A Little

 A little snapshot while we have a little WiFi...Niue is a beautiful little Island. Most of the coast is just cliffs and caves that drop into the deep ocean.   

 This is our LMS (London Missionary Society) friend Aggie.  She is a widow from Fiji with great faith and an amazing story.  Her home is one of the nicer homes.  Most of the 1500-1600 residents have very little in the way of things we would call conveniences:

*Washers but no dryers
*Solar driven Power...most of the time
*WiFi...hmmmm...spotty for us and most 2G some 4G
*Phones-4 digit numbers but many don't have a mobile phone
*Addresses...there are NONE, you just live by someone or something or "just a little down the road"
*Stores-one grocery store and several little convenience type stores on the whole island.  If you need something you have to have it shipped in on the monthly boat.  Businesses including government are open very sporadic, convenient to the employees.

 Most folks have cars...some work and some do not.

 Wilson is one of our friends, he needs hip surgery and waited in NZ (Niuean Citizens are also NZ citizens so they get health care in NZ) 9 months for it but it didn't happen so he is back to make the best of it.  THOTL in finding him.  A story for another day.

A sweet 80+ year old friend broke his leg when he fell off his bike in Niue years ago.  It didn't get set right so it never attached but his cartilage holds his leg on like an elastic when he walks.  Health care here is mostly triage.

One of the two sister missionaries here, Sister Malo, had not felt well so we took her here to the emergency room.  After visiting with the mission doctor she headed back to NZ for some more opinions and help.   Another THOTL story that we were here to get here back for health care.  

We did find kind folks at the Niue hospital, but just not equipped to do very much.  

 Sister Malo and Sister Blandford saying goodbye to the great family that serves them Sunday dinner each week.  Great loving, giving people here in Niue.  They have little but they give you everything.

The little group that came to the airport to see them off.

Airplane comes in twice a week from NZ

 Monday night Family Home Evening with Carolyn and McFitoo.  They did all the talking...and singing.  They love life, primary songs, the gospel, and tall Elder Downs.

 Then we hurried to FHE with the Hekesi family.  Family photo include Grand Uncle, Grandma, and niece living with them for a year.  Many Islanders raise and even adopt another family member's babies and children.

Hekesi's

 Niue has chickens everywhere...they are wild but incredibly beautiful and nice.  Funny though, the eggs here are imported...  

As are most items except a few things like coconut, bananas, papaya, noni, bread fruit, mangoes, vanilla, honey, taro and a few veggies.  Oh ...and their big fish and crabs. 

 The crabs come out at night, head into the coconut trees where they can break open a coconut.  These coconut crabs are tied with leather or tethered to a post like a dog until its time to boil them for dinner.  Their claws or pinchers are wicked. 
 We are told the chickens go up into the coconut trees as well.  We haven't stayed up with flashlights (torches) to find out.

Most new babies are cute...not sure about this coconut crab baby, maybe his mum thinks he's cute.

 A few of the boats on the island.  Really not very many boats around that we have seen, yet we know they fish.

 They use the coconut plant to make everything...coconut water on Niue is sweeter than anywhere else we are told...good for sick babies.  They use the coconut plant to make their brooms and baskets.

Coconut palm woven basket full of Vi fruit

 There are two small branches in Niue, one in the capital of Alofi where we live and another on the other side of the island in Lakepa.  This is Momma Rosa from the Lakepa Branch.  She used to run a bakery to help raise her children after her husband left her.  Now her children run it for her.  She's spunky!

 Rained for 1 1/2 weeks after we arrived because of Cyclone Mona in the area.  But even storms can be beautiful and they do bring green.  We found new meaning to 100% humidity.  A constant 84 degrees.  We admit its has taken some adjustment. 

 "Takai"...the yearly parade each village has just for the heck of it. This is Takai for the village Liku.  These are their "floats"...lots of them have sirens (wouldn't fly back home, you think the firetruck is coming).  Many cars have never been inspected and no law for seatbelts so kids ride in the back, in the front, standing, sitting...reminds us of 50-60 years ago back home...in many ways.

But another of the 50-60 years ago reminders is how simple and safe and quiet and laid back it is here.  Many transplants from other island say they came here because it is so safe and simple.  In a good way it truly is that!

Sea track caves and beautiful turquoise water.

 These little geckos are everywhere and some nights are pretty click-noisy...harmless but noisy. (Haven't seen the green one selling insurance though)

 Even the pigs are not huge wild boars...but little piggies.  Back home we had to watch for deer crossing the road...here its chickens and pigs (I keep asking myself if there ever was a good answer for "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

 Elder Downs with Karis Ma and her sister Oni in front of a very large Mango tree

 Sweet Chelsea Rigamoto...her dad is the branch president in Alofi.  Her mother is in NZ for 6 months to have a new baby.  Most women leave Niue to have their babies in NZ.  

Chelsea came over to visit us.  Our home (some call it the mission home) is next to the church so when they run out of toilet paper or bread for the sacrament or a basketball they come over to our house.  We love it!

 The Hekau family at one of the sea tracks and coves just down from our house cooling off.  We haven't purposely been in the water...just got hit by a few big waves and now have shoes that may never dry...

 More of the coast of Niue

 In 2004 a large cyclone named Heta hit Niue very hard.  There are broken and abandoned homes everywhere, destroyed in the cyclone.  There were around 10,000 people on Niue before Heta.  Now between 1500-1600.  Most Niuean's live in NZ and just come back to visit on holiday.

One of the few "sandy" beaches

We are learning much about cultures, religions (there are 9 other Christian churches on Niue-one we had never heard of until now..."The London Missionary Society"- all with beautiful people whom we love and share a love of God.  We are learning much about them and they are learning about us.  We get to teach lessons for the sisters as they are gone now.  We get to drive members to church and to the store, check on them, read the bible with great people not of our faith, go to meetings that are held only in the Niuean language, learn the challenges of Island living, and go on daily WiFi "fasts", ....

THOTL is a daily and hourly thing here, a prompting to go somewhere just when someone was in need, to bring along some essential oils for bugs when there were no bugs in NZ (yikes, the mossies (mosquitoes) are on the rampage here), finding things we need when we have no clue where to begin to look, having WiFi go on just at the moment someone needed us, and pursuing what Sister Malo said was just an upset stomach but turned out to be more serious. 

If we have learned any little thing here in a BIG way it is that He is everywhere...in every life in every country, in every heart that lets Him in.  His love covers it all, every land, every time, everyONE!  We are hearing stories of His Hand in the lives of these beautiful people.  They are really no different than family and folks back where we call "home". All are important to Him and oh how He loves them all!  

And oh how we love Him and testify this is His work, His Plan, His Gospel!  Doesn't matter where you go, it's still the truth and will be for eternity.
Elder and Sister Downs

Vance and Lou