Four Compass Points

“It is said that ‘to one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.’ (This is often attributed to Thomas Aquinas but it’s more likely a loose paraphrase of many things he taught. And, of course, Aquinas would have said it in 13^th century Italian.) However, we have limited understanding of the things that happen here on earth, and often we do not have answers to the question of why. Why is this happening? Why is this happening to me? What am I supposed to learn? When answers evade us, that is when the words expressed by our Savior to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail are completely applicable: ‘My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.” - Elder Ricardo P. Giménez

Fiji

I’ve been reading a lot lately about the effect of the Spanish Flu pandemic on different places in the world. One of the areas that was particularly hard-hit was Fiji. In November 1918, the steamship Talune arrived in the archepelago. The colonial administrators in Suva (the capitol city) knew there was illness aboard, and had heard news from overseas about the deadly flu. Still, they allowed the Talune to dock. Steamship day was a big event in Fiji; many Fijians would have come down to the wharf to enjoy the spectacle. When several locals working on the Talune as stevedores fell ill, they were allowed to return to their villages. By the end of 1920, 8,145 Spanish flu deaths were recorded among the Fijian people – the real number is probably higher – more than five percent of the British colony. Instead of pointing fingers at the administrators, newspapers blamed the high death rate on the “backward” habits of the indigenous people.

Compass Point

The Internet offers a freedom not found in other media. You can publish opinions for the world to see, even if they’re ill-founded, uneducated or just plain wrong. Case in point: last spring Emily Sutton – an Oklahoma weather forecaster – augmented her prediction of severe weather with a Spanish translation via Facebook Live. Richard, one of her followers, responded with, “I saw a broadcast using Mexican language. I remind one and all this is the Untied (sic) States of America. I’m offended KFOR shoved American aside for a foreign language.” The meteorologist responded by reminding him the US doesn’t have an official language, and she offered the translation in an effort to save lives. “It’s not American,” she added, “We speak English. People from Mexico don’t speak Mexican - they speak Spanish. You should try traveling and experiencing another culture to open your horizons. You’ll find we’re all humans. Be kind to each other. Don’t be a Richard.”

Kauai

Kauai is the fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Its nickname is “Garden Isle” because so much of its surface is covered by tropical rain forest. Not to be confused with kawaii, the Japanese word for “adorable,” the name Kauai is thought to mean “favorite place around the neck” or possibly “harvest season.” Kauai isn’t the tourist magnet that Oahu, Maui or “the Big Island” are, but the scenery here is more familiar to people who’ve never visited. South Pacific, Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Tropic Thunder, Blue Hawaii, The Thorn Birds, Outbreak, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Donovan’s Reef, Honeymoon in Vegas, Avatar, Dinosaur, Mighty Joe Young, Fantasy Island, Castaway Cowboy, Hook, Gilligan’s Island, Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N., Throw Momma from the Train, 6 Days / 7 Nights, and Fast & the Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw were all filmed here. Even Lilo and Stitch is supposed to take place on Kauai.

Four Mini Lilies

Warrnambool is a city along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Its biggest attractions are an adventure park, a maritime museum, a wildlife preserve, and the Warrnambool Wombat. This last one came into being about two years ago, when artist Jimmi Buscombe was commissioned to do a work in pastels. “I needed a bit of a practice, so I snuck down to the bridge at the end of my driveway.” Jimmy created a chalk trompe-l'œil hole with a wombat peering out. He didn’t ask permission as he knew rain would wash his experiment away. Only it didn’t. Jimmi tried unsuccessfully to scrub the picture off the bridge. “I was freaking out because you can get in a lot of trouble. It's essentially graffiti.” That’s when Jimmi’s neighbors told him Phil Hoy had seen the artwork, liked it, and sprayed it with a clear coat of sealant. No worries. The council doesn’t seem to mind its new piece of public art.

Seychelles

The Utah Shop Hop was supposed to run May 27 through May 30 this year. I’d been looking forward to it for months. I’d worked out the best route, road trip snacks, lunch breaks, even traveling music. It’s been postponed, of course, like everything else. It might happen in August, but I don’t know if I’ll be ready to play Russian roulette with a microbe by then. As luck would have it, I found an online shop hop called Sewing Sewcial. I browsed a dozen quilt stores from California to New York. I ordered twelve block kits with tropical names and exotic pre-cut batiks. This was the first to arrive. It’s named after an archipelago in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of east Africa. After I’ve made the other eleven blocks, I could choose one of the twelve finishing kits, or I may design my own. Either way, it’s just what I needed right now.

Mini Lily

“As the Restoration continues, I know that God will continue to reveal many great and important things pertaining to His kingdom here on earth. Dear brothers and sisters, I express my love for you. During this time of tension and uncertainty, and invoking the authority vested in me, I would like to confer upon you an apostolic blessing. I bless you with peace and increasing faith in the Lord. I bless you with a desire to repent and become a little more like Him each day. I bless you to know that the Prophet Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. Should there be illness among you or your loved ones, I leave a blessing of healing, consistent with the will of the Lord. I so bless you, adding once more my expression of love for each of you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.” – President Russell M. Nelson