Kojeramon

Another week laced with tender mercies and blessings:

Mindy moved into her new townhouse on August 16th. Blessings have poured forth from the goodness of family and friends across many states and across the sea. Prayers have been answered. 

Sister Doig (a young - almost 70 years) had her cast removed from her broken wrist on Wednesday.  I was praying and hoping this would happen.  She has been the perfect example of how a person handles nonstop pain, still keeps working and serving; learns that there are limitless things she cannot do, but does not whine about it; and stays positive. We could all learn from her.  She knows how to do the hard things and make it look easy.

We had a very successful Zone Conference led by President Larkin.  Our young missionaries, who spoke and led discussions, were outstanding.

So true! 

Doesn't need to be explained.

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• I survived making six large pans of chicken enchiladas for the conference.  You know how much I "love" cooking - not.  Our American missionaries were so jazzed.  That is the reason that I wanted to do it.    

A lot of food. Will it be enough?

Love serving the young
sisters and elders.

We had our CMI Kitchen Kojeramon/Celebration on Wednesday.  What a joyous moment!  Elder Preston did a remarkable job.  We have truly made some forever friends by having the opportunity to support this college to have a kitchen/nutrition classroom.  First ever for this campus that has existed for 41 years.  

Stocked the new kitchen.

More items.

Bego and Sister Preston.
So happy for this occasion.

Coconut milk & water.

Congratuations!

Decorations add to a celebration.

Kelly, the tall one, and her
student helpers in
making the ribbon cutting
moment official.

Our Program.
Elder Preston is the STAR!

Doctor/President Theresa Koroivulaono.
CMI President and true educator.
She is a devote Catholic who has great respect for the LDS
Church.  She mentioned the full name of our church many
times in her speech.

Stake President Zedhkeia Zedhkeia

Isaac Marty, CMI Student
The writer of the Journal Article that
brought us to CMI.
A member of the LDS Church.
(We didn't know it until the celebration.)

Rachel dreamed of this
kitchen for 8 yrs.
She was the MC.

A Fantastic Talk by such a humble man.
So grateful for Elder Preston.

A tribute song to
Elder & Sister Preston

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony by
Dr. Koroivulanono & Sister Preston

A very happy group.
Elder Preston, President Koroivulaono, Sister Preston,
Moses (Nutrition Teacher & RN), Rubidah LDS member and
assistant to CMI President, Stake President Zedhkeia,
Isaac Marty - CMI Student & Journal writer.
(5 of the 7 are members of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.)

Students love food.

Food supplied by LDS Charities.
We represent this wonderful
organization here.

Life is good!

Two coconuts gave us over three glasses of drink.

A great character picture of a long-time CMI teacher
who often attends the Farmer's Market, where
we prepare nutritional dishes.

This mission is very different than our previous one.  Humanitarian service opens many doors.  We hope that we know when to enter, support, and hopefully make a difference.

Thank you for always making a difference in our lives.

We love you,

Elder & Sister Preston

Rainy Season or not?

We keep asking people: "When is the rainy season?"  We have been told:  July & August; November & December; January - March; definitely March.  We have come to realize that every season is the same.  It rains year around - sometimes really hard and our apartment floods again; sometimes just enough to make a car look even dirtier; sometimes at night and sometimes during the day.  It fluctuates from sunny to cloudy in minutes with the reverse happening as often.

So bottom-line:  The nights when the sun is down:  the temp is 82 with about the same number for humidity.  The days fluctuates between 88-94 with the humidity about these same numbers except when it goes to 100 percent.  If it has been raining really hard for at least and hour or more, the temperature has actually dropped as low as 78 degree for a few minutes, but as soon as the sun appears, it shoots into the high 80's or 90's.

We realize that talk about the weather is so boring and is usually done by those who nothing else to say or are really getting old.  Now, where does that place us.  Yes, you are correct!

Hurray - we so excited - The CMI Kitchen is finally completed.  We spent Monday from 8:30A-5:30P buying dishes, pots, pans, and all the necessities to run a kitchen that feeds 80 students daily; will be a classroom/lab for the Nutrition Class; plus open for outsiders who stop by for a nutritious meal. 

 

Arthur - keeper of the key.

New Storage room.

Kitchen with pass through window.

Another shot of new kitchen.

 As we were unloading the purchases for the kitchen, some of the CMI college students helped carry the items from our car to the kitchen.  We captured a quick picture of the students, plus Arthur, who has worked to make this kitchen happen and is the keeper of the key, so that items will not walk away.  Bego is the employee from CMI, who is over the kitchen.

Sister Preston, Bego, and students.

Bego, Students, Arthur, and one of the
new freezers.

 We had so many purchases that it took three car loads to take them to the college.

First car load.

Shopping all day.

Elder Preston - Payer of the bill.

Happiness is having a kitchen for the
first time at CMI.

Tanner, from the Wellness Center, wants us to join him in a project that would provide playground equipment (swings, slides, jungle gyms,) and basketball/volleyball courts in the most populated areas of Majuro.  I would love to see this materialize, for these little children have nothing to do except walk around, chase dogs, have play fights with sticks, and/or hope that someone gives them a treat.  Problem that I expressed to Tanner:  It is too hot for the children to play on the equipment when the sun is shining. He just brushed me off.  Elder Preston and I drove to Laura to see the newly installed playground equipment by Melgov, local government.  How many children were playing on it? None.  There were three young girls, who spoke English, who were sitting under the small canopy that covered a small part of the equipment.  Why were there no takers?  It was 93 degrees with full sun.  Elder Preston and I could not place our hands on the slide for more than a second - TOO HOT.  I talked to the three girls.  No one plays on the equipment unless it is raining, or the sun has gone done.

 

Three beautiful girls.

Fun playground equipment.  Too hot to touch.

Look fun.

Found the shade.

So much for daytime playing and so much for the use of the playground equipment that Tanner and Melgov are placing at the public schools.

I showed Tanner and Russell my pictures of the children and the playground equipment and shared what I had learned. Russell immediately listened.    Once again I mentioned the Sail Shades that are used in other hot areas of the world.  These shades are over playgrounds, pools, etc. They make a huge difference.  It would definitely add to the cost, but what a great contribution it would be for the children.

We had our weekly Outreach Clinic on Friday, but this week instead of posting pictures of the health care, education, and foot care, Elder Preston captured the beautiful children.

Children everywhere love to pose.
The health screening was their entertainment.

Note this little boys' homemade
cardboard baseball mitt.

Note how much he loves his baseball equipment.

Enjoy your plentiful life even more as you realize that thousands of people in 3rd world countries find joy in simple things.

Today, please count your blessings for you are listed among ours.

Love, Elder & Sister Preston

Arrival of August

Not a great way to start August, but it is getting better.  I was hit with the intestinal flu and then unfortunately shared it with Elder Preston.  We have not stopped progress.  Just moving at a slower speed.

I did help with the health screening on Friday, but I didn't stay for the exercise, health lesson, or cooking demonstration.  I returned home to rest.

Before it started, I sat in the car and was somewhat fascinated by the homes surrounding the basketball court where the health screening was to take place. I was able to get a couple of quick pictures without intruding into the people's lives.

No windows.

Son being sent to the store by dad.

MI basketball player.
True - mumps hit hard.

On Saturday during the Farmer's Market where we cook and serve food samples twice a month, we prepared parrot fish and vegetable stir-fry.  Another vendor was selling whole Parrot Fish.  Look at the beautiful turquoise color.  

Our parrot fish.

Fish/vegetable stir fry.

Parrot fish sold at market.

Hirobo, manager of the Marshall Islands Resort, invited Craig to participate in the strong man canoe race today at 3:00PM. Craig/Elder Preston would be in the lead motored boat, which would watch out for the sailing canoes. Unfortunately, he was too sick to go.  I am so sad for him.  I know how much he would have loved it.  The sailing canoes left Delap and headed for an outer island.  Before they left shore, one member of the two man team husked six coconuts, made a basket from a pandanus tree frond, and sailed to a selected outer island to deliver the basket. The men in the first sailing canoe to return to the Delap Shore would win $2000. 

Make a basket!

Fronds ready to be cut and woven.

First man done with basket.
Oldest man participating.

Coconuts in basket.
Done with machete.

Ready to go with grandson.

Still in front of the rest.

There were exciting things happening at the resort, for they were celebration 21 years of success.  There were good Marshallese people presenting crafts that have been passed down through centuries of time: wood carving; weaving of baskets, belts, and head pieces; handmade furniture; handmade tools to cut fronds, husk coconuts, etc.

Sister Swain from our ward on the far left sitting next to
Sister Doig, senior missionary in a cast with
young Marshallese and guests learning the crafts.

Start with a pandanus frond.

Sister Swain knows how it happens.

Delightful good example to all.

Sister Preston wants to learn, too.

Sister Preston making a belts as many senior
missionaries supervise.
I, now, have a new belt.

Good News!  The CMI kitchen is ready for the last appliances to be delivered and we, LDS Charities, will buy all the cooking  pans & dishes on Monday.  We will plan a big celebration for the students, staff, community, and church members after everything is up and running.  The college is hiring a cook and an assistant soon.  College students will actually have a cafeteria where nutritional food is served. The nutrition teacher will have a classroom for his students during the day.  The cafeteria will serve breakfast and lunch.

 

Appliances donated by LDS
Charities.

New slide window to order.
Sink was a challenge to ship here.
Cost many times more than in the states.

Storage room behind the kitchen.
It will also house two big freezers
and a commercial frig.

This is an e-mail that we received from the president of the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI), concerning the new nutritional kitchen/cafeteria. We have been so blessed to meet many incredible people here. Dr. Theresa, which she likes to be called, because Dr. Koroivulaono is a challenge for most of us, is a devoted Catholic who has relatives and friends who are LDS.  She has great respect for our church.  We appreciate her friendship.

Iokwe Brother and Sister Preston,

I take this opportunity to thank you both on behalf of CMI for the completion of the renovation of the Uliga dorm kitchen. Please also convey our sincere gratitude to the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints for helping CMI improve our services to our students in a meaningful and sustainable way. We would not have been able to do this without your generosity and consideration. I am sure that Rachel will be writing to you shortly to confirm a meeting time for the discussions on purchasing kitchen utensils.

Sincerely and with thanks,

Theresa.

Theresa Koroivulaono (PhD)| President, College of the Marshall Islands|

The 2 mile walking trail has been approved.  Russell got financing from Minister of Public Works.  Hopefully people will take advantage of it. Very few adults in the MI walk or do any type of exercise. 

The pontoon project that will consume thousands of dollars is moving forward.  Elder Preston has done illustrations, taken pictures, made critical sketches, and done research to get it presented to the committee for review in New Zealand.  It looks as though it will actual happen during the first part of 2018.  Hopefully we will be here to celebrate the occasion.  We, LDS Charities, are adding water storage units, pontoons, to all of our five chapels, to supply more water to our members and the communities surrounding our chapels during the drought season.  We are working with Melgov, local government led by Russell, to make this happen.

When you have moments in your life that are completely overwhelming remember this true statement: 

“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.” D&C 19:23:

We feel your love. Please feel ours.

Love always,

Elder & Sister Preston