Our First Christmas in the Marshall Islands

 

 

Christmas Eve activites:



 

Earring exchange with the Sister Missionaries

 

Tie exchange with the Elder Missionaries I opened the box with the most uglyest ties 

 

 

 Lights on the Captial Building

 

 

Playing Santa with some kids who were hanging out along the streets with their parents

 

 

Here in Majuro they celebrate Christmas with a activity they call the "Biit".

All the wards and other groups come together to do group dances and sing.  It went on for 12 hours Christmas Day

 



 

They march into the hall singing

All the young women from one ward dancing

All those that wanted to from Rita ward. One of the wards we attend.

 

Our suprise Christmas gift

How many banana can two people eat.

 

 

Getting Ready for the Holidays

 

We wanted to fly home for Christmas but our plane is a little under the water 

We tried to book passage on a boat but it got beached

It looks like we have to  travel to Laura Beach to get our white Christmas

 

 

What is Christmas with out some vistors

Maybe we will have to travel to this inlet for Christmas so Celestia can go snorkeling again

 

Come dine with us at our under water tables

 

After watching this kid we are sure all our little grandkids should not be without a machete

Santa dropped a coconut from his sled while doing his test run the other night

It has has taken some time but we have and office now and a car.  Now we can do our work without moving desks, trying to get access to a car to travel to the other side of the island where the businesses are.
We are so blessed and hope we can be effective in help the Marshallese people.

Celestia always love Halloween,  She helped paint the young boy faces, and then helped a couple of Sister Missionaries get some packing material.

A couple of pictures of the youth at a stake dance, some of these youth attend our ward.

We  the missionaries on this atol watch General Conference last Tuesday and Wednesday

Boy can the young missionaries can eat a lot, the senior missionaries prepared a meal each day for them.

 All gathered at the Mission Home

 Lots of crocs and some sandals

We have been requested to post more pictures of the islands 

So here are some

 The Ocean the reef and n the lagoon

 The highest point the bridge that connects the two larges Islands

 Heading west to the bridge

Heading east of the bridge

Another new senior missionary couple came this week, so we went to the Senior Missionaries' favorite island for P-day.  I went snorkeling for the first time.  It was awesome and amazing what you can see under the water.
I felt like I was watching the movie "NEMO" live.  Celestia,Sister Johnson, took pictures of me so we could prove it did it!!!!!

 The coral and fish have so much color

Getting ready to go again

We have been ask to attend and provide support for two wards that meet in this building, the Rita and Jenrok Wards. They speak Marshallese in the meetings.  The young missionaries help us know what going on.  Very few members have cars or transportation so chapels are build close to the members.  But with not much land, thing get tight, the chapel is only few feet from shacks/homes that people live in. The Marshallese people are very loving and friendly and easy to love.

 The entrance from the main road

 One three cars we drove one of them 

During church, when the window are open,  you can hear people living next door. No AC so the windows are always open.

  

Welcome sign in the busiest area of the island. The children love to have the attention. Making friends!!!!! These group of ladies are helping young women and girls learn how to sew, and crochet by hand! One of the groups we are to target.,

Our living quarters, way way way better that most people live in on the islands, we will show some on them at a latter time.