Rex Wrote: Pictures at the end.  I love being in Fiji. I got to experience 42 hours of birthday. The first day when it was my birthday in Fiji, the Harwards came up to get their truck serviced and brought me a little homemade decorated birthday cake. They brought me a ribbon that said, “Happy Birthday to Me.”

They said, “Not a lot of people would wear this, but you’re the kind of guy who would.”

I replied, “Yep” and I put it on for the rest of the day.

Sister Harward had a migraine so she stayed home with Betty while we took the truck to be serviced.

Instead of going out to dinner, we bought take out from the Chinese Restaurant and picked up fresh lettuce on the way home to go with our homegrown tomatoes for a nice salad. We enjoyed a great dinner at our flat. We had no candles to put on the cake or do Nener Nener. Betty suggested we light a burner on the gas stove and have me try to blow that out. We all laughed but didn't do it. The thought was good, though.

After dinner, we left the girls again, picked up Elders Mong Yen and Kumar, and drove to Naduna to meet and train the group leader on how to run Sunday meetings in a group. He’s the one who likes to break for Primary after partaking of the sacrament. Jone wasn’t there on time. We called, and he said he wouldn’t be there for an hour so we visited VJay, one of the Naduna members while we waited. President Harward trained and Mong Yen translated. At the end, when Harward asked if he had any questions, Jone asked how many from Naduna could go to the temple. President Harward says everybody who prepares and gets worthy to go. Jone grinned from ear to ear and was so happy!

We had been having so much fun that when we said goodbye and Harward checked the time, it was 5:30. We had forgotten to pick up the truck. Ascos was closed, and the truck was locked inside. Sister Harward said she really needed nausea medicine. We drove to town at 6:25, but all the stores were closed. We told them they could stay the night, but Sister Harward had to get home to take her medicine for heart and high blood pressure. We offered for them to take our truck and said we could switch Sunday when we met on the way to Nakawakawa, which would have worked perfectly, but President Harward had left his cell phone in his truck. Before they left, even with a migraine, Sister Harward insisted she cut my hair, and my eyebrows, of course. Then we sent them home in our truck to take care of Sister Harward, and Brother Harward drove back the 1 ½ hours the next morning to pick up his truck and trade back. It all worked beautifully, except we couldn’t pick up the Elders and keep our dinner appointment with Chettys. It turns out Brother Chetty paid the transport for them to come to dinner and to get them home.

The second day of my birthday, we went swimming in our own personal spot of the ocean. I wore my sandals instead of fins to go snorkeling. We had a glorious time, and it was almost time to get out when I went out farther and stood up in a section that had about a foot of silt in the bottom. I got off balance, and stepped back. My sandal stayed, and my foot came out. I stumbled back a couple steps before I got my balance. I wasn’t too worried because my sandals float like corks, but the sandal didn’t come up. It was stuck in the mud. I stomped around a while trying to find it, but nothing. I tried snorkeling to find it, but it was too dark to see. I had Betty stand in one place as a marker while I looked all around her. I searched for almost an hour. The only thing we got was a really bad sunburn for Betty, who was wearing her swimsuit. (We didn't notice it until hours later.) She tried to make me feel better by saying I needed new sandals anyway so I get new sandals for my birthday.

We ended the day by going with the elders to teach a discussion. We love to do that.

The highlight of the 42 hours was talking with family at home. They are our joy.

Thanks to everyone for all your emails and calls.

Love you!

After Rex's haircut. Sister Harward does a good job.

Enjoyed cake & ice cream after dinner.

Happy Birthday to me!

It was weird looking out our barred windows to see no truck.

Practicing for the camera

Snorkeling is relaxing

Love you from Fiji!

Now we just have to get Betty's sunburn better. Neither one of us even thought of sunburn, but we didn't plan on being out that long, and it's heading into the hot season.