Christmas Island (Part IIII)

This post is my observation of Christmas Island. In some of the things I write, I may be off a little in how I understood it, but I think I understood most of it. Their is so much poverty on these islands - yet they seem to be such a happy people. Life works at a much, MUCH slower pace than I'm used to. It is a joke amongst the people that everything runs on Kiribati time - which means...really late (if your lucky). Some things don't even happen at all! Life consists of the basics of staying alive - no thought for all the extras that we think are needs. There was even a Botaki (party) that was supposed to start at 7:00 one night, and go until 9:00. We waited for about an hour, then decided to go home. The next day we found out it didn't even start until I think 10 PM. As I was saying...KIRIBATI TIME!

This is the cemetery. They just find an empty spot and start digging. Remember that the island is all coral (rock-like). So I think it would be quite a task to dig a hole that big??? Then they mark the spot with rocks around the area, or sticks and flags. Some even built small shelters above the site. People have to be buried within 24 hours, because they don't have access to embalming like we do.

Below are a few pictures of the typical homes on Kiribati. Some are made from coconut tree leaves for roofs and the wood for poles to hold the roof up. Others are made from tin. Some have tarps as walls. There are a few which are made from cinder block. Some have one shelter which serves as the kitchen, another shelter which serves as a sitting area, and another one which serves as the sleeping area. Most homes are found clumped together in villages. I think most of them cook on a fire, not ovens and stoves.

This is how they collect "Tauti ". It is their form of sugar and of alcohol. When it is new, it is a sweetener, or a sweet drink. They cook it down to make a thick syrup that tastes much like mollasses. When they let it ferment for a few days, it becomes alcohol. They get the sap from the coconut tree. It comes from the tree, and you can see they have a leaf that is set up between the stick coming out to the bottle, so that the liquid can collect in the bottle. I don't really know how it works, but that's the best way I understood it.

Elder Anderl (I think...I kept confusing his name, so forgive me if I got it wrong AGAIN!). I also can't remember what these things are called that he's eating - but they are very popular. They grow in clumps on a plant that kind of looks like a pineapple on the outside. But you break apart pieces and eat the piece. They are really, really stringy, and people refer to them as a toothbrush. I'd say more like floss, the way those strings get stuck in your teeth! I had it fresh, and also cooked in sweet and condenced milk and tauti juice. You often see people eating these.

Ira

My mom holding the main plant. This is the inside of the plant. The white part in the middle is just the stem part that they are all attached to.

This is the outside of the plant. OK, maybe not pineapple - maybe broccolli??? Each of those green clumps is a seperate piece.

Fishing is one of the few ways they make money on the islands.

Fish drying in the sun.

The following picture is Kopra - coconut drying in the sun is one of the few ways they can earn money. They ship the coconut out to other countries. It is a lot of work, for not a lot of money. Other ways some people earn money is to work for the government as school teachers, bankers, post office, police, airport etc. But compared to the population, there aren't many of those jobs available.

Nicky in front of the grocery store. There was actually more options there than I thought. Mom tells me that they have started stocking a lot more things than they used to. She said that after they have special ordered a few items, then next time they go to the store, they have stocked that item. So I think Elder and Sister Moser are trend setters at the grocery store! Now...if they would only carry beef and eggnog!!!

They keep things stocked in these train cars (that's what I call them, cuz they carry those big containers on the trains or the boats. From what I could tell, it looked like prices were about 4-5x higher than in the states. OUCH!!

My parents in front of their house. This is where Ira and I stayed while we visited. It was like putting a puzzle together every night to fit a couple of mattresses on the empty floor space in the kitchen - Aaahhh...good times!!

The people get their drinking water either from wells dug in the ground, or they have these pontoons (I think that's what their called??). The rain water comes off the roof, and drains into these. This is my dad filling up a bucket of water, which he then brings in the house and pumps through a filter to make it suitable for drinking.

I'm so bad with names, so I can't remember this guys name. But he was helping with the tropical fish that some dive for and bring up to sell as pets throughout the world. The night before the plane comes, they take these fish and put them in bags with oxygen to sustain them until they get to Hawaii. Each of those little containers have fish in them.

(FYI: he has the bag in his mouth, cuz he's trying to show me the fish)

Our last night on the island, we went to a restaurant that's at a hotel. My parents just recently discovered they could eat there. I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't eat - but they say it was good. Anyways, it is a hotel for the fishermen who come to the island. So the last night before the plane comes, they do a show with the native dance. I loved watching them, and am amazed at how they can move their hips like that!

The following two pictures are of the sunRISE at the Lagoon. It is about a 5 minute walk to the Lagoon from my parents house.

The following pictures are of a sunSET at the ocean, it is also about a 5 minute walk from my parents house.

Hawaii (Part III)

I decided that I've covered the MOST important part of our trip - the Mauri's and Humanitarian. So now I need to back up and start from the beginning. Sorry my family who is anxiously waiting to see the pictures of mom and dad and their island - you'll have to wait a little longer.

The night before we left, my little brother, Coach Tyson Moser, had his Idaho State football championship game. He is in his second year of being head coach of the West Side Pirates. We were glad that his game was on Friday, so we could attend before we left. It was an awesome game, and they beat Malad to take first place. SO, SO, SO exciting!!! I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be cheering west side on - so never say never! LOL.

This picture is us with Tyson and Mandi, Derrick and Kelli, Shawn and Yuri. (4 of us 8 kids) Bright and early Saturday morning, we were off to the airport, heading to Hawaii. We didn't get in until late Saturday, so no fun activities that day. We had Sunday there, which we spent at the Laie Hawaii temple rededication. We then went to Ray and Karens house for dinner, good company, and to pick up 25 packages of Humanitarian boxes. These boxes had taken up quite a bit of space at Karens house over the last couple of weeks, and she was so sweet to not mind a bit. She even said she was sad to see them go. She said that everytime she walked by them, she would touch them and smile, thankful that she could be part of such a great project. We are grateful she could be such a big help in such a great project!

The rest of our trip in Hawaii was spent repacking boxes into 50 lb boxes, grocery shopping for turkey, roast and steaks, and doing a little sight-seeing.

We took a hiking trail through the jungles of Oahu. It was beautiful!

I think this is the coolest flower I've ever seen. It was really soft too. After I touched it, wore it in my hair for awhile - I began to wonder "what if this is poisonous...maybe there's a reason I've never seen it in any of the hair flowers or leis." Who knows???...but I never got sick!

We spent some time driving around the coast line and stopping at the places to see.

Out there somewhere is mom and dads Christmas Island. I couldn't wait another minute, so I thought it might be faster if I just swim there!

Mauri! (Part II)

Mauri (pronounced like Howdy, but with an M), is said at the beginnings of all the meetings, and is repeated back to the speaker. It is used as "aloha" is used in Hawaiian.

I don't know if it is because we were "Ematong" (I know that's not how it's spelled, but that's how it's pronounced, and I don't know how to spell it! :) ). But anyways, Ematong means "white person". As I was saying, I don't know if it was because we were ematongs, or if it is just their culture, but everyone, everywhere we went, would wave and say, "Mauri", or shake our hands and say, "Mauri, Mauri". When we got back to Hawaii, and people walked around looking straight ahead or down at their feet, I really missed the friendly Mauri of the Kiribati (pronounced Kid-a-bus) people.

So these next pictures are some of our first "Mauri's" with mom and dad and Christmas Island.


This is where we will call home for a week - Christmas Island.


The landscape of Christmas Island - lots of brush, and some man-planted palm trees. Not what you picture a tropical island in the pacific.

The airport terminal.

There they are - waiting on the other side of the fence. I can see them from my window, but they haven't seen us yet. At this point, I was shaking like a leaf - I just wanted to run to them. So naturally, we were the very first off the plane! I told Ira we should be the last ones off, and he said, "that will just be that much less time you can spend with them." There wasn't a minute to waste - so we got off as fast as we could!



Lots and lots of hugs, laughter and tears. It was SO good to get to see my parents after 13 months and 11 days (but whose counting?). I could hardly believe they were real. It felt so good to get to share hugs and hear their voices and laughter. And it didn't hurt me a bit to give them all the hugs that people back home asked me to give them!

They brought us these Kiribati head-dresses. They are used the same as Leis are used in Hawaii.
And we brought them...

Christmas Island...Part I (HUMANITARIAN)

I don't even know where to begin with our journey to Christmas Island. I think the best way is to divide it up a bit, so my thoughts aren't scattered all over the place. It may take me some time to get it all posted - so keep checking back.



Before I get too into this post, I want to express my overall thoughts about this particular trip. It was a place I had no desire to visit. My only purpose to wanting to go was to see my parents on their mission, and experience a little bit of what they have been experiencing over the last year. I even openly admitted that I had other places in this world that I would much rather spend my money and time to visit. Now that I have been there, there is no where else on this earth that I would rather go more. It was worth every single penny spent to get there. I left there with much more than just a fun time, and great pictures. I left there with a new determination to be a better person. I left there wanting to serve more, wanting to love more, and wanting to have more faith - like the Kiribati people I met there. I left there with friendships that will last into the eternities (even though we hardly even know each other). I left there, loving my Heavenly FAther and Savior even more. THAT kind of trip is priceless!




I think I'll start with Brayden and Nathans Eagle Projects. They each did a humanitarian project for the people on the three islands (Christmas, Fanning and Washington). They collected spices, white shirts, pants, ties, fabric (to make clothing), school supplies, kids clothing, hand-crank flashlights and even some shoes. Brayden had a couple of hundred dollars left over after all the shipping and supplies were bought, that he donated it so that they could buy shoes.


We were truly touched to see the kindness of people from all over, who donated items and money - some of them we don't even know. They just heard of our project, and donated. I had no idea that people were so generous.


When the boys started this project, we knew that it would be a major challenge to get the items there. We haven't even found a way to get packages there to our parents yet. But I also felt a strong feeling of peace and faith that it is the Lords will, and the doors would be opened. We did a lot of research, and tried not to panic when we called some companies that would never respond - and other companies who would charge $1000 per small box. We didn't think the airlines would allow so many check-ins, so we ruled that out. My Aunt Lynn called me, and said that she has a cousin in Hawaii, who may be able to help out. That was the first of many prayers answered. We were able to ship the flat-rate packages to Karen and Ray Thompson in Oahu, and she kept them until Ira and I got there to pick them up. When we got there, we grouped the small boxes into 50 lb boxes, and were able to put them on the airline going to Christmas Island. It happens that that airline allows as many check ons as we'd like (as long as the plane isn't too full to take them), but they cost us $40 for every one after our first one. THEN, when we were trying to check on 11 packages, the lady gave us 2 for free, which saved $80 (lots of money, when you think that $80 can buy more shoes!). Then the guy standing in line by us, gave us another $50 to help pay for shipping. So we were able to have an extra $130 that we hadn't planned on to buy shoes! So not only did we not have any problems with these packages (when there were so many possibilities for it to go wrong), but it all turned out better than we dared hope. I really believe it was in the Lords hands the entire way.


The second part of our project was kind of an after-thought to the eagle project, and wasn't part of the eagle project - but another one of those promptings that we needed to see what we could do to help. We decided to take on a money collection to help the 2 groups of saints that my parents are helping to take to the Fiji Temple to be sealed as families. These people earn very, very little in a month - and the task of earning everything they need to go to the temple seemed an impossible task. But regardless, they were/are moving forward with faith and hard work, that they will make this journey possible. Again, my Aunt Lynn announced it in my parents home ward what we were trying to do. That ward, made up of farmers - not wealthy people :), donated a mind-boggling amount for these families. We also had family members and others donate as well, as the total donations was over $5000 for the Kiribati families to go to the Temple. That was in addition to money donations donated on behalf of the eagle projects for supplies and shipping. Again...I have been humbled!!! That money makes it possible for every family to get to go, plus a little extra for a future trip when other people are ready to go. It is something that I can't really put into words how I feel. If you have ever felt the feelings of the Holy Spirit warm you from head to toe - that is how I have felt through the whole process. (Mom will get pictures of their temple trip to post later).


Thanks to all of you who made this possible not only for our sons, and for us, but for the Kiribati people who can now have more of the comforts of their needs being met, and can now have the blessings of eternity with their families.


(as you all know - I am a picture-crazy gal. So there is no way I could post everything I'd like to post. BUT, I'm still posting a lot - so you'll have to bear with the gazillion photos throughout the next few posts).





This is Ray and Karen in Hawaii.


After we picked up the boxes, we had to weigh each of them so that we could group them into 50 lb packages.

This is our pile at the airport. It is a little misleading, because this is only showing 7 out of the 11 packages we had to check on. The others are hidden behind the stack.


This is a group of people from Fanning Island that are on Christmas Island for a couple of months. When they come to a different island, they are at the mercy of the boats to when they can get back home. Some of these people have been on Christmas Island for 3 months, away from their own homes and some of their children. They live in a shelter that is basically only a roof. I would have guessed there were maybe 50 people living under this shelter when we were there, just waiting for the next boat. We are storing the boxes in the church house, until the next boat comes to take the people and supplies to Fanning Island. So we picked up some of the people who will be delivering the supplies in Fanning, and opened a few of the boxes so they could see what was in them.

These are some of the children at that shelter, whom we brought clothes to. This picture was taken before we handed out clothing. I noticed as I would see the children throughout the week, that most of them had clothes, but I would see them in the same clothes every day. Others (the smaller children) would simply walk around with nothing on. They are a very modest people, but they thought nothing of their younger children being naked. It's just part of life for them.

This is the after picture when we gave each of these children a new outfit. I took individual pictures of their faces, which just glowed. But my uploading is taking forever, so I can't post them all. But they were so excited to get a new outfit! It didn't matter if girls wore boys clothes, they were just happy to have new clothes. In this picture, they are just holding the new clothes up so we could size them, they hadn't put them on yet.

This little girl is a sweetheart. She LOVES Elder and Sister Moser. She climbes all over them, and always smiles. Her parents say with a smile, "She is a naughty girl!".

This is the picture we took of her before she got her new outfit.

This is after we dressed her in a new outfit. Doesn't she look adorable??

This little girl was having nap time. Notice that she's in a recliner chair. This is the only home with soft chairs that my parents are aware of on the island. It belongs to a very neat family on Christmas Island. Most homes don't have furniture at all, and I don't think this family hardly ever sits in them. But it sure was a welcome comfort for us who aren't used to sitting on the floor for hours!

This little girl is from Fanning, and this family had let her and her family stay with them until they can go home. Her family is going to be going to the temple, so she got a new dress out of the boxes we brought. She was sleeping, so we just put the dress up to her, so we could get an idea if it would fit. And we think it will fit her perfectly.

This girl was a keeper. I wish I could bring her home, she was so giggly and full of smiles. She is holding up some of the fabric that they got out of the boxes.








She wouldn't let go of these flip flops she got out of the box.

These people don't show a lot of emotion, with the exception of laughter. So to see this expression of appreciation was worth more than a thousand words. This lady from Fanning is hugging Sister Moser after she saw all the supplies that would be helping their families and others.

This child is being handed a few of the many school supplies.

We brought close to 100 white shirts.

When we opened this box of spices, this lady just looked at it for a long time. Then she asked, "For cooking?" When we said "yes". She got this big smile on her face. Whitney ward, in Idaho, collected over 84 spices, and Nathans ward collected some in addition to that.

On the Islands, they get power from a generator. Half the time, the generator isn't working, so they have no power. I'm not sure if on Fanning, they have any power at all, and oil for lanterns is much too expensive and difficult to come by. So we collected about 35 hand-cranked flashlights that can be shared amongst the people.

This picture is Elder Moser teaching them how to use it.

While we were in Poland, we saw this lady on the side of the road, waiting for a transport to take her back home (2 hours away). She and her husband have been working, picking Copra (Coconuts) for a month or so, and will continue to keep working, to earn money to go to the temple. It is hard work, and after a month or more, they have earned $800 to support themselves and their family for the trip. She is a very sweet lady, and I felt so fortunant to cross paths with her while we were there. She was an inspiration to me of faith and hard work.


Sister and Elder Moser with Kassis. Notice Grandmas shirt - this is typical of what the womens shirts look like. Many have writing at the top, that they did with stitching or fabric. They have this checkered fabric, or solid colors, but nothing in-between. And I don't know if they even get that much in Fanning or Washington.

Kassis and her daughter's feet. Many of the people can't afford shoes, so they walk around barefooted. Some of the extra Eagle money will go to help provide shoes (flip flops or sandles) for people like this. Nathan had some flip flops donated that were sent as well. This ground happens to be sandy, so doesn't look too bad to be bare footed. Most of the ground is VERY rocky with corral, and would really hurt us "soft-footed" people!

This lady and her family live on the other side of the Island, known as Poland. We delivered a few of the supplies to them and the people there as well. Sister Moser is handing her some fabric. I thought is was so poor in the area my parents live, but nothing like what Poland is like. And from what I understand, Fanning and Washington Islands has even more poverty than this. This building we are in is the church, which people have moved into as their home. I guess that is pretty common when someone doesn't have a place to live. So now half of the shelter is a home, and half is the church.

Showing this man in Poland the supplies we brought him.

This one post has taken me most of the day, due to a slow computer or something. So I won't be posting any more for today - but stay tuned till next time. There is much more to show you and tell you about.

Till next time ... Tiabo (pronounced SaBo) - meaning "bye"

Here We Come...

I'm sitting here in Hawaii - not being able to adjust to the time change - so it's 5AM, and I'm already showered, dressed, and ready to go for the day!

Today is the day...

Goodbye Hawaii.......Hello Christmas Island (and mom and dad)!

And I don't mean to rub it in to the rest of you who are sitting in the freezing snow (well...OK, to be honest - yes I do mean to rub it in) - but it is really hot and beautiful here. We sat on the beach for awhile, till the ocean almost swept me away forever - then I'd had enough! :)

Gotta go - gotta go buy a turkey to bring to Christmas Island - we really do take a lot for granted.

Hand Cart Trek

I wanted to post this summer experience seperate from the rest of our summer. This adventure was the highlight of my summer. It wasn't fun (well, it was - but in a different way than what we traditionally define fun as being), it wasn't a vacation, it wasn't even restful. It was quite the opposite of any of those. But what it definently was, was humbling, faith building, and memorable. For a few short days, I became my Great, Great, Great Grandmother - Eliza Hurren, and Ira was my husband (naturally), James Hurren. Brayden was my brother, Robert Reeder. We learned about these ancestors, and their experiences with the Willie or Martin Handcart companies who came across the planes to Utah, with very few personal belongings, and a lot of faith. Eliza was pregnant when the trek started, and she gave birth the first day to little Selena. She continued on in the journey the next day. (Really, you moms - can you even imagine giving birth in a tent or wagon, and then walking for miles every day afterwards?). Two weeks later, little Selena breathed no more. She was buried in a shallow grave along the way. That baby, along with her father, and little sister died along the way. They suffered from freezing temperatures and near starvation. But they never faltered in their faith, and never regretted their journey across the plains.

When they were later asked about their handcart ordeal, James and Eliza were quick to reply: "With all our trials, our weary traveling, burying our dear ones, piling our clothing and bedding by the wayside and setting fire to them, we have never once felt to murmur or complain or regret the steps we have taken."

In my life, I have loved my grandmothers dearly. I have mourned as they have passed through this life into the next. I haven't thought too much about my (great, great...) grandparents that I haven't had the opportunity to meet. Now I think of Eliza often. During this experience, I felt like I got to know Eliza. I walked where she walked, I believe I felt some of the emotions she must have felt. I have grown to love her and admire her for her courage and her faith. I am honored to call her my Grandmother.

We went with a bus load of youth to Wyoming to Martins Cove, where the handcart companies met an early snow storm in the year 1856. As a result, they were stranded in what is now called Martins Cove, where many died from freezing and starvation, until the rescue groups could get to them.

Our journey was a lot different than theirs - it was hot and dusty instead of freezing and ice. Brayden helping his "trek family" pull the cart. Notice their baby. We were given different "trials" along the way - trials that the pioneers really faced, and this family had their baby. Some of the babies didn't make it to the SLC valley, and were buried in shallow graves along the way. Mine and Ira's trek family ate our shoes, because we were so hungry (so we went shoeless for awhile.) It was all fun and games in the soft sand - but in the icy snow, it would have been a much different story.


We crossed the Sweet Water River. It was a small river, and really refreshing for our hot bodies. Again, it would have been a much different story with ice chunks floating through the icy waters, beating against the already half-frozen people.

This is "Martins Cove", where so many of the Martin company waited in the snow for help to arrive. Many of them died here.

My cute husband posing for me (oh the things he must endure for me to get my pictures!)

Brayden taking a break in one of the now empty handcarts. We were allowed to bring 17 lbs per person on the trek. Try fitting 4 days worth of "necessities" in a 5 gallon bucket under 17 lbs. The pioneers did it for a lot more than 4 days. And we think life is rough...

We did have lots of fun on our journey. I know the early pioneers also had fun, with songs and dancing. This is with Me and a couple of my friends, Mary and Julie - showing off our bloomers before we jump into the Sweet Water River.

This is mine and Ira's "trek family". We shared many good times together, walking the trails - pulling our handcarts. Another one of our trials was that some in our family became blind from the snow. So all of the kids in our family became blind for awhile, which made things interesting when they were pulling a handcart.

Eliza and James' turn pulling the cart.

Emilie wasn't old enough yet to get the opportunity to participate in this activity. But we had a ward pioneer party where she had the opportunity to wear my pioneer clothes.

"Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?

Tis not so; all is right.

Why should we think to earn a great reward

If we now shun the fight?

Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.

Our God will never us forsake;

And soon we'll have this tale to tell -

All is well! All is well!"

"And should we die before our journey's through,

Happy day! All is well!

We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;

With the just we shall dwell!

But if our lives are spared again

To see the Saints their rest obtain,

Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell -

All is well! All is well!"

Song written by William Clayton, which the pioneers sang along their journey.