April 13, 2014

Another two weeks has passed us by on our Hawaii Mission.  Over the past two weeks we have been busy getting ready for BYUH graduations, PCC celebrations and a big birthday party for Sister Tremea (Cathy, Nona) we celebrated her 70th birthday.

First the birthdays.  On April 9th we celebrated Sister Tremea's 70th birthday.  The kids sent her gifts and lots of cards and letters to look at. As you can see here she is very proud of her collections.  She certainly does not look like she is 70 years old. The kids decided to send gifts that they remembered that Nona liked and things that they remembered most.  Some of her gifts included black licorice, Cavanaughs rum balls, clean wipes, jelly beans and stuff.  

The girls also sent us a birthday celebration kit, with candles, balloons, ribbon, sparklers, etc.



Seamstress had a birthday celebration for 4 of us that had birthdays in April.
Tamera our Mongolian student,  Sister Cherrington, Sister Miesasaki and Sister Tremea.

Sister Fuller did all the decorations.  Papa gave box sent from Aimee and Tammy to Brother and Sister Fuller and they hosted the party and picked up 2 cakes from Ted's Bakery.












We were the walk a-abouts at PCC.    The missionaries that worked with us sang to me at dinner. Never in all my dreams did I think at 70…. I would have a birthday while serving a mission at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Two cute students sang for us.

Thank you, thank you, for all the cards. the pretty dress (Tammy), the poem from Emily that made me cry, and all the wonderful thoughts of your love.   What a thoughtful fun way to spend a Birthday when I was able to give away all my favorite things.   The candy, whips, hand lotion, jelly beans and treats was fun to give away and everyone was excited to receive something.

Below is our friends at the Birthday Party at Elder and Sister Fullers home on the Point.

Our Missionary Friends from Left to right…Elder and Sister Tremea,  Elder and Sister Nielson, Elder and Sister Cooper, Elder and Sister Sessionsn, Elder and Sister Cardnal and Elder and Sister Fuller

Phtue in Wardrobe/Costumes also had a birthday on the 10th of April.  Sister Cooper made a cake and we had cake and ice cream together.  She has worked at the PCC for 35 years.  She turned 60 years old.  Oh, to be 60!!!  (Sister Cooper took this fuzzy picture!)  

                                                    Sister Tremea and Phtue

Kathy Helo and Phtue

Last week was a busy one in Costumes.  We made feather skirts and Lapa Lapa's and had to have 18 made in two days.  We were busy.  I did a good burn job on my arm while pressing them.  

We have been catching rats too……this is number 18 and 19!

We called these two Romeo and Juliet because we caught them in one trap together………

Needless to say, I have been using the disinfectant and cleaning up the place again.

On Friday a group of us from the office (11 to be exact) went to a funeral service for the mother of our boss Larry Yuen. We took a 12 passenger van and I was the designated driver.   The service was in Waipahu about 30 miles away in an LDS Chapel. Mrs Yuen was 89 years old, had 10 children, 36 grandchildren and 45 great grandchildren.  That would be quite a party when they all got together. One of her sons George Yuen lives in Eden Utah.  She came from a family of 14 children, she was Japanese and her husband was Chinese.  Wow what a legacy.

The viewing was held in the culture hall.  While we waiting in line waiting to see the family all kinds of sweets and small sandwiches were provided to us.  After the funeral service was held in the Chapel we were invited back into the culture hall and invited to eat lunch.  Again lots and lots of food, and really good food. Apparently this is the tradition in Hawaii, to provide food for all of the guests that attend a funeral.  Another tradition in Hawaiian funerals is that donations are made to the family in the form of cash and not flowers.  I guess this donation helps the family pay for all of the food.  

Today at church we brought a couple from St George, Bro and Sister Randle   They contacted us at the PCC Friday night and we asked them to join us today.  Their children were friends of Aimee and Scott's and their granddaughter Olivia is a friend of Maddie's.  We had many visitors because of graduation this week, unfortunately many of the students have already left so our meeting attendance for the summer will be small.    It was a bitter sweet Sacrament meeting.  Bishop Wasden was released and our new Bishop Liva sustained.  Bishop Liva is Samoan and seems to be a very humble man.  He works at the Temple and his wife works in the PCC Business office.  It will all be good, the Samoan students were excited and we have lots of them in the ward.  We will miss Bishop Wasden and his wife and family.  They have been a great example to the students and us as well.

It is wonderful to know that our Church is organized in such a manner that a new Bishop is selected to take over from an old Bishop and is given the Priesthood keys to manage the needs of each ward. He has been given the gift of discernment and he knows how to manage the needs of each member of his ward (Ohana, family).   The Lord is in charge of the operation of his kingdom on earth and will not let it go astray or fail.