March 18, 2014

Lucky us our family arrived safely in the rain.  Mike, Tammy and kids arrived Saturday.  We met them at the car rental in Honolulu.  What fun to see them and get the hugs and smiles we have missed for so long.  We could tell they were excited to get started on their Hawaii fun.  Elle couldn't wait to get to the beach.  It was raining and we all wanted to get home and settled.  We drove all the way to Kahuku before we stopped for something to eat.  Elle was asking how much longer………Food is always good there.  We filled our tummy's with good food, attitudes changed and we were on our way home.   We helped settle them into George's house and how to find the secret  path to the beach.

                   Anna Jo with her favorite….a hamburger.  This was gone in less than 4 minutes!

                              Sam looks happy with his cowboy hamburger.   It quickly disappeared.

Sunday we still had a cloudy rainy day.  Weather changing and we prayed for good weather.  We all attended church.  The girls went to Relief Society with me and boys went to Priesthood meeting.  We skipped Sunday School lesson and drove to Temple Visitors Center.  We were greeted by the missionaries and the kids liked the hands on video's and information.  Also met friends and neighbors from St George.

Tremea Family

Sam and Anna Jo

Sam and Nona

We went back for Sacrament Meeting at the Heber J. Grant Building with the Student Ward.
Our Sunday Dinner was at George's house and Tammy used the china, with the background of the ocean.  Very nice.  The weather cleared up some so we drove to Turtle Bay and took some pictures of the grounds and ocean.  Michael was having pain in his neck and wasn't feeling well.
He struggled all week with neck and shoulder pain.   This picture is at Turtle Bay Cove.

 This was a great picture of everyone but Anna.  Pretty little Anna got caught by the wind…..but she was smiling.

The week flew by.  We now are reminiscing the good times with family.  Pictures tell it all.  We went from cloudy to beautiful sunny days and playing on the beach.  Monday the family was snorkeling and beach with dinner at the PCC.

Castle Beach

Castle Beach, best beach for body surfing and surfing

Anna after her surf lesson

Sam and Anna's surf instructor and Mike

Anna surfing and Tammy catching the wave

Beautiful sunny lazy day on the beach

Tuesday was a day at PCC,  dinner and the night show.  Wednesday paddle boarding, surfing and beach.  We worked that night and was to meet kids at Temple.  By the time we arrived the session was filled, Tammy was inside and Mike was sick.  First time we have ever been turned away at the temple.  A ward from Honolulu came and filled session just as we arrived. The temple was short workers that night and so we came home.   Thursday we went to Pearl Harbor in Walkers Van.  We stopped at the Pineapple Plantation and had ice cream.

Sam and Mom

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Dole Pineapple Ice cream 

Dole Pineapple Plantation

Sam climbing the palm tree

Elle climbing the palm tree

The week flew by and it was all too soon to take them back to the airport.   Lots of hugs and tears and goodbye.  Papa worked all week but I was able to spend more time with the kids.  We worked our evenings at the PCC too.  Time travels too fast.  We dropped them off at the airport where we had picked them up at the car rental and it was windy and starting to rain again.  We had a little week of tender mercies.  Good weather, good food, good times and good to be together.

We stopped at Costco and did our grocery shopping for the week and came home in the rain.  

Sunday was a busy day.  It was our Stake Conference.   Ron attended early Priesthood meeting and Conference started at 10:00 am.  We had two student speakers.  One from Mongolia who told us of her life and conversion to the Church.  She told how cold the winters are in Mongolia.  Their only activity was sledding.  Her father passed away when she was young, her mother had to work and left her brother, 8 years old to watch over her,  and her two younger brothers 2 and 3.  The brothers started a fire under their bed and burned the house down.  In 2002 they met missionaries and joined the church.   She has since kept a journal keeping her family stories.  She was encouraging everyone to start keeping a journal and writing down family stories and history.  The second speaker was a Tongan student.  He was brought up in a family that hated the church, so he too disliked the church.  He was always in trouble.  He went to an extended family party and met an Uncle who  was a bishop at the time and promised him if he changed his ways and joined the church, he would serve a mission, attend BYU-H and marry in the temple.  He told us he laughed, and thought this was funny.  Later he found he had no where to go in life, started to question his own friends and family.  He prayed, found his own testimony, joined the church, went on a mission, came back and attended BYU-H  and next month he will be married in the temple.   He told us how he'd found the gospel and true happiness.  

 Elder and Sister Snow from the Seventy were our guest speakers.   They talked about home teaching and it's importance in the Church.  Elder Snow stressed that our home teachers should seek to teach those families that really need help and not just the easy families.  Home Teaching is a Priesthood calling and in order to magnify that calling all of our families need to be taught.  Our young men in the ward have a hard time visiting all of their families, last month we reached 63% which is high in this stake.  We have 125 members in our ward so that means 59 members were missed.  Our goal is 100% but that seems unattainable, we need to keep trying to do better. 

Sister Snow talked about President Lorenzo Snow statement to  "Stick to the ship of Zion.    If boats come to the side, showing beautiful colors and making wonderful promises, do not get off the ship to go to the shore on any other boat; keep on the ship.  If you are badly used by any of those that are on the ship, who have not got the proper spirit, remember the ship itself is alright.  We should not allow our minds to become soured because of anything that the people on the ship may do to us; the ship is all right, and the officers are all right; and we will be right if we stick to the ship  President Lorenzo Snow said the ship will take you right into the land of glory."  

Papa and I want to tell our children and grandchildren how much we love them and to Stick to the ship of Zion.  Don't jump off nor listen to anyone who will pull you off the ship.  Watch out for those in the boat that want to jump ship. Help them to come back, but don't jump with them.  Stay in the protection and love of the gospel's boat and be safe.  You have wonderful parents to help you stay on board.  We don't want anyone to fall or jump overboard.   

We love you and know your boating experience.  Don't jump ship unless it's sinking!! Ha Ha.     

On Friday the PCC asked the Missionary couples to visit the hotels in Honolulu and talk to their concierges to determine if they are recommending the PCC as a site to visit for their hotel guests.  We were not to tell them that we were PCC Missionaries, but we acted as Hawaii travelers.  It was interesting because some of the concierges did not mention the PCC as a travel site, some of the reasons being, they are Mormon, they don't allow alcohol on the grounds and it takes all day. One said you had to row your own boat to each village.   Some of them said it was a must see when visiting Oahu.  The PCC management takes our information and visits each hotel and sells them on the benefits of the PCC and what it provides to the Hawaii tourist.  This is very important because if the attendance does not increase the Church will have to keep subsidizing the PCC to keep it solvent.  The PCC is the second largest referral system for the Church next to Temple Square in Salt Lake City.  The Church is very anxious to keep this wonderful organization going and to fulfill the prophesy of President David O. McKay.  We bought girl scout cookies from these cute little girls on our walk to the hotels.

Ron took me to Honolulu for a root canal.  That was an exciting day.  For the first time in three months I am starting to feel normal again.  I guess a bad tooth can make you feel awful for a long time.  Now I just have to have a permanent filling.   I hope the crown will be good until I get home.   This little experience cost $1, 229.00, and that's not counting the permanent filling.  Joys of staying healthy!

Have a good week, love you all.    

  

March 2, 2014

March 2, 2014

Today we have rain again!  The North Shore is supposed to have 35-40 foot waves.  Yesterday the ocean was flat.  No waves and so calm but last night the storm came in.  It's a grey day.  Good news for coming week however, sunshine is on the horizon.

It has been a busy week.   Two couples are leaving to go home and it was PCC workers appreciation week.  Between working and luncheons for missionaries and PCC workers I haven't had to prepare much food.  We made a run to Costco on Friday night and picked up food for other missionaries, our Student Ward Break the Fast today and supplies for George.  We came home tired after delivering to supplies and food to everyone.

Presidents Day the PCC and the Administration Office was closed.  We went with the Elder and Sister Harris and drove to Kolina Resort.  We saw the stingrays and the hammerheads and walked the lagoons.  It was a pretty day and many visitors and travelers with families.  The new Disney Hotel has opened and it was busy with many families.

The stingrays were so close we could touch them.

                          This one was looking pretty closely at us.  Eyes on both sides of his head.

This week was Employee Appreciation Week.  Many PCC workers were recognized for their years of service.  Fatai in seamstress has worked 25 years and Fatu from costumes has worked 35 years.  We had parties in each department and that always includes rice, chicken and beef.  Oh and all the deserts.  No way to diet here.

Fatai from Seamstress

Fatu and Grandchild

Sister Cooper shared a good recipe with us.  Fatai is a good cook and she tried it on her family.  She is single and lives with her mother, two sisters and two nephews.  They loved the pizza.  Fatai however is Polynesian and dropped three eggs on top of the pizza with the toppings.  This is normal for Polynesians to add eggs.  They often add eggs on top of rice.  Her family loved the pizza and request it almost every night.  I thought it might be a fun to share the recipe with you.  I have had the bread sticks and they are yummy too.  

Pizza Dough

1 TB yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, set aside

Stir together

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup warm water 

2 TB oil

Add yeast mixture.  Add 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups flour or more.  Let raise 30 minutes.  

Roll out on pan and add your own cheese and toppings.

Bake at 400 degrees until crust is brown.

 Check out the eggs!!!

Bread Sticks

Mix together:

1 1/2 cup hot water

2 TB sugar

2 TB yeast

4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Knead and let raise for 30 minutes.

Melt 1 cube (1/2 cup) butter in 9x13 pan.  Roll out dough in pan.  

Sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese on top.

Cut into strips with a pizza cutter.

Raise again.

Cook for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

My work in the morning at the Costume Department is next door to the Laundry for the Ha Show. Every morning the students do the wash for the next show.  It takes the girls four hours to do the wash.  Halo from Hawaii and Breece from the Philippine's are here working hard. We talk to them about work and school every day.  They are always hungry so we bring food.  I tried to take their picture but they were being silly and would not turn around.   I will have to snap a picture when they aren't expecting it.  

Playing around . . .

This week was a busy one for us.  After Family Home Evening Monday night I had a call from Keke. She wanted to talk.  I picked her up and she told me she was getting married tomorrow at noon.  She wanted Ron and I to be her Mom and Witness.  She had not told her parents because they wanted her to wait until she finished school to get married.  She and Sofie decided to get married and move into TVA apartment that was available.  She was moving in the night we talked.  

Tuesday at noon we met them at the temple.  No worries, no new clothes, no flowers or fuss, just two kids in love and wanting to do it right.  It was a nice short temple ceremony.  After we took a few pictures and hugged them both.  We went back to work.  They were having a cookout at their apartment that night and invited us.  I took a heaping platter of fruit and we went.  The volleyball team was there and a few friends and their Bishop and wife.  Sofie was cooking a bucket of meat on the grill.  The cooked meat was placed into another bucket to serve.  All was good.  They looked happy.   Keke told me later in the week she had told her parents.  I was glad she decided to tell them.  

Hawaii Temple Keke and Sofie March 4, 2014

This was a busy week for us.  We were working days and worked three nights at the PCC.  We were trying to save time for family next week and work more this week.  Mike, Tammy and family are coming on March 8, Saturday.  We were working at Prime Dining when Elder Tremea made a new friend from China.  He was very chatty and wanted a picture together.  I was wearing matching dress but he only wanted Papa in the picture with him, go figure!  

This week we entertained rain every day.  Only ones not soaked were the ducks at PCC.  They were happy with all the rain and easy worms.  

The flower blooming this month at the PCC is the Red Caribaea. It  is the largest heliconias in the world.  I see it used in landscaping because the stocks are tall and leaves are big.  They make good borders and are used in floral arrangements.  They will last in arrangements for a month or more.

We had three birthdays this month and celebrated them all in one party.  Eliza, Roger and Odma birthdays were cause for a breakfast party.  Roger turned 50, Eliza is 42 and Odma is 26.  Oh to be young again.   Notice the rice cooker….always rice, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Birthday kids,  Odma, Roger and Eliza

We are so blessed to be able to share time with the people here.  Sometimes I forget how wonderful it is to be among them.  It's more than 95 percent Latter Day Saints here in Laie with BYU-H and the community.  I really think our mission is two fold.  First to love and serve at the PCC and second to encourage, lead and help the young students to live the gospel everyday.  The Lord blesses each day. I feel his love and see the tender mercies he has blessed us and our family with.

We love each of you, 

B good….Love, Nona and Papa  

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

February 5, 2015

The last two days with the Barton's were busy and fun.  Friday I watched Sarah while Scott, Aimee Maddie and Jake went to the temple to perform baptisms with our Student Ward.  After they were back I took them to the Polynesian Cultural Center to see where Papa and I worked.  We had to hurry because Maddie had a surfing lesson at 10 am.  Everyone liked the beach the best I think.

We knew Joe who is now working part time at George's house were they stayed.  He is from California and loves to surf.  He will graduate this spring.  Papa asked him if he would be willing to give Maddie a surf lesson and he agreed.  Scott wanted to have one too, but I think Maddie got the best lesson.  She was thrilled.  The kids stayed at the beach all day.  I think they had their fill of sun and beach today.

Maddie's Surfing teacher….Joe.  She did get up and surfed!!!  She said she saw a big turtle with baby out surfing!

Beach to ourselves, Aimee Sarah and Jake enjoying the waves.

Maddie's soft sand ball

Papa's new Missionary Exercise!

Turtle carving on the beach

Beach day over…clean off the sand!

We went to dinner with Scott and Aimee. Tonight we had curry chicken.  We were told about this little Fiji Grocery Store off the side of the road.  Little hole in the wall, but turned out pretty good. Week has rapidly passed and was all too soon to pack up and go home.  We took them back to Airport and had some teary goodbyes.

Last Day at the PCC…..we will miss the Grandchildren.

Barton Family Hang Loose...

 
Last week the students were all excited because it was the Chinese New Year.  Foods and parties were talked about on campus.  We were invited to Sarah and Wade's home for dinner.  It was a good evening with them.  Baby Tyler has grown so much, he is 20 pounds and only 3 months old.  His legs and arms were plump.  Wade's mother is still here from China and has been helping with baby while the parents are both going to school.  She doesn't want to leave but her visa expires in April.  If they fly home for just one day they can renew their visa for another 6 months.  Crazy to think it is that easy to stay in America.  She has asked to take the baby home so the kids can finish school, but I don't think that will happen.  Dinner was dumplings, vegetables, chicken wings, and some kind of rolled ball with a gooey sweet taste.  They kept asking if we liked.  Oh, and we were taught to eat with chop sticks which was fun.  They had purchased some small chop sticks that were easier to eat with.  It was nice evening.  Both Sarah and Wade are only children.  Sarah had an adopted sister when she was eight, but Wade is from long line of male children only.  Father, grandfather, great grandfather.  Sarah is first generation joining church.   Wade's family have been members for awhile. Sarah came to Hawaii to go to school and lived with a single lady there.  She was LDS and helped her get in school.  She took to church and Sarah meet with the missionaries and later joined the church.  Her parents are not members.  They are supportive to her and her husband and family here.  She said she has work to do when she gets back to China.  They still have two years of school.

We were working last week and had a nice surprise.  Kelly and Claudia Clayton were at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  We were taking tickets and got to talk to them. They updated us on their family and the Ward at home.  They were here on a conference trip.  We were happy they stopped to see us.

Claudia, Sister and Elder Tremea and Kelly Clayton

Work last week seemed long.  It's hard to take time off and then go back to the normal work week. Papa has Church Auditors here for the week and he has been busy.  We are sewing shirts and mending costumes.  We also do that glue gun thing….if we can't mend it we glue it.  Cathy, our boss, came in today and had been to the store first.  We noticed a hole in her pants and she had been to store, and around PCC and campus.  Well, we fixed it for her with tape, couldn't hardly use the glue gun on this one, and the material was too thin.  Pants needed a good patch job.  We are also making these sunny yellow headbands for the Ha Show. 

Boss Cathy's taped pants

Costume Department, headbands for the show

Boss Cathy's make shift kitchen!  She is making soup.  I just put clean cover on ironing board!!!  Notice electric plug.

Tuesday Bob and Dareth Anderson flew over to see us from Maui.  We picked them up at the Airport at 9:00 am.  We drove them to Laie to go to the PCC.  The day was a wet one.  It rained all day.  We stopped in Haleiwa for breakfast at the Cafe Haleiwa.  It was a small little surf cafe, but very good. We stopped at Teds for malasadas and then home.  I took them to the PCC and got ponchos for them to battle the rain.  Everyone has a good time at the PCC rain or shine.  The shows go on even if it rains.  I think they enjoyed all the villages and shows.  We worked taking tickets at Prime Dining and took them to dinner with us after.  They couldn't stay for the Ha, Breath of Life Show because their flight was at 9:45 pm.  We drove them back to the airport.  Today we drove around the Island twice.

Ocean walk in the rain.

Turtle Bay 

Ron had a treat last Saturday, our P-day.  Some of the guys asked him to go golfing with them.  He was gone almost 6 hours golfing 18 holes.  They went to Turtle Bay.  Some pictures of the course are below. He had good time, borrowed some clubs and didn't do too bad.  He hasn't golfed for 9 months. He kept up with all of them, except Brent Przybille, true blue golfer from Canada.

Turtle Bay Golf Course

Elder Przybille

Tough Course?

Golf Course

Sunday was Fast Day.  We have decided to take a different class and support one of the students who has started a Family Search Class.  I think we will like it.  We lack names and dates on the Church Files.  Looks like there is much to do.  We might have you send us some information if we continue.  The students are very quick to help everyone on the computer.  Our ward also has a class after church for indexing.  

Sacrament Meeting was spiritual meeting.  The girls bore testimonies first and the boys all finished up strong.   The students are from so many different cultures, places and each try to express their testimony in English.  We can understand why some are shy and struggle at school with culture and English.

We had Break the Fast with all the Missionaries Sunday after church.  Sherelene and I ended up washing all the tablecloths this time.  Lucky me, Papa took them up to George's washer.  It would take me all week to wash 10 tablecloths.   That's the perks of talking to George about the house problems every day.  I am beginning to think they are good friends already.

Today is Wednesday and we just got back from the Temple.  We went to the 7:00 pm Session.  Next week we are going to go earlier.  It was good Session.  The officiator was Papa's golfing buddy.   He is a small Samoan with big smile and so kind to us.  Tonight when I looked around the room we were surrounded by every color, shape and size people.  It was a touch of heaven.

Hawaiian Temple

 That's all for now.  It's after ll:00 pm and I have to get up and go early.  Be good and do something good every single day.  The Church is true, keep living and reading your scriptures.    We pray for you,  sometimes, morning, noon and night, just to make sure you are covered.

Love you.