The Lovely Month of July

 We started out the month of July with a wonderful treat, dinner at the Niue High Commission.  The Commissioner,O'Love Tauveve Jacobson, is in our ward, with her two children, and they have the Elders over every Wednesday for dinner. We were invited, because it was a special goodbye dinner for Elder Finlinsen, who has finished is mission, home to Delta Utah, and probably getting ready to go to BYU.The Elders eat there every Wednesday and they are fed very well.  I am going to try and remember what we had. Pork Roast, fish, sausage, beef roast, chicken, vegetables (which always includes pumpkin), lettuce wraps, fish salad, potatoe salad, and a green salad. For dessert, ice cream, fruit tarts, and the traditional New Zealand delicacy, Pavlova.  We all ate first, finished and were on our way out the door before they will eat.  It is something we have figured out being here, if the host is Samoan or Tongan, guests eat  first, then the family.  We don't eat with families very often, but even at baptisms or mission meetings, it is always the same.  A little bit about Niue, it is called the Rock of Polynesia, it is 1500 miles northeast of New Zealand, all Niueans are New Zealand citizens and Queen Elizabeth is the head of state.  There are only about 1000 people on the island, but 22,000 living here.  The island is one of the largest coral islands in the world, it is bascially shaped like an oval and is 18 miles in diameter. the picture is of Elders Armstrong and Florian and Dad in front of high commissioner office and house.

 These are the Elders that usually eat at the Jacobsen's. Left to right, Florian, Finlinsen, Ma'u, Guy (friend), Windhausen, Armstron, and I'aulualo.  This is the kitchen, the most modern we have seen since being here.

 We had a service project on the 28th. Our ward planted baby trees and grasses along a little creek that runs along the OHiro Road near Wellington.  The people in the community are trying to preserve the creek and also bring back native plants,

Before the service project we went to an Arts and Craft Fair. It was really great and I had to take this picture of a lady spinning. That is one big difference here, you very seldom find wool yarn and knit goods at a craft show in the States, but here it is very  popular.

Our very exciting news, new (to us) furniture.  We got two recliners and a couch, Dad is trying one out.  The ones we had, were quite old and very broken. The springs were totally gone in one chair, the recliner part on both were broken and the couch swallowed you up if you sat on it, so therefore new chairs and couch that actually work and are comfortable.

On the 22th, Dad made is famous German Rouladen.  We had that plus red cabbage, and spatzle. You would have thought that Elder Windhausen from Freigburg, Germany, had died and gone to heaven, especially over the red cabbage.  Everything tasted wonderful, and not alot left over. Two other missionaries dropped by, so by the time 6 Elders, the Overtons and us all ate, no left overs.