Thursday, December 9, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

As we approach the Christmas season, we are thinking of family and friends.
At this time of year we tend to get caught up in the craziness of the season, sometimes it is difficult to remember the “reason for the season”. Here in Samoa Christmas does not seem to be a flurry of buying and rushing around. So far we have seen very little in the way of decorations and advertising.

We have been busy making great fold up photo books for all the young Missionaries, of their time here in Samoa. They will be given out with other gifts to them at a Christmas party next week.
On Sunday evening we enjoyed a wonderful evening of Christmas music by the Samoan Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and a local Catholic choir. The MC was a well known Samoan singer, popular in the Pacific, Tapi Mariner, he was very entertaining and sang beautifully. It was a wonderful start to the season.


We have just enjoyed a visit with David, who stayed 10 days with us, leaving last week. We were able to take a few days off to visit Savaii a lovely Island a ferry ride away. It was lots of fun, Dave got to do some snorkeling; we stayed in a beach Fale at a little resort. They served “Umu” traditional food cooked on hot stones under Taro leaves, so that was another experience for him.
It was lovely to lie in bed and snuggle under our mosquito nets listening to the tide coming in over the beach, it reminded us of Nova Scotia and our years at Hubbard’s.


After Dave left we took a quick trip to American Samoa. We enjoyed visiting with some sweet friends who are going home from their Mission before Christmas. We stocked up on meat, cheese and some other goodies not available in Western Samoa, it reminded us of flying food into the Deer Lake Reserve in our Northern Canadian days. It was great to visit a “real” Dept. Store


David and Stephanie stocked us up with enough dark chocolate and herb tea bags to open a store ,I’m sure we will be well supplied until we leave here. David, Stephanie, Linea and baby Liam are doing fine, the two dogs are growing big, they are very protective of the family, and don’t seem to mind Linea lying on their backs.


Jon, Lindi and Jonathon(Jonny) are busy as usual with work, studying and opening their home to the local neighbourhood boys. Jon and his family were recently on a TV show,’ Canadian Hero’s,’ which Debbie Travis a sort of Canadian Martha Stuart produces on CBC. It can be seen on Debbie Travis’s blog at Windsor NS Jon was picked to be one of the people across Canada selected as a hero for their volunteer work in their communities.
Jon’s family are very involved with the youth in Windsor, the Show organizers sent Jon away for a week, while the Community fixed up their big back yard, it was lovely with BBQ outdoor kitchen , plants, a Gazebo etc.The Boy’s were a big part of the workforce, to us Jon has always been a hero.


Adrienne and Ian, are still running their Landscaping business, they keep busy with the children and Church activities, the kids are growing fast. Emma will be finishing High school next summer, then onto Collage we hope. Jonathon (JonBoy) is going to come to Samoa in the March, school break, along with one or both of his parents. He wants to visit New Zealand while he is here, we are looking forward to seeing them and have lots of fun things planned for him to do here.
The two younger boys Jared and Aaron are lots of fun and remain good buddies. They are all such lovely grandchildren we are very proud of them, and miss them while we are away from them all.



We keep busy and healthy; it is amazing that our health skills and our energy levels have remained intact for this sometimes challenging work.We love the Samoan people and Missionaries here.


We expect to spend a quiet Christmas, hopefully a more spiritual one. We wish you all the peace and joy that the birth of our Savior can bring into our lives.
As always our love to you all


Elder and Sister Kelly, Mom and Dad, Pat and Barb xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

1 comments:

Arseneault Family said...

Merry Christmas to you both!! It sounds like Samoa has found a place in your hearts! keep enjoying every minute - it goes by WAY too fast!! :) xo from your Canadian friends!

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