December 28. 2013

The week before Christmas was a busy one.  We had work parties for all the students we worked with. We had already drawn names.  It is customary here to draw names and be a "Pixie" for the person you draw.  We did this both in Seamstress and in Costumes.  The stockings were hung on doors and racks and the Pixie would put something in the stocking each day for a week.  I received a beautiful hand made box and candle holder from Sister Miketts.  Her husband had made the box and candle holder in the PCC shop.  I had Tamera, in Seamstress and KeKe in Costumes.  It was fun to shop and find things they could use in their homes and at school.

Stockings for all the students working at the PCC Show
This is for the Ha Show, "The Breath of Life".

KeKe with her stocking

Maggie with her Stocking

Students making Ginger Bread Houses 

Susan, KeKe and Mogee from China, notice his house...

Song from Japan on the left has been on mission to Canada and now at BYU-H for school.  Keke ate some of the hard candy and broke off a tooth.  She asked her Pixie for help.  I arranged for her to go to Kaneohe to see Dr. Wang.  Long story short, she broke her temporary tooth off a root canal that had been done in Taiwan and now needs a cap.  We helped to pay for another temporary until she gets back to Taiwan this summer.  

We gave all the kids pillows and new pillow cases.  I'm tired!!!

We had our Christmas FHE on Monday.  It was a musical program that Elder Lund had arranged.  He is former Choir Director from Jr. College in Arizona.  Great with musicals and choirs.  We started our meeting at the Aloha Center on campus and moved three times…We had lots of complaints…old people just don't like the changes.  We laughed about it, but we have 16 Single Sister Missionaries here,  and they complain about everything.  It was a memorable night.

Notice we are not in the choir….we didn't make the practices.

Christmas 2013 is now behind us, it was our first Christmas in Hawaii and it was certainly different. We spent Christmas Eve at the Fuller's Home with about 35 other missionaries.  We had a fun evening of food, singing, telling Christmas traditions, and of course sitting on Santa's lap.  A new couple came in November brought their boy, Elder Bailey (D-Bob), he has Downs Syndrome and wanted to serve a mission.   The parents Elder and Sister Bailey are serving at the PCC also.  At the party we were telling traditions of our families for Christmas and singing carols.  Sister Bailey told us their tradition was singing carols and when they sang Jingle Bells Santa arrived.  Elder Robinson and Sister Robinson had been Mr and Mrs Santa at the Christmas Lagoon and he slipped out of the party. We started to sing Jingle Bells and Santa banged at the door and Elder D-Bob started to scream and jumped to the ceiling.  He was so excited and happy,  it was the highlight of the party.  Santa greeted everyone in his Santa suit and Sulu skirt, and gave everyone candy.  Santa seems to be able to find everyone with a Christmas Spirit and giving heart.

Santa greeting Elder D-Bob

Elder Lund and Elder Tremea

Elder Tremea and Sister Humphreys

We were working each day and taking tickets or working at the Christmas Lagoon at night.  Fortunately we only had to stay two or three hours at the Lagoon at night.  Some of the couples had to stay until it ended.  The week before Christmas was very busy.  We had almost 3,000 people every night.  The line for the Christmas Lagoon was long.  We did crowd control!  It was interesting and fun.  We had many families and local children and friends.   We talked to everyone, either to calm them down or direct them to the right line to be in.   We had several missionary moments.   People asked us why we were at the PCC and where we are from.  It's so interesting to talk and visit with people from Australia, Canada, Germany, India, China, Japan, Utah, US, England, and Hawaii all in the same night.  We tear off the top part of the ticket they buy for the day at the PCC for the Luau's. We realize we have touched hands with people from all over the world every night.  (I am the one that reminds Papa to always wash his hands after taking tickets….weird aren't I?}

The PCC and Lagoon early in the morning on our way to work.  Quiet and peaceful, and beautiful.

The attendance at the PCC has started to pickup for the holidays.  During Christmas week the PCC has nearly been sold out each day.  This will help with their finances since they are in the red, this will help turn the red to a little more pink and not as much deficit.  We have been working two luau's per week in addition to other duties so it gets a little tiring, especially for us old missionaries.

Christmas Lagoon, we were riding on boat and listened to the Christmas Story in word and Song

Wise Men Singing

Children dancing in Germany…we made the red and green costumes

Christmas morning we opened presents from you.  We loved the clothes, candy and a Polaroid type camera from Becky, I don't know what we will do with that.  Thanks guys for thinking of us, all of your packages arrived before Christmas.  After opening the presents we thought we would go to the kids houses to see what they got, as we normally would do but soon came to the realization that we are on a Mission and 3,500 miles away, bad idea.  We had a surge of homesickness.  We thought of past Christmas family gatherings and we counted our blessings for each of you.  We have much to be thankful for and memories of happy times with family and good friends.   We were fortunate to be able to face-time and be able to talk to you and see you in your homes at Christmas.  It's a awesome time of life to live with technology such as I-phones and computers. Ten years ago missionaries wouldn't be able to do what we are able to do now.  We didn't talk to Mark and Becky, just thought about them and hope they were safe and having a good time on their cruise with the Mangelson Family.  We did get pictures of Matt and Amanda with their pillow cases and tie.

Matt said it's "sick"  meaning the ultimate gift….is that kids new English lingo?

Maybe Matt felt like he was snorkeling!!!

Hope Amanda liked her pillow case.

Christmas Day we went to the beach and had a barbecue with four missionary couples.  Sister Cooper and Sister Tremea bought their husbands a gas barbecue grill to use between them.  Elder Cooper put it together, worked great, the hamburgers were a wonderful change from the normal rice and chicken that the Polynesians love to eat.   We had a total of 10 missionaries with BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs.  Seems like all we do is eat, we both need to go on a serious diet.  This is our first and probably our last time going to the beach on Christmas day in Hawaii.  The weather was everything!  Sunny and blue skies, a few sprinkles and a bit of trade wind, and sunny again.   We have learned to be like the Hawaiians, hang loose and the blue skies will be back soon.

Notice I am the only one cold…we under a canopy from sun…and rain

This was the beach.  It's called Pounders Beach and has an dangerous undertow

Saturday we did something ordinary.  We went to Kaneohe and saw "Saving Mr Banks"  and then to dinner.  We went with Elder and Sister Fuller, and Elder and Sister Harris.  The movie was great. First movie we have seen in a theater since we came.  We had dinner at Haleiwa Joes.  The food was yummy and the restaurant was looking at gardens and a beautiful mountain.  We took some pictures on path to the restaurant.

Elder and Sister Harris and Elder and Sister Fuller

Elder and Sister Harris and Elder and Sister Tremea
The Restruant is above us in the picture.

Today is Sunday.  We had early Meeting starting at 8:00 am.  There were about 12 of us there to start. The students came filtering in and by 8:30 we had probably 50 kids.  The Chinese students all gave talks in Sacrament Meeting.  We had great empathy for them because they all struggle with the English language.  We know it's hard for them in school when they haven't mastered the language.

On our way home we stopped at Laie Point.  This was our view at 11:30 am.

Today,  Sunday December 29th at the Laie Point

The water was beautiful with big splashing waves and sunny sky

A bit windy, lots of tourists here for Christmas and New Years 

It is late, we have to work in the morning at 8:00 am, so I'm signing out and posting.  We love and miss you.  I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and celebrate the New Year this week.  May you all be blessed with health and love for each other, that is the greatest blessing parents can hope for. We love and miss you and remember to pray always.
Nona and Papa