September 6

Scott woke up this morning with a sinus infection.  His head was killing him.  Nonetheless we had classes to teach, so he got up and got moving.

Because of the other lessons, all three of them, I had not spent adequate time on the Pearl of Great Price lesson for today.  I thought I had a direction for it, but as I put pencil to paper it did not feel right.  I spent until 2 o'clock looking for inspiration.  It was awful.  By the time I got home it was 2:30.  Scott had already left to open the institute and prepare the classroom.  Because the stake also uses this building, we never know in what condition we will find the classroom.  I had made cupcakes after teaching institute on Wednesday night, so I only had to ice them.  I am so grateful that store bought icing is available here.  I also had to make the sandwiches for after Mission Prep.  I decided that PJ sandwiches would have to do.  I had everything done and was over to the institute before Scott started his class.  I spent his class praying for inspiration for my class----and trying to put something on paper.  

One of the young adults that attends both classes came yesterday with her niece and nephew.  They had to be not more than 3 and 4.  They played in the lounge while we taught.  She stayed for both classes and those kids never caused a minute's trouble.  I felt sorry for them, so when I went back to our flat to make more sandwiches for the class since I had made only 17 and there were 19 in attendance, I ask if they could go with me.  Neither of the kids speak English.  Dreke told them to go with me and I would give them a treat.  So when we got to the flat, I sat them at the  table and gave them three peanut M&Ms.  Neither knew what they were or what to do with them, so I took an M&M and with great aplomb plopped it into my mouth.  The little girl (3) laughed and put one in her mouth.  It was immediately obvious that she did not like it!  Both she and the little boy had the two remaining M&Ms in their hand when we got back to the institute.  I have no idea what happened to those M&Ms.  They did not much like the PJ sandwich I made for them either.  I think they are ruined by the blandness of cassava and dalo.  Of course, maybe I am ruined by too much sugar, and rich flavors.  Nahhh!

So Scott's Mission Prep class was up to 19 students today.  We had 28 students in Pearl of Great Price.  The room was packed.  I had made 24 cupcakes sure in the knowledge that I would not need more.  So much for receiving inspiration.  After I told Scott he could not continue to recruit for P of GP.  I do not want to teach without desks, or tables.  Suluiete Kama who is in the office next to ours does all the visa work for the kids here who are going on missions outside of Fiji.  She has ask us if we would give her little cards with the time and place of the Mission Prep class.  She wants to hand them out to the future missionaries she sees.

If things continue as they have been going, Suva will need another Institute/YAC.  We feel like we need to recruit a senior couple to come replace us.  I would hate this to fall apart after we leave like it did before when the senior couple left.