Getting Settled
11 years ago
Thursday, February 26, 2009
ENGLISH??
One of the challenges of living here is buying groceries and such that are made in a foreign country. We bought a box of plastic wrap, but it was a foreign brand. Here are the instructions on the box: "Please press designation postition, open box the cover pulls up the length needed. To compress tightly a cover, cover cling film to side along the box last the teeth of a saw tears off. The usage pleases cover a cover behind." I'd love to know what nationality translated that to English. Can anyone tell me what that means??? By the way, the teeth do NOT cut the film AT ALL!!! We use scissors.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sue wanted me to post this shot of me of my birthday gifts. I got a new Pohnpeian shirt, shorts and a machette. Then she wanted to take a picture. I tried to post it on the 19th but we lost our connection while I was up loading the picture so all I got was the date. So I will try again today; which is Sunday evening, 9 pm.
We had a very good Sabbath today. We attended the Sapwalap Branch. We were the only speakers in Sacrament Meeting there. We had been assigned to speak on Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching, which we did. Then we stayed and attended Sunday School and Priesthood and Relief Society, which were all in Pohnpeian. We have been working very hard on the language and found that we could understand a small amount of what was said. That made us happy!
We drove home and had 10 minutes for a quick sandwich, and then we drove to Uh…about a 10 minute drive. We were supposed to teach a Temple Preparation class there at 2 pm, but no one came except the missionaries who came to translate for us. So they worked with us on the language for about an hour. Then we drove home.
We ate a couple of cookies and headed out again, driving back down to Sapwalap to teach Temple Prep. We had 6 people there at the class. Five actively participated in the reading and asking questions. It was a very good class, but ran too long, as we had to wait while the English speaking locals explained the things we were teaching to the ones who could not understand us.
We got back home at 7 pm and had a light supper and worked on the lesson for this week’s Institute class. Then we spent a little time reading the Family sites, e-mail, and our blog. Now it is bedtime. Tomorrow we must go in to Kolonia to join with all the missionaries on the island to clean and vacuum and wax our vehicles in preparation for Zone conf which is Thurs. We will also do our shopping and pick up our mail while in town.
We had a very good Sabbath today. We attended the Sapwalap Branch. We were the only speakers in Sacrament Meeting there. We had been assigned to speak on Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching, which we did. Then we stayed and attended Sunday School and Priesthood and Relief Society, which were all in Pohnpeian. We have been working very hard on the language and found that we could understand a small amount of what was said. That made us happy!
We drove home and had 10 minutes for a quick sandwich, and then we drove to Uh…about a 10 minute drive. We were supposed to teach a Temple Preparation class there at 2 pm, but no one came except the missionaries who came to translate for us. So they worked with us on the language for about an hour. Then we drove home.
We ate a couple of cookies and headed out again, driving back down to Sapwalap to teach Temple Prep. We had 6 people there at the class. Five actively participated in the reading and asking questions. It was a very good class, but ran too long, as we had to wait while the English speaking locals explained the things we were teaching to the ones who could not understand us.
We got back home at 7 pm and had a light supper and worked on the lesson for this week’s Institute class. Then we spent a little time reading the Family sites, e-mail, and our blog. Now it is bedtime. Tomorrow we must go in to Kolonia to join with all the missionaries on the island to clean and vacuum and wax our vehicles in preparation for Zone conf which is Thurs. We will also do our shopping and pick up our mail while in town.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday February 16, 2009
It is Monday evening. It’s been a good day. We shopped in town and found real, fresh TOMATOES and LETTUCE!! BIG surprise! So we bought one tomato and a head of lettuce. Came home and had real, American HAMBURGERS for lunch! Man! That tasted SOOOO GOOD! Even had some potato chips with our burgers (some foreign kind called Oishi, cheese flavored, not too bad) and fresh homemade lemonade. Man, it is sooo nice to eat something that familiar! Of course, we had no ketchup or mustard, but used Thousand Island dressing instead. And we had no hamburger buns, so used bread instead. Then we studied for a while. While I was studying in the office, I noticed a medium-sized lizard on the wall. I called Chuck in and we tried to chase it toward the air conditioner, hoping it would go out through the wall there, but instead it ran behind the dresser. So we gave up. Later I saw him again. This time Chuck brought the net in and attempted to grab him. He got hold of the lizard’s tail, which promptly came right off!! Poor lizard! Chuck caught him and headed to the door to release him outside. As he headed out he asked me to go get the tail. So I returned to the office and there on the floor was the tail….MOVING all over the place!! Wiggling and jumping around! I about died! We laughed. Chuck came back in and got the “still alive” tail and took it out with the lizard. I still can’t get over how funny that tail looked moving all over the place, unattached to the lizard! WEIRD!!Then we ate a light supper, since our lunch was so late. Had canned peaches and bread and butter and Chuck had a glass of milk. Then we each had two cookies. We worked on our language flashcards for a while. I got all 71 right, Chuck got 55 right. Now Chuck is making up more Permethrin to kill bugs and I am here typing. Today I got my talk ready for Sunday, and my institute lesson ready for Tuesday. Now I need to get started on the Seminary lesson for this week. Sometimes it is kinda confusing to be teaching institute from Galations and Seminary from Romans. Two weeks later we are again teaching Galations, but this time to the Seminary classes. It is hard to keep it all straight in our heads. Seminary goes straight through the New Testament, but Institute jumps around in no particular order. It just teaches concepts and principles and uses New Testament scriptures, as well as Book of Mormon scriptures and D&C too.Man! It has really rained today. Just started again…probably the 12th time it has rained today. And it really pours down HARD! We love it. The natives take it all in stride. They have lived with it all their lives. Tomorrow we will put up metal grating on two of our living room windows so we can keep them open at night and rats won’t get in. That sure will help cool down the house at night!
It is Monday evening. It’s been a good day. We shopped in town and found real, fresh TOMATOES and LETTUCE!! BIG surprise! So we bought one tomato and a head of lettuce. Came home and had real, American HAMBURGERS for lunch! Man! That tasted SOOOO GOOD! Even had some potato chips with our burgers (some foreign kind called Oishi, cheese flavored, not too bad) and fresh homemade lemonade. Man, it is sooo nice to eat something that familiar! Of course, we had no ketchup or mustard, but used Thousand Island dressing instead. And we had no hamburger buns, so used bread instead. Then we studied for a while. While I was studying in the office, I noticed a medium-sized lizard on the wall. I called Chuck in and we tried to chase it toward the air conditioner, hoping it would go out through the wall there, but instead it ran behind the dresser. So we gave up. Later I saw him again. This time Chuck brought the net in and attempted to grab him. He got hold of the lizard’s tail, which promptly came right off!! Poor lizard! Chuck caught him and headed to the door to release him outside. As he headed out he asked me to go get the tail. So I returned to the office and there on the floor was the tail….MOVING all over the place!! Wiggling and jumping around! I about died! We laughed. Chuck came back in and got the “still alive” tail and took it out with the lizard. I still can’t get over how funny that tail looked moving all over the place, unattached to the lizard! WEIRD!!Then we ate a light supper, since our lunch was so late. Had canned peaches and bread and butter and Chuck had a glass of milk. Then we each had two cookies. We worked on our language flashcards for a while. I got all 71 right, Chuck got 55 right. Now Chuck is making up more Permethrin to kill bugs and I am here typing. Today I got my talk ready for Sunday, and my institute lesson ready for Tuesday. Now I need to get started on the Seminary lesson for this week. Sometimes it is kinda confusing to be teaching institute from Galations and Seminary from Romans. Two weeks later we are again teaching Galations, but this time to the Seminary classes. It is hard to keep it all straight in our heads. Seminary goes straight through the New Testament, but Institute jumps around in no particular order. It just teaches concepts and principles and uses New Testament scriptures, as well as Book of Mormon scriptures and D&C too.Man! It has really rained today. Just started again…probably the 12th time it has rained today. And it really pours down HARD! We love it. The natives take it all in stride. They have lived with it all their lives. Tomorrow we will put up metal grating on two of our living room windows so we can keep them open at night and rats won’t get in. That sure will help cool down the house at night!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Today, after over 2 weeks on the island we got the internet at our home on a dial-up connection. Our home is about 30 minutes from Kolonia on the East side of the island. We live between Uh and Sapwalap. Previous to today, we had to drive to town to connect to the internet.
We have had a mission car some and a Records Preservation car for other times, but so far not one assigned to us. So far it has just been a loaned car from someone that didn’t need it as badly as we did. They are working on something better for the future.
This Pohnpeian Island is absolutely beautiful. The amount of growth is staggering to a Wyoming Cowboy and his wife. Everything is green on both sides of very narrow roads and most of the time it is green over head while we are driving.
We are teaching 5 90-minute classes of Institute and Seminary each week and Temple Preparation Classes as well for 4 different Branches. We have loved being in their Branches on Sundays. We have attended 4 Branches for part of the Block each. They have no organ or piano, but sing the songs of Zion in Pohnpeian. We match our vowels to theirs and sing with them. They love it and so do we. They sing so beautifully.
We are learning the language as we go. We can say many things now and Sister Duncan is much better than I am already. The Sister Missionaries gave us about 150 flash cards to practice learning words and phrases.
We are very happy that we are here in Madolenihmw, Pohnpei and for the wonderful experiences we are having.
We have had a mission car some and a Records Preservation car for other times, but so far not one assigned to us. So far it has just been a loaned car from someone that didn’t need it as badly as we did. They are working on something better for the future.
This Pohnpeian Island is absolutely beautiful. The amount of growth is staggering to a Wyoming Cowboy and his wife. Everything is green on both sides of very narrow roads and most of the time it is green over head while we are driving.
We are teaching 5 90-minute classes of Institute and Seminary each week and Temple Preparation Classes as well for 4 different Branches. We have loved being in their Branches on Sundays. We have attended 4 Branches for part of the Block each. They have no organ or piano, but sing the songs of Zion in Pohnpeian. We match our vowels to theirs and sing with them. They love it and so do we. They sing so beautifully.
We are learning the language as we go. We can say many things now and Sister Duncan is much better than I am already. The Sister Missionaries gave us about 150 flash cards to practice learning words and phrases.
We are very happy that we are here in Madolenihmw, Pohnpei and for the wonderful experiences we are having.
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