Adventures in Paradise 7

ADVENTURES IN PARADISE 7

Kia orana, everyone! Out excellent adventure continues on a somber note. Bart Nelson, our son-in-law (Kristi’s husband) lost his mother due to a single-car rollover accident last Thursday. We send our love to the whole family and want them to know that they are in our prayers. Having said that, we are also stuck once again, by how fleeting life can be and how  we should all make our moments count. Gloria was a great example of this. Her grandson, Brent Nelson, who is currently serving in the Phillipines wrote to his family about his love for the family and his grandmother in particular. He mentioned her sincere charity for everyone. She was happy when those around her were happy. She was wise and didn’t tolerate bad behavior; rather, she expected you to live up to your potential. Brent also mentioned how excited Gloria would be about anything that her family accomplished. He mentioned her cherry pie and all the dinners that they enjoyed together. Gloria was a hard worker and so much of that hard work was spent on family in one form or another, including geneology.  Having known her, myself, I can truly say that she had lived a life that left her ready to meet her Heavenly Father. While it is true that she could have accomplished many more things in her life, had she lived, she was not one who was unprepared to move on. We will all miss her and the example that she set for the rest of us.

We have had an assortment of adventures this week and would like to share them with you, along with photos of memorable moments. As we find ourselves missing the Thanksgiving festivities, we are at the same time taking stock of things that we had not considered to be blessings before. While driving, I asked Ward , “Is this a road?” Never before have we not known the difference between what is a road and what isn’t. We are thankful for address and street signs at home and will never take them for granted again!  We have natures alarm clock outside our windows (notice, that I said plural). The roosters have their own timetable and you don’t want to turn the bathroom light on in the middle of the night! Those old birds think that bathroom light is the sun and they start crowing like crazy!. We are now thankful for alarm clocks that we can set to our own specifications!  We are grateful for a light summer rain that waters the flowers and lawns, not the twenty-four hour deluge that happened here yesterday.  Many already simple homes were flooded and the owners had no choice but to let the waters recede over the next day or two.  We have noticed that many children come to church without shoes. I have now come to realize that this is because they do not own shoes; not  even a pair of flipflops. I have never had to go without shoes and will think twice from now on, when I choose which shoes to wear for the day. They concept of footwear matching an outfit is almost unheard of here. I will never look at my oven the same way again. Many homes here have only a one or two-burner hot plate. I have become semi-famous for my baking. I don’t think that it’s so much that they find it tasty,but rather that I have an oven at all!  We will never walk into a fully stocked grocery store and not be grateful; not only for the myriad of choice, but also that we can afford to buy pretty much anything that we want. Fresh milk is unheard of here. You buy a box off the shelf and then refrigerate it. This is the same for juice. We try not to drink homemade juices at any of the feasts, as we are not sure what water they have used to make the juice. We buy bottled water every week. Many times, we will return from a feast and head straight for the refrigerator, as we are sooooo thirsty, having not dared to drink anything. We have found a store that keeps their eggs  refrigerated and they also carry some frozen chicken from the U.S.A.! Because of the humidity, you cannot find comet or ajax or any powdered cleaner and the salt clumps up almost immediately upon opening. I have mentioned before that I cried when I found a bottle of Heniz Catsup. Well, you get the idea. Please take a moment and be grateful for the bounties of your lives. May I say, however, that this is our perception. People here believe that they live in paradise and that they are the lucky ones. Many have been to other countries, including the United States and think that there are too many people in one place, that we are too rushed and that we live in spaces that are too confining  for them. They are as grateful for what they have as we are. It's a true blessing to bloom where you are planted. 

We attended a baptism on Thursday evening. It was also Leonard’s eighth birthday and it was a sweet day. This young man has a huge smile and you can’t help smiling too, when you see him. We had only met the family only once before, so we were surprised to be invited back to the home for a little (huge understatement) dinner and birthday cake. Having described feasts before, we assume that you may have an idea of what went on, but this defies description! The custom here is to sing happy birthday at the beginning of the evening, have the birthday person blow out the candles and everyone yells, “Hip. Hip, Hurray” three times. Then the feast begins. As we hardly knew the family, we took a seat at a table far from the head table, but the grandfather came to us and told us that we were to sit in a place of honor at the head table. I am learning to just do it and not feel like we are interlopers, as this is another  way they have of showing respect. I might mention, here also, that you might think that more people would chose to be baptized in the ocean, as it sounds very romantic to us. Their view, however, is that the ocean is there every day, but the baptisimal font is something very special. Again, here is a show a reverence for this ordinance.

Two days later, the president of one of the branches turned  60 and of course it was cause for another huge celebration. President Williams sat in a chair of honor. He wore a lei and wiped away tears as each of his children spoke about what he meant to them. One daughter talked about the memory she has as a younger child, listening to her father and his brothers sing in harmony. The four were in a barbershop quartet and her birthday wish for herself was to hear them sing together again. Please pass the tissue, as it was beautiful to hear those four men sing together in perfect harmony. Again, do I have to say that there was a feast?  These people are sweet, and so willing to share their homes, their lives and their tables.

For the sports-minded, we would like to share two traditions that occur each year on our Rock (Rarotonga). The first is the Sevens tournament. This is rugby heaven! Teams compete with each other for three days. Each team has seven players on the field at a time and they play seven-minute halves. There is no padding, no helmets and no mercy! People dress up in funny costumes and parade around the field. Some win prizes for most inventive, most colorful, most whatever. We have included a photo or two to give you an idea of this.  Last Saturday, the Vaka Evia (Ava) festival began. A vaka is a canoe or vessel. The ancient people used very large ones to travel from one island to the other. Now these canoes can be for one person or a team and there are races and ironmen and ironwomen competitions for the week. We have noticed some huge logs in the park next to the warf and see that each day, some are looking more and more like canoes as  master carvers work on them. Due to the influx of visitors, Saturday market has been extended to three weeknights and will go late into each evening’ The last few nights, we have been lulled to sleep with the drums and singing from an Island show down the beach from us. Who needs and ipod?

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. We will be thinking of you on Thursday and want to wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving. We miss you all and are mindful as well, that for many of you, a blizzard is in your forecast. Please travel safely and enjoy your time spent with loved ones. I am tempted to try the island version of a pumpkin pie. Someone gave us a huge squash, and  although Squash Pie does not have the same ring to it as Pumpkin, I may just have to give it a try anyway. The big question is whether or not I want to spend 8.00 a half pint for whipping cream! We did get an early Christmas present, though. We are going to spend the week before Christmas in Tahiti! Not a tough gig, as my musician son would say. You are in our thoughts and prayers and we hope that all is well.

Love to you all. Ward and Susan   Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in the Cook Islands

Blessing the Vaka Log and Workers

Begining the carving of the Vaka Log

More carving

More Log carving

Celebrating the 7's tournment

7's cheerleaders

More 7's cheerleaders

7's Cheerleaders

Member Tariu and friend after winning his game

Lenorad at his birthday party

Lenorad & his father after being baptised

Sunset from our back yard

Sunset from our back yard 

Yesterdays flood in Avarua

Avarua flood

More Avarua flood

Ward and Tariu after waitng for our wives

Adventures in Paradise 6

New Quilt

New Quilt 2

See if you can find our neighbor in the tree.  He is going to pick coconuts.

Prior to Unveiling Service.  Headstone is under the pink fabric.   This is on the family front lawn.

Prior to Unveiling.

The Unveiled Head Stone.  A daughter read the inscription to the crowd

A son paying his respects.

Our Friend Jake Numanga at the airport.

Jake Numanga at the airport when we arrived 5 October 2010

Adventures in Paradise 6 

Kia orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with a brief history of the Tivaevae quilts. Once upon a time a young Polynesian woman was sitting in the shade of one of her favorite trees. She noticed the play of the shadows of the leaves that were cast on the ground. She thought that it was such a beautiful sight that she hated for the shadows to disappear. Suddenly, she had an idea! Why not trace the shape of the leaves and shadows and incorporate those fleeting patterns into a quilt? Ha! This was brilliant! She could find pleasure in the design and sleep under the “shadows” at night. What sweet dreams she would have! So, she traced the patterns of the leaves and cut those shapes out of fabric. The leaves were one color, the shadows another. Originally, these quilts were only two colors, but when the idea caught on, women became more creative with both design and color and the result of one woman’s vision is the quilt that we now have on our bed here. I think that it’s stunning! Many people lusted after these quilts (the author included) but there was a slight problem. The word Tivaevae, literally means women sewing in a circle. A group of women sit together  and work on one quilt at a time. When that quilt is finished, they start on a new one. Each woman takes home a quilt, but they are hardly ever sold and it is an insult to ask someone to buy them. They are meant to be given as gifts, to decorate one’s home and most especially, they are used to wrap the dead in preparation for burial. This is a sweet sendoff for a loved one, as so much work has gone into the making of these quilts. Now as women are often finding themselves in a position where they need to help provide for their family, some of these quilts will occasionally end up in a shop somewhere. I found this one in a little shop here and am thrilled to have it. My first inclination, was to wrap it up and look at it once in a while, but again, that would not be respectful to the woman who made it. They are meant to be used and enjoyed and there is a richness that develops at the quilt ages, much, I hope, like the people who enjoy these creations!

So speaking of loved ones who have passed on, I would like to tell you about an experience we had this week. Note to the reader: From now on, whenever you read of anything that goes on here in Rarotonga, please just assume that there will be a feast afterwards! We were invited to an “unveiling” and it was a remarkable experience. We have mentioned before that the Polynesian people have great respect for their deceased loved ones. As you know, most homes have at least some of the family buried in family plots on their property. When the burial takes place, there is a tomb that is erected over the gravesite. This happens immediately after the person dies, but the marker or headstone does not appear until exactly one year after the person died and then this marker is revealed with great ceremony. Many layers of cloth are placed over the marker. These layers are usually in the favorite color of the deceased. The layers sometimes get brighter and  or more elaborate as they get closer to the marker. To begin the service, there is a prayer and a song. The person conducting then begins to call people out of the audience, one at a time. He tells how this particular person was related to or had some importance in the dead persons life. That person then says a few words and takes off one layer of the covering. This goes on until the last layer, which is usually reserved for close family members, usually the children. More than one person may remove a layer at a time, and in our case, three of the children acted together. When the last layer is removed, someone reads what is on the headstone. There are touching tributes, tears, more singing and another prayer. I cannot honestly say what the prayers contained, as they were in Maori, but the woman sitting next to me kept saying “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” during the prayer, so I am assuming that it was all very good! You all know what came after that! I tell this story because it goes to show how much respect these people have for family.

There are so many ways that people have of showing respect here. We are touched by the simple, yet profound ways that they go about this. If you are an honored guest, you leave your shoes on when entering the home. You are given the first plate, pointed toward the table, and someone tells you to EAT! Everyone will be watching to make sure that you do just that! For the diet-conscious, we have learned a few hints. First you spread your plate with a thin layer of rice, as that shows good intent. Then you pile a few large pieces of fruit on that, which adds bulk and takes up space. Then you hold a piece of fruit (like watermelon) and take tiny bites while talking. Those you are talking to are eating, themselves, so they don’t notice that you are eating a lot less than they are! We are often given gifts, and have learned to just say “Thank You”, instead of  “Oh, I can’t accept this”, or “Oh, you shouldn’t have”! Again, these people, whom we think have so little, find so many ways of sharing. Last week, we took a family to the airport, and this week we picked them up. As we were unloading the car, the women came up to me quietly and put Tahitian leis around my neck. These are made of shells and are lovely. Before I could get back in the van, a father came up and put one more around my neck, without saying a word. I also found a Pareu (sarong) on the front seat as we were driving away. They make little show of these kindnesses and do not want a big show of thanks. Oh, yes, we also found a bag of mangos and two breadfruits in the back seat as well! An older gentleman, Jake Numanga, has been playing his ukulele and singing for all incoming international flights for thirty years. This is especially remarkable, when you realize that there are sixteen flights a week and as his eyes are not what they used to be, a family member drives him to every flight that arrives after dark! I believe that one of these flights arrives in the early morning hours, around 3:00 am!

We have had wonderful teaching opportunities this week and we have been learning a lot as well. We as usual, have had our share of surprises. We had unexpected house guests who came from another of the islands to attend district (stake) conference. They are Vernon and Sherry Terry, from Bountiful and they were here for four days. I found out the Monday prior to conference that I was speaking, and Ward was asked the night before to give the opening prayer! Two days ago, our family home evening people cancelled, so I decided to take a nice long shower (the sun had been out, so the water was hot), and to relax for the evening. The phone rang and someone wanted to know where we were and when we were coming! They were expecting us for their family home evening! We had no idea. We made it in about ten minutes and there was not time for dry hair or makeup, so I will leave that picture to your imagination! When we arrived, the evening began and it was announced that we were giving the lesson! Oh, yes, expect the unexpected. Someone has suggested to us that that phrase might be better put to say. “ACCEPT the unexpected   Then there was my new calling, which was extended the night before it was announced at conference……I am the new district (stake) Young Women’s President! I didn’t even know that a missionary could have a calling, but apparently they can. The district meeting was wonderful and the choir sang beautifully, especially “I Am a Child of God”, sung in Maori.

There is so much more, but it will have to wait for next week. As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. If you come for a visit, please note that there is a shoe-stealing-dog in the neighborhood, so please do not leave your shoes outside! Many guests have gone limping out of here with one less shoe than they were wearing upon arrival. We might just brag a little and say that Elder Terry, who had served here many years ago,  remarked that he was impressed that we knew so many people after having been here for such a short time. We have been trying and we took that as a great compliment. We love you and appreciate the notes that come after you have read our latest blog. We miss you all.

Love, Ward and Susan    Elder and Sister Belliston serving in the Cook Islands

Adventures in Paradise 5

Frederick Williams

Elizabeth Kenyon

Fimone grandchild

Juliuz Matutu (helping his mother block print fabric)

Janice Fimone

Zena & Jiya Anand with Elizabeth Kenyon

Elizabeth Mose with brother & sister with a Tapioca Plant

Elizabeth Mose with brother & sister

Sister Lobb's niece

Sister Lobb's niece & Sister Belliston's hand

Elizabeth Mose with friends and family

Elizabeth Mose with friends, family & Elder Belliston

Mrs. Mose and baby

Sister Fimone with grandchild

Zena Anand

Tailor Pemberton

Sister Luke's daughter

Zena Anand 

Liann Pemberton

                               ADVENTURES IN PARADISE  5

                                          9 November, 2010

Kia orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with a special treat for everyone. As you know, we have been enjoying the beauty that surrounds us in all of its many forms. We have found the island to truly be a paradise, the people to be generous, sweet and humble, the Maori language to be daunting and the weather to be ever-changing. But the thing that we have been most taken by is the beauty of the children of this island.  It would be difficult to find a child that, by blood, would be one hundred percent Rarotongan.  The lines have blurred between Maori, Rarotongan, Fijian, East Indian, and those born in New Zealand or Australia. Many Cook Islanders move to New Zealand, and since they are New Zealand citizens, they are free to travel back and forth at will. So we have a melting pot of sorts that has produced the most beautiful children that I have ever seen. I have informed many here that if, in eighteen months, when the Bellistons leave, they notice a child or two missing, they have only to look in our luggage! At any rate, the photos that we include this week are all of the children that we have met. You might also take a moment to look past the child to his or her surroundings. These photos were all taken either in their homes or on family land and speak to the simple lives these children live. Take special note of Janice, whose parents named her after a former missionary. Her parents are almost children themselves, but before they would allow the photo, the father changed her dress, while the mother combed her hair. The final touch was the flower that her father picked right outside his home. You may also notice that daylight is shining though a huge crack in the wall of her home. What more can I say here? Please enjoy these pictures as our Thanksgiving gift to all of you from the children of Rarotonga.

Well, I will compose myself now and tell you about other adventures. Janice’s mother is pregnant and due in four months. She has been trying to stop smoking, but says that she needs a new focus. Soooooooo, Sister Betty Crocker here, came up with the idea of bringing her a home-baked treat every day for one week to get her off to a good start. Today she said cookies sounded good, so cookies she received. Tomorrow will be cinnamon rolls! If you think smoking is expensive, try supplying home cooking when eggs are six dollars a dozen and butter is even more expensive! It’s for a good cause and we are very happy to help.

Do you remember my saying the we have learned to expect the unexpected? Yes? We have mentioned before, that this weekend is our island district conference. This is the equivalent of Stake conference. This is a big deal and many members from the outer islands are flying in to attend.  Ward and the choir have been practicing for over a month for this and have even learned one of the songs in Maori. Sunday Ward came home from practice and informed me that I was speaking! “Detective” Belliston had seen a copy of the program and was nice enough to get my topic and the time I had been allotted! It turns out that the person who was to inform me of this assignment is the same one in charge of obtaining our Cook Island visas! We have mentioned, haven’t we, that we still do not have visas!

As you might expect, we spend a lot of our time visiting with people and trying to help them in any way that we can. Ward’s Maori is coming along and I am proud of him for all of his hard work with the language. People find him easy to talk with and we most always find the time we spend with people filled with laughter. Where I am afraid that I will make a mistake with the pronunciation of a word or phrase, Ward is fearless about this. I envy that. We find that we both have our strengths and they seem to compliment each other. Ward is a tease with people and they love it. It endears him to them and makes him approachable. Often when he sees someone he knows as he’s driving, he jumps out of the van and forgets to put it in park! The van we drive is big, ugly, dented and very recognizable. We enjoy having people wave when they see us. Often, you can hear us before we actually come into view. Tonight another one of the children in our photos, came running out of the yard when she heard us approach. We love this!

We have another baptism on Thursday, and as usual, most of the branch will be in attendance to show support for the new member. As usual, there will also be a feast. So much of what will be brought for dinner comes from the land. The pineapple is the sweetest we have ever tasted and Ward is thrilled that the Mangos are almost ripe!

As I write this, we are having a downpour outside. Summer is upon us and the humidity is high. People here cope by wearing a towel around their necks and using it! We mentioned in our last letter that it is also hurricane season, so please keep your fingers crossed for us.

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. We will be honest and say that sometimes it is easier than others. But in truth, we were not promised easy. We were promised that it would be worth it and it is. As Thanksgiving approaches at home, please know that we are thankful for all of you and the place you have in our lives. We celebrated Utah’s first snowfall with a bowl of homemade chili on our veranda overlooking the ocean. One of us finds nothing to celebrate, however with the U of U-TCU game results!  You are all in our thoughts and prayers and we hope that all is well.

Love to you all, Ward and Susan   Elder and Sister Belliston serving in the Cook Islands

Adventures in Paradise 4

Fish 4 sail

Graves at NIght

Graves 1

Sister Connal's home

Corn Beef 3

Corn beef sign

Sleeping baby 3

ADVENTURES IN PARADISE 4

2 November 2010

Kia orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with some insight on the difference between being a tourist and a local. The tourist doesn’t notice that the ocean is so changeable. They usually don’t notice how blue it can be one moment and how that blue can change to turquoise or navy or grey, but the locals do. The tourist does not know that there are more leaves and flowers on the Tipani trees now than there were a week ago, but the locals do. The tourists have no real sense that most of the  living takes place above the main road and past the shops and restaurants, but the locals do. The locals know that living here depends so much on the earth and what it provides.It takes place in the humble homes that are tucked away off those back roads that we have mentioned to you previously .The tourists don’t know that the coconut palm is life-sustaining in so many ways. None of the tree is wasted. The tourist would have no idea that the female tree is the one with the coconuts, and that the palm trees around their resorts are male trees, so that  no one will be injured by falling coconuts! But the locals do. The tourists consider the rain an inconvenience; something that forces them to put the top up on their rental car or pull under a tree while on a scooter. The locals don’t. The locals see that rain as a blessing that waters their crops and keeps their sisterns full. Perhaps it’s all about slowing down and paying attention. Tourists don’t generally notice those tiny little changes that take place here, but the locals do. We spoke in church last Sunday and this was the subject of my talk. I compared the intimate knowledge that the locals have of this island to how well our Father in Heaven knows us. He notices the changes that take place in our lives.

It has been a busy, but fun week. We are learning more all the time and hope to be considered more local than tourist. Our Maori is getting a little better, but don’t expect fluency. One of the sisters did teach me to say, “ Maniania”, which is pronounced, My knee a knee a. This means please be quiet (the polite way of saying “shut-up”) She suggested that I use that phrase on her husband, President Cummings, (see last week’s photo), but I may have another husband in mind as well (mine)!  Ward is getting way too cocky about how much Maori he knows!

We invited three families with young children for pizza on Sunday evening and surprised them with Rarotonga’s version of pumpkins. Several of these children had been excited for a month about learning to carve Jack o Lanterns, and it was fun to see the fathers get involved as well. We made six pizzas and tons of garlic bread, two salads and we lost count on dessert. Do you remember my saying that every meal is a feast. I thought that pizza, one kind of salad and one dessert would be enough. I was out-voted!

November 1^st here is All Saint’s Day. I guess that you could say that it is the island version of Memorial Day, but that is where the comparison ends. For about a week, we have noticed people working in the graveyards. By the way, many of the families here have their loved ones buried in their yards. These are above-ground tombs and usually they are white-washed or covered in tiles. Every day, more and more decorations appeared on these graves. Many were strung with beautiful leis. Some were completely covered with tropical floral arrangements. It was unbelievable and we are including photos. When the sun set, candles were lit and again not just one or two. The entire cemetery was candlelit and it was amazing. People brought their dinner and whole families stayed the entire evening. Since there were so many graveyards, the whole island seemed  to be twinkling. I would loved to have seen it from the air! Oh, by the way the priest comes just before sunset and sprinkles holy water over the graves and blesses them. Just lovely!

Now the other side of lovely could be that November 1 starts the beginning of cyclone season. Be sure and make your reservations, now! Actually, Rarotonga has not had a cyclone in several years, but a neighboring island was almost destroyed two or three years ago, as it took a direct hit! I am proud to say that our church was one of the first on the scene with money, supplies and manpower.  The Cooks as a whole, are a very religious people. They believe strongly in divine intervention and Sunday evening a prayer service,, “For God’s Protection” was held. All religions on the island participated by providing music, and a speaker. Ward sang in the LDS choir and it was beautiful.  The prayers focused on protection from the elements. At the end of March, there will be a Thanksgiving service as well, to thank God for His protection.

So, speaking of cyclones, we thought that we had better get clear on what to do. Windows will be boarded up, if necessary, and everyone is encouraged to stay inside. Who would actually have to be encouraged, I wonder? We are including a photo of one of the houses which always has it’s roof tied down. Can you imagine watching tin roofs fly through the air?  “ We are not in Kansas, anymore”! Seriously, we are promised that usually, these storms don’t  come too close to Rarotonga and it doesn’t really stand in the way of a good vacation!  

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. We love to teach and have had the opportunity to do quite a bit of it, lately. We had a group of young, single relief society women here last week. I taught a lesson on choices, then there was an activity and dinner. The menu was “sizzle sausages”, so Ward and I were expecting something exotic that spoke of island traditions. A sizzle sausage is a hot dog cooked in a pan with a slice of bread wrapped around it! For the uninformed among you, chips are French fries, a hamburger here always has beetroot on it (sliced red beets), and if you ask for catsup, you will get tomato sauce, I almost cried when I found a bottle of Heniz catsup!  Oh, yes, I can’t end without telling you about the flying fish.  The other night in the pitch black, we looked out toward the ocean and noticed lights gliding in the water. They were night fishing for flying fish! The light attracts the fish and they literally fly out of the water and the fishermen try to catch them with their nets. You find those the very next day, in the fresh fish markets.

As always, I have written more than I intended, but there is so much we would like to share. Hopefully, you have some idea of the life we have here. Again, the people are wonderful and we are grateful for the new friends that we have made. We do not, however, intend on forgetting our old ones.

Love to you all, Ward and Susan    Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in the Cook Islands