From Pickleball To Pohnpei: A Week Full of New Adventures

The first bit of exciting news this week comes in the form of PICKLEBALL! We found out there’s a group that plays each evening at the local community college, so of course we had to join them. The gym has a roof, but the “walls” are just chain-link fencing, so it’s a fun mix of indoor and outdoor play! With the vinyl flooring marked by all sorts of lines, the humidity, the indoor/outdoor setup, and six months of not playing at all, it took a little adjusting—but before long it all started coming back to me. J.D. fit right in, and we had a great time. This will definitely become one of our regular activities on evenings when we don’t have other obligations.

Speaking of humidity, we are slowly getting used to the sudden rainstorms that seem to appear out of nowhere. One minute it’s sunny, and the next it’s pouring. This happened while we were grocery shopping this week, so we just waited it out under the awning with our bags and enjoyed the storm. It’s hard to see in the pictures, but it was quite the downpour—with wind! These storms usually pass as quickly as they arrive.

As a follow-up to last week’s hospital donation ceremony, we were invited on a tour of the hospital and were able to see the donated items already in use. Several branch members joined us, and good connections were made. We’re hopeful that members of the branch will soon be able to offer meaningful service to the hospital. Building these ties within the community is exactly what the gospel is all about.

We also had the privilege of having the Carlson family over for dinner this week. Brother Carlson is the branch president, and Sister Carlson practically carries the entire youth program on her shoulders—seminary teacher, Young Women president, and youth Sunday School teacher! They are a wonderful family and a big part of what keeps the little branch in Palau moving forward.

Our last bit of exciting news is our trip to Pohnpei! The first picture shows just where that is. Sometimes we’re in awe when we think about the places we’ve been in the last month: Mongolia, Guam, Palau, and now Pohnpei. A year ago, I didn’t know anything about any of these places! We flew out early yesterday morning to accompany Elder and Sister Teh from the Area Presidency, who arrive tomorrow, as we visit government officials throughout the week. 

We’ll be here all week, so more details will come in next week’s blog, but here are a few things we’ve learned so far: 

1.  Driving is an adventure. Driving on the right side of the road with the steering wheel on the “wrong” side is trickier than you might think. I’ve already lost count of how many times J.D. has turned on the windshield wipers instead of the blinker!

2. Christmas is serious business in Pohnpei. Our hotel is already fully decorated—and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!

3. The Saints here are just as faithful as those we have come to love in Mongolia and Palau. Their meetinghouse sits beautifully on a hill, and we loved worshipping with them today.

4. Each island in this mission has its own unique culture, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to serve in Palau—and for the many amenities we enjoy there!

More adventures to come next week!