July 27, 2014

This week has been hot and humid.  Probably the worst week we have had all summer.  Last Saturday night we had a big thunder and rain storm.  I have never heard thunder and lightening so close.  It shook the house and kept us awake most of the night.  Puddles and ponds were everywhere.  The rugby playing field at BYU was flooded.

Rugby Field

Some people had water in their homes.  It was warm and beautiful after, but has stayed humid and muggy all week.  The ocean was very dirty all week.  Would not be good week for vacation.  We had dead fish come ashore, and were asked to not go into the water because of the run off water that had mixed with the ocean.

Saturday we had shopping and needed to go to Honolulu to get new key replacement for the car.  On the way home we drove to Ko-Oliena to have lunch.  It was so busy we just stopped and ate by the golf course.  All the public parking was filled.  We had a good Mexican lunch by the train track and the golf course.

Home Evening was good this week.  Elder Bott talked to us about trials, troubles, temptations, a victory for the faithful.

Chinese Fable taken from the Journal of Discourses, Vol.5,p363, George Albert Smith, November 1, 1857.

This makes me think of an old Chinese fable.  A man travelling through the country came to a large city, very rich and splendid, he looked at it and said to his guide, "This must be a very righteous people, for I can only see but one little devil in this great city."

The guide replied, "You do not understand, sir.  This city is so perfectly given up to wickedness, corruption, degradation, and abomination of every kind, that it requires but one devil to keep them all in subjection."

Travelling on a little further, he came to a rugged path and saw an old man trying to get up the hill side, surrounded by seven great, big, coarse-looking devils.

"Why," says the traveller, "This must be a tremendously wicked old man!  Only see how many devils there are around him!"

"This,"  replied the guide, "is the only righteous man in the country; and there are seven of the biggest devils trying to turn him out of his path, and they all cannot do it."


A group of people from China came to Honolulu for a skin care conference.  Twenty of the group came to the Polynesian Cultural Center this week.  They participated in the PCC events and dinner. The China Club from BYU-H sang to them in Chinese at dinner.  Missionaries were arranged to give them the lessons.  They were taught the gospel in two days and all 20 were baptized here in Laie. Another group had stayed in Honolulu were also taught the lessons and they were all baptized.  In China we can not proselyte but when they leave China, as this group had done, they had been told about the gospel and wanted to be baptized before going back into China.  Some were exposed to the gospel by a family member, a friend or acquaintance but could not attend church there.  Now they are members, they can go back and be involved in the LDS Church in China.  Isn't it blessing how the Lord provides a way for the gospel to be given to the pure in heart.

We were able to spend an evening at the temple this week.  It was a beautiful night.   We went Thursday evening with the Coopers.  I dropped lots of names in the prayer box this time.  I can't  be there with you to give love and support any other way.

Grounds by the front of the temple

Elder and Sister Tremea

Elder and Sister Cooper

Hawaii Temple

We were asked again by the PCC to be mystery shoppers again.  Ron drove a van of six to Honolulu on Friday morning and divided up to go to the big Hotels and find out how they rated the PCC.  It was a beautiful day, but Ron had to drive and it would have been less stressful to just ride with someone else. We met in the parking lot at 8:00 am and it took us until 10:00 to get to Honolulu and find parking.  We only had three Hotels and were able to finish by noon.  We are getting pretty good at this now.  One hotel concierge  however, compared the Polynesian Cultural Center to Las Vegas, it is just a dinner and big extravaganza Vegas show.  We got to eat a Dukes Restaurant and came home by 4:00 pm.

A missionary Farewell was for Sister Cherrington this week.  She has been working in the Seamstress Room.  We had of course lots of food again and local ladies came and danced the hula.

Cathy and Sister Cherrington

Laie Days were this weekend.  Last night a tent and party was going on until midnight at the Foodland parking lot.  We could hear the band loud and clear until after midnight.  Today was the Laie Parade.  We went to the home town parade that lasted about 45 minutes and came home.

President Grace, daughter and granddaughter

Kahuku High School Football Team

Kakuku High School Football Team and Coach

Horses from Gunstock Ranch

Sister Cooper and I finally were able to get our pulatasi's remade in the Wardrobe Department.  Fitue brought them from Samoa and gave to us.  We had to remake, looked like children had sewn them. Maybe they had???

This is Grace and her little boy.  She is the mother to the girl I made the fire knife dress for.  We work with her in the Wardrobe Department

As a continuation of our FHE discussion with Elder Bott (former Mission President and Institute instructor) about a lesson on the Trials, Troubles, Temptations, and Victory for the Faithful.  He taught us some very interesting concepts. 

 A quote for Elder Packer hit the mark:  "the crucial test of life, I repeat, does not center in the choice between fame and obscurity, nor between wealth and poverty.  The greatest decision of life is between good and evil.  

We may foolishly bring unhappiness and trouble, even suffering upon ourselves.  These are not always to be regarded as penalties imposed by a displeased Creator.  They are part of the lessons of life, part of the test. All of the things we enjoy and even suffer through are part of the test, and there is more equality in this testing than sometimes we suspect. 

He also read a quote from George Q. Cannon, April 1899, "It is not for His (God) own knowledge for He knows all things beforehand.  He knows all your lives and everything you will do.  But he tries us for our own good, that we may know ourselves, for it is most important that a man should know himself. " 

Richard G. Scott, Nov. 1995, "Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly.  They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love."

We were taught much at this FHE and hopefully it will provide us some meaning as to why "Bad things happen to good people".  

Our Mission has nearly passed the 15 month mark and we will be coming home in November.  I hope we don't get "trunky" as the young Missionaries say.  We have lots of work still left to do and if we keep busy we won't need to get our bags packed until we come home.  

July 19, 2014

I have had the most frustrating week getting the blog out.  I had it completely finished and lost it.  It should have been saved numerous times, but somehow I deleted it.  So, I am at the do over stage.  I had just redone the week with Mark and Becky and family and will start this week.

On the 4th of July a tragic accident occurred.  Makenzie Lewis, from our home ward and Bishops daughter was on a razor at a family reunion in Oakley, Utah and was hit by a truck.  She is in the University of Utah Hospital in a coma.  We have been devastated.  Our hearts ache for the family.  We fasted and prayed for her Sunday and have had them in our thoughts and prayers all week.  Amazing with the modern technology, others in our Ward already new about the accident and were fasting for her on Sunday.  We pray for her recovery.  I am sure it has and will be a great impact on family and friends.

We have had a very busy week at the PCC.  The costume Department has been preparing for the Promo Team to travel to China for promotional purposes.  We have been making skirts, waistbands for grass skirts, dresses, beads and feathers for costumes.  For the last two weeks we have had the students working 39 hours instead of their usual 19 hours because of semester break.  We have had 8 students working with us.  They are very capable help.  Some of them know how to weave, braid and sew.  Raymond here made a dozen headbands.

Friday was the last day for the students to work the longer hours.  We decided to have a luncheon for them.  I made spaghetti sauce and spaghetti and Sister Cooper made bread sticks and dip for chips. We also had salad and cake.  The kids had to eat it with their gloved hands…..the party obviously turned out a success.  Food was all gone.

Elder Cooper and Elder Nielson brought their cart to help us carry food from car to the costume department.

Kara was first to try….she was very hungry.  She is from Australia.  Ohelo and little Serria in picture also.  Ohelo works in the laundry and is from Laie.

                                    Shana is from New Zealand and Beverly is from Japan

                                             Bistel is from Taiwan and Song is from China

            Betty from Hungary, Nalon from Hong Kong and Elder Tremea from St George, Utah

                                                  Orr is from Samoa and Saul is from Tonga

                           Bistel, Song Kaka and Sofie in the green shirt.  He is Kaka's husband.

The whole Gang…………

At our Family Home Evening this week the Tonga Family Sisters came and sang.  This is a family of seven girls and one boy.  The oldest girl is 16.  Baby is 4 months.  The boy is 4 and does not sing nor does the Father.  Both mother and father work.  The girls have been singing since they were four. They were really good.  You can hear them on You tube.   (The Tonga Sisters)  

We were working Thursday night and the Prince of Tonga came to eat at the Prime Dining.  He is 22, but looks older than that to me.  He was big!  Very big.  He also had an entourage with him.  We ate with him at the Prime Dining.  Later that night there was a dance in his honor.  I was wondering if he was looking for a wife.  

While working Thursday, I got to hold a co-worker's new grandson.  He is a Samon baby.  I could steal him.  He was fat and healthy and just 3 months old.  They have cute babies with the dark skin. Speaking of babies…I have told you Kaka is pregnant.  She went to Taiwan for a month this summer. Her parents didn't know she was pregnant.  They knew she was married.  Kaka's mother is so worried that the baby will have dark skin she went to a health food store and bought Kaka some pearl powder. She is to take it every day to make the baby white.  I thought this was pretty funny until I talked to the girls from China.  Apparently it is a custom in China too, to have white skin.  It is a sign of importance and wealth.  The dark skin shows you are a farm worker or someone lower in class.   These dark skinned babies are so pretty.  I covet their skin color.  It also gets darker in the sun.

We took a sister in our Ward to Honolulu on Friday to buy a car.  She needed some help getting the car and paper work.  Bishop Liva asked Papa and I to help her.  Her father had paid for car and we just took her to Hertz to buy it and pick it up.  She took her finance with her.  He is from India.  She is a girl from California.  He couldn't understand why she was paying $11,000 for a car.  That much money in India would buy house, car and more.  They are getting married in December.  It's going to be a interesting match for marriage.

Isaiah 65:24

"And it will come to pass, that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear. "

God is eager to answer; its just that all too often we don't ask."

May God be with you in your trials each day.  Remember to ask, and be grateful for the little miracles.

We love and miss you.

Nona and Papa 

July 6, 2014

The weeks keep marching by…sometimes I can't phat-om the day holding so much activity.  Mark and Becky were here last week with us.  We picked them up at the airport and when we took them back to the airport, I had the feeling we had just been there.

We enjoyed the week with them.  It was a week of fun filled hugs, talks, family memories and then church, visiting center, temple, beach, eat, pray, sleep and do it all over again the next day.

Pictures tell all, so here goes.  On the way home from the airport we stopped at the Dole Plantation and had ice cream.  Drove to Hale'iwa to see the turtles.  Lucky us, we were able to see three big turtles just resting on the beach.  Drove home and settled them into "George's House".  Then we all went to the Polynesian Cultural Center for Dinner.

Sunday we all went to church.  The kids drove over to the Temple and to the Visitor Center and came back for Sacrament Meeting.  We had small attendance today.  Many students have ventured home for the summer break.  We ate dinner at George's House.  Drove over to Turtle Bay and took pictures and watched the sunset on the grass.  The kids got to see where their cousin was married last August.

Turtle Bay Left to Right,  Mark, Becky,  Derek, Matt, Emily and Amanda

Monkeys at Turtle Bay

Monday the kids went snorkeling before going to the PCC.  We met them at noon and went to the PCC with them for the afternoon.  About 3:00 pm Matt got sick.  He was dehydrated and I had to bring him home.  He didn't like the water at George's house, and had not been drinking.  He was pretty sick for two hours.  The rest of the family stayed at the PCC and went to the Luau.  We went back over with Matt to see the Ha Show.

Feeding the fish on the lagoon

Tuesday the kids watched the soccer game then went surfing.  Taylor, the young missionary who is working at George's House met us at Castle Beach and helped the kids try surfing.  The waves were good and the water was beautiful.  After we went to Wiamia Falls and hiked.  Ate at Teds on the way home.

                                    Emily and Derek on the famous Sunset Beach

Wednesday we got up early and went to Pearl Harbor.  We didn't have tickets so we went early to hopefully get them.  We were able to get tickets for 2:00 pm.  We left and went to the Swap Meet for two hours, then went back to Pearl Harbor and saw the USS Missouri.  Then we went to see Pearl Harbor and went to see the submarine tour.  On the way home we stopped to see the Pali Lookout.  It was a full day.  We were tired!

Arizona Battleship monument

Below are pictures of the kids in the submarine called the "Bowfin"  This sub was built in 1942, saw lots of action in world war II and in the Persian gulf war.  It was named after a fish and was called a lucky ship, because it never was damaged and it sunk many, many enemy ships.  It housed 80 men and they were in very tight quarters.  The men took turns sleeping because of the space.  They called their beds "hot bunks" because the man coming off duty took the place of the man sleeping, and then they rotated.

Derek, Amanda, Matt and Emily in Submarine

Big smile on Amanda, she wants to be submariner

Tight fit for Mark

Thursday kids went early to the beach.  Then Becky and Emily wanted to see where I worked, so I took them to the sewing room and to Costumes.   Then we went to the Kuhuku Grill for lunch.  The kids loved it!

                                           Amanda and Matt with giant hamburgers………..

                             
                              Mark and Becky with their fish and coconut shrimp.

We worked at the PCC tonight and the family came over and met us after work and ate at the Island Buffet.  They went to some of the shows and movie that they didn't get to see on Monday.

Friday was the 4th of July.  We had the day off.  We drove on the North Shore to Wiama.  On the way back we stopped at the Kuhuku Cafe Farm and took the Ride on the Wagon thru the papaya farm.  We received a free smoothie made with the fruit we saw.  Yummy good…..

Our guide on farm tour

Getting ready to take tour

Papaya Grove

Above is a papaya grove.  Papaya are very fast growing trees, they produce for 3 years and then stop. They produce a crop in the first year and then keep growing up the tree.  The papaya starts at the bottom and end at the top.  They have to be picked at the right time to get good fruit.  The trees you see at the top are the 3 year old trees and in their last year.  After the last crop they will be bull dozed over and left to rot on the ground.  The tree trunks are hollow on the inside and decompose very fast. After they decompose they will disk them in and plant a new crop.  They like to rest the field for a couple of years.

                                           Elder Tremea likes being with the grand kids.

Our favorite, apple bananas

Each banana stock has one pod or blossom.  It produces many bananas.  As you can see some are ready to pick and others are very small just coming out of the pod to grow.  After the bud is finished the stock is cut down and another comes up at it's base.

The week quickly passes and we had a dinner and play night at the house together.  Saturday Emily and Derek got up at 5:00 am and hiked to Laie Falls.  It's a 6 mile hike.  They made it and were back about l0:00 am.  They wanted to eat at the Kuku Grill one more time before they left for home.  We stopped on the way to the Airport at the Nut Farm.  All to soon were hugs and good byes.  We already miss them.

Sunset from Turtle Bay.

We are so thankful for the blessings that come from having a family.  We love all of you and pray daily for your safety and health.

Have a good week.
Love and miss,
Nona and Papa