This week our Elders have been especially good in helping Elder Mitchell with his little projects at night after proselyting all day. The cover for our outdoor baptismal font has been ready to cave in since we arrived here. The Church has purchased property across the road to build a new District Center complete with a new baptismal font, district offices, classrooms, chapel, etc., but the wheels turn slowly here in the South Pacific. The purchase was complete on November 30th last year and we are still waiting for the architect to arrive to start the design. We are concerned that the millennium may get here before the building is completed or maybe even before the construction starts!! Well, maybe we can finish it during the 1000 years.
Elder Mitchell directs his craftsmen as they reinforce the broken font cover.
Skills were learned and talents honed as the Elders used power tools they had only dreamed of.
Since we arrived here in September we have had many very heavy rains. Because we live about 15 feet below the road we get flooded during every one of these storms.
Well, this doesn't set well with Elder Mitchell so he decided to buy sand bags to divert the floods back into the street and away from our house and the chapel.
Here he and the office girl at the cement company load the Land Cruiser with sand bags. Too bad the picture doesn't show the 6 inches of water they were standing in.
This office girl might have been small in stature, but she was strong!
When we got home Sister Mitchell and the Security guard helped place the bags outside the gate.
All was well for about a week until the locals decided to break the bags and scatter the sand.
Well, this didn't set well with Elder Mitchell. So.....we bought new bags and a bag of cement to mix with the sand and some water and re-bagged it.
The Elders help mix the concrete, sand and water and refill the bags. They then placed the concrete sandbags to divert the floods.
Now Elder Mitchell lays in bed at night with a little grin, listening to hear someone attempt to kick open the sand bags. LOL
We really appreciate these hard working Elders and all they have done this week.
Elder Mitchell has had a little problem with his back lately and could not have
done this work without the help of the Elders.
Every Zone deserves to have an outing once in a while. Monday after our morning walk we begged the Elders to show us a monument that was built to commemorate the final battle of the US Marines against the Japanese here on Guadalcanal. Three of our Elders are from Honiara and were ready and willing to serve as our guides. The others were just as willing to participate. So at 7 am we started out. This monument is off the beaten path and not easy to find.
The Elders were having just a little bit of fun!
The Solmon Sea, the Lunga river and Henderson field (the airport) are behind this fun loving group.
This is one of the hills where the Japanese set up their heavy artillery to shell the airport during the battles.
After the final battles the Americans placed a flag here.
Finally at the end of the jeep road we arrived at the upper Lunga river.
Skipping rocks like any group of boys
Rock climbing was attempted
What a fun two hours we enjoyed!
On the way home Elder and Sister Mitchell stopped at Honiara Hot Bread and treated everyone to cream buns. YUM!
Just wanted to show you this sign. We've seen it in China town for six months now and Elder Mitchell just chuckles every time we pass it.
Sister Mitchell returning to the Land Cruiser after orienting the new Primary President in White River Branch.
By the way the inscription on the monument says that a US Army driver in a Marine tank took out the last pill boxes to win the final battle near here.
While here an old lady approached Sister Mitchell and in very heavy pidgin asked her to pay a hundred dollars because she was viewing the monument. Astutely, Sister Mitchell replied, "me no savvy" which means in English, "I don't understand" and sent her to the Elders. The Elders knowing what was going on (its called the white price) told the woman to get lost.
Elder Mitchell has a problem if he doesn't get to go to the end of the road and Sister Mitchell and the Elders continued to cooperate.
This is one of the hills where the Japanese set up their heavy artillery to shell the airport during the battles.
After the final battles the Americans placed a flag here.
Finally at the end of the jeep road we arrived at the upper Lunga river.
Skipping rocks like any group of boys
Rock climbing was attempted
What a fun two hours we enjoyed!
On the way home Elder and Sister Mitchell stopped at Honiara Hot Bread and treated everyone to cream buns. YUM!
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