Visit to Abatoa

The road on South Tarawa ends at the inlet between Bouta and Abatoa. Abatoa is the southern most island of North Tarawa and is less populated than South Tarawa.  There is no traffic and the road is more of a path. There are a couple of bridges between some of the islands but they are both called broken bridges. The senior missionary couples went together to the first broken bridge.

The "road" (path) is shown below. No motorized vehicles were seen. An occasional bicycle is all that we saw.  The first picture below shows motel rooms that are for rent.

The girl in the center of the section below is getting water from a well. The well is about six feet deep and accesses the fresh water lens that is above the salt water in the ground. She is using a pole, string and tin can to get the water.

Elder and Sister Waldron, Elder and Sister Bogh, Elder Wall and Elder and Sister Baber are shown below. Sister Wall took the picture.

Coral and Lava

Guns facing the Sea

Tarawa changed forever

When should we forget?

Though rust and decay

we must always remember

what humans did here.

and guard against the terror

and let sunsets reign supreme

During World War II,  Tarawa was where one of the bloodiest battles took place.  The Japanese controlled the island and the US fought for control.  These are some of the reminants that still remain from that battle.

You have to be here to Understand

Hotdogs

Then turkey legs

Frozen deep in a chest

And finally real hamburgers

Great Days

This is the first place on the island that actually had a hamburger.  The younger missionaries found it and we had to check it out.  We didn't believe them at first.  This little cafe is called Titarbaks (Starbucks).

 Baptisms in the Ocean
The font wasn't filled so these 5 baptisms were performed in the ocean.

 Unusual Sky effects following the Baptism. It was caused by the shadow of a cloud as the sun set or by...

Dreams

Atoll

Coral Ribbon

Rising out of the Sea

Sunsets and Tides wash the Lagoon

with Dreams

Teachers worked on finishing their teaching degrees with the ITEP Program.  Because Elder and Sister Rasmussen returned home and their replacements haven't arrived, Elder Bogh helped with the presentation of the Certificates.  Two other teachers received them as well, but weren't present.

We were invited with Elder and Sister Wall to attend a small birthday party for the ex-president of Kiribati, Teberuro Tito.  The two missionary couples were treated as if it was their own birthday even though he isn't even a member of the Church. There was food and singing. We were privileged to hear a song that he sang and wrote for the Millennial Celebration in 2000 that was broadcast around the world.  Kiribati was the first country to witness the dawn of the new millennium.  His granddaughter sang a couple of songs with him and acted as the MC for the little event.   Later his son and daughter-inlaw also sang.

Once a month the West Stake gets all the missionaries and ward members out to go visit the less active members and invite them back to church.  Each ward does this one evening each week.  They call it the rescue.  Several people have returned to church through these efforts. The pig wanted to be rescued but seemed to be ignored by everyone. Elder Bogh spent some time with him, but couldn't convince him to go to church. He was afraid of the dogs that go to church.  It's not uncommon to see a dog walk into church and just lay down on the floor.