Our Mission Is Not Always Roses!!

Keanu a new convert.  Never misses seminary!

Hermy Jean a miracle blessing

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Seminary I pray when activity.  It was awesome!

Two beautiful seminary girls from the Island of Pohnpei

Elders Bourne, Nansen, Cook & Holt

Elders Nansen and Elder Bourne with new converts

Elder Leeworthy and Elder Holt at waters edge

Elder Afualo & BeCraft with new institute convert

Sister Ioana and Sister Komra

Sister Mia and Sister Orrock at Sister's Testimony Meeting

Elder Leeworth & Elder Holt enjoying P-Day with their branch youth

Elder Tupua, Afualo, BeCraft & Kim with Yoleen on baptism day

Sister Havea and Sister Pahulu at the airport

Welcome to our Island Sister Ilaoa

Sister Havae, Sister Roberts, Sister Orrock

Elder Vause & Elder Matalolo

Elder Hansen holding Elder Vause up by a finger! (Elder Matalolo & Lyman)

Keanu, a new convert, baptizing his friend! That is the gospel in action.

Happy Elders & Sisters doing their duty!!

Elder Cook, Peterson, Barrus, & Taule'alo

I love this picture.  Trusting in the Savior's plan!!

Saying Goodbye to one of the sweetest sisters I have ever known.  Goodbye Sister Peters

President Kalio baptizing his mother!  A miracle!

Our fearless Seminary and Institute leaders

Brother Nicerio, Brother Kinjo, Brother Jung

This is our family of wonderful girls enjoying a meal after Women's Conference

Eight youth at the Dental office finishing up paper work for their missions!!

Sister Chandler and Sister Nayleen Makaya at YSA Easter activity

YSA youth on break from volleyball game

YSA Sister waiting for video from Elder Nelson

What volleyball players we have.  Proud of themselves.

Our mission has been so wonderful for us.  We are serving on a wonderful Island.  It has been more than what I dreamed a mission would be.  Pohnpei is a beautiful tropical island!  The beauty is so rare for we desert dwelling people.  However, there are some factors that can make you miss home.  There are jungle houses and jungle cars all over the island.  These are homes and cars that have been left and the jungle takes them over for their own.  The cars reside around the pot hole roads that stretch across the island in a zigzag formation.  Sometimes it is hard to tell if that jutting out of the road is jungle or jungle car, so do not ever think just jungle or you will be the next jungle car!  Once you become familiar with the roads you understand the 25 mph speed limit.  Slooooooow drivers, drivers on your side of the road always (because they too are dodging the mammoth potholes), and slooooow taxi cab drivers test your patience every single day.  My farmer instinct in me says if you have some place to go and get there.  Do not dally around, just go!!  So much for the patience!

We teach at a place called High School, but it doesn't resemble any High School I have every known.  They have more half days and vacation days than attending school days.  It is the craziest of things.  Such a delight for the students you would think, but no they would rather be in school than out.  Two weeks ago Satan threw us a curve ball.  We had had only two full days of school before Easter break (a full week off).  Then we come back and it is only half days for the next two weeks and then another full week off!  I know you are saying, "Is this really high school"  Our frustration is we teach during their lunch hour, so on half days we can not teach because no lunch hour and then the buses come!  I felt discouragement I have not felt before on our mission.  My heart ached!  But our sweet seminary class president said, "Sister Chandler, we can not go so long without seminary.  What about having it after school!" The half days and week off is because of athletic competition on the island, so the students who are competing can practice.  So now we are having class after school on half days, but only around 15-20 in attendance.  Where we were having 35 to 44 in attendance, with 6 to 10 non-members,  The rest that do not attend now are at practice or just decide to go home.  Most days the kids can ride the late buses home, but we have had a couple of days that we have happily paid taxi fare to get our students home!

The sickness of our Elders and Sisters on the island is overwhelming at times!  Our fast today is for them to have some relief.  They are around little children all the time with dirty hands that always always want to shake their hands. You can not avoid this contact.  It is a part of this mission.   The local water is a complete "DO NOT DRINK", but the missionaries have to learn the hard way several times over why "DO NOT DRINK" local water is a mission rule.  We have filtered water for them to drink!  So many different afflictions in the mission field and yet these missionaries on this island are so resilient in faith and love!  They have set a mission goal to baptize 1000 people this year in the Micronesia Guam Mission and I do not doubt they will make that goal.  Every week amazing baptisms take place.  Last night our Stake President's mother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew were baptized.  A miracle for him and his family. We have attended baptisms that the spirit is so strong you are in tears through most of the service.  These people are so grateful to be finding the gospel and the plan of salvation for them and their families.  They love learning about Heavenly Father's plan for them and what the Atonement is!  They all know Jesus Christ already, but have no idea the meaning of the Atonement!  What a blessing the gospel is to them.

We sit on the floors in their homes and often times at church.  You do not wear shoes in their homes or in most chapels.  You eat their food with your hands, because they have not utensils to eat with.  At first we were so freaked out, but now it is just normal life with thankfulness in our hearts for them sharing their meal with us.  You watch the lizards, cockroaches and rats come in and out without interference from any human being.  They are just part of the habitat.  We, on the other hand, have never felt so loved in our of our lives.  You are embraced, loved, and hands shaken all over the island and it feels GREAT!!  Sometimes I wonder how we were so blessed to come to such a loving, caring, accepting place. 

Our lives go forward serving with the most faithful Elders and Sisters and our amazing Mission President and his lovely wife.  No other couple is in site yet to join us, but we love being kept busy and feeling useful, so we are okay being here alone.  We do pray for a couple to replace us before we leave.  It would be so sad not to have a couple on this island.  They need us!  You Senior couples out there, if you are up to an amazing mission for your Savior, please, please sign up to come to Pohnpei.

Yes, we love our mission, but it is not always roses!!  But it is always worth it!  Kasalel from the Island of Pohnpei.  We hope you enjoy the pictures.