It's Hard to Keep a Good Woman Down!

 As Janice recuperates, the work of our mission goes on.  We taught our Institute class and our Sunday School Class this week as well as passed out at least 100 invitations to attend Institute.  Janice is making a remarkable recovery and was encouraged at her doctor's visit that she could start swimming again in 2 weeks!  What a blessing.

Joe & Janice on their Friday night date

We drive in a couple of times a week to Waipio for physical therapy.  She really hates it but it is really helping.  She walks around our apartment quite a bit now without her walker or cane.  She uses those when she is out of the house for increased stability.  She isn't afraid to stroll over to the edge of the beach for a picnic however.

We witnessed a demonstration of faith this week in our Kahuku 3rd (Tongan) ward.  Last week, our young bishop, Bishop Kioa, challenged the families in the ward to get each young man in the ward a suit for church.  His premise was that they needed to start now to prepare to be missionaries and even start looking like missionaries at church.  He said that if there were people in the ward who did not have a young man that they should consider helping another family who did buy a suit. 

Today (just one week later), most of the young men who participated in blessing and passing the sacrament were wearing suits.  We know that it was a great sacrifice for some families who don't make a lot of money but they did it anyway.  Surely, their faith rivals that of the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon whose mother's faith sustained them and protected them.  It says that they performed their duty in the army with exactness.  This is a hallmark of a faithful people!

We are still surrounded by great beauty here.  It has been a little stormy which has been a relief from the heat.  It is also the season for breadfruit and tropical flowers.  Here is a little sampling that I shot just yesterday.

Breadfruit on a tree next door

Gardenias in our yard.  They smell so sweet!

Plumeria flowers in our yard.

Hibiscus outside of our office.

Bird of paradise outside our office

I have used some of the recuperation time to paint while Janice is down.  I saw this scene on a postcard and thought I would try my hand at painting it.