February 16, 2014

Rain, rain and more rain.  We haven't seen a sunny day for three weeks.  Everything is damp and we can't get dry.  We feel like wet mops traveling through time.  Nights are muggy.  Air conditioner at the apartment has stopped and we can feel the difference.   This too shall pass…

Thank you Tammy for the Valentine Box.  We shared the candy today with students and it was a big hit at church.  It has been so hot in the apartment we decided to not bake the cake yet.  My oven and even the top of my stove heats the place up in quick time.  We have no vent over stove either.  I bet the cake would be wonderful, maybe I will bake it for you when you come.  Thanks for your thoughtfulness.  We could not eat all of the candy so we shared some with our Elder Quorum Presidency, these guys are always hungry.  They loved the candy and said thanks.

We went to dinner and to see The Lion King for Valentine's.  Elder and Sister Pollock went with us.
The guys had planned the evening and we had good fun.  The show was in Honolulu at the Blaisdell Concert Hall.  This was a fun treat for Sister Pollock and I.  Notice it was raining but warm.

Elder and Sister Tremea and Sister and Elder Pollock

Paige, I hope you read this, I received your letter.  Thank you for thinking of us.  I think about the baby boys and know you are a busy good mom.  We love to hear from you.   All the fun things your family is doing brings back lots of memories.  Those years when the kids are little seem so long, yet they are just a moment in time.  Where are the horns from the deer Matt killed?  I bet they aren't for hat hangers!

Aloha to Ev and Kid.  We think of you often and I'm sorry I didn't get Christmas letters out.  It's about all I can do to get the Blog out.  By the time we get home from work we either have FHE, work at the PCC or Church Assignments and then we drop into bed.  I was sorry to hear you lost Tracker.  Who is doing the dusting for you now?  Indie must be very busy at your home taking care of all the family needs.  For your information, Aimee has been taking pictures of three cats that are watching our home.  I will include pictures.  Maybe you have seen these cats too.  She said they sleep on the backyard chair cushions and scare everyone away.  They have claimed their territory I guess.  We are thankful we have both family, friends and cats taking care of us.

Is this Jeanie's Cat?  Two yellow cats that have found a good place for afternoon naps too.

It was good to hear from you Robyn.  We are counting on you and Mark checking over the fence to see if anyone moves into our home.  We have scheduled our friend Ralph Harper to bring his son and crew to do Spring cleanup of the yard.   With the winter you have had ,we might lose trees etc. too.   Maybe it's time to just go desert landscaping.  What do you think?

Hey brother Don, Mr Knight Reflector.  You get more kudos for that Reflector than anyone I know. We all know if we don't thank you we will get cut off…or something like that.  Thanks for all you do to make it happen once a month.  We do appreciate what you have done.  Now, could you separate the family histories so it would be easier for the Campbell's and the Knights.  You know, put the Campbell's on a pink sheet and the Knights on blue sheets and ship it out.  That way we won't get mixed up with familly histories for the past, present and future.   I am just kidding!!!
Some days it's hard to get going, you were right... we were too old to go on a mission.   You and Clejo did it right going on a mission in your early fifties.  We keep you in our prayers and are thankful to have a family circle.

The little town of Laie had big news last week.  A sister here in the community drove her car off the Point and killed herself.   (The Point is a beautiful lookout point high above the town.  You can drive to it and see the ocean and waves hit rock formations.)  Everyone knew her.  She was single lady, 49 years old, never married.  Not sure why she did this.  We have had four funerals here in the past month.  One year birthdays and deaths are big family events here.  They celebrate or grieve for at least three days.  Food and money are exchanged and families live together for days and even weeks. I don't think you would understand it unless you were here to experience it.  They bring food, and take food home, money is given to the family.  Each family donates a lot of money.  This is a tradition.  Families will pool their money for these occasions.  They are very humble and kind to one another.  A few weeks ago a man died who was a truck driver.  We were driving to Kanohoe and pasted over 50 big semi trucks all shimmed up, traveling slowly, blowing their horns, one after another cruising the entire island on the little two lane road in his honor.  The traffic was backed up for miles.  If you were in a hurry, forget it.

Sunday in the Mission field is a very busy day, we start at 9 am and finish around 3 pm with an occasional stake meeting a 5 pm.  We work with the Elders and Sisters in the Laie Young Single Adult 5th Ward.  Right now we have around 110 young people in the ward, 70 girls and 40 boys, good odds if you are a male.  Most of the members are returned Missionaries and so have a good understanding of the Gospel.  Some of the Elders are just learning how to be home teachers, the mainland guys seem to have a better grasp of the system, so they are teamed up with the Asians and Polynesians to help them out.   For Valentine's Day the home teachers delivered 70 roses to the sisters, they were thrilled.   Any thing that can be done to get the members of the ward together is a blessing.  The goal is to get the sisters to rely on their home teachers for help, blessings and support instead of having to rely on the Bishop.  I think it is working.

We hope you are having a good week.  We love and miss you.
Nona and Papa