Wow, I can't believe it has been since Halloween that we have updated this blog.  Where does time go?  

We have been incredibly busy with finishings up the semester and having a wonderful visit from our family.  Time is going by way to fast and we have so much to do.

The temple closed down in November for renovation and that was a very sad day.  We have loved having the temple so close and so available.  Our YSA's are really missing it and we are trying to fill our Tuesdays with other good things.  We have been doing a "Lunch and Learn" where we learn something and then have a nice lunch.  It has been good,but we still really miss our Temple Tuesday.

We were able to watch them take down Angle Moroni from the top of the temple.  We were able to get pretty up front and personal with him.  He will be regold plated and then put back up as soon as possible.  

I decided to bite the bullet and buy a sewing machine.  I miss doing little projects and I thought it would be good for teaching the YSA's to sew.  We made string backpacks and I made one for each of our grandkids for Christmas.  It was a great break for me and the YSA's loved it as well.

Our YSA's have many wonderful opportunities to do service around the Island.  We were asked by the Stanford's who are the Humanitarian specialists here, to participate in a "handover ceremony" for the Diabetise Foundation.  We were asked to walk with the young people who have diabetise and then hand over to them some testing kits.  The kits were donated by the LDS Humanitarian Department.  We also sang a song and had our picture taken with the Prime minister of Health.  I guess she is a pretty big deal here in Fiji.  We all had a great time and we love doing service.

Here are a few of the sights we saw at the event that day.  You gotta love Fiji.

The sad day finally came that we had to say good-bye to our wonderful neighbors and friends the Jacksons.  They have been our "go to" people, our sounding boards and our biggest cheerleaders since we arrived in Fiji.  Because of them, we have seen so many beautiful places and have met some wonderful Fijian people that we wouldn't have other wise.  We love them and we will surly feel their absence.  

We had our YSA's sign a laundry bag for them and we had a farewell party for them.  The YSA's love them also and will truly miss them. 

 We have been very privileged to meet some wonderful families here in Fiji.  The Chand family have been very kind to us and have invited us into their home for dinner a couple of times.  Sister Chand showed me how to make pori the last time we were there.  It is like roti, but is deep fried.  Her's were perfect circles and mine looked like the world map.  

We love the Chand family.

Another sad goodbye to one of our YSA's.  This is the hardest part of this mission.  Edwina has gone for her mission to Austrailia and she will be an incredible missionary.  We love her and will miss her calling us "Grrrandmother, and Grrrrandfather".  Until we meet again Sister Bogidua.

Edwina and her father at the Nasouri Airport

October 29, 2014

Halloween Party Fijian Style

What is Halloween without a Costum Party.  Here in Fiji they don't celebrate this holiday.  WHAT??? Well we couldn't let it go by without showing our YSA's what a Peterson Halloween Party is all about.

Rachel and Penna wanted to decorate so I gave them $ and they went and got all the "stuffs".  I let them in the institute and came back to lock up and WALA, all done.  

They made a scary room and a fairy rooms.  So funny.  The decorations were great since there just isn't Halloween anything here.  I was amazed at how creative those two were.  They even made a spider web that went across our whole ceiling with yarn that I had left from the pompoms.  

We played a few games like 7 over, charades, and musical chairs.  
The musical chairs kind of got a little out of hand :).  Crazy Fijian YSA's.  Love them to death.

We then had a costume contest where they walked the cat-walk and modeled for the judges (Elder and Sister Jackson).  It was great fun and they really got into it.  

All in all it was a great time.  It is always fun to introduce new things to the YSA's and to show them some of our traditions.

Here are a few of the costums.

 Penna was amazing and cute scary

 Me and cute Rachel

Joyze as "Jasper" the friendly Ghost.  We had to correct him and let him know it was "Casper" the friendly Ghost.

 This is Kami the vampire

 Edwina strutted her stuff on the "cat-walk"

 Phillipe Vakaloloma as a scary fireman

 The Lami Pumpkins won for most original

 Samu won the Scaryist prize

Elenoa won the grand prize  This picture doesn't do her justice

 Rachel of course won the prize for being the cutest

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERY ONE FROM ALL OF US HERE IN FIJI

 25, 2014

Magoon's Lagoon, Senior Missionary's Excursion

Saturday we went with the Senior couples to a place called Magoon's Lagoon.  It is located in Navua.  Sister Magoon in a member of the church there in Navua.  Her husband passed away just before we came to Fiji, but we understand he was an amazing and fun man.  They ran a tourist adventure from there home which sits right on the beach. The adventure consists of a boat ride out to Bega Island, net fishing, lunch and relaxing on the beach.  After Brother Magoon passed away, they stopped the adventure while the Magoon family mourned the death of their wonderful husband, father, and grandfather.  A few months ago, Sister Magoon approached sister Stanford and told her that they were ready to start up the business again and wanted the Seniors to come.  

Sister Collins arranged the tour and off we went.

It was a very fun day, however, we pretty much got rained out.  It was nice for a little while, but as we were coming in to shore from our boat ride, here came the winds and the rain, and oh boy, did it ever rain.

We had to gather in their home to eat our lunch.  We sat around and Sister Magoon told us stories about her husband and family as she proudly showed off her pictures.  The kana kana (food) was great.  My favorite is always the fruit and the roti (like a tortilla).  I have to learn to make roti before I come home.  Also we had babagau (like a scone) for dessert and that is always a highlight.  We didn't get any net fishing in, so I guess we will just have to go out again before we come home.  This might be a fun place to visit when out kids come next month.

We were excited to see Edwina and Phillipe's little brother Bogi there.  We love their family.

 This little fella just might be tomorrows "Lovo" dinner.

 Simple toys, happy boys

 Elder Peterson always seems to find the little kids.  They love him!

Sister Peterson acting like a kid on the swing.

 Elder Peterson playing a little soccer before lunch.  Ball was pretty flat.  Think we will bring a new one with us next time.

 Lucy making roti in the outdoor kitchen.  Love watching them do the cooking.

 Lucy getting the fire ready for the roti.

 Ta and Sister Magoon serving us juice and pumpkin pie.  It was delicious, but not at all like our pumpkin pie.

 Sister Newsom, Sister Jackson and Elder Jackson holding on for dear life on our wild and wet boat ride.

The boat crew.  Because of the low tide, we hit the shallow beach much sooner than we thought we would.  Some of us "worker B's pushed the boat all the way back to the beach.  

OCTOBER 26, 2014

Months Are Going By So Fast

It's the end of October and we 

can't believe how fast these past

few months have flown by.  We are

still healthy and happy and we love

the work we are doing and the people we are doing it with.  We have made some wonderful friends here in Fiji.  I guess that is another blessing you receive while serving a mission.  

Once a month, President and Sister Layton invite all of the senior couple missionaries into their home for a "Pot Luck" dinner and FHE.  We look forward to this every month and are grateful for a Mission President who loves his Senior Missionary Couples.

 Because the temple has closed for renovation (13-18 months), we have started a new Tuesday activity.  We call it "Lunch and Learn".  We learn something and then have lunch.  The first week we had sloppy jo's and this past week, we had Hawaiian Haystacks.  Remember, "feed them and they will come".

These pictures were taken after mission prep class Thursday.  We said good buy to Aggie Tilley who is going to Hamilton New Zealand to serve in the Vistitor Center.  We will miss her so much but she will be an amazing missionary.  The other girls either have their calls or they are waiting for their calls to come in the next few weeks.  We love our prospective Sister Missionaries.

 It was Diwali this past Thursday.  Diwali is one of the biggest Holidays in Fiji.  It is an Indian Holiday where they celebrate with "Homemade Sweets", lights and fireworks. It was like the 4th of July on steroids.  We were invited over to our cute YSA Rachel Prasad's home where we were served a plate of sweets, rice pudding and then wonderful roti and chutney.  It was so fun to meet Rachel's family.  She has talked about them often.  Rachel's 24 year old brother Rashnel is pretty much supporting the family because of the poor health of her mother and father.  Mr. and Mrs Prasad are amazing parents and have raised 4 incredible children.  

It was Sister Terri's birthday so we were able to take her out for a "girl" lunch.  Sometimes you just have to have some girl time.  Love these ladies.

On Diwali, we were also invited over to our neighbor and landlords home, Shami and Avinish for more fireworks and sweets.  This is our great friends and neighbors the Jackson's with Shami and Avinish.  The had more fireworks than the entire Bountiful 4th of July production.  It was great.  A night we will never forget for sure.

HAPPY DIWALI EVERYONE