We love watching the children here in Majuro

As we travel around the island we always see something to laugh about and most times we done have the camera to get a picture.   But there is lots of children around. I would say 1/3 of the population here is under 20 years of age.  They have a high birth rate and shot life span.  Lots of people die do health reason in their 30's and 40'.

How many children can your get in a van.  I've counted over 30.    

There is not child seat law in Marshall Islands you see the children of all ages doing different things as they ride in the cars, school buses, back of trucks.  As we followed this car were not sure if this kid was going to land on his head.

They love to climb 

They also like to be upside down and even walk on their hands.

Elder Johnson's First 5K Race/walk

Eli, the manger of the largest grocery store ask me to be his partner in this years 5k race for Non-communicable diseases.  But we were to wear Moo-Moo's.   So here we are all dress ready waiting for the race to begin.

Here the group of runner,some joggers and joggers/walkers like me.

Here we are about the 3/4 mark and totally soaked because it rain so hard after we started the race, but I am glad I had my hat it keep the rain out of face.

They had water for the runners, but this young man did not run and was dry but not for long.

There not a lot of places for the water to go, and so we walk in the puddles.

Coming to the finish line in 55 minutes from the start

 of the race.

Celestia is not racing because she wanted pictures and I was wearing her Moo-Moo.

The couple that walked with us old men, is from New Zealand and across the road from us.

This island has lots of  people from different areas of the world living her so it neat to visit with them.

Our trip to the Kwajalein Atoll to look into a couple of  Humanitarian Projects on the island of Ebeye Ebeye it is about 450 miles northwest of Majuro where we are staying now

 

 

 Sister Johnson took a picture of island and the runway just over the wing

 

 

Most the Kwajalein Atoll is a Military base and the airport is located on the base, to get Ebeye where we needed to go, we walked on the base to lagoon side and the pier where we could catch a ferry boat to the island of Ebeye

 

 

Look how the housing is layed out in neat rows on the base



 

 The island of Ebeye is 78 acres with over 10,000 residents  and is considered to be one of the most densely-populated places in the world.  It is such contrast to Miltary housing on island 5 miles away

 

With the base on 5 miles away they can get 5 tv channels, they don't have much to live in but look at all the tv antennas.  We were told that on this island people sleep in shifts becasue there not enough floor space in the houses for them to lay down at the same time. 

 

Looking up the street as we entered it from our hotel on the lagoon side of the island

 

The street on the ocean side of the island and the cars have to travel the same direction on the one road around the island.

 

Most of the people have to go to this one location on the island to get fresh water and it hauled to their houses most by bikes.

 

Look at the handle bars on this bike.

 

 



 Road Trip to the West Side of the Island

The island get very narrow in spots like this and only room for the road

Neat little store

 What we though the houses would like before we got here

 What most house are built out and look like here on the island

One of the nice's home on the island and Sister Missionaries live in it.

There is some parts of the island give the feeling of being in the tropics.

As we move about on the island, it has it beauty and it dumps, but the people here have made us feel at home and we have come to love them.

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.