Wednesday, October 21 2015
I had envisioned taking a
motorboat to an island off of Samoa, but instead it was just a regular ferry
like the ones you drive onto. We had to
get up at 5, were at the office at 6, and the ferry at 7. After getting on it didn’t leave till 8, so
we wondered why we had to be there so early.
We arrived in Savai'i, which is actually considered part of Samoa. It is a larger island than Upolu where we
were staying; we learn something new every day…
Savai'i is actually a better tourist destination than the island we had
just left as we saw many tourists but unfortunately also more mosquitoes. The ocean is a beautiful emerald green. Late in the day Jim actually went in for a
minute and he said it was ‘refreshing.’
The view from our room is gorgeous, that is after they moved us to what
must be a sort of suite (for here). Our
first room had a broom and dirt on the floor so I began cleaning it. There were no towels, trash was still in the
bins, cobwebs were under the night stand, etc.
So, as I was cleaning Jim came back with a gal who moved us to another
room. It was clean and ready for
company, had two more beds in it and even had a rug by the main bed. Still no TV, but I never have time to watch
it anyway, but air conditioning and a shower and so what else does one need?
One of the best things about this room was the view of the lagoon. Internet is only at the restaurant where we
had breakfast when we first arrived. We
didn’t even unpack, but worked all day and got back after dinner.
Jim at the end of the
dock at our hotel before breakfast. This
is where the cabins are—we are in a normal room in another building down from
here, but this is where Jim swam for a minute at the end of the day. There is a ladder that lets you down to the
water. The water is an incredible
emerald green and very clear.
I have decided that if we really
want to do some fun things, we’ll have to plan for it, because we are just too
busy and too tired at the end of a day to do anything like snorkel, and it’s a
shame, because we can even see tropical fish while standing above the shoreline
and gazing into the water. It would be a
snorkeling dream. But we have to leave
in the morning.
Life has gotten more interesting
for Jim and a bit more boring for me, but after hearing tales of their treks to
spring boxes in the mountains, I am quite relieved not to have been there. The first spring was worse than the one they
climbed to on the other island. At one
steep spot they slid down the mud, grabbing branches that just broke, so they
kept on sliding, but at least they didn’t think they were going to die. Later they went with another group of men,
hiked for a while and then began to climb a steep area that had nothing to hold
onto. This in itself was not the worst
of it, but if they had lost their footing they could have gone down this steep
embankment on one side that was a long ways down sharp rocks and felt that they
would have died if they had fallen. I
heard mumblings from Elder Lata who said that he had never climbed anywhere
like that before. Back at the chapel,
Sister Lata and I were beginning to get worried because they had been gone so
long, but I guess it was a long drive, then a long hike, and then a difficult
climb, so it took forever. After getting
back Jim said a thank you prayer for not falling.
This is the first
spring where they slid down the mud and the branches holding them back gave
way. They got a bit muddy. I think that is the Stake President.
While they were having that
adventure I was bored out of my head, listening to the people talk to Mareta in
Samoan about something I didn’t understand; they brought me more coconut milk
when I was so full I couldn’t stand it, ugh! I took a short snooze; I read a
book…
After they got back they fed us
the food that Sister Lata told them not to fix, which this time wasn’t so bad
because it saved us from getting dinner at the hotel and because I was finally
hungry enough to eat it. Before we
arrive anywhere Sister Lata tells them not to fix us food, but they ignore her,
saying it is tradition. It probably has
as much to do with trying to make us feel obligated. Besides the Taro leaf with coconut milk
inside (explained in a previous letter), they had chicken, fish soup (I didn’t
have that), and a yummy potato soup, and a couple of other things that I didn’t
eat. What I did eat was good. Nevertheless, I have begun to resent being
fed so much and feeling guilty that I’m not all that hungry. I feel like a bloated fish floating on the
water…Jim at least has gotten some exercise, however uncomfortable.
Elder Lata at the
beginning of the worst part of the second hike.
It was impossible to take a picture later because they were worried
about falling into the ravine, which was a long way down.
After we got back into the van
they were talking about how we had insulted the chief’s ‘talker’. In Ghana they had a man who talked for the
chiefs, so I guess one of the many men there was the ‘talker’. Unfortunately we didn’t know who anyone was,
and since they didn’t bother to speak English, apparently we insulted him
somehow…perhaps we got up or didn’t sit there while he was speaking with
someone…who knows? I know that many of
them can speak English but don’t, then wonder why we don’t know what is going
on or who they are. Half the time we
realize someone is blessing the food and don’t realize it because we just hear
talking…in the old days I would have worried about this, but these days I don’t. They want something from us, not the other
way around…and sometimes ‘chief’ people get just a little bit puffed up about
themselves and their station in life. Sister
Lata said that it was their fault that they didn’t let us know that he was
there and who he was. But we do hope we
didn’t damage the church leaders’ relationship with the chiefs. After all, they have to live there.
Well, we must try to get some
sleep. The beds are so soft that they
feel like hammocks. One of the single
beds in this room doesn’t feel too bad…I might just grab it before Jim
does. (Later that night not being able
to sleep I did change beds, and then slept like a baby).
Till tomorrow. Love, Mom & Dad, Jim & Karen, E/S
Greding
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