DK Orchard

Since I reported last there has been two more earthquakes.  It seems to be the norm here because no one seems to get too upset.  Dr. Mangum and Carol are leaving the first of next week and He said today that he hopes he can get out of here before the big one hits.  I will miss them.  We've become good friends in the month that we have been together.  This Saturday Dr. Larsen will arrive to take his place and work in the clinic.  His daughter and sister-in-law are coming with him and will be staying in our home until they leave the following Tuesday.  I've offered to be their guide Saturday to visit some neat places and help them get adjusted.  I hope that two old duffers living together doesn't start any rumors.  It'll be like "old" missionary times.
     Today at church our sunday school teacher, Henry, taught a wonderful lesson.  He was in my dental chair this week for a checkup and he said, "you're the widower aren't you?"  He told me about his wife's death a couple of years ago and we talked about coping with the loss.  We were both teary eyed by the time he left.  He has a vegetable farm and supplies the senior missionaries with lettuce or as we refer to it "green gold".  He drops some by the clinic every week and we distribute it to the others.  He is supporting several missionaries financially and mentoring a few pre-missionaries helping them to get ready to go.  What a great guy.  I sneaked a picture of him during class.  Don't call the authorities Cidne.

  

This week this really big guy, I mean really big, came by the clinic to introduce a friend of his who is a dentist from California.  The Dr. was very impressed and is going to send some supplies to the clinic with another dentist friend of theirs from Canada.  I'll get a picture of the big guy next Sunday at church.  He met these two dental students his Rookie Year in the NFL.  He played for Baltimore and has a championship ring.  I forgot his name but he about crushed my hand when he shook it.

     As you travel thru the island there are stands everywhere from which people sell their produce.  I stopped at this one to buy a pineapple and papaya.  They sell taro, coconuts, niu, (which is young coconut sold for it's milk.  You cut the top off and stick a straw in and drink.), oranges, lemons, limes, flowers.  Some man the stand while others leave a basket for you to leave your money.

Do you think there is enough feed available for these cows?

This is a taro field.  Taro is found everywhere and is a staple of the Samoan diet.

Until next time.   Duane