I Hear Voices

When I wash the dishes, I hear voices.  Ephraim got me this little iPod for my birthday a few years ago and I use it when I exercise, clean, and wash dishes.  Since I've given up the first two, it's mostly for dishes.  I used to listen to This American Life which was captivating, but I fell out of love when I realized I was too frequently disturbed by the stories and too infrequently inspired.  So now I listen exclusively to LDS Conference talks.   We believe in modern prophets and apostles, and twice a year we have General Conferences when they teach, counsel, and testify of Jesus Christ.  I love conference because I always feel comforted, inspired, motivated, and loved when I learn of Christ.  And tonight I just had to laugh out loud at the messages that were so directly for me!

I've been thinking about my involvement in the school--Ta'iala Academy--the little school we started in 2010.  It has been so miraculous, so instructive, and so rewarding.  But so much work!  Just like a child.  I've been pondering and praying about my role in the school and whether I should or can keep up this massive project I do.  I've felt like I would love to focus on my own family and "take an attitude of insularity"( to quote my sister Marcie).  But mostly I want to follow the Lord's plan for me.  So if He wants me to homeschool, I would love to.  And if He wants me to continue at the school, I can do that.

Well tonight when I was washing dishes, I was listening to a great message, and when it ended the ipod switched to the next talk, but it was in the middle of it because I had already listened to it partway.  The part that it started with said:

 "...Among his last words was this simple but very profound counsel: “Be kind to the poor.”

This got me.  I have been told in special ways that my life will be one of serving those less fortunate than me.  It's who I am.  The talk was Bishop H. David Burton who administers the Church Welfare Program.  He is one of my heroes.  He continued:

"This is the sacred work the Savior expects from His disciples. It is the work He loved when He walked the earth. It is the work I know we would find Him doing were He here among us today.¹⁶

...We honor those who in our day reach out in countless and often silent ways to “be kind to the poor,” feed the hungry, clothe the naked, minister to the sick, and visit the captive.

...The work of caring for one another and being “kind to the poor” is a sanctifying work, commanded of the Father and divinely designed to bless, refine, and exalt His children. May we follow the Savior’s counsel to the certain lawyer in the parable of the good Samaritan: “Go, and do thou likewise.”¹⁷ 

--The Sanctifying Work of Welfare, H. David Burton 

I felt like I am involved in this school to offer education--the key to opportunity--to children who don't have access to it otherwise.  Many families are too poor to afford the quality education of private school.  And public schools here struggle with so many issues.  Our school is trying to work the miracle of teaching poor people awesome stuff with no money.  So, I am there to lift the children.  And I'm there for me too, since service is "a sanctifying work... to bless, refine, and exalt His children."

The next talk solidified my resolve to endure in my path.  Again it skipped to the middle of a talk:

I doubt many of us would label our afflictions light. Yet in comparison to the blessings and growth we ultimately receive, both in this life and in eternity, our afflictions truly are light.

 We don’t seek out tests, trials, and tribulations. Our personal journey through life will provide just the right amount for our needs. Many trials are just a natural part of our mortal existence, but they play such an important role in our progress.

As the Savior’s mortal ministry came to a close, He experienced the most difficult trial of all time—the incredible suffering in Gethsemane and on Golgotha. This preceded the glorious Resurrection and the promise that all our suffering will someday be done away. His suffering was a prerequisite to the empty tomb that Easter morning and to our future immortality and eternal life. 

Sometimes we want to have growth without challenges and to develop strength without any struggle. But growth cannot come by taking the easy way. We clearly understand that an athlete who resists rigorous training will never become a world-class athlete. We must be careful that we don’t resent the very things that help us put on the divine nature. 

Not one of the trials and tribulations we face is beyond our limits, because we have access to help from the Lord. We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.¹⁶
...Our Heavenly Father loves us, and we “know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.”¹⁸ Someday when we get to the other side of the veil, we want more than for someone just to tell us, “Well, you’re done.” Instead, we want the Lord to say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”¹⁹ 

I love the words of Paul:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”²⁰I know that God lives and that His Son, Jesus Christ, lives. I also know that through Their help, we can be “more than conquerors” of the tribulations we face in this life. We can become like Them. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
 --Elder Paul V. Johnson "More Than Conquerors through Him That Loved Us"

 I was impressed that Christ had to endure suffering for me.  I can endure my minor trials as well.  I also  half-sarcastically thought why can't I take the easy road?  What's so great about "growth", anyway?  But I guess I do want to hear "Well done," instead of "Well, you're done."

And the final talk I listened to made me come and sit here at the computer!  This is where it skipped to:

With so many social media resources and a multitude of more or less useful gadgets at our disposal, sharing the good news of the gospel is easier and the effects more far-reaching than ever before... My dear young friends, perhaps the Lord’s encouragement to “open [your] mouths”⁹ might today include “use your hands” to blog and text message the gospel to all the world! But please remember, all at the right time and at the right place.
Brothers and sisters, with the blessings of modern technology, we can express gratitude and joy about God’s great plan for His children in a way that can be heard not only around our workplace but around the world. Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone’s life for eternity.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Waiting on the Road to Damascus 

So here I am sharing with you all that I know the Lord answers prayers.  I would've liked an answer immediately after I'd asked about this issue last night when I was on my knees.  But this way of answering me was so much better!  So thorough and direct and audible, and at a time when I could ponder its meaning.  And it made me laugh.  So I will still give my best to the school, as long as I can, and I will look for and be grateful for the blessings that come from it.  And I know God loves me, and I matter to Him.

P. S. Long post, I know.  Ephraim's camping tonight, so I had to tell somebody about this.

Keepin' It Alive

I've mentioned our date-trade and what a great system this has been for us.  I know we wouldn't spend so much time together without this scheduled time.  For our last date we met up in town and had dinner at Goat Island Cafe at Sadies by the Sea.


 Can you see Samoana HS's fautasi rowing in the background?

Our Cute "Third Wheel"

 I probably wear this semi-concerned face a lot.

 It is refreshing to be together and talk big picture in a setting that reminds us how lucky we are to live on an island.  Even though it can be crazy, inconvenient, messy, hot, dirty, sweaty, confusing, exhausting, and discouraging, when we pause and look around we see the peaceful, relaxed, nonchalant, laid-back, hilarious, beautiful side of things.

Spring Break

It’s finally Spring Break!  I feel like I can breathe again!  

Isaac made green and blue oatmeal to celebrate.

It has been so busy around here.  I’ve been drowning in a mix of a teacher training for school, a really big fundraiser, a general school meeting, a grant proposal, a few field trips, a grad school application, and sick kids--all in the last few weeks.  We’ve had late nights, piles of dishes, and some really bad dinners.  When we served hot dogs with tortillas and canned green beans, I realized how bad it had gotten.  But our kids have been real troopers, and having a crazy life makes Spring Break all the better.

So, the recession has finally hit the island; quite a few people have left or can’t make ends meet. Our hospital has been playing hardball with the government to get its promised funding, and this affects health care professionals, administrators, and families supporting sick families members.  It’s been really tough, and everyone feels the ripples, including our school.

So, I’ve been literally up to my elbows in cookie dough.  We launched a cookie dough fundraiser at Ta’iala Academy to help cover our costs. We sold almost 360 dozen cookies.  That’s a lot of dough!   (My mom in Utah laughed that we made the dough ourselves.  What else can we do?)  Luckily Ephraim let us borrow the 20 qt mixer at his facility, so we could make about 45 dozen at one time.  We got the kids involved with scooping and rolling the dough balls, and then once they were frozen, counting and packaging them.  They loved it!  This project was a lot of man-hours, but we made over $1,400 in one week.  We would like five times that, but it’s a start.

And you know, I thought by the end of this I’d never want to eat or bake another chocolate chip cookie, but actually I’m so good at it now, I might just make them more!  And that classic taste never gets old.

But I am glad to be done with that fundraiser.

This Spring Break I’m going to do some major de-cluttering.  My neglected home will be in smooth order and ready for another run. 

Ephraim doesn’t get a break.  He’s been coordinating all the details for the second annual week of ASCC QUEST (Quantitative Underwater Ecological Surveying Techniques). This upcoming week he and a group of other teachers and students will be at Faga’alu doing field work, giving lectures, and snorkeling, then camping at night.  His hard work is paying off, and this should be a great week.

It will be a great week.

Tuesday is Fruit Day

 We pass six fruit stands everyday.  We would stop once in awhile, when I had cash handy.  At the beginning of this year, I made an arrangement with one of my fruit ladies:  once a week I give her $10 and she gives me a fair amount of the fruits I like.  She decided Tuesday, and thus Tuesday became our Fruit Day.  Now the kids look forward to it, and I always plan to have cash on that day.

 It was going great until they bulldozed the fruit stand where my gal Alofa was.  I've asked around and I don't know where she sets up now.  But we carry on with Fruit Day.  There are lots of fruit stands, lots of farmers to support, and lots of bananas and papayas to eat.  Isaac and Ella take turns handling the money and the fruit.

 

Big papaya- $1

Bunch of mini bananas- $2

Pile of big bananas- $2

 

We all eat fresh bananas on the way home.

Happy Fruit Day