Visiting Robert Louis Stevenson's House

Robert Louis Stevenson was a 19th century Scottish writer notable for such novels as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  He was born in 1850 in Scotland and died in 1894 in Samoa. The house he built and lived in here is now a museum, which we got to go see the other day.  It's a pretty remarkable place.   If you are interested, you can find out more about his life and about the museum HERE. 

I've learned RLS published way more stories and books than I had ever imagined.  I'm now much more curious about his work and hope to find time to read more of it.

Here are a few scenes from our trip to the museum:

The "Tapa Room" named for all the Tapa Cloth covering the walls

 There are fireplaces on both floors, but they are purely decorative.  They have no functioning chimney.  Samoa is so close to the equator that it stays in the 80's pretty much all the time.  But having been born and raised in Scotland, I suppose RLS liked the familiarity of having them just the same.

And in that same vein of wanting to put a familiar feel to the place, he had redwood timbers shipped over from California for his wife Fanny's bedroom to help her feel more at home.  (She was from California.)

Despite the impracticality of fireplaces in the tropics or the huge expense seemingly squandered to pay for shipping California lumber all this way...I could relate.  When living in a land so far away and so very different from all you have ever known, having some reminders of where you came from can be immensely reassuring.  I have a few things I brought from home that I suppose I could have gotten by without for the period of this mission. Like the Stevensons, however, I too found myself longing for a bit of familiar

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RLS was very sickly for much of his life, (he had tuberculosis) so he had a room upstairs set up as his hospital / sick room.  Writing was one of the few activities he could still do when confined to a sickbed for long periods of time.  So here with this guy with this incredible imagination who was coughing up blood much of the time.  But rather than moan and feel sorry for himself, he used his time to weave these amazing tales which have continued to fascinate and entertain people for more than 100 years.

That's quite a legacy that even after all this time people still are intrigued by his stories.

    

I cannot help but wonder if anyone will remember me at all 100 years after I am dead. This mission has us teaching people to recall stories of their ancestors and to record them.   What stories might my great-great grandchildren care to recall about me?  I haven't a clue.  I have no remarkable achievements to speak of.  But then, maybe it will be something I haven't even discovered about myself yet.   After all, the famous painter "Grandma Moses" didn't even begin to paint until she was 76, after her arthritis made embroidery too painful for her.

I don't expect painting will ever be my legacy, but who knows what will?  Perhaps it will be this very mission to far away lands that my descendants will remember me for.

Robert Louis Stevenson died at the very young age of 44.  What other contributions might he have made had he been healthy and lived a longer life?  Or, I suppose it is possible, had he been truly healthy he might led a happy but obscure life.  Maybe no one outside his circle of immediate family and friends would ever have even heard of him. It's very possible he might have never spent much time writing at all since that was primarily his sick-bed activity.

Sometimes the very adversity we would wish away is the exact circumstance which creates an environment for us to discover things about ourselves worth having.  Sometimes it is the same crisis we would run from which brings our strength, our faith, our knowledge that we cherish above any other.  I'll have to remember that next time I'm laid low with  illness, heartache, or  just plain getting old.

Upolu

Here we are in the beautiful land of Samoa.  We have been working hard since we arrived. We flew to Apia on Monday, 16 Feb. By the time we cleared customs and got from the airport to the LDS campus where we are staying it was about 10:00 PM.  We were very tired from travel so we pretty much went right to bed.  

When we woke it was POURING rain.  I honestly don't think I've ever seen that much rain before, ever.   It came down in vast sheets of water as if the heavens were pouring great buckets on top of the land.

When I peeked out the window of our apartment I could see the spire of the temple which is next door to where we are staying.  Somehow the image of Moroni standing with his horn through all that pouring rain reminded me that even though life will have storms, so long as I can look to the temple I will find peace.

That first morning we were scheduled to meet with Brother & Sister Ah Hoy, the Family History Advisers for  Samoa, at 8:30.  We had a long drive ahead of us to get to the other side of the island to do a training in the Upolu Saleilua Stake.  Brother Ah Hoy did the driving that first day since Larry did not yet have his Samoan license.  We were both grateful for that.  It rained hard nearly all the way.  The windshield wipers on the car we hadwas worn down to the metal, so it squeaked terribly and didn't do much to keep the glass clear.  At times we could barely see where we were going.  But we got there, safe and sound.

Elder Bennett with Atalina and Poao AhHoy as we were leaving the Service Center

Road trip in the pouring rain

We really were not sure who we were going to be talking to or what sort of training was expected.  So we just prayed hard and hoped our past training and the spirit of faith would carry us through!

There were about  70 people who showed up for the training - Bishops from all the wards, High Counselors, members of the Stake Presidency and others.  It was powerful!   We talked about the "My Family Fifteen-in-Fifteen" goal set by the Pacific Area Presidency and explained it.  But mostly we focused on the WHY of doing this work, bearing strong testimonies of the power of learning about our ancestors and doing temple work for family names.  It was our first time teaching through interpreters, which was a bit of a challenge.  It made it harder to get into the flow of what we had to say.  Still, we felt a strong connection with the leaders who participated.

Upolu Saleilua Stake presidency
President Kofe in center

We spent some time with the Family History Center director, Fava Apineru, to make sure she was clear on how to help the leaders with their pedigree information.

Afterward they had a lovely lunch prepared for us in the High Council Room.   We were served a variety of traditional island foods.  My favorite was a sort of soup made with mackerel and onions in coconut cream.  It was delicious!  There was also chicken curry, breadfruit, beef sausages and Cocoa Samoa (which is boiling water poured over cocoa beans and left to steep - not my favorite, but hey, I was at least willing to try it.)

When we wrapped up our work with that stake we went back out into the rain to drive to the Apia West Stake.

That meeting had far fewer people, but most of them did understand English, so we were able to talk directly with them which was great.  Also, being a smaller group, we were able to have a more engaging discussion.  They asked some great questions.

We had some powerful lessons from that training.   Even though the numbers were fewer, the level of engagement was incredible.     One experience in particular I want to always remember from that session.   As I was answering a question I felt prompted to share the story about when we wanted to have my sons from my first marriage sealed to Larry and I the year after we we were married. The only way we could do this was to get permission from their biological father, who was no fan of the church.  At first he was pretty opposed to the whole idea, even though he had no ongoing contact with the boys.  He was opposed to organized religion in general and he did not like the idea of us raising the boys LDS as he thought we would be teaching them he was "bad" since his lifestyle was not in keeping with the standards of the Church. Our family began a period of fasting and prayer, asking that my ex-husband's heart might be softened so he would permit the temple sealing to take place.

I talked about how it looked like it was impossible for this to ever happen, but then just a few days before we were scheduled to go to the temple, we received a letter with the required permission.  Our prayers were answered.   There was no explanation.  He simply signed the letter and stuck it in the mail.  I bore my testimony about the power of eternal families and that as we extended our faith and efforts to the best of our ability to find the necessary information to complete temple ordinances, the Lord would open doors that seemed closed.

Brother Ah Hoy responded with words that I never would have expected.   He said: "Do you know that you were sent by God to be on this island at this time?  When I hear you tell that story it touched my heart and now I know more that this work is true."   That blew me away.   Here was a good, faithful member of the church who was already trying to be obedient to the principles we were teaching.  Yet because of something I shared, he had a personal witness of the importance of temple sealings and that God will indeed hear and answer prayers.  That felt pretty special.

On Wednesday we did not have any teaching appointments, so we were able to do some running around town to get our business taken care of.  One of the men from the LDS Service Center drove us around to show us where things were.  First things first, we went to get a new windshield wiper for the car.  Even though the sun did seem to finally come out, we are in the rainy season here and know there will be plenty more downpours, so we wanted to be prepared for that.   Next, we went to have Larry get his Samoa driver's license.  Like in Niue, all he had to do was pay a fee.  There is no test of any kind.  So long as you have a valid driving license from overseas, that qualifies you here.

We stopped at the visitor information office for maps and got oriented to where we would find stores, bank, post office, etc.  Then we dropped our driver back at the campus and took off on our own to take care of our various errands.  What an adventure. Apia is a busy city with lots of traffic. All the sights and sounds of the city were a little overwhelming, but we did find our way around.

Going to stores here was an interesting experience.   Suffice it to say, they are not quite what we are used to.  The availability of goods is pretty limited (no whole grain breads, few vegetables, and many products just no where to be found.)  Besides that, the prices were way higher than we are used to, even in Auckland.  We had to keep reminding ourselves that because of the exchange rate, really high prices were actually only costing us the equivalent of about half as much in American dollars.   Still, we had some serious sticker shock, combined with frustration at not being able to get a lot of things we normally would buy.

But even with our limited budget we were able to cobble together enough basics to get us through our first several days here.  We will do some more exploring later see if there may be any other options for shopping that will give us either better selection or better value.

Wednesday evening was pretty special because the Senior Missionaries were having a pot luck dinner which gave us a chance to meet many of them for the first time.  The food was fantastic and the company was good.

Then today it was back to work, doing a training for the Upolu Faleasi'u Stake.  We are getting the hang of what things to cover a bit better now, and know our stuff well enough to be flexible according to who happens to show up.




We felt this training went especially well.

Afterwards we stopped for fish and chips for lunch and then took a drive to go see the Robert Louis Stevenson museum, which was fascinating.  We also stopped by Papapapaitai Falls, which was positively breathtaking.

By the time we got home we were both just plain pooped out, so we took a brief nap to recharge our batteries before heading over to the temple for an evening session.

As I sat in the endowment service it just hit me so strongly how grateful I am for these sacred ordinances and I was filled all over again with a surging sureness of the truth of the things we are taught there.

So as the days go tumbling by we are most definitely busy.  But it is a good kind of busy.  We feel we really are accomplishing what we were sent here to do,  We are having remarkable experiences.  We get to see so much beauty.   Most of all, our testimonies are growing deeper, richer, more certain than they have ever been before.   Even though it is not always comfortable, I would not give up this experience for anything in the world.   

Preparing for Samoa

As we make our plans for our upcoming trip to Samoa, I've been learning all I can about the country.  We will begin our travels on the island of Upolu, where the capital city of Apia is.   The majority of the population of Samoa lives on this island.   We will also spend a few days on Savaii.  bu is the bigger of the two main islands, but has only of a fraction of the population, mostly in scattered villages along the coastline.  Much of the interior is mountain jungle.

Our purpose for going to Samoa will be to meet with church leaders to help teach them about the My Family 15 in 15 program.  There are 13 Stakes and 14 Family History Centers on the island of Upolu.  There are 7 Stakes and 4 Family History Centers on the island of Savaii.  So we will have plenty to keep us busy.   Still, I am sure we will find some quiet time to go see some of the beauty and mingle with the local people.
We are looking forward to it!

In 1962, Samoa became the first South Pacific island to gain independence.

Images of Samoa from Samoa Office of Tourism
http://www.samoa.travel/about/a2/Introducing-Our-Country

"The island of Savai'i is a massive basaltic shield volcano, which rises from the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean. Most of the volcano (97%) is under water. Over thousands of years numerous volcanic eruptions have seen layer upon layer of lava oozing from the ground, building the island higher and larger in area.

The lava that forms a shield volcano flows out of a fissure in the ground and has a low viscosity, allowing it to form layers that build up slowly to form the gradual slope. Similar volcanic processes built the neighbouring islands of Upolu and Ta'u (American Samoa), as well as the Hawai'i Islands to the north.

The formation of the Samoa islands is thought by some to be an example of the classic hotspot model. This theory suggests that there are certain locations in the Earth's mantle that are hotter than their surrounds. 

These hotspots sometimes penetrate the crust immediately above, pushing magma to the surface. Techtonic movement pushes the crust resulting in a chain of volcanoes forming on the surface. Examples of hotspot activity include the islands of Hawai'i, Tahiti and Iceland.

For sometime, this model was rejected when scientists discovered conflicting eveidence. For example, the volcanic islands and seamounts further away from the Samoa hotspot (east of American Samoa) should be progressively older. But, Savai'i and Ta'u - at opposite ends of the Samoan chain of islands - both erupted in the last century.

In 2005, tests on samples from the deep flanks and rifts of surrounding Savai'i showed rocks that are about five million years old, which fit the hotspot model.

The Mount Matavanu crater

Mount Matavanu is one of several locations on the island of Savai'i where lava has broken through the surface. Between 1905 and 1911, lava flowed towards the central north coast and destroyed villages including Saleaula and Magua.

Despite being active only 100 years ago, flora has revegetated the crater and some trees almost rise from the floor to the rim. On a clear day you can see lava fields that make their way down to the coast.

Between August and November 1905, fast-moving 'pahoehoe' lava moved across the landscape covering the land at depths of up to 120 metres. The lava travelled 12 kilomtres to coast, covering approximately 100 square kilometres in the Gaga'emauga district, including the villages of Sale'aula, Salago, Mauga and Samalae'ulu.

At the time, the colonial German administration acquired land on the main island of Upolu and resettled villagers at Salamumu and Leauva'a. Today, some of the descendents have re-built homes upon the lava fields where there is sparse volcanic vegetation."

( Info quoted and the last two pictures  taken from Geocache.com - description for an EarthCache called Matanuva lava )

New Zealand YSA Conference 2015

Elder Bennett and I had an opportunity to teach a Family History Workshop at the NZ National Young Single Adult Conference held in Auckland today.   It was a phenomenal experience.  We were so impressed by the energy and spirit of these young people!   

We did an exercise where we had the people in our session line up in two rows facing each other.  They were given some questions to choose from to use for sharing family stories.  

As each pair began talking with each other there was much laughter and some tender expressions, even some tears as they told one another things they remembered about various extended family members or relayed stories that had been handed down over the generations.

We had each pair talk with each other for just two minutes and then we would ring a bell.  That signaled the row of people on the right to all step down one slot with the person on the end moving up to the top so everyone had a new partner.  Then we started again with the next question.  We repeated it three times so everyone in the group got three different chances to share a story and they all got to meet new people rather than just staying with the people they already knew.

The YSA had so much fun doing this exercise that things got pretty loud in our room with everyone talking at once.  I was worried we were being disruptive to the class going on at the same time in the room next to us, but at the same time I was thrilled to see the young people  in our session so completely engaged.
Afterward we asked them to identify the emotions they had experienced while they were telling their stories or listening to others.   Over and over people mentioned things like love, pride, joy, happiness, excitement.  We told them that those good feelings they were experiencing while telling family stories is what we call The Spirit of Elijah.

Elder Russell M. Nelson has taught that the Spirit of Elijah is “a manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family” (“A New Harvest Time,” Ensign, May 1998, 34). This distinctive influence of the Holy Ghost draws people to identify, document, and cherish their ancestors and family members—both past and present.

We also pointed out that by doing activities where they will experience this feeling they can get more familiar with the communication from the Holy Spirit.  That can come by entering names in FamilySearch, interviewing a family member, putting together photo collages or albums - really any activity that draws them closer to their family.  As they do this, their love for their family will become stronger and the Holy Ghost will manifest to their hearts that families matter.

Then, when they have other spiritual questions - like wanting to know if the Book of Mormon is true or wanting to get confirmation about major life decisions they will have experience recognizing the way they feel when the Holy Spirit communicates with them.

It was so powerful how the whole room went from rather rowdy excitement and enthusiasm to a more subdued reverence as people began making comments testifying how they knew that family history really is important and they wanted to do more of it.

Experiences like this are so precious to us in this mission.  It was a very special day indeed.

Hiking Among the Kauri

This morning we got up early and went exploring in Albany.  First we took a trail in Albany Heights to see a small waterfall and enjoy a nice easy trek through the bush.

Then we went further up to the Albany Scenic Reserve which is described over at  Wonder Walkers:

Kauri trees and native orchids are highlights of this short walk through the Albany Scenic Reserve, just north of Auckland.

The track descends into manuka and kanuka scrub and crosses a small stream before climbing and descending again to a large kauri. From here the track climbs steadily through a small stand of kauri trees to the Wright Rd exit. Walk back the way you came or via the road (be careful of traffic). On this walk you will see North Shore’s largest kauri tree 1.8m diameter 600-800 yrs old.

This is a photo of Larry by one of the SMALL Kauri trees.   We thought it was pretty huge until we got to the grandmother tree.  We were in such awe of that one (and huffing and puffing from a pretty good climb) that we didn't even take a photo. Suffice it to say, it is one VERY BIG TREE.

As gorgeous as the Albany Scenic Reserve may be, sadly it has been hit with Kauri dieback, which is a very serious problem caused by a fungus that is killing a lot of these trees.  Hikers are cautioned to spray fungicide on their shoes upon entering and when leaving the reserve and to stay on defined paths in an effort to reduce the spread of the problem.

After spending some time hiking amid the mighty kauri, I wanted to learn more about them.

"The New Zealand kauri is the largest tree in the Agathis genus and the only Agathis species native to New Zealand.   Many of the great giants were felled by early pioneers for their high quality timber.  One of the largest kauri trees ever recorded was 'Kairaru of Tutamoe' with an estimated diameter of 6.4m  and a height of 56m.   That tree, however, was destroyed in a fire before 1900.

The largest kauri alive today is Tane Mahuta with a diameter of 4.6m and height of 52m.  It is estimated to be between 1200 and 2000 years old."  (From the Kauri Dieback Management Team Website).

Naming individual trees is part of Maori culture.  The kauri plays a big role in their creation stories and in other aspects of their belief systems. Some of that is explained in the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

As stunning as it was to go hiking in the Albany Scenic Reserve, I have begun to notice that some of my initial awe and amazement I felt when I first arrived here is starting to dim.  I'm getting accustomed to the bush here.   With increased familiarity, some of the magic is less tangible.  Don't get me wrong, I still find it incredibly beautiful.  But the sensory overload of colors and textures I initially experienced is definitely starting to fade.  In a way, that makes me sad.

It seems to be a part of human nature to cease to pay attention to or to fully notice most sensory input that is around us all the time - the way we tune out the hum of a refrigerator or overlook a view that we see every single day. 

Right now I'm reading the book "The Other Side of Heaven" by John Groberg.   In that book Groberg says: "I'm not sure we can truly appreciate something until we have lost it, or at least been without it for a while.  I wonder if we can actually be grateful for something we have never been without?"  (p. 69).

I've thought about that a lot.  One of the challenges of mortal existence is to stay grateful.  We are blessed by so many things that we take for granted.   Example: I do not fully appreciate on a daily basis what a blessing it is to have clean, healthy drinking water readily available at the turn of a tap.   This is something I most definitely take for granted.  However, we are now preparing for a month long trip to Samoa where we will drink only bottled water and will have to be very careful in other ways to safeguard our health.  Just knowing that I will soon be without potable water pumped into my house makes me appreciate what I do have here more now.

How many other blessings do I overlook?  Is it possible to NOT stop feeling wonder and awe for beauty and blessings that we are surrounded by every single day?

Right now the people of New Zealand are expressing increased concern about the precious kauri trees because the dieback disease effecting them could wipe them out in a single generation unless aggressive conservation steps are consistently followed.   I feel very fortunate to have had the experience of walking among these mighty giants of the forest.  I hope they can be saved so that my grandchildren and their families may one day see them too.