Christmas in Pohnpei

     Christmas in Pohnpei is a lot different, then Christmas back home. Everyone goes to Church on Christmas, Then families gather to eat all day. Each child gets one gift, and a good gift would be a piece of yam( yes, the same kind of yam we eat at thanksgiving). they wrap the yam or other gift in whatever they can find. some have enough money to buy Christmas wrap. Rarely do the adults get a gift. They gather and spend the whole day and evening together just visiting and eating. Family is everything to the Pompeian people. The celebration, we are told last all week, until new years day.
     We attended church in the Nett(pronounced Netch) branch. we met in what is called a "Nos". That is a building with cinder block walls about as high as my waist, and a thatched, or tin roof. It is open like a garage at the one end and open above the cinder block, except on the corners and in the middle of the sides, where they take the cinder block all the way up to hold up the roof. We were asked to speak about 1 minute before the meeting started. We had one of the missionaries interpret. What an amazing spirit there was there.
     then we attended a baptism at about 4:00 and after we fed Christmas dinner to all our Elders and Sister missionaries and played some games after. in between we had a couple of elders use our computer so they could skype home for Christmas. they were allowed to skype because phone service is so unreliable here.

God's Army in Pohnpei. 

Our sweet sisters and members from Ponrociede
(pronounced Pawn-Rock-E-Ette)

     It was a wonderful Christmas.