June 2 - 9, 2013

We had a big sunday today, we went to our new ward, it is called the Laie Young Single Adult 5th ward.  The ward is made up of students attending BYUH.  They are from all over the world, Nigeria, Mongolia, China, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, USA and lots of other countries. We went to Sunday school and they did not have a teacher, so guess who was chosen to teach, Elder Tremea and fortunately Sister Walker helped out.  We got through it, but not the best performance.  In the afternoon Elder Tremea was set apart as a Stake High Councilor, I think my church work is going to use up some more of our mission time, which is already busy.  We are going to be very busy over the next several months.

Each fast day the missionaries have a break the fast pot luck dinner.  The missionaries bring enough food for all to share.  Each couple is assigned something to bring, we brought Costco Lasagna, yummy, I think?

We enjoyed the evening and met more missionaries.  They serve at the PCC, BYUH and at the Temple Visitors Center.  We have approximately 100 missionaries serving here in Laie, Hawaii.  They are from all over the states and Canada.  The PCC missionaries serve working in the maintenance area, office, sewing, laundry, the Mission Settlement, and many other places.  The BYUH missionaries serve at the College in teaching and administration. They don't have to work the hours that we put in, darn, but its OK...we will receive more blessings.

The PCC is open every day except on Sunday, and special holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  They provide a Luau dinner and show each night for their guests.  Their goal is around 2,000 people per day, in the summer they will exceed their goal and in the winter they will fall short.  The picture shows two students taking a pig from the pit and taking it to the luau to show the guests.  They wrap the pig in bamboo leaves, put it in a pit with hot rocks and let it cook for several hours.  This pig weighs about 100 lbs.  These students have to work for their education, they get paid so that they can go to BYUH.

This is a closeup of the pig which will then be carved up and pulled apart.

 I guess that is how we got the name "pulled pork."  The students carry the pig around and let the guests take pictures.  They love taking pictures of the Polynesians and the pig.   The Polynesians are a beautiful people, but the pig is ugly!
















Nona needed a hair cut, her first in Hawaii. We met a young student in our new ward that cuts hair.  She works in a little store call the "Haircut Store,"  surprise, and is less than a mile from where we live.

 They don't take appointments and they only take cash.  The price was reasonable $30 and I think Nona was OK with it, she didn't complain too much.  You would think they would have more salons for women, but I guess the Hawaiian women don't require special treatment.  Most of them have very dark hair and not too much grey so they don't need beauticians as much.

 

What makes our mission life fun is meeting new friends.

This is my new friend Sam from Mongolia, they take on English names so that people can pronounce their names without them having to say it 10 times.  The kids are really nice and a treat to be around.  They go to BYUH from many foreign countries, primarily though from the Polynesian countries (Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand and Hawaii) and China and Japan.  Most of these young people could not attend college in their own countries because they are so poor.  They are required to be church members to attend BYUH and to work at the PCC to pay for their education. After graduation they will go back to their own country to work and earn a living.  They will become the backbone of the Church in these countries.  

Hawaii has a state holiday called King Kamehameha Day.  This is their July 24th holiday if it was Utah.  This king brought all the Hawaiian Islands together by winning the wars with the other tribes in the mid 1800's.  He also allowed Christianity to be preached in Hawaii. We went to this parade in Honolulu celebrating their King.  We were watching the parade from the second floor of the parking lot of the Ala Moana shopping mall.

The PCC had a float in the parade, that is why we were their to support the young people on the float and the performers walking the parade.  The PCC is also going to be in the Days of 47 Parade in SLC.  Last year they won the top prize and they are going back to try again.  I think the float in SLC will be much bigger and more decorated than this float.

On this day they also had a farmers market, these things are very popular here.  The local farmers bring their fruits and veggies and sell them.

Nona was in heaven with all of the flowers.  Hawaii is such a beautiful state.  I have gained a new appreciation for the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  The east side of the island has some of the the most beautiful places in Hawaii.  The mountains are totally green, the sky usually dark blue and the water blue and green.