Treasured Islands

The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum

Recently we and the other senior missionaries were invited to attend the annual Robert Louis Stevenson Museum gala.

It was a grand affair, held at the beautifully restored estate of the author of Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Stevenson spent the final four years of his life in Samoa.

Museum Foundation President Jim Winegar, a former LDS missionary in Samoa, was the master of ceremonies that evening.

He was accompanied by a missionary friend of Elder McBride’s from 50 years ago, Phil Goodrich.

Among the guests were Sister Afulua Tuivaiti of the mission office and one of our newest Samoa Apia Missionaries, Sister Darla (McBride) Anderson (my sister).

Also attending was the newest addition to the office staff, Sister Mariel Barnes, our new Mission Nurse, from Idaho. She is truly a welcome arrival. Sister McBride is happy to now retire from her ad hoc position of "nurse."

The  Stevenson home, built in the late 1800’s, was slowly decaying until a few decades ago when Rex Maughan (founder of Forever Living Products) and some colleagues – all of whom had served LDS missions in Samoa – paid to have the building completely restored.

The RLS home his now one of the "must see" sites for the passengers on the many cruise ships that come into Apia harbor each year.

Interesting, indeed, that it is a handful of returned Mormon missionaries that is keeping this island treasure in such good repair.

Another Trip to American Samoa

An hour or so after the dinner, Alicia and I boarded the MV Lady Naomi bound for the Island of Tutuila, in the U.S. Territory of American Samoa.  The mission needed to ship some of its bicycles over there. (Both American Samoa and the independent country of Samoa, which used to be called “Western Samoa,” are part of the Apia Samoa Mission.)  The Territory requires that someone accompany a shipment of that nature, or they won’t let it in. Sister McBride and I said we would be happy to make the trip. We had made the same trip in February, for the same purpose.

It is a 9-hour overnight voyage. Alicia did get sea sick that first time after 4 hours on the water, but she was able to take a meclizine pill for it and all went well for the rest of the trip.

So off we went. This time, however, Alicia got quite sick, and had a rough time of it. We think it may have had something to do with what she ate at the gala, as the meclazine seemed to have no effect on her. (Elder McBride slept through most of the trip.) But we did make it, and soon she was feeling better.

We were met at the Pago Pago wharf by Zone Leaders and two other missionaries. These brethren are among some of the finest young missionaries you will ever want to meet.

It seemed only right that we take them all to a Big Breakfast at the Pago Pago McD’s.

We were hosted that weekend by another senior missionary couple, Elder and Sister Jordan.

Wonderful people, the Jordans teach LDS Institute on Tutuila and help see to it that the missionaries keep their houses properly cared for, as we do on the Island of Upolu.

Special Experience on Aunu’u Island

Mission President Hannemann  had suggested that, while we were over in American Samoa, we might want to go visit the sister missionaries on the small Island of Aunu’u off the coast of Tutuila.

This is the first place the Church really got a footing in the islands in the early 1890’s.  The picture below depicts the first landing there by LDS missionary Joseph Dean.

These pictures give you an idea of rough the water was, but neither of us got sick at all on the ride.

We appreciated the opportunity to do some proselyting with Sisters Markowitz and Key, and helped teach a lesson to a family they were working with.

This was the highlight of our trip, to be sure.

The sisters  later related that the testimonies offered by Elder and Sister McBride – especially the one offered by Alicia – had turned the heart of the mother of that family to want baptism. Alicia had barely understood any of the lesson, but she managed to say just the right things to them about what a difference the gospel makes in the lives of people, especially in the lives of men who might need the strength and support of a good wife. That was tremendously important to the mother of this family. This family was baptized this past week.  What a blessing!

The trip back to the bigger Island of Tutuila went just fine. As we got off the boat, about 20 students who attend high school on Tutuila got on. We could see no life preservers.

The flight back to Upolu takes about 20 minutes, as compared to the 9-hour boat trip. But the boat is so much cheaper that President Hannemann is considering having all future missionary transfers to and from Tutuila be made by boat. We’ll make sure they all have enough Dramamine on hand.