Graduation/Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving week -  Two of our children Brian and Carrie with their families had thanksgiving at our home in Richfield.  They wanted to have us with them, so they sent this picture of Sister Thorne and I at the dinner table.  Her wedding picture and a nylon stocking image of me, that one of the teachers in North Sanpete - (Suzi Harless) - made for me about 25 years ago when I was superintendent there.  At least we were with them and our other children in North Dakota family in spirit.

Our children and Grandchildren - wanted us to join them for Thanksgiving in Richfield - so they improvised

It has been a very busy week.  Sunday November 20th was Seminary graduation.  It was very impressive with all the young men in long sleeve white shirts and the young ladies in white dresses.  Elder and Sister Ogborn were the guest speakers along with two seminary students and another student introduced the theme.  The students sang three songs which were very beautiful.

On Thursday we went to the airport to pick up Elder and Sister Ronnenkamp the area ITEP coordinators and President and Sister Shaw, the Marshall Island, Majuro Mission President.  We also saw our two teachers and their families off - Tongi and Taken - who are going to Fiji to get visas and then to BYU Hawaii for a year to finish their Bachelor Degrees.

We took the Ronnenkamps to lunch at a local restaurant.  Note how they spell Chinese (Chineese).  The food was good.  Elder Ronnenkamp was Superintendent from Granite District in Salt Lake.  So we have known them for many years.  It was fun to host them.

Also on Thursday we had Thanksgiving dinner for the young Elders and Sisters from Tarawa and surrounding islands.  We had turkey, ham, dressing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings.  It was the first time the Missionaries from Tarawa and other islands in the South Pacific had eaten Turkey and pumpkin pie.  They seemed to enjoy it, because there wasn't many left overs.

Missionaries eating Thanksgiving Dinner

Sister Missionaries enjoying Thanksgiving

Food prepared by Senior Couples

                                                        Posting the Kiribati Flag and the Moroni High Flag                 

Moroni High School Graduation: Friday was graduation, the Ronnenkamps were the guest speakers and did a nice job of challenging the graduates.  Two students spoke and did another student who introduced the graduation theme "The Light Within".  The graduation started on time and went like clock work.  Lita, the principal, is very well organized and had committees of teachers who planned everything very well.  They first posted the flag of Kiribati, followed by the school flag of Moroni High School.  The students sang several numbers.  I especially enjoyed "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing" and the "Light within"  All the songs were beautiful.

Sister Janis Ronnenkamp speaking at Graduation

Elder Ronnenkamp speaking 

As part of each Musical Selection students
sang solos and duets

Meauna, one of our FHE student getting a Form 7 Certificate                                                                 

Saturday evening was the Ward Christmas and Noah, one of our FHE students, graduated from high school and also was one of the graduates from seminary the week before. Toanimatang and Meaua also of our FHE group received the Form 7 certificates.  They graduated from institute this past Sunday.  Toaninmatang has submitted his mission papers and is waiting for his call.  He is from Christmas Island in Kirabati.  Meaua is from Betio and hopes to go to BYU
Hawaii.

Following graduation a large meal with a roasted pig (snout, tail and all was served along with many other local dishes including lobster tail, raw fish fried chieken, lots of rice, bread fruit and many other dishes.  The special guest ate in one location and the students and parents ate by the tennis courts.
                    

Decorated stage on tennis court with
fountain and lighting

Following the dinner, each student and their partner were introduced and the young man placed a lay on the neck of the young lady he was escorting.  After each Form 6 and 7 students were introduced a dance and program followed.  All the female teachers, church employees, and members from the area did a native dance.  There must have been at least 50 dancers and they were in sync with all their hand, feet and hip movements.  They were all dressed alike.  It was very impressive.

Decorated Pole at Center court with banners
going to all 4 corners holding balloons

                     
The program was in Kiribati so we didn't understand much until they started pointing at us again.  Elder and Sister Ronnenkamp were asked to lead a Conga line with Sister Thorne and I right behind.  Every one was supposed to imitate each move the Ronnenkamps made and they moved around the basketball court.                    

It was pretty evident that compared with the Kiribati dancers and students, the senior missionaries don't have a lot of dance moves at least we didn't. Several other dances followed with students dancing with their parents, with teachers, with each other.  It was a very fun evening for all involved and  dance continued  for several several hours.
                                                                                      Saturday evening was the Ward Christmas and  farewell party for the students.  Another large meal with roasted pig and all kinds of salads, fish, sausages, rice, bread fruit and other native dishes.  The dinner was supposed to start at 6:00 pm but started at 7:30 by the time they got all the food and students rounded up.

The dinner was followed by each Family Home Evening Group putting on a skit or two.  There were 12 different FHE groups with 8 to 10 students each that performed.  Our group did two numbers.  The first was a lip sync of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".  They really hammed it up and had the audience in 'stitches'.  Then they did the 'Hokey Pokey' in their pillow head costumes, which really had everyone laughing so hard they nearly fell off their chairs.      

About 50 Teachers, School and Church Employees dancing

The party finally ended just before midnight, it was lots of fun.  I think everyone really enjoyed each of the skits.  Our group did a great job, it was amazing how some of the ones that seem very shy.  Once they had a pillowcase over their head and were on    stage, they really "hammed" it up.                                                                       

The Ronnenkamps, Annie, Noah, and Thornes The

6 of our FHE Group having fun before dinner

two video clips are of our FHE visiting at the table and doing their Hokey Pokey dance.

Form 7 - Institute graduates                                             

                   
Sunday evening was Institute graduation, most of the students          were in Sister Thorne's two classes, so she especially enjoyed seeing each get a certificate and then she talked with several of them after the ceremony.  There are a couple of photos of the graduation below.  President and Sister Shaw were the guest speakers at Institute graduation.  It was a good way to top off the school year.

But the week is still not over, on Monday the senior couples prepared a full course thanksgiving meal to thank the Service Center employees for helping the missionaries and the school.  Many of them were not at work for various reasons, so Pres. Shaw invited the school administration, the cooks, and a few teachers that were in the area to share the meal with us. Sister Thorne prepared a large pot of potatoes, which didn't last very long.  Again many of them had never tasted turkey and they had no idea what stuffing or dressing was nor gravy.  But they seemed to really enjoy the meal, which was topped off with cake and ice cream.

On Tuesday was Zone Conference.  Pres. and Sister Shaw provided very inspirational messages in the morning.  A lot of good counsel was provided in the after noon session. He then used the ITEP office to interview each of the missionaries.  He said their were 1129 baptisms in the mission last year and should be nearly that many this year.  The work is picking up in the Marshall Islands.  When you consider there are around 60 missionaries, the work seems to be going very well.

Sister Shaw providing instruction 
at Zone Conference

Pres. Shaw challenging the missionaries
to "Be all they Can Be"

One of the highlights of Zone Conference is to hear the Missionaries sing their Mission Song.  Here to sang it for Elder and Sister Ronnenkamp prior to their departure that day back to New Zealand

Marshall Island Mission Song by Kiribati Sisters and Elders 

To finish the week off, Pres. and Sister Shaw took the senior couples to eat at Mary's, the food was not as good as it usually is.  Sister Thorne was unable to attend because she had scheduled a class with some returned missionaries to help them with the application to BYU Hawaii and to take the SLEP test.  I am going to take President and Sister Shaw to the airport early Thursday morning.