Jan 20 - Feb 1, 2012

We left Tarawa to go back to Fiji on Thursday January 19th. We stayed overnight and left the next evening. I say evening because the flight is supposed to leave at 9:00 P.M. As we checked in at 6:00 they informed us that the flight was going to be six hours late! So we had seven hours to kill at the airport! We got to Hawaii around 11:00 A. M.

On Sunday we went to church in the Micronesian ward. We just sat down and someone grapped us from behind. Sister Fanga who left in Dec. was there! How great it was to see her and to catch up on all she is doing. She scolded us for not calling her the minute we arrived! She was attended that ward because she has been team teaching a Marshallese Sunday school class. Sister Fanga also told us that she and her Dad had been teaching a Marshallese family of five, who are going to be baptized in February. So she is definitely using her language still which is so exciting. She invited us over to her home for dinner that evening. The dinner was actually at her Aunt’s house with her parents and another Aunt and Uncle. We had already met her Father because he had come to pick her up here in Majuro. They are wonderful people and they were all so nice.

Monday morning we arrived at the airport the normal 3:30 A. M. for our flight to Majuro. We had been told that there may be a missionary who was from New Zealand. He attended the MTC in New Zealand and somehow everything got messed up and so he ended up going to Los Angles and then back to Hawaii and finally to Majuro. As we were waiting for the flight we saw him and he looked pretty forlorn as you can imagine! We had his orientation and then took him to lunch. He stayed with us overnight, so that he could get a good night’s sleep! The next day we took him to his area, which is Aroc. We stayed for the district meeting where Elder Jensen is the district leader. Elder Jolly is a new missionary that had come while we were out of town. We had a nice interview with him after the district meeting. We then left Elder Luvalua with his trainer who is Elder Toka RuRu.

On Thursday we went to meet another new Missionary who came while we were gone, Sister Tominey. We took lunch to them and had a nice interview with her. She is in the capable hands of Sister Vuikadavu who is her trainer.

Friday evening I went with Sister Christensen to a new Beginnings program in Ajeltake. It was their first one and they did a great job. Saturday morning we left for Ebeye. We were excited to meet Elder and Sister Morgan who arrived a week earlier. This is their fourth mission. We know they will love the people and the people will love them. Tom had interviews for temple recommends and some missionary interviews. At the same time the first branch was having a party for inactives and investigators and the ward. They had some fun games going and it was fun to watch. My favorite game they did was they put a piece of bubblegum on a plate and then they covered it with flour. Each person had to blow the flour off the bubble gum so they could get the gum in their mouth. The first one to blow a bubble was the winner. It goes without saying that the flour was everywhere! They had a lot of fun and a good turnout.
On Sunday we went to both branches. It was good to meet with them again as we had spent the last two visits over in Kawajelein branch. We had a fireside that evening where the Morgan’s bore their testimonies and Tom and I and the District President spoke. The people are so incredible here, they really help with missionary work and make the new converts and investigators feel very welcome.

Monday morning we had some district training. We also had the opportunity to interview another new missionary Elder Gadmeyer. What a super young man. He was fitting in well and his trainer is Elder Teriba the district leader there.

Tom also set apart two missionaries who would leave on the plane with us. They were Fernando who is going to Sacramento and Sister Phillip who is going to the Philippines. They were both headed to the Provo MTC first. They have such faith and are so humbled with the opportunity and privilege they have to serve a mission. It was fun getting to know them a little bit better and to see their excitement with this opportunity to go on a mission. We left them on the plane as we got out at Majuro. They continued on to Hawaii, then to Los Angles and finally to Salt Lake. The Mills who served in Ebeye met them at the airport. They were cold and tired but very excited to see the Mills. They took them around to see a bunch of the Temples and then dropped them off at the MTC.

The Lord certainly blesses his people. He helps them to be in tune with the spirit and to accomplish things they never thought possible. We tell our missionaries that there are many blessing that he stands ready to give, if we obey and keep his commandments. We love this work and the special missionaries the Lord sends to this mission. For as in 1st Nephi 3:7 it says “ I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

The gospel is true and it is the plan of happiness. Those who are ready recognize the spirit and the message. We love you all so much. Mom & Dad / Nana & Papa / President & Sister Shaw