24 Jul Sunday

It is 7:15 a.m.
Conference music is playing, 
We hear shouting from the street.
The shouting continues.
Looking out the window, we see groups of young men (on top of the hill and outside our window)...shouting, throwing rocks and bottles at each other.
Clunk, a stone hits our house.  Clunk another stone.
Thank goodness our windows had screens and wire over them.
Sister Sampson calls the police.
The shouting and throwing continue.
Elder Sanders goes outside to get to the old chapel to see.
Neighbors say, "Get back in house.  This is a riot."


My thoughts go to the many prayers that are said to protect the missionaries. 
Clunk, there is another stone on the house.  These guys don't seem to be able to aim too good.  Of course, the road above us isn't that far away.  
The top group throws many stones and starts down our road with the other group heading down the road, throwing stones at them.   
There is shouting, yelling, stones thudding everywhere...the street, our compound, other houses.

Sister Sampson calls the police again.  Nothing.

We breathe a sigh of relief thinking the action has moved on.
But no such luck...  
Now the groups are hurrying up the street.
Several guys have bows and arrows...
Causing the top group to retreat up the hill.
It is all pretty exciting but scary at the same time.
But then we see there are always a few who will not stop..more yelling, more stone throwing and the groups move back on the street by us. 

This went on for about 1 1/2 hours.  
We see a brave man (one of the neighbor's here) trying to break it up. Several minutes go by to get them to stop and go back home.  We were so grateful that he put a stop to it.  

Our people at the compound told us that the two groups were from Temotu and Malaita and are always fighting.  The police don't get involved with groups fighting.  Our District Presidency had to postpone their meeting and all traffic stopped coming through that intersection during the "riot".  The local people who sell their goods know to leave the area during the whole mess.

When we left for church, we noticed the mess left behind..the street and our compound was littered with stones and glass from bottles, more litter than is normal.

This was a small taste of what it's like being in a riot.  I can't imagine going through days like that.  The pictures were taken through our wired screened in windows.  

Group 1

Group 2

bow made from reeds...