January 20/2019

Jan.20/2019

Wow, time is moving so quickly and so much to do. I feel strongly that as we prepare over these next few months to return home that I want to leave Samoa better than we found this beautiful country and  hopefully we've touched some lives along the way. . I know I feel stronger more confident in the gospel and in myself and a deeper understanding of what is truly important for me and my family. Elder Cameron and I have been richly blessed in many ways.

Our wonderful Chaser turned 4 on the 15 of January, Have you ever seen a picture with so much joy and excitement in such a small body. It melts my heart!

 While Chase celebrated his party our oldest granddaughter is celebrating, braces coming off, a drivers licence and a car to run all her many important errands and a new part time job! Life just keeps getting better and better!

 It has been really great to actually watch from afar as all our grandkids have grown and changed and become involved in so many new and challenging activities like 4-H, skiing, skating, school, new classes at church, new friendships and along with that comes the difficult times to which often include some of the above. We just need to make sure that our homes are always a safe and loving place to gather from the storms of life. Speaking of loving homes Gramma Cameron’s Birthday was on January 19^th, she would have been 98. Still miss her every day.

We have been able to travel the Island a bit over these last few weeks as people are just getting back from vacations and kids will start school in another week or two. We’ve been able to hand out coloring books, hygiene kits, school supplies, balls, Frisbees to kids along the way. I love their smiles and how happy they are.

 We have two big containers of desks and chairs coming, they should be here by months end. I’m soooo excited about that and can hardly wait to hand them out. Pretty exciting stuff huh!

Elder Cameron and I will be starting up the Eat Healthy and Be Active program again starting the end of January. The interest has been great and it is so good to see that they see a need for it here in Samoa in their lives and the lives of their families. Elder Cameron and I have worked hard to be healthy while in Samoa, watching what we eat and continuing to work out regularly. Couples have told us since we arrived that senior missionaries always gain weight 30-40 lbs, we have seen it, and it’s true. There is so much fresh bread every day, coconut crème in everything, taro, deep fried food, and ramen noodles are a staple and servings are huge. There is also so much wonderful fresh fruit here, it’s all about choices!

 “The course of our lives is not determined by great, awesome decisions. Our direction is set by the little day-to-day choices which chart the track on which we run.”—President Gordon B. Hinckley,

Family and friends,

 Have a great week! Love life and love each other, remember to be Happy and Be Kind and look to see who you can help this week.

They are getting signs in Samoa now

Love the children!

Adorable

We found this raft while doing some searching on an Island, pretty neat find!

Turtle by Namua Island

Another Beautiful Beach

Jan.2/2019

Jan.2/2019

This is a bit of a different blog but I felt I really wanted to let you all know how thankful I am for you, life and the gospel.

Well we rang in a New Year. Looking back on 2017 and 2018, it was a year of firsts, sacrifice, adventure and growth. Leaving home, family and friends for eighteen months was a decision Scott and I made together with the lord and we knew it was what we needed and wanted to do. We have learned so much and have grown together stronger and more unified in the gospel and as eternal companions. Faith points to the future and I look forward to what lies ahead for Scott and I. I think of the words Grow old with me, the best is yet to be!

I am thankful for family, good friends, each one of our children, and grandchildren and the support and love you have given us along the way. I have seen blessing showered down on you and are grateful for the loving arms that have been around you and kept you safe while we were away. Another testament to me that prayers are answered.

I have seen the lord’s hand many times in helping us to help others and my testimony has been strengthened of a loving Savior who knows me personally and cares deeply about what I feel and how I’m feeling. I love the Book of Mormon and the testimonies that are on those pages. Each time I read from this great book I learn more and more and I know of its truthfulness, it has been a strength to me many times and has helped me through some difficult moments while here in the mission field.

This New Year is a great time for me to remember that the past is to be learned from and not lived in,

 Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away they may be, live to see the miracles and tender mercies that lie ahead and remember to be grateful for all you have.

I love and appreciate each one of you and who you are. May 2019 be good to you and may we all strive to be better today than we were yesterday and even better tomorrow.

Love,

Pam, mom, Gramma

This Picture was taken on our way home from Namua Island. We pasted  this sweet women playing a ukulele and just had to stop and listen to her sing and talk with her. We gave her a couple hygiene kits, it was wonderful,these are the moments that we will always remember.

Dec.23 / 2018

Dec.23/2018

Talofa family and friends,

Elder Cameron and I have been busy with visits to Sisters of our Lady of Nazareth, Little Sisters of the Poor, a couple Diabetes classes and Graduations and a handover. There are Christmas parties and celebrations everywhere and the Spirit of Christmas is all around.

It has been a couple weeks since my last blog, which my wonderful son reminded me of the other day. So there may be some things that Elder Cameron had mentioned in his email the last couple weeks so I hope you don’t mind some repetition.

I hear that it might be a brown Christmas back home, which definitely has some pros and cons but most importantly will be getting together with family and friends and to remember “The Reason for the Season.”

Elder Cameron and I were able to supply some materials for renovations for the living area for some sisters here and had a Handover ceremony a couple weeks ago. The humility and love of these sisters was a great example to me of Christ like Service. It was a wonderful experience. We are so fortunate to meet so many great people. We also visited with another group of sisters that we have come to love, Little Sisters of the Poor, we took out some supplies to them and it is always a treat to visit with Sister Christina. She is amazing!

We have travelled the Island the past week checking on tanks and families and been able to hand out several baby kits and hygiene kits to families in need. They are always so thankful and it's nice to know that we can help in a small way to maybe ease their burdens just a little. 

The Eat Healthy and Be Active program is coming to a close, most classes have graduated with one left until January. We flew over to Pago last week to attend a grad, it was really good and a lot of fun to hear many of the success stories and testimonies of those that went through the program and how it has changed their lives.

While in Pago we were able to make some final arrangements for 6 water tanks to be installed at 3 different schools that are used for emergency stations in cause of a disaster and with the tanks they will be able to handle more people for a longer period of time.

We were blessed to be able to attend a temple wedding on Saturday of a young man Posenai and his bride Lagimalofie. Elder Cameron and I work with Posenai who is the manager of wheelchairs and prosthetics here in Samoa.

I have a few family photos to share, the kids had an ugly sweater party, and it looked like fun! Nate is a star, great form and he is growing like crazy! The Neilson’s are really in the Christmas spirit and as always another adorable picture! Mandy and Andrew will be celebrating their anniversary this week, I’m sure it will be fun whatever they decide to do.

Christmas is a busy time of year and sometimes a little overwhelming. Take time to nurture and feed your spirit this season. I read a quote the other day and thought how true it is.

“When our spirits are elevated, we are actually closer to the Savior, our perspective is broader, our hearts are warmer, our minds are clearer, we are more relaxed and we experience greater joy, hope and peace.”

We feel very fortunate to be here at this time in our lives and to be able to help move this wonderful work forward and to be instrumental in helping and serving others has been a great blessing in our lives. To serve as the Savior did and to set an example of love and compassion that we hope will one day bring others unto Christ has helped to strengthen our testimony and hopefully those we come in contact with. May you all be blessed this Christmas season with Health, happiness and a stronger testimony of the great love our Savior has for each one of us. 

Love you all,

Sister Cameron

Here are a few extra photos that I just had to add!

Christmas Angels

Light the world in Samoa

Dec.1/2018

December1/2018

School is now officially over for about 2 months here in Samoa and while they are all winding down we find ourselves busier than ever with handovers and trying to get many things cleared up before year end.

I’m going to start with Happy Birthdays, oldest to youngest. Happy Birthday Millie, always looking great, Jordan another year older and another year wiser and to our wonderful youngest grandchild, Rae Anna, Sweet and Sassy!

2 Years Old

He's the Man!

Looking Good

Congrats to Nate on receiving his Eagle Scout award, well done on your project and it was great to be there and to help in a small way with the restoring of part of the bike trail. It was a great project and what a great job you did!

So proud of you!

We have had several handovers this past week. Elder Cameron is like a whirl wind right now, he was able to organize our last handover of wheelchairs in around 18 hours (but who’s counting), that’s including getting the MOH (Minister Of Health) to attend.

We also had a handover of 21 water tanks to the Kingdomized church. I think I have talked about Sia before, she was our champion with this project and a special young woman. There was an article in the paper of one of the families that received one of the tanks and I’ve included below.

Sia, Our Champion

Water Tank Handover

We were in Pago recently, I don’t think I will ever get used to flying in those little planes. We attended a couple projects over there, A farm demonstration of keyhole gardens and 2 Eat Healthy and Be active classes. We will be heading back over mid-December to wrap up the Eat Healthy program and give out certificates.

We had a fun evening the other night with Pastor Lenny from 1 Touch Ministries and the boot camp crew that Scott is involved in. He goes to a 10 week workout from Monday to Friday, loves it and has made some great friends. They had a get together to celebrate the successes of participants and a wind-up of prizes and of course food. The next session for boot camp is the end of Jan., so sign me up, Scott and I will be doing it together.  1-Touch believes in taking care of yourselves Spiritually, Physically and Mentally. LDS Charities helps out with donations for this worthwhile program.

One of the donations

Pastor Lenny and Wife Tai

I can’t believe December is here, when you don’t have seasons and no snow it’s hard to think about Christmas or getting into the Christmas Spirit. Maybe that is a good thing! I’ll let you know the closer we get to the 25^th how that’s working for me.

We love you all and are grateful for each one of you and what you bring to our family. We could not be doing this without all of your love and support and of course the unconditional blessings of our Savior. I’m truly thankful for how we have been blessed with good health and safety while serving in Samoa. I was having some feet and leg problems just before I came out, it was difficult at times to walk and quite painful and I wondered how I was going to be able to do here in Samoa. Since being here I’ve had no problems as a matter of fact I’ve been able to take up running on a regular basis. Miracles do happen and our Father in Heaven does take care of us.

This Christmas Season let’s all try to minister as the Savior would!

Love to all and Remember Be Kind and Be Happy!