"Upon a stone altar," Pohnpei

We arrived Wednesday afternoon at the beautiful island of Pohnpei.  This was our third visit, so we were relaxed.  We have learned that its OK if the agenda is not firmly set.  Here we have to go with the flow and have faith that everything will work together for our good.  It did.  Wednesday evening we caught up with the Stake Presidency at the Panasang Stake Center to confirm our meeting schedule and while there attended a baptism.  

Elders Bunn, Tupua and Fiti and Sisters Kolini, Finau and Pahulu.  The gentleman in the back is from Chuuk and came to Pohnpei for a funeral.  He was so impressed by his LDS family members that he asked to be taught the Gospel and be baptized.  Afterwards we met the Hedgpeths, the new Senior CES couple, for dinner at Arnolds.

Thursday morning we hired a boat and driver and went snorkeling in the lagoon out near Saptwik. The main island is ringed in mangrove forest so its not possible to enter the ocean from the shore.

The coral was amazing and the fish plentiful.  At Saptwik we saw a well preserved Japanese wharf and at neighboring Lenger, island a Japanese sea plane ramp.

Murphy, the driver, and Ivan, the guide (sort of).

In the afternoon we drove to Paliker where me met Betty, the FSM archivist, and picked up films and a digitizing contract for FamilySearch.  Pohnpei has one of the best vital record collections of any island in the Pacific online at FamilySearch. Collaboration continues and will hopefully result in even more searchable records for the FSM.

Friday we drove down to Sapwalap to train three amazing new consultants, Pedrus, Daisy and Martin. They worked for three and a half hours!  The ward is in good hands with this group.  We returned to Sapwalap on Saturday morning to train the priesthood leaders for that ward as well as Mand and U Branches. 

President Albert and his son, the only priesthood holders in the U Branch, find and attach records for their family at FamilySearch.  We found the youth to be extremely interested in the website and thoroughly capable of using it to help their parents and ward/branch members do their family history.

Here Daisy and her dad, the Stake President, work on their family history.

After the meeting, President Nakamura of the U Branch took us on a short walk to Kepirohi Waterfall down the road from the Sapwalap Chapel.  Entering the jungle was like entering the Garden of Eden. The path was well worn and well groomed and lined with beautiful flowers and foliage.

President Nakamura and Elder Hurst take a rest at the falls.  

In the afternoon we met Bradley, one of the YSA consultants who lives in Kolonia and he took us to where the men from his island of Kapingamarangi do traditional carving.  

The people of Kapingamarangi, an outer island of Pohnpei, were given land in Kolonia where they settled in Pohnrakied Village.  The people support themselves by traditional crafts and fishing.

Traditional fish traps and box in the rafters of the craft house.

Sunday we attended church at Paliker then returned in the afternoon to train priesthood leaders from Panasang, Paliker, and Sekere.

We are confident that great things are going to happen in Pohnpei as the people learn to use FamilySearch and the records there from them.