~Life is a test; trials are opportunities to show that you will be faithful~

Truly the work here is going forward inspite of the many challenges that have been coming our way. On Monday our Zone leaders came home from Guam and they had lost the keys to the truck, church and apartment. We were there to greet them and as we all know here on Chuuk... sometimes things change really fast so you must be prepared.(boy scout motto)
Change of plans! Knowing that these things happen, you can prepare for them and, therefore, endure them better. We gathered them up, feed them dinner, traded our car for Dr. Archibald's truck so they would have a vehicle to drive. We wouldn't need one until Tuesday afternoon because we were going to be visiting the outer islands doing GPS.

We were told we would be taking the big boat with our boat driver Esmate. I jokingly said the fugitives ride again you see it has been 2 weeks since our boat incident and things are now in the courts (or at least we hope)we are not aloud to go out to that island yet. GOOD NEWS we did not have to take the big boat we took the small boat for the day. :)

After coming in from the islands Sister Tiffany didn't feel well. She started taking a Zpack that our neighborhood doctor Ed from the states prescribed (what a lifesaver he is) the last few days of feeling a little ill, she is doing great now and ready to get on with the work.

We have several Elders that have medical problems but we are praying and hoping everyone will regain good health. To gain strength in our struggles, we must have a positive perspective of the principles in the plan of salvation. We must realize that we have a personal Savior whom we can trust and turn to in our times of need. We must also learn and live the principles that the Lord has given to receive the strength needed during our struggles.
We will move on Monday to our new apartment on the otherside of the island. All 13 Elders will be here to help us. Did I tell you how much we love these Elders and what great young men they are :)

BERTA'S FIRST FLAT TIRE and THATS A MIRACLE SINCE ARE ROADS HERE IN CHUUK HAVE MANY CHUUKHOLES... Elder Shakespear helping with the tire.

We haven't had rain for about a week so right now it is very hot and dusty. Not a good day for a flat tire. Elder Tiffany had an appointment within 20 minutes would he make it?
YES with the help of good Chuukese men, Elders and The Good Lords help we were able to get him there on time, feed the Zone Leaders and repair the tire. We then received a phone call from Guam, package with a key that may work in the Zone leaders truck? We said a prayer together and sure enough the key worked...

“When the burdens of life become heavy, when trials test one’s faith, when pain, sorrow, and despair cause the light of hope to flicker and burn low, communication with our Heavenly Father provides peace.”

~The Chuukese drive thru "J Square Fast food~

This is our version of KFC, Der Wienerschnitzel, Wendy's and Panda Express... Many have asked and a few have wondered "what is it that you eat there"?

They have yummy fried chicken thighs and legs, we would like it better if it was chicken breast, but it is still very tasty. They also sell a variety of local foods but we like the spaghetti, garlic rice, cookies and salads. Also, they sell locally grown fresh fruits. Most all dishes cost $1-2 dollars each and this place is very popular. Almost as busy as In/Out Burger or Dairy Queen in Centerville. :)

Articles of Faith 6

We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

We had to say goodbye to Elder Blaser :(

We had to say goodbye to one of our Elders that got an infection in his thumb from a blister. Elder Blaser was put in the hospital here in Chuuk for 2 days for treatment and surgery on his thumb. Our island missionary, Dr. Archibald from SLC, Utah, had to do a couple of surgeries. The conditions here on our island are bad, the bacteria is different from what we are all used to in the states. After two days Dr. Archibald said we needed to send him to Guam to avoid Streptococcus or Staphylococcus.

Elder Blaser giving the Chuukese sign trying to keep his spirits up.

This Zone is very strong and supportive of each other. This has been a tough week on everyone.
Here are the Zone Leaders Elder Butler, Elder Johnson, Elder Blaser his companion Elder Lapeyrouse, and Elder Tiffany

Sister Tiffany telling Elder Blaser goodbye.

Inspite of this difficult situation the Lord does watch over his servants. The Lord stands ready to help us through our struggles. We have His assurance and His promise that He will be there to assist us in the days of our difficulty: When Elder Blaser arrived in Guam a hand specialist had just arrived the day before. They were able to get him in for another surgery. He was very blessed to have this specialist there. They found gangreen and they had to get it all cleaned out to save his thumb. The Savior knows all things past, present, and future. Jacob taught, “For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it” (2 Ne. 9:20). He knows the things that we stand in need of even before we ask (see 3 Ne. 13:8).
Elder Blaser is now recouperating in Guam and will be arriving back in the states on April 11th. We wish him the best of luck and hope to see him again when we get home.

Visiting with the Joseph Family

When we were out doing the GSP work, we stopped by to ask President Joseph for his help. He is 1st counselor to the District President.
They were busy working in the yard and happy we stopped by so they could take a break. They don't have many weed eaters here on the island, when they cut grass, weeds etc., they use a BIG knife like the one Sister Joseph is holding.

Sister Tiffany with Sister Joseph AND a great BIG knife...

President Joseph preparing Coconuts to drink

The group enjoying the meat inside the coconut after drinking them. Even the puppy, kitty and Rooster like eating fresh coconut.

Go Elder Tiffany, go Slam it!

Throw the ball President, throw the ball...
What a fun afternoon. We enjoyed drinking fresh coconuts and visiting > the mix game of baseball, football and dodgeball for the men was a good workout but they had a lot of fun. We truly love the Joseph Family.

Articles of Faith 5

We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

President of the Church
President Thomas S. Monson has served as the 16th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since February 3, 2008. He had served as a Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church since November 10, 1985. Most recently, on March 12, 1995, he was set apart as First Counselor to President Gordon B. Hinckley. Prior to that, on June 5, 1994, he was called as Second Counselor to President Howard W. Hunter, and on November 10, 1985, as Second Counselor to President Ezra Taft Benson. He was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 4, 1963, and ordained an Apostle on October 10, 1963, at the age of 36.

Born in Salt Lake City, on August 21, 1927, President Monson is a son of G. Spencer and Gladys Condie Monson. He attended Salt Lake City public schools and graduated cum laude from the University of Utah in 1948, receiving a degree in business management. He did graduate work and served as a member of the College of Business faculty at the University of Utah. He later received his MBA degree from Brigham Young University. In April 1981, Brigham Young University conferred upon President Monson the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. He was given the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters by Salt Lake Community College in June 1996. He received the Honorary Doctor of Business from the University of Utah in May 2007. In May 2009 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Communication from Utah Valley University and an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Southern Utah University. In April 2010 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Weber State University. In May 2011 he received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Dixie State College of Utah. He is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, an honorary business fraternity.

President Henry B. Eyring was named First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 3 February 2008. Previously, he had served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to President Gordon B. Hinckley since 6 October 2007. He was named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 1 April 1995, having previously served as a member of the Seventy since 3 October 1992.

Born in Princeton, New Jersey, 31 May 1933, he has served the Church as a regional representative, a member of the general Sunday School board and a bishop.
President Eyring is married to the former Kathleen Johnson, and they are the parents of four sons and two daughters.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on February 3, 2008. He was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 2, 2004. He has served as a General Authority since April 1994, and served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from August 2002 until his call to the Twelve.

President Uchtdorf was born on November 6, 1940 in then Mährisch-Ostrau, Czechoslovakia, to Karl Albert and Hildegard Else Opelt Uchtdorf. He was raised in Zwickau, Germany, where his family joined the Church in 1947.

Update on the Boat

Apparently the claim to the boat in question, has something of a bogus nature to it. Their claim, we have found, is not exactly up to snuff. The authorities have neglected to get involved for the most part, but that hasn't negated any of the fervor on the part of the crew trying to get it. They have filed a grievance with the local court system but their claim so far remains in the "dead letter file" as far as the Church and the District is concerned. Mission President Meacham has stated that they will not get the boat and they can go to whatever degree they need to.
The mission work advances amid the efforts by the adversary to stop it. We will be back on the island soon to carry on. Our Elders, in the mean time, are there to assist and teach the people.

Elder Malit and Elder Sofele

Things are popping in the Chuuk Zone

Life over in Chuuk is never dull. Back in January at the Seniors couple conference, we all made a goal to reactivate the inactive members.

Chuuk Zone's goal is to reactivate 75 members. We came up with the averages needed from each island throughout the Micronesia mission.
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” This commandment throbs in the heart of every missionary who testifies of Jesus Christ and teaches His message.

As we have mentioned before, we are doing GPS location here on all the islands in our zone. What that means is, we pull up a list of the people from each branch, And hit the dirt.
“Faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, we hope to qualify for the work.”
We take the Elders from each area with us. This way they can teach and find new investigators. Most of the families are part-member families, so they get a lot of opportunities to teach. We also take the Branch President with us so he can make a contact with each member and that gives him an opportunity to check on them and invite them back to church.

This work is truly inspired from the Lord. As one among the “special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world, it is truly wonderful to be part of this work. “Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” We have come to appreciate that promise very much.

The first branch that we did the GPS location in, has now opened with Missionaries there and it is flourishing. The Missionaries had not been in this branch for a number of years when we started there and they were only getting about 10 people attending each week. Now they are getting over 40. They already had one baptism this week and have four more scheduled this coming week. They taught 45 lessons last week and we are so proud of them. New callings are being extented now to others and we are starting a Temple Prep class this week. It is truly exciting to see the work move forward here.

Elders Jones and Valinotti with newly baptized members.

“This is my gospel,” He said, “… for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do.” Thus, faith; repentance; baptism by water, fire, and of the Holy Ghost; the gathering of the elect; and enduring to the end are all part of the gospel. All of us can emulate the Lord’s example, regardless of age, status, or location.

The Blessings of Sisterhood

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles says, “The Relief Society has great significance for every member of the Church. All of us have been blessed through the example and service of its members.”

Sister Archibald, Sister Oriko, Sister Tiffany and Sister Merina

RS President Sister Marsine Joseph

“My dear sisters, we believe in you,” says Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We believe in and are counting on your goodness and your strength, your propensity for virtue and valor, your kindness and courage, your strength and resilience. We believe in your mission as women of God. We realize that you are the emotional (and sometimes spiritual) glue that holds families and often ward families together. We believe that the Church simply will not accomplish what it must without your faith and faithfulness, your innate tendency to put the well-being of others ahead of your own, and your spiritual strength and tenacity. And we believe that God’s plan is for you to become queens and to receive the highest blessings any woman can receive in time or eternity. . . . Never lose your precious identity by doing anything that would jeopardize the promised eternal future your Heavenly Father has provided for you.”

Elder Ballard then says that a woman who knows her identity as a daughter of God can have great influence. He says, “Every sister who stands for truth and righteousness diminishes the influence of evil. Every sister who strengthens and protects her family is doing the work of God. Every sister who lives as a woman of God becomes a beacon for others to follow and plants seeds of righteous influence that will be harvested for decades to come. Every sister who makes and keeps sacred covenants becomes an instrument in the hands of God.”

Only in Chuuk > held for ransom...

Today we were out doing GPS locations on one of the outer islands called "Patta". What a beautiful island. The church has a small boat that we normally take out there. It is about 50 miles away. The larger boat has been broken down, but now it is fixed so we took it.

We arrived at Patta, met up with the Branch President and he took us through the mangroves to the church to meet with the Elders. The big boat won't fit through there.

We made a plan with the Elders and then headed back to the big boat to go around to the other side of the island.

When we landed we shared some coconuts for energy, then planned to return to the dock by 3pm to head back.
The day started out amazing, everywhere we went we were greeted by a lot of smiling happy people. They make you feel like you’re a celebrity, they are so happy to see us, even the small children.

We met with the member in this village we were hoping to see today and he led us to his home on the beach.

Anytime you enter a home here you first have to be invited in and then you take off your shoes. They don’t have furniture and normally the floors are made of wood. Sometimes they have tile or linoleum but generally not. His sister was there and she joined us. She is not a member, nor is his wife or some of his children which are living on another island. He holds the Melchizedek Priesthood which is really exciting because we don't have many on this island.

While we were there he asked us why we came. We shared our testimonies with him that we knew The Gospel was true, that Our Father in Heaven knows us and loves us all.
That true happiness comes from following Christ’s example and developing Christlike attributes such as obedience, goodness, honesty, gratitude, humility, love, charity, and forgiveness. It comes from serving others and helping them to follow Jesus Christ. It comes from controlling the appetites of our human bodies and following the promptings of the Spirit. It comes from working hard and having a healthy lifestyle, friends, family, and personal achievements.
He is always watching over us and will never leave us if we do our part to live worthy to receive his blessings.
Regardless of what you do or don’t have in this life, your deepest, most lasting happiness will come from knowing God’s plan and following it. One ancient prophet put it this way:
“I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.”
Elder Tiffany then invited him to come join us for the day to go out and find other members in the area. He was very happy and came along and guided us to some of the other members in the village.

We talked to this man and his family. He had been baptized many years ago but then had moved to this island and become inactive. He was very moved that we had found him and told us about how he remembered how he felt when he joined the Church. The spirit was quite strong and the missionaries made plans to teach his wife and children. They are very excited.
While there however an American lady who is married to a Chuukese man came up and told us that our boat driver had violated a law and when they went to talk to him he sped off and we were now stranded without a ride. We were summoned to come and talk to the local officials. Sounded a bit strange but after collecting information we went to their house and spoke to them. Our Missionary who has been here for 22 months took the lead, he being accomplished in the language. They told us that the boat driver, Esmeit, had dropped his anchor in a restricted area and that they were obliged to then take our boat and hold it until a fine of $3000 was paid. Two weeks they would hold the boat and if the fine was not paid they would keep the boat. Also there would be a fine of an additional $2000 for him fleeing the scene. Problem was the boat was already gone and we were left there. We established that this was an arbitrary settlement on their part but we thanked them for the information and said we would turn it over to our superiors. The Branch President, Sam Roby came around from the other side of the island and picked us up and took us to the next island where we met up with our fugitive boat driver and he whisked us off to our home island, where we immediately put the boat in the boat house and locked it up.

Esmeit, The Fugitive Boatman

Now this is the Lords work and he keeps us in his arms as we go about finding his lost sheep.
The next day the group showed up from that island to seize the boat. Our District President met with them and informed them that while that may have been the custom in the past there were better ways to handle the problem and that they were not obliged to hand over the boat. They however insisted and would not negotiate. They then went to the Police station to get the documents and have the constabulary assist them in procuring the water craft. The Police told them that this was not a matter for them to get involved in and that they would have to take it to court. So at this time the boat remains in the boat house and the fines have not been paid.

Articles of Faith 4

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Each of us who has been baptized has done so as a sign that he or she has changed their life and is willing to obey the principles that lead toward exaltation. But just being baptized is not enough. At that time, we began a new way of life, and to obtain the blessings of that new life, we must continue progressing and improving ourselves. The prophet Alma, concerned about his priesthood brethren after their baptism, told them: “And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?” (Alma 5:14). These questions are just as important today. Have we all felt a change in our hearts and experienced a spiritual rebirth since our baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ? Many people enjoy a spiritual feeling at the time of their baptism. One member described it this way: “I will never forget the emotion inside my soul; to be clean, to start fresh as a child of God. … It was such a special feeling!” Baptism is the beginning of the “mighty change” we must all experience in order to return to our Father in Heaven (see Alma 5:13–14 and Mosiah 5:7–9). As we live up to our covenants, our desires and actions change and we become more and more like our Father in Heaven. When we are baptized we are placed under the water. The scriptures compare this to burying, or leaving behind, our old self (see Romans 6:4; D&C 76:51). When we come out of the water, we are washed clean of sin and begin a new life. This new life began with a lasting agreement with God; and if we do our part, He will do His. As we obey Him, He will help us change and lead us back into His presence. THE GOSPEL IS GROWING, WE HAVE 4 BAPTISMS THIS SATURDAY........

Gone back pack'in

The Church of Jesus Christ donated 200 backpacks with kits today to the students in the Penia school. These kids were so excited to get new pack backs and because they were JanSport brand, it made it all the better. They were really excited so they greeted us at the front of the school.

Service changes people. It refines, purifies, gives a finer perspective, and brings out the best in each one of us. It gets us looking outward instead of inward. It prompts us to consider others’ needs ahead of our own. Righteous service is the expression of true charity, such as the Savior showed. The Mwan Young Men and Young Women along with their leaders helped put the kits and backpacks together and helped deliver them to the kids, along with the Elders, Branch Presidency and District Presidency. What a special day for the kids of Penia. The older kids emjoyed giving service to these young children.

We even had one young lady that was very sick and in a lot of pain, come and do her part. Look how swollen her face is she went to the dentist Sunday after church, they did nothing to help her. I was so upset I had her mom talk to our Mission Dr. Archibald and he gave this beautiful young girl some medicine to help her. We pray she will be feeling better soon. She is a tough little thing for as much pain as she is. We are going to miss Dr. Archibald when he goes home next month. He and Sister Archibald have been a excellent addition to the Chuuk zone.

Elder Tiffany enjoying himself giving out the back packs to the students. Service helps us establish true values and priorities by distinguishing between the worth of material things that pass, and those things of lasting, even eternal, value. Our beloved prophet counsels: “If you would find yourself, learn to deny yourself for the blessing of others. Forget yourself and find someone who needs your service, and you will discover the secret to the happy, fulfilled life.

Service helps us establish a righteous tradition. This is so necessary, particularly among young people. Wise parents will provide service opportunities in the home for their children from an early age. Growing up with this tradition will blossom into community service and Church service. It will develop a spirit of volunteerism in a world where people more often ask, “What’s in it for me?” The Lord has counseled: “For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things;

The Influential Stranger

This came from a friends blog and we thought it was so great we wanted to share it. <><><><><><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><> A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Bill, five years my senior, was my example. Fran, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play ‘big brother’ and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors– Mom taught me to love the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it all. He knew about the past, understood the present, and seemingly could predict the future. The pictures he could draw were so life like that I: would often laugh or cry as I watched. He was Iike a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars. My brother and I were deeply impressed by John Wayne in particular. The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn’ t seem to mind-but sometimes Mom would quietly get up– while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places– go to her room, read her Bible and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house– not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn’t permit alcohol in his home – not even for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (probably too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationship were influenced by the stranger, As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my parents’ den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name? We always just called him TV. ~Anonymous~

This family is just wonderful

This is Sister Malinta Alik, she is such a great lady, always laughing and willing to learn. She attends our English class each week and keeps everyone smiling. She is married to "Raiton" (pronounced "Right on"), so we have nicknamed her "Far Out". We have such a great time with them. Their daughter is getting baptized this month and we are very happy for them. What a special family.

This is Raiton, Malinta and her Sister Oriko. What FUN people. They are showing off their new reading glasses. Gifts from Centerville, Utah. Our home ward in "Centerville" has been mailing us reading glasses for the people here on the island, because it is difficult to get them here. It is so wonderful to know that they will now be able to read the scriptures and the magazines that the church puts out. We are very happy for them and we Thank our home ward for all the love and support they give us.

This is a picture of the family but a few of the older kids are missing. This was taken when we were getting the address with the GPS locator. We decided it would be extra fun to start taking pictures for the Branch President to have as well for home teaching and visiting teaching purposes.

One of our sweet little Chuuk darlings

This is Sister Mermine Fereichy with her very smart, adorable baby girl. Her name is Sufon, she loves helping her mom with everything. You never see her being fussy. She is always very happy and smiling. We just love that little face. She makes us smile :) Mermine has become a friend to us, she works at the resort where we frequently have breakfast/lunch. Hopefully we'll be moving there soon. She attends our English classes, although she speaks and reads English pretty well already. We appreciate her talent and friendship towards us.

"Never a Dull Moment"

Life out in the Pacific is never a dull moment so I figured since I was sitting in a meeting with the island women and I don’t understand what they are saying since it is in Chuukese I could write a letter and give you an update. Lucky for you all I have a printer now so I can type this up and you don’t have to guess what it says.

This meeting I am at is for the Chuukese Women’s Council. CWC it is part of a larger group of women in Micronesia islands trying to make a difference. It has been quite interesting here trying to get the LDS women involved. You see the people here live with a Caste system (it's more in Yap than here) and then on top of that they separate into tribes and religions. The main religions that are here is LDS, Protestant, Catholic and Seven day Adventist. All of the women are such beautiful people and are mostly very friendly to us but they are not to each other. This island is a fairly small island so you would think they would all know each other. They don’t and they don’t even bother to unless they come from the same circle or caste. Apparently the reason the women own all the land here is because the men were to competitive and controlling. Can you imagine that? Men fighting over land. We have heard many stories of the culture here it is all pretty interesting and we are learning how to work with it.

So Tuesday we were out doing GPS location on one of the outer islands called "Patta". What a beautiful island. We really like this island it is so pretty and clean. We have a small boat that we normally take out there, we also have a larger boat that has been broken, but now it is fixed. Well, this day we had to take the large boat. We don't know why, we don't question why? We just go... So we arrive at Patta, meet up with the Branch President and he takes us through the mangroves to the church to meet up with the Elders. The big boat won't make it through the mangroves. We then make a plan; head back to the big boat and go around the other side of the island. The day started out amazing, everywhere you go you are greeted by a lot of people. It’s like you’re a celebrity they are so happy to see missionaries even the small children. We meet up with the member we were going to see and he led us to his home on the beach. Anytime you enter a home here you first have to be invited in and then you take off your shoes. They don’t have furniture here and normally the floor is wood, sometimes with tile or linoleum laid on it. His sister was there at the house so she joined us. She is not a member and his wife and children are living on another island. He wanted Elder Tiffany to speak to him and tell him why we were there. Elder Tiffany shared his testimony and invited him to come back to church. He told him that our Heavenly Father loved him and we were there to let him know that he cares about him. He then invited him to come join us to go out and find other members. Which he decided he would love to come join us. The funny thing about all this is even the kids from the neighborhood come hang out in the doorway, around the windows. I cannot believe how love the missionaries are here.

New Sewing Machines donated to the CWC

Serving consistently allows us to develop personal relationships with those we serve. If serving regularly is not possible, it is good to be willing to contribute whatever we can. Even a little bit will help. We feel our service alone will say much about our faith.

This is a picture of the Chuuk Women's Council receiving 10 sewing machines from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The women here on Weno make beautiful skirts and muumuu dresses. A lot of the younger girls do not know how to sew. With the sewing machines they are going to teach the young people the island traditions. They are hoping to make and sell some for a fundraiser. The CWC is involved in many good causes like healthcare, safety and the enviroment.

Kiki Stinnett President of CWC accepting the machines from Bill Davis, supervisor in charge of Humanitarian projects in our area.

This picture is of some of the Chuukese women from the main island and the outer islands.

Sister Archibald is here with her husband on a Humanitarian Mission. She is the lady who spearheaded the sewing machines project here on the island. We feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But that ocean of need might be less vast because of our involvement.

Articles of Faith 3

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

New Email account

We don't know why but for some reason the email elderandsistertiffany@live.com does not work. We cannot retrieve the email. We have set up another email account that is elderandsistertiffany@gmail.com. Please send messages there. We are sorry about the changes. If you haven't heard back from us, this is why. We would love to hear from you.

Every once and while u just have to find somewhere beautiful

This area is called The Blue Lagoon Resort it is beautiful on this end of the island it is one of our favorite spots to make plans when we are working in this area of the island.

 

Every now and then you just have to make a plan... and enjoy the view

Sister Tiffany working on getting the paperwork organized and ready for another week while relaxing and taking a break with her companion.

Elder Tiffany working on the language while enjoying the view.

The Lord's Church has always been a missionary church

The Lord's Church has always been a missionary church. Jesus Christ's life was the perfect example of missionary work. During His ministry on earth, he taught the gospel at all times, in all places, and to all kinds of people. Jesus taught the educated men in the temple, the sinners, the faithful and the unbelieving. He also called apostles and other disciples to preach the gospel so more people could hear about the blessings of His gospel. Most of their preaching during Christ's life was to their own people, the Jews. After Jesus was resurrected, He visited His apostles and sent them to preach to the gentiles. He commanded them, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Articles of Faith 2

We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

These are the wrecks of Patta. Kinda eerie.