During the last few weeks we have had a number of activities at both of the branches here on the island. The members enjoy getting together and when they have any type of an activity it usually lasts for 2 - 3 hours. The primary and relief society had a combined activity one Saturday. Many of the kids came and helped to clean up the church grounds before they started their activity. So including the activity time, many spend 4 plus hours at the church. They did an outdoor barbecue and the kids sort of just entertained themselves. There is a small circular path around the back of the church yard and they used that for many running activities. The sisters set up under this huge tree all of the things to BBQ. I am impressed at how the children did not need to be directed on things to do. The Primary President told me that they are good and don't need to be programmed. No one complained of being bored, or tired, or hungry. When the food was ready they all went inside the tiki hut and waited very patiently until they were served, which was after all of the adults. Do you think the kids at home would act this way? There was so much food that we had enough for 2 or 3 meals. Not much was wasted.
Some of the Primary children who came to the activity day at the branch.
On another weekend there was a youth activity for all the seminary and institute age kids. We started out in the cultural hall and had a program with some short talks, they asked me to talk about group dating, and a member performed songs on his guitar. Later we had ice cream cones and the youth played ping pong and volleyball, which are two of the things they love to do most.
The branch president had this table made so that the youth would have one at the church to use for their activities.
Ice cream is a favorite here on this island. You can buy ice cream cones at a variety of small stands along the roadside. The going price is usually 55- 65 cents for a double scoop. When they run out of ice cream everyone is sad until the next boat comes in with some on it.
I am still teaching keyboard every Tuesday and our numbers have grown. Although, not everyone comes every time. They are very good and are able to play by ear. I am trying to teach them the notes and how to read music so that they can pick out different hymns. After lessons then they just play songs that they know by heart. Each person has their own keyboard which was donated by the Church about two years ago when the couple before us were here. They are so much better than me at being able to figure things out by themselves even though they don't use the correct fingering I am trying to teach them to do. It works!
Making tote bags out of plastic grocery bags has been an activity that we have been doing on Fridays. When Sister Christofferson was here with her husband, Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve, visiting the mission, she brought the directions on how to do this. So our mission president's wife has given it to all the senior sisters and asked them to get the islanders to make them. We have had fun doing this. All of them already know how to crochet and I just had to make sure that they could understand the directions in English. We took some pictures and
sent them back to Guam to send on to Sister Christofferson showing how we took her idea and had some fun. It is a little harder to crochet with plastic than it is to use yarn or crochet thread.
People on this island feel very comfortable sitting or lying on the floor. Most of the homes have tile or wood floors with no furniture so they are used to sitting on the floor. This sister said she could crochet better this way while she listened to my church music. Children are just put to sleep on the floors at the meeting house and they stay that way until time to go. Do you think this would go over at home??
