Bula Bula everyone, how are you?  We are busy as usual so I'l give you a quick run down on what we've been up to.  This is lunch after a Sister's special training meeting with lots of pawpaw, salad, and chicken casserole with special sauce.

Elder Collins carved this coconut palm trees pumpkin for our office to have a little Halloween theme

When our two office sister's arrived, they elected to have the AP's to go pick up packages..
.a wise decision as this is one days worth of packages. 

We used to stack the packages in the corner by the window until sister Klingler had some men come and have us tell them what we needed and made the shelving and bar space to accomodate our ever increasing number of packages.  It's great to be able to put them up on the shelf and have the added space below to spread out paperwork.

We had a farewell dinner and testimony for the Whiteheads November 1st, they will be greatly missed.

Sister Limburg-Newsom, Elder and Sister Hogge, Elder and Sister Whitehead, Sister Klingler-President Klingler

While Elder Hogge went to Nausivikoso with the AP's I joined the Seniors for lunch at a resort that's about an hours drive from Suva.  Elder Tennis drove the van and we fit 5 couples and ourselves in and had a fun visit on the way up.

I even had time to capture the water lilie.  I've tried before but couldn't get Elder Hogge to slow down to take the picture.

We ate outside on this huge table made of a thick slab of Mahogony Wood

Elder Wells is sporting one of the nicest Bula shirts I've seen here.

One thing Coconut trees are is resilient.  This tree was likely blown over in a storm
 (horizontal growing trunk)  then rallied and began growing vertically towards sun.

These blue crabs were in a tank (similar to the live lobsters at Red Lobster) and when
 I took their picture all raised their claws to defend themselves from the lady with the camera.

Simple elegance, this pretty plant with lime green leaves was growing in a rusty barrel in the grounds of our church.

It's Diwali time again.  It landed near Halloween this year (date changes each year) and Avenish and his family brought us a feast.  L-R Roti, potatoe curry, spicy hot tomatoe and onion type sauce, pumpkin curry, her and spice treats (box) and sweet treats (most of them deep fried).  My favorite was a coconut filled pastry.

The brightly colored rice artwork on the two porches

Arsenal of fireworks!  Avenish said they buy about $500.00 worth of fireworks this year.
Luckily, this year we haven't had as many nights of fireworks after Diwali, like we did last year

Avenish and wife

Senior couple and next door neighbors the Jacksons.  While we were all outside watching firework
Richard was inside talking with Avenish's father.  He had a special prayer room
 he wanted to show him.  

These are our new upstairs neighbors.  Dad's name is Lackland (goes by Lach) and his four daughters.   The girls mom Wendy got the three older girls these dresses that they wore to school on Oct. 31st to ease the fact that kids in Fiji don't dress up for Halloween and then they were able to wear them again for Diwali. They're from Australia but have lived various places all over the world.  Lach works for the Australian Embassy.

Another pretty dress worn by young teenager who was a guest at the celebration

This is a new flat the missionaries found for Elder Hogge in Lami.  It's a pretty town that's located on a narrow strip of land with a pretty view of the ocean.  Very few flats are available to rent in this area, so we feel very blessed to have found it.  I loved the pretty white poinsettia bush growing in the yard that helps me to feel the spirit of
the Christmas season that is fast approaching.

This is a Fijian laundry room, now all we need to add is a washing machine and we're set.

Wood floors and newly painted walls is a bonus, but we'll have to hire someone to install screens on the windows.

This is a small vegetable garden out back.  The shed with bricks on it to keep the roof in place is a common site in Fiji


Today at church we had our primary program.  We only have about 15 children but they sang the songs so beautifully.

We began with a congregational hymn of In Our Lovely  Deseret which said" In our lovely deseret.  Where the Saints of God have met.  There's a multitude of children all around.  They are generous and brave; They have precious souls to save;They  must listen and obey the gospel's sound. Hark!Hark! Hark! the children's music-Children's voices, oh how sweet. When in innocence and love, Like the angels up above.  They with happy hearts and cheerful faces meet.

It set the tone for a beautiful spiritual feast. One little Indian girl whose name is Laruni Manwelli touched my heart as I watched her cheerfully sing each song, expecially the one which says "he gave me my eyes that I might see the color of butterfly wings" and I thought of how blessed my grandchildren are to have the gift of sight.  I am grateful this little girl knows that she will someday be able to see.

Then the tears began to flow for both Elder Hogge and I when this same little girl stood up on the stool by the pulpit and sang a primary song solo.  She has been  given a beautiful voice and sounded like an angel singing.

Well Elder Hogge is getting restless, so I'd better close.  Much love to all our family members.  You are always in our prayers and in our heart.  Love mom and dad,