned for a while we waited. The girls were singing, “Let Us All Press On” as we left. Today we will be catching up on emails, washing, cleaning, etc. Later we will gather our supplies from the church. Tonight we show “Money Making Morons” for movie night. When we scheduled and announced it we didn’t know that tonight is also the beginning night of a weeklong “Friendly North Festival” as important to them as that Famous Preston Night Rodeo at home. It has a carnival, booths, talent and beauty contests, etc. If no one comes to our movie, we will have the night off.