Light the World . . . Pacific style

The Ward Party - Friday December 8, 2017

Theme - 'Light the World - Pacific Style'

The tables looked lovely - the room was decorated with large beautiful leaves

The Clover Park Ward that we have been assigned to does many things very well.  They know how to fellowship investigators . . .  they know how to 'rescue' inactive . . .  they know how to love each other. . .  they know how to sing . . . and they know how to party!

The ward party was Friday evening.  On Tuesday for 'Rescue Night' many of the  inactive and non members were visited and given personal invitations.  On Friday we stopped at the Singh home to invite them to the party.  They are the Hindu family that we think so much of but haven't been able to meet with for some time.

We invited Riana and her family to come to the Ward Christmas Party that evening

 The party would start early for the Primary children,  There would be a Christmas tree with presents for each child.  When we told the Singhs about the presents Ronak perked right up.

We didn't really think they would come but we got there early just in case.  They came!!! and that was a great Christmas present for us.

Shelley Singh and Ronak at the Party - her Aunty Lolita looking on

There were presents around a little Christmas tree.   One for each child with their names on the gifts.  And Elder Thatcher was the substitute Santa handing out the presents.   Ronak and Riana's were labeled, "For our new friend".

2 year old Riana made herself right at home

Elder Thatcher - handing out gifts to the children

In harmony with the theme for the Party we were divided into teams and then visited 'villages' from different islands; Tonga, Samoa, Niue, Maori, and Fiji.  Below Ronak participates in the activity from the island of Tonga.

Ronak volunteered for the Tongan game

We also had other investigators at the party.  Richie and Teqwyn Edmonds came and enjoyed it as well.  Teqwyn was part of the YW and YM's Nativity program - they had her be the narrator.

Teqwyn in the white shirt and black sweater

 Richie enjoyed the party very much.

Richie and Elder Thatcher massage each other's hands in Niue

The attendance was large.  The party was late getting started  (we think this is somewhat cultural), but   in the end so many came.   It was a pot luck affair and a feast!  There was food for all and to spare. 

Visiting while waiting for their turn at the buffet

Our dear Bishop and Sister Utai

Shelley's aunt Lolita from Fiji who enjoyed the party

Shelley, Lolita, Ronak, and Riana left after the meal.  Elder Thatcher walked them to their car.  Our sweet bishop saw they were leaving and went out to the car to say goodbye.  He thanked them for coming and told them to come again on Sunday.  Elder Thatcher said that when he shook Ronak's hand Ronak told him, "I think I would like to join you and become a Christian."  The bishop responded that we would love him to join us and also to come on Sunday.   We would like that too Ronak. 

We stopped by their home yesterday to set up our next appointment.  Shelley told us how much they had enjoyed the party. She had told her sisters about it and they were sorry to have missed it.   She told us they hadn't come to church on Sunday because of her work (Shelley is a nurse), but Ronak wants to come.  We mentioned that Aunt Lolita could bring him this Sunday and Shelley liked that. 

Ronak told us that he was very nervous when he got to the church for the party.  He didn't know anyone and was in a new and strange place.  Let me tell you about two boys from the ward Larry and Lavon Talo, the sons of the Primary president.  We had told them about Ronak before when we were hoping he would come to another party.  Larry said he would watch for him and be his friend.  Larry and Lavon took charge of Ronak.  They took him around introducing him to the other children and played with him before the party started.  They stayed by him,  sat by him, and simply became his friends.  We were so impressed with those two young boys and how they made a stranger feel wanted and welcomed.  No wonder Ronak wants to join this ward and become a Christian.   He has friends here. 

We were so grateful to Larry and Lavon that we stopped by their home last night to give them each a copy of PMG.  After all such good missionaries need to know how to be all that missionaries should be.  

LaVon, Sila (their darling sister), and Larry

It has been a good week of missionary work.  Besides the party we also met with Moses and Antonina's family, Enekosi and Leitu,  Tito and Alofa's family, Tuan Tran and his wife Huyen, and others.  We had some appointments fall through and need to contact many others. 

The Bee Game with Samantha, Naomi and Moses

On Thursday we drove the van to the Temple with 5 missionaries who were going for their first time and their escorts.  We take them early and the bus with all the other missionaries meet us there later.

kneeling- E. Avia (Kiribati), E. Nalin (Vanuatu)
back - E. Jonathan (Vanuatu), E. Autufuga (Samoa), Elder Rere (Cook Islands),
S. Dalituicama (Fiji), E. Faalupega (Samoa), S. Eritrea (Kiribati), Elder Ficklin (US),
E. Sovuai (Vanuatu)

We also stopped into see Sister Rangi Parker at the Museum.  I took her the story from Sister Zhu about the hen that we told you about in the last blog.  She was excited about that and had Elder Summerhay's, the director off the museum come in to hear the story as well.

Rangi Parker and I

Update on the Boo Radley tree:  On a walk yesterday we checked on our Boo Radley tree.  All the cards were gone so we replaced them with 'Light the World' cards and suckers.  We placed them in 4 different fairy nooks in that special tree.  As you know it is one of my favorite proselyting approaches.  It requires no courage and little time.  Elder Thatcher still prefers tracting reminding me that so far we have had no appointments for teaching the gospel from this method.  I must admit he is right on this one but you never can tell.  I feel that we are planting seeds.

'Light the World' cards in the Boo Radley Tree

Funniest Missionary Moment of the week

I'll close with the missionary moment that we have laughed about all week.  We stopped by Tuan Tran's home to try to set up an appointment to teach him but when his wife Huyen opened the door she smiled and had us come right in.  I visited with Huyen in the living room while Elder Thatcher sat at the kitchen table with Tuan.  I could hear snippets of their conversation and wanted to be there.   

Elder Thatcher invited him to the Party on Friday and to come to Church.  Here is their conversation; 

‘What time your church?’

’It’s at 9:00’

‘How many seat?’

‘It’s big!’ 

‘I know, but how many seat!?’

‘Maybe 3 or 4 hundred’. 

‘Ok, I come to your church.  Maybe I bring community.  Sometime we don’t have worship. Then I bring community.’

We didn't know if he would come on Sunday but we laughed about it all week and thought we should warn the Bishop that they may have a 'Community' visit on Sunday.  

It has been another learning and growing week for us.  We are so thankful to be missionaries.  We need to improve and be more effective missionaries.  We chose for our motto for this mission the words of Christ from 3 Nephi 11, 'Ye must repent'.  It was an inspired choice.  We need to repent every day.  We need the Spirit to be with us and that comes when we are humble and repentant.  I don't think in my pre-mission life that I understood how important this is.  Because of our desperate need for the companionship of the Spirit we recognize like never before the things we do that chase that Spirit away from us.  WE MUST REPENT!  Repentance is sweet to us.  Elder Thatcher mentioned yesterday that he understands better why the Lord tells us to pray always.  We need that Spirit that comes with prayer and we need protection from the wiles of the devil.  The Lord opens your eyes on a mission.  We are so grateful.  

Happy Birthday to those of you with December birthdays - the list is long.  We are so thankful you were born and will celebrate your day along with Christmas and the birth of the Lord.   

Claire

Ella

Daniel

Brooke

Stockton

Luke

Evelyn

Carly

Paul

We hope there's a lot of partying going on back there.  We were so happy to talk to some of you while you were at the Family Party at Pizza Pie Cafe.  We hope you all enjoyed that and that all your Christmas activities will be wonderful.  We hear that many of you are serving others and 'lighting the world' all around you.  You Light Our World as well.

Here is the Church's 'Light the World' introduction for here in the Pacific.  You can see what Christmas is like here from that. 

We love this work and this Gospel.  We are thankful at this time of year to have the message of the Restoration to proclaim here among people we love.  The Gospel is true.  The Lord did come to earth as the babe of Bethlehem.  He fulfilled all that the prophets had testified he would do and opened the door of joy for all of us.  We love being his missionaries.

We love you.

Mom and Dad

Grandpa and Grandma

Elder and Sister Thatcher