July 17, 2013

Dear Family,

I am a wee bit late on the Blog this week.

We just got home from the Temple tonight.  Our Ward has Temple Night every Wednesday night and we have been attending.   The Temple has been closed for two weeks so tonight was busy.   This temple is small compared to St George.  The rooms are small and the Polynesian people are big...lucky we had Chinese, African, Mongolians, Australians and Mainland bodies smaller.  The temple was cool but I was squeezed between two Polynesian girls and felt cozy warm.  I felt the spirit so strong tonight with this little group of people from around the world.  I was thankful to be there.  After the session I started to fill out Jake's name for the prayer roll then added everyone of your names.  I  had the feeling you all have your little burdens your dealing with everyday and I can't do anything for you but pray.  So I added a few more spiritual Polynesian people to pray for all of you couldn't hurt either.

On Wednesday I checked with Hawaiian Airlines and was able to change our flight plans for Emily's wedding.  We were originally leaving on July 30 and arrive in SLC on July 31 and going to Becky and Mark's home for the wedding Aug 1.  I was able to get a flight out on July 26 into Las Vegas and hopefully Aimee or Mike will come and get us.  We will stay in St George for two nights and ride up with Aimee on Sunday morning.  We are excited to see kids and grand kids again.  We are excited to be able to attend Erik's Mission Farewell.  We are thankful our prayers have been answered and he has chosen to serve a mission to Boston.  He will be a good missionary, he is smart and if he relies on the Lord for help he will be led to those who desire a change in their lives and to include Jesus Christ into their lives.  We are happy we were able to make the flight change.   I think the Lord had his hand in the process.

We are continuing to work our regular schedules.  Mom works in the costume department in the morning and in the seamstress department in the afternoon.  She works with a lot of young students from all over the world and with another Missionary Sister Smith from Idaho Falls.  They work hard to keep the evening show running.  All of the actors in the evening program wear some type of costume that is prepared in her departments.  They have to continually fix the costumes that are torn or damaged.    

The Polynesian people are a very laid back bunch, they get the job done when they get around to it.  If it gets done today that is great, if it doesn't then it will get done tomorrow.    You can tell that they like to eat, they love their food and they like to share with others.  In the picture is Sister Smith in the middle with Cathy the boss in the green outfit and mama Tu in the white shirt.

Sister Smith works with me each day.  I have to tell you about her.  She has been a Professor at BYU-H for 30 years.  She put in her papers for a Mission and was called to Chicago inner city.  Upon her call she packed up her suitcase and bought heavy coats, boots and winter clothes to go to Chicago.  Sister Smith also bought a new car to drive to Chicago after her week at the MTC.  She went to the MTC and was there a week.   As she was leaving the MTC walking to her packed car to leave she heard someone calling her name.   Someone from the MTC stopped her and said she was to report to the MTC President's office.   The MTC President told her he had just heard from SL that her Mission call was changed.  She was to go home and wait for further instructions.  She went home to Rexburg and waited for almost two weeks.  They called her from SL and said her call had been changed to "Hawaii".  So, she left her winter clothes at home, her new car in the garage and flew to Hawaii.  Now for the rest of the story...President Grace was looking for help in the Seamstress area because Nona ( petite Polynesian sister) who had been working, cutting freehand all the clothes for the PCC for over 50 years, has health problems and is retiring in October.  President Grace somehow was reading the missionaries work experiences and had her name pulled after she had her call.  She is an amazing woman.  Never married and is a great teacher.  She is good with all the students and is teaching wherever she is.  She has written a book on pattern fitting and that is the class I am taking from her twice a week.  I just wish I was 30 years younger!!!  Its great sewing information and I am learning a lot.  I hope I can retain this info in the eternities.  President Grace has asked her to teach and put into place pattern cutting for the department.  It's a big challenge.  I see everyday little tender mercies that happen for the future of the PCC.

This is Nena a student working her 19 hours.  She is from Tonga.

These are pictures of the costumes we were getting ready for the canoe show at the PCC.


All the purple feathers have to be cut by hand!

Mama Tu sometimes sleeps while sitting in her chair!

The students call all Polynesian Women "Mama" or Auntie.

   This is where mom works, she seems to like the job and does a great job doing what they ask for.  Some times they want it fixed immediately and so she has to use her creative skill to get the job done.  She was upset the other day because she gave her scissors to a student and now they are missing.  Kind of frustrating but that is what happens, hopefully they will turn up.  The PCC doesn't have a lot money so they try to get by on as little as they can.  It is tough cutting material with dull scissors, but she does it.  The Lord seems to have his hand in this place because the work gets done even if they don't have good tools to work with.

 On Monday night we worked at the PCC taking tickets with the Cardono's from Canada.  As you can tell we have the same outfits on.  These outfits are made where Mom works, the missionary couple choose the material and they are made from scratch.  As you can tell we chose the same material.  If you look closely you can see Elder Cardono's legs, he is wearing a sulu or Polynesian Skirts.  Some of the young guys on Sunday wear them at Church.  They say they are cool and comfortable.  Someday I will get the nerve to wear mine..  Maybe, maybe???

This is the BYU Student at Island Feast with us.  She was helping to seat the guests after we had talked to them and taken their ticket.  We had about 950 people eating at Island Feast Buffet Monday night.  Five All star Football Teams came to eat tonight too.  Big guys and Papa had fun talking to them.  They were coming from Australia on their way home to the Mainland.  We were tired tonight!!!





We were tired but we drove to the point, which is just behind our apartment and saw the clouds change colors as the sun set.