Summer is here

Can you say Tiiputa?  "Seepoota".  It is a traditional blouse that is worn by all native women.  If you can't sew them, you need to make friends with someone who does.  Sister Shaw organized a get-together to learn how to make smocking for the Tieputa.  Smocking is a hand stitch that goes across the front of the Tieputa. It takes hours to complete one row.  

front to back.  Sisters Balenacagi, Fiji; Tieke, Kiribati; Barlow, Logan Utah; Gardner, Las Vegas, Nevada; Bush, Sugar City Idaho; Shaw, Salt Lake City; Bonnemort, South Ogden Utah; Ogborn, Orem Utah; Tieke, Kirbati; Kimmons, Texas; Tenoa, Kirbati; Rebeta, Kirbati  

Sister Bonnemort proudly displays her handmade Tieputa.  All that is missing is the smocking.

Here she is hand stitching the smocking for her next Tieputa. 

Here we are with Elder Anderl.  He has been our Zone Leader for the past 6 months and now is nearing the end of his mission.  We have had a blast with him talking about all sorts of things in life. He can fix almost any computer problem and his skills have come in very handy.  He has a great personality and good leadership qualities.  As his last "hurrah", he is going to the outer island of Abemama.  We haven't had missionaries on that island for quite some time, so he will have a real island adventure.  

Elder Bush's parents came to pick him up at the end of his mission.  It has been a tradition in their family to pick up their missionaries.  We thought it was very admirable of them considering the conditions here.  They were real troupers and Elder Bush took them to North Tarawa where he served, and had them meet many of friends he has made over the past two years.  Pictured are Brother Bush, Elder Bush, Sister Bush, Elders Bradshaw (our new Zone Leader), Anderson, Anderl, and Maddy (going to Abemama with Elder Anderl).  

Sister Bonnemort has been attempting to organize her drugs since she got here. They were in drawers and just not very accessible.  As you can now see, we have the Bonnemort Pharmacy.  

Our new Zone Leader Elder Bradshaw from South Jordan Utah.  I always like to get their picture from behind the wheel.  Elder Bradshaw had a few things to learn about driving.  First, he hadn't really driven a stick shift and of course driving on the left.  I thought he was doing fairly well with the shifting, but then Elder and Sister Finlay were behind him in the parking lot one day and said he killed the car six times.  They also said that they didn't think you could burn rubber just killing the engine, but he left a little rubber on the ground.  He of course, has a different version of the story....

The Badgers arrive.  Elder and Sister Badger from the Marshall Islands side of the mission came down for a week visit to see just what Kiribati is all about.  Since we have such unpredictable air service using Air Marshall, they had to go the long way around through Hawaii and Fiji, a 3 day trip.  

Elder and Sister Badger spent the week traveling on Tarawa, (about a 45 minute tour) and then just chilling for a week.  We had great visits with them about the differences between the two islands and cultures.  

Time for another party.  Here are Elder and sister Badger visiting with Elders Kidder, Thomas, and Mills.

Elder and Sister Bush at the East Stake Cultural Night

We attended an East Stake Cultural Night.  This is a yearly event where each Ward/Branch dances a traditional Kiribati dance.  They are judged and winners announced.  It is a BIG night.  We (the missionaries) were invited guests.  Weeks and weeks of practice take place along with elaborate costumes.  One ward (Eita 1st) spent 3 weeks camped out in a Maneaba to practice at all hours.  The Bouta Branch stayed at their open side chapel and practiced in the night and early morning.  The elders next door didn't get much sleep as the members only rested for a few hours then were up dancing again.  There is no music, they make their own with singing, clapping their hands, and yelling.  

One tradition that is kind of different is that when the dancing is going on, people go up to the dancers and spray perfume on them.  This is done to let the dancers know they are appreciated and they like the dance.  With hundreds of dancers, you can guess that is smells like a trip through Nordstrom's perfume section.  

The other day we were driving along and saw the first Tarawa Taxi.  This is Brother Baabo who just retired from the Ministry of Education.  He wanted to get into little business, so his wife gave him the idea to start a taxi business.  We have about a hundred small vans on the island, but no taxis.  H got this old beat up car and put a taxi sign on the roof and presto, you have taxi service.  Seems the pot-holed roads were too much because before the day was out, he had a flat tire.  He better hope for smoother roads and dry weather (the sunroof won't close)

President and Sister Shaw came for a visit in May.  We always have Sunday dinner at the Ogborns.  Pictured here are Elder and Sister Bush, Elder and Sister Thorne, Sister Bonnemort and President and Sister Shaw.  

This is Punjas store where we get our diet coke, sugar, flour and rice.  We were there one day and it was the manager's birthday party.  It was just going to start.  As is often here, the missionaries are honored guests.  They invited us to sit down and watch the show and have some treats.  They sang some songs, danced and even sang the traditional Happy Birthday song.

This is Penisula and Otomie that work in the Service Center which services all the wards/branches and Moroni High School.  One day I noticed how far away their monitors were from them, and I had the idea that they all needed reading glasses.  So I ordered about 50 pair and Penisula nd Otomie are modeling them.  Now they can move their monitors closer.  

Some welcome shade after basketball, tennis and volleyball.  Elders Banks, Thomas, Mickelsen, Sisters Kimmons, Gardner (she is in every shot I think) and Rebeta.  

Sister Bonnemort gets kind of anxious every P-day because of all the sweating men that come into our flat.  She is used to girls that just don't sweat much.  As you can see, this week was no exception, with Elders Anderson, Turner and Kidder sweating it out under a palm.  The heat index when they are playing is close to 105, so they are bound to sweat.  

Every pair of these represent a sweaty young man, but we still love to see them each month

"Flats be clean".  Elder and Sister Bush have taken up the responsibility to inspect the missionary flats. This week was the first of many inspections.  Here Elder Bush is instructing Elder Bradshaw how to properly mop a floor.  Now I thought I knew how, but I learned a thing or two myself. 

The two bucket method was news to me.