Kona May 21-27

                                         Living on the side of a volcano!

Our 'New' Ride

                                        Elders Avens, Brooksby and Elwood for dinner

Kona May 21 – 27

Auwe! Where has the time gone? Another busy week has passed and it’s Sunday again.  We have been on our mission for almost a month and it seems like forever and yet, time has passed so quickly because we are enjoying the work and the people around us so very much.  We miss the family but being able to email, talk and text makes the family seem much closer than 3000 miles away!

Monday was another special day to honor the service of Elder and Sister Horton and we were invited to join.  This was a breakfast held in the North Kohala area at the Mauna Lani estates hosted by a family that live here part time. There were a small group of 12-14 members who, of course, all brought food to add to the menu.  Once again we were given the opportunity to try some new Polynesian dishes.  There was enough food to feed three times the number of guests present and we were all given bags of food to take home with us at the end.

Have you ever eaten taro Malasadas or ‘Otahiti (sp?)? ‘Otahiti is a combination of diced watermelon, fresh shredded coconut and coconut milk served in a cup from a hollowed out watermelon. It’s eaten with a spoon until the watermelon and coconut is gone then drank like a fruit juice. I think Carolyn really enjoyed this Tongan dish because she not only had several helpings there but consumed the bags we brought home as well.

Tuesday was the beginning of an exciting week at the temple! We had been training on the Temple Scheduling System (TSS) since we arrived but on Tuesday morning we switched to the new Temple Scheduling Program (TSP). This is a much more powerful, online scheduling system that will eventually save us many hours of work and greatly improve the accuracy of scheduling.  Carolyn was just getting an inkling of how to use the old TSS and now has had to start leaning a totally new system.  By the end of the week, we have come to appreciate the improved capabilities but still have much more to learn.

Speaking of learning, we started split shifting with the Horton’s on Thursday. We now serve on the morning shift and they serve in the evening.  This allows us a little more time off since we are there only 7-9 hours each day. Once the Horton’s leave on June 5^th, we will be on double shifts until the new Missionary couple arrive, which may not be until mid-August. Carolyn has found the phones to be a challenge, with up to three lines ringing at the same time.

We continue to meet warm and wonderful people in the temple.  Word seems to have spread about my desire to learn Hawaiian because a number of workers and patrons alike either try to test me or to add to my vocabulary. This is all in the spirit of love and I feel blessed by their assistance.

On Thursday, we purchased our “new” car form the Horton’s! it has been a very good car so far although we do miss the air conditioning when we are driving near the coast where the temperature is in the upper 80’s.  Our apartment is above the 1400 foot level so we enjoy cool evenings and pleasant sleeping conditions. It rains almost every night at this elevation and last night we fell asleep listening to the rain fall at a ferocious rate of maybe 2 inches an hour.

Since we also live on the side of the largest mountain in the world, getting exercise is easy…just walk down to the mailbox and back.  Although that is only a short 1/8^th of a mile roundtrip, it is up and down the roads in the complex that are maybe at least on a 15 degree slope.

I think that President and Sister Heinzen (1^st Counselor) are concerned we may not be getting enough to eat because they bring us fresh bananas and avocados every week. The avocados weigh more than a pound and we have nearly thirty bananas that are beginning to ripen nearly all at once.  We will need the Banana Bread recipe from home, ice cream and toppings to keep ahead of the bananas.

Our love of the Gospel and temple service continues to grow with each passing day.  The Presidency has been a joy to work with and since we are almost always short of ordinance workers, they pitch right in and do everything necessary to make sure the patrons have an enjoyable experience in the temple. One of the Counselors was vacuuming the hallway the other evening setting the example that there is no insignificant service in the temple. 

Sister Mossman, the Temple Matron, continues to challenge and teach me Hawaiian.  I want to leave you with a scripture in Hawaiian she gave me that you will have to look up in your English version to enjoy.

D&C 19:23

E a’o me a’u Ho’olohe I ko’u ‘olelo Holo iloko I ka ha’aha’a I ka ‘uhane a e maile Kau.

We love you all!

Kona May 16 - 20

Bunch of Bananas from Presidnt Heinzen







                                                                             Kona Temple at 6 AM

Kona May 16 -20

Aloha Auinala I ka Pule ka la! Good Sabbath day afternoon!

I’m in our office looking out of the window at a few houses surrounded by trees and lots of shrubs and bushes. I see papaya trees loaded with green papayas, palms and a lot of Coffee trees. There is a brilliant flash of red as a Cardinal flys from tree to tree. The name of our condo complex is the Kona Coffee Villas. We are surrounded by coffee plantations that are very dark green and quite pretty to look at.  I’ve been assured by our Temple President that it’s OK for missionaries to live here!
This past week has been very busy for us but also very satisfying to our spirits. Some days are long, arriving at the Temple shortly after 6 AM and leaving about 10 PM.  We do get a couple of hours break in the early afternoon to eat and rest before the early evening sessions begin. I believe we have been in the temple more than 47 hours last week.

We have learned so much this past week from Elder and Sister Horton.  We are so grateful for their patience and instruction.  There is always something new to learn.  We have been introduced to the Ordinance Workers by the Presidency in eight different preparation meetings. Being introduced means we were asked to stand and share our Mo’olelo or story about who we are and why we wanted to come to the Kona Hawaii Temple to serve our mission. In addition, we have been able to bear our testimony and express our love for temple work and for these wonderful people.  The expression of my desire to learn the Hawaiian language and to be able to bear my testimony in Hawaiian is always met with smiles and expressions of support.  I now have at least ‘elua kumu, two teachers, Sister Mossman and Sister Bean!

I was set apart on Thursday by President Mossman as the Assistant Recorder.  We were set apart as Ordinance Workers last Saturday and have been able to serve in this capacity a number of times because sometimes they are short of workers.  This has been a real joy to serve again and gives us a break from the ‘fire hose’ of learning in the office.  The workers and patrons alike are so happy and wonderful to associate with during our time in the temple. We have been given a hug and kiss on the cheek so many times this past week; we are quickly learning to greet everyone the same way.

My duties as Assistant recorder have expanded greatly from the responsibilities I had in Boise.  I can now clean the font, vacuum carpets, replace light bulbs in the chandeliers, and lock the gates. Since the missionary couple assigned to be the Assistant Engineer are not here yet and may not be here until mid-August, I also get to monitor all the temperature levels in the rooms, and visually inspect the pumps, valves and gauges under the font. Monitoring all this from a separate computer display on my desk helps me watch the Ph level, temperature and water safety in the font. Also, I was told that when two of the Presidency are off Island and the other member of the Presidency is visiting another part of the Mokupuni Nui, Big Island, I will have a key to use in case of an emergency while the temple is closed.  Please pray for the safety of our temple!

Carolyn is learning all kinds of new things in the office from retrieving prayer roll names from the voice mail, to scheduling appointments and record verification of members coming to the temple for the first time. We have been training on the temple scheduling system but on Tuesday we will switch to a new Temple Scheduling Program!  So far, results from our initial testing indicate the new system will save us virtually hours of time while improving accuracy.

We love our Presidency, the Matron and her Assistants!  They are such warm and loving people.  Everyone has made us welcome and part of the Kona family.  Our testimonies have grown as we have grown in the work of the Lord here in the Kona Temple. I ka inoa no keiki hemolele Iesu Kristo. Amene!

Kona 5/14 -5/15

                                      View from the Mansion overlooking Kailua Kona

Kona May 14 -15

First, just a note from Sunday evening!  We were invited by President and Sister Mossman to join Elder and Sister Horton for dinner at their home in Kona.  This was a wonderful recap for the Sabbath and Mother’s Day with a special evening with our Temple President and his wife.  They were the perfect hosts, which says a lot because the Hawaiians always make you part of the family in about 2 seconds.  We enjoyed hearing about their family and careers in and out of the church.  President Mossman is a former District Court Judge and Sister Mossman was an entertainer, singer and dancer in hotels in Maui for the tourists. They are a very spiritual and gracious couple.

The missionaries we are replacing, the Horton’s, also proved to be a strong example of the gospel and of service.  One surprise was that Sister Horton was an expert in stained glass! Her accomplishments, as part of a company in Salt Lake, include many of the temples.  Her story was inspiring and she will be returning to her work after they conclude their mission. Remarkably, she is a volunteer!

Monday evening, we were invited to a Malama Pono to recognize the Horton’s for their service in the Kealakekua Ward and the temple.  Malama Pono is Hawaiian for caring for each other and is put on by the Relief Society sisters.  Because of the unexpected death of an elderly man that the Horton’s had been fellowshipping shortly before the dinner and program began, Elder Horton was not able to attend.  Along with one other husband, I was the only other man in the group.

This activity was held at the home (read Mansion) of a church member who built the homes (2) on the slopes of the Hualalai volcano overlooking Kailua Kona and Kailua Bay.  I only had my phone to take pictures, which was unfortunate because the views were spectacular and the sunset produced the fabled “green flash!” The house or really two houses connected by elevated walkways were built by an elderly couple.  One ‘house’ was designed for the couple as a master bedroom, dining area and other rooms…probably over 2000 square feet of hardwoods, rock and soaring ceilings.  The other ‘house’ was built for the kids and grandkids and was even larger.  Someone said the monthly maintenance of the houses and grounds was over $20,000 PER MONTH!

This was a Hawaiian ‘pot luck’ dinner with dishes like poi, kalua pork, Hawaiian sweet potatoes, fried reef fish, fresh .pineapple, wonderful salads, baked ham with orange marmalade/mustard relish, Sushi and finished with purple sweet potato tart topped with a coconut custard pudding!  I tried everything but the reef fish, which Carolyn did try it and said it was very mild and good and the Sushi!  This turned out to be the finest “Hawaiian” dinner we’ve eaten.  Our donation, which was very well received, was western Idaho beans and ground beef!

Following dinner, we had a Home Evening lesson from Sister Bean, the Relief Society President, based on Elder Dallin H. Oakes address at the last General Conference.  In the middle of the lesson, Sister Bean got out her Ukulele and the entertainment began. Oh my! We sang, played traditional Hawaiian percussion instruments, and some of the sisters danced the Hula!  Even Sister Horton was brought into the act and was taught the hand moves and swaying of the Hula.  Turns out that four of theolder sisters had been performers’ way back when the ships brought tourists to Kona.  They all were a joy to watch and listen to the songs all the way from the Hawaiian War Chant to the Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua Hawaii. We were, after all, members of the Kealakekua Ward!
Malama Pono was a wonderful, joyous activity with the spirit of Aloha and the teachings of the Savior all equally represented by the love of these sisters.  We were truly blessed by the love and harmony of Aloha!  Carolyn was put on notice that her turn to dance would come at a Malama Pono when we leave the islands!

Today was a long day at the temple!  We got up at 5 AM and arrived at the temple at 6:15 for our shift. It was another day of ‘fire hose’ training from the Horton’s.  Since there is not another missionary couple to handle the Assistant Engineer duties, we get to do things that are not normally part of the Assistant Recorder or Office Assistant duties.  Never thought I would be learning how to manage the Ph balance in the font or be monitoring air handler flows in the 6 zones of the temple to make sure everyone is comfortable.  Carolyn is having similar learning experiences in the office with scheduling, answering phones, recording and a couple of dozen other tasks!

After a 3 hour break around 1 PM, we returned to the temple to help on the afternoon/evening shift.  They finally kicked us out a little after 9 PM tonight.  So far this has not been a vacation but it is so much more.  All the ordinance workers are so loving and welcoming.  I’m sure we have never been hugged and kissed on the cheek by more brothers and sisters in all our lives!

We continue to love and enjoy the work. Wednesday will be a lighter day but the learning will continue.  The spirit of the temple is so uplifting and we are so blessed by being here!

Sister Mossman, the matron, is helping me learn Hawaiian.  One of the phrases she gave me today seems appropriate…”E maka’ala mai I ka hana no ke Akua I ka Hale la’a.” “Be vigilant in the work of God in the Temple.”

Kona May 11 - 13

Kona May 11-13

Finally had time to hook up the laptop to the network so now we can share our wonderful experiences with you! 

Friday was our travel day to the Islands and it was an adventure!  The short version will have to suffice…left Salt Lake on time and arrived in Los Angeles (LAX) as planned.  First change was that we changed planes which we did not expect to have to do.  In the airport, moving to the next gate we met many members who either gave us knowing smiles to stopping and asking if we were coming or going.  Met 3 returning missionaries from South Korea who stopped and asked where we were serving and expressed the usual “Aaahhh… that will be great!” They expressed their appreciation for all senior missionaries.

Next we were stopped by a Sister Missionary on her way home for her daughter’s wedding.  She has been serving in the Guatemala Temple and was returning in a few days after the wedding.  She was going to be the companion to Sister Dick from our group and was looking forward to working with the Brinton’s that were also part of our group at the MTC.  Small world? Oh yeah!

We left the gate on time but had to be pulled back to the gate to fix a problem with the air conditioning in the cockpit.  My suggestion that the pilots open a window seemed to fall on deaf ears!  We left and arrived in Kona 5 hours late! While on the plane, Carolyn sat next to a young lady from France.  She and about 9 others were traveling to Kona for a week-long conference on Gravitational Waves. Ok, we don’t know exactly what that means either but she was a very engaging young 24 year old who was obviously very smart.  She had heard of the “Mormons” and Carolyn told her about the church and the temples.  During the flight, several people stopped by to see if we were coming or going.  One sister was traveling to be with her brother and mother because her sister had died of a heart attack on Thursday.  Her brother and mother were taking the loss very hard and she was going to be with them.  Her brother was a returned missionary but had gone inactive for a number of years.  She gave us the information about him and we have put their names on the prayer rolls and gave the information to the missionaries to contact him.  When you are on a full time mission, that little badge we wear draws a lot of notice, so far all positive!

We were met by Sister and President Mossman at the airport with an Orchid Lei greeting! They are so sweet and loving we look forward to serving with them.  We finally met Elder and Sister Horton at the temple and they took us to our condo in a pouring rain.  They were so kind and helpful to us.  By the time we got some orientation and about 70% of our bags unpack we were exhausted.  The time was nearly 5:00 AM Mountain Time when we got to bed.  Long day!

Saturday was our first day in the temple.  We were set apart as Ordinance Workers by President Heinzen the First Counselor. President Mossman was in Oahu for meetings and will set me apart as Assistant Recorder on Wednesday.  Followed was a wonderful full morning of introductions, training by the Horton’s, and even participating in baptisms with a youth group then cleaning the Baptistery!  We were given most of the afternoon off to do some shopping and finish getting settled in our new home. After we gave it up around 9:30 in the evening, we had improved the economy in Kona considerably!

Another blessing of being a missionary is the recognition and welcome by members wherever we go, from Denny’s at breakfast, to Costco and Wal-Mart in the evening. The wonderful thing about the Aloha spirit is that most members give us a big hug whenever they greet us.  Never mind that we are complete strangers, we are part of the family in about 5 minutes!! The members of the church are incredible!! We think that is one of the reasons we love the islands so much.

This morning our Sacrament Meeting started at 9:00 and we were made welcome by members and visitors alike.  We met our friends, the Thompsons, who introduced us to Hawaii way back in 1982! Now we are back in the same ward. 

President and Sister Mossman have invited us to their home this evening for Tacos! The Horton’s will be joining us and we will all get to know each other better. Monday is “P-Day” and the Horton’s will be helping us get everything transferred from them to us.

We send you our love and testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We love our Savior and are so blessed to be sent to this beautiful land and people.  Thanks or even Mahalo Nui Loa hardly seems adequate to express our feelings and appreciation to the Lord!

MTC Last Day May 10, 2012

                       Leaving the Provo Temple for our mission!

MTC May 10, 2012

It was another wonderful day in the Provo Temple or at least half a day.  Elder and Sister Hammond gave more beautiful instruction on temple ordinances then we were given to opportunity to attend an Endowment session.  We have so enjoyed Elder and Sister Hammond’s instruction, testimony and sweet spirit over the last three and a half days.

Just before lunch, Elder Larry Gibbons from the Seventy talked to us about the wonderful service of being a missionary and especially being a missionary in the temples.  He taught us from the scriptures and with his testimony.  In visiting with him after his teaching, we indicated we had served in the Boise Temple for more than 12 years and asked about the rededication.  He smiled and said “this year!”  He further indicated that he would see us in August in Kona. We have been so blessed these past 10 days at the MTC and the temple.

Rod and Mary picked us up at the MTC and we were able to visit with the Zoe, Caden and Rowen for a little while before they brought us to Jeremy’s where we will spend tonight before catching our flight to Hawaii.  We missed Baxter because of school testing he was taking.

Tomorrow starts a new phase in our mission.  The preparation to serve defies description.  Our testimonies and knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has grown so much.  We are anxious to serve but we will miss our fellow temple missionaries as we scatter across the world to serve the Lord in ten different temples.  We have grown to love them and have enjoyed our service together.

The Kona Temple President and Matron will meet us at the airport tomorrow afternoon and we will be set apart that evening at the Temple.  The Lord has blessed us so much and we know He will bless all our family as we serve our Mission.  We are grateful for our call and have a firm testimony of the divine nature of that call.

MTC Day 10 May 9, 2012

              Our wonderful Temple Missionary Group with Elder and Sister Hammond in the middle.

MTC May 9, 2012

It is our last full day at the MTC and temple training.  We had the opportunity to serve as patrons in the Initiatory and Sealings today in addition to training by Elder and Sister Hammond and the Temple Engineer.  It has been a blessing to discuss sacred temple ordinances and temple operations in such a spiritual setting.

All our suitcases are packed and weighed to make sure we don’t pay any more for our checked luggage than the $120 for the four bags.  We try to get our money’s worth so three out of the four weigh between 45 and 48 pounds each.

Tomorrow concludes our training in the temple with an Endowment session and a visit from a General Authority.  We will miss the MTC and the Provo Temple but we are excited to travel to Kona where we will finally meet President and Sister Mossman and Elder and Sister Horton.

We will have a last visit with Rod and his family tomorrow and won’t see them until they come to Hawaii to celebrate Christmas and New Years with us in Kona...our first reservation for ‘Mission Aloha B 'n B. We are now taking reservations for the Mission Aloha B 'n B so get your preferences to us soon!!

Rod will take us to Jeremy’s for an overnight visit with his dear family then Jer will take us to the airport to leave for Kona on Friday morning! 

We will be met in Kona by President and Sister Mossman, have dinner, then later meet in the Temple to be set apart for our new calling.  We’re excited to meet them and to finally meet Elder and Sister Horton who we will replace.  Saturday morning we report for duty and our real mission will begin in earnest.

Friday will be a long but happy day for us and there may not be a ‘post’ until Sunday.  Be assured you are in our thoughts and prayers! E pili mau na pomaika’i ia ‘oe (may blessings ever be with you)!

MTC Day 9 May 8, 2012

MTC May 8, 2012

The end of another day at the MTC is fast approaching!  We spent the majority of the day at the Provo Temple being taught by Elder and Sister Hammond.  This was a very special day for us because we were permitted to review the sacred ordinances of the temple in a way we had never before been given.  This gave us new insight to just how special the ordinances of the temple are and we look forward to arriving in Kona on Friday.

As part of our training, we were taught by the Temple Recorder, Brother Jensen.  I could identify with much of his comments and am looking forward to serving as the Assistant Recorder in Kona.  I’m sure there will be new things to learn that will fill our time in the office.  We also hope to serve as ordinance workers if the President approves.

We were also given an overview of the laundry operation.  This might not sound too glamorous but we learned the Provo Temple Laundry washes, on average, 10,000 pounds (dry weight) of clothing every day. Now that’s a lot of washing!  The tour ended with all of us folding and sorting clean clothes.

One of the Elders in our group that lives nearby brought his camera today and took a wonderful group picture of all of us in front of the temple.  As soon as he emails it to us, we will post it so you will be able to see these beautiful senior missionaries that are going to serve in holy temples around the world.

Tomorrow, will be another day in the temple serving as patrons for most the day.

This evening we were spiritually treated to a Devotional with Elder and Sister D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  Again, the singing of the prelude music was so incredible and spiritually uplifting.  The last hymn was “Called to Serve” and the 2,000+ Elders and Sisters really put great power into their voices as we stood when Elder Christofferson came into the auditorium.

Sister Christofferson taught about the importance of developing a genuine love of the people in your mission.  Having this love will bring about the opportunity for conversion more than most everything else.

Elder Christofferson taught from the scriptures about the Doctrine of Christ and the unity of the Godhead.  You can be spiritually fed by studying 2 Nephi 31:5-21, 3 Nephi 11:31-41, and 3 Nephi 27:13-20.  You will not only have a greater understanding of the Doctrine of Christ but you will also gain an understanding of the roles of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  We will be sad to leave the MTC.

We leave you with this phrase in Hawaiian…E pili mau na pomaika’i ia ‘oe! May blessings ever be with you!

MTC Day 8 May 7, 2012

                                        View of the Provo Temple from our room at the MTC
      

MTC May 7, 2012

Today began our training at the Temple.  Elder and Sister Hammond, Coordinators of Temple Missionary Training, conducted the session which featured a review of all the ordinance training films used in the temple.  This was a great refresher course for us. One of the Area Directors from the Temple Department who oversees about 40 temples in Mexico and South America was on hand to answer any questions. This made us all the more excited to get back into the Temple and serve!

Our afternoon session was held at the MTC and we were given the opportunity to introduce ourselves and tell our ‘Story.’  This was a wonderful opportunity to learn about each other, our families, our church service, how we met, and where we were going to serve.  We were also treated to a 10 minute version of the film “Between Heaven and Earth.”  This was a great preview and we would like to see the full 44 minute version.

Today was arrival day for 81 Senior Missionaries!   We know by week's end they will have had the spiritual experience of a lifetime!!  We can hardly believe we have been here a week already, only 2 ½ more days at the MTC! 

MTC Sunday May 6, 2012

MTC Sunday May 6, 2012

It has been a wonderful Sabbath here at the MTC!  Our day started with Fast and Testimony meeting at 8:00 until 9:00. We are in Branch 43 consisting of senior members with last names beginning with A-L.  There were also 35-40 young missionaries attending as well.  The opening prayer was in one of the Asian languages, the Sacrament Prayers were in Hungarian, and a special musical number, “The Spirit of God,” by 2 Elders and a Sister Missionary were also in Hungarian.  Their harmony was beautiful!

Among those bearing their testimonies was my beautiful bride, who gave a strong and uplifting testimony of missionary work, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and of Jesus Christ as our Savior.

At the end of testimony meeting we hurried to the Auditorium for a Mission Conference from 10:00 – 12:00.  I am so impressed with the reverence of all 2500 of us singing three hymns of prelude music before the meeting starts.  What a spirit of reverence comes to all! I confess that during the last hymn, “The Spirit of God,” I had tears running down my cheeks. It might be a good plan for Wards to involve members in singing hymns for prelude music, maybe people would get there earlier and enjoy reverence more abundently.

Sister Sonne,  District President Sonne’s wife, spoke on Testimony.  She related sitting near President Hinckley during a Regional Conference.  She noticed he had a rather peculiar 3-ring binder and was making notes during the meeting.  When his turn came to speak, he started by saying that he had another talk prepared but had been prompted to speak on a different subject.  He then gave what he called “The Six Pillars of Testimony.”

1.       God the Eternal Father lives.

2.       The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the greatest event in human history.

3.       The Book of Mormon is sacred scripture and testifies of Christ’s Divine mission.

4.       The Priesthood has been restored by those who held the Priesthood anciently.

5.       Temple work…born of water and spirit, live to come to the Temple.

6.       Grow the Church…membership is a great blessing.

What are the Pillars of your testimony? My testimony has been greatly enlarged this week!

The other speakers gave inspiring messages and included MTC Counselor President and Sister Nally and MTC President and Sister Brown.  Two Sister Missionaries performed a flute duet of “Be Still My Heart” that brought a swelling of the heart and a powerful testimony of music.

I was struck by a thought that…time slows when the spirit is present. There was such an outpouring of the spirit in those two hours of the Conference.

We had dinner from 4:30-5:20 then to a Departure Devotional attended by all missionaries that would be departing the MTC in the coming week. President Brown called for the missionaries from the various countries around the world to stand and be recognized. He first called the international missionaries in which he included Hawaii to recognize us. He then called for the U.S. missionaries so I guess we are serving a foreign mission!  The messages from the MTC Presidency centered on what makes a successful mission.  Find joy is serving the Lord…

D&C 128:22
22 Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward.  Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad.

It’s 6:30 and we are off to the Auditorium for a Fireside.  More feasting on the spirit of Christ through music and the words of Brother Mark J. Lusvardi, Director of Public affairs for the Missionary Department.  After the opening prayer an Elder and a Sister Missionary sang a beautiful duet “The Lord is My Shepherd.”  Their level of talent was off the scale wonderful!

Brother Lusvardi taught wonderful lessons on the principle of “The Christ Like Attitude of Divine Love” through personal examples from  a 70 year old waitress at The Olive Garden to experiences from his mission in Argentina. He has a warm and often funny speaking manner but his testimony of the Savior and Missionary work was unmistakable and strong.

Our hearts are full this evening from the spiritual feast of this Sabbath day. I counted up and we have joined in singing a total of 16 hymns! Our joy is full and our bodies are tired at 10:30 PM! Tomorrow we begin our training in the Temple at 8:00.

We love the Lord and the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Preparation Day May 5, 2012

                                                                Laundry Day at the MTC

MTC May 5, 2012 P-Day

Aloha to all,

This is almost the end of our 1^st P-day!  It too, has been a full day, only of our own scheduling this time!

We started the day at 8 AM with Mary, our beautiful daughter-in-law, at the Provo Temple. May I just say, what a great way to start the day. After our session, she dropped us back at MTC to change while she went to pick up our granddaughter and take her to her dance competition.  Then back here to pick us up again…can we say taxi!!  We all went to see the dance competition and see Zoe perform.  It was so good to finally see and her partner dance.  Auwe, she’s a great dancer!  They made a cute couple and performed very well together!  One thing we really noticed was the loud, amped up dance music that, while appropriate for the dance routines, was a serious change from the hymns we’ve been singing at the MTC.  All-in all, a good opportunity to see one of our choice granddaughters perform!

Next, we went back to the house to pick up the other kids for a trip to the Springville Wal-Mart, whoot, whoot!  Guess we just needed a Wal-Mart fix but we did get a few looks because we were wearing our Mission badges.

After Wal-Mart, of course like all good missionaries, we had to stop at Dairy Queen for ice cream!

Mary dropped us back at the MTC just in time for dinner.  Since tomorrow is Fast Sunday, the Cafeteria is closed until 4:30 PM tomorrow.  I think we better stay out of the way of the 2500 hungry missionaries that are here!

Tonight though, we are enjoying an evening of down time with no homework. Our Sunday schedule is right back basking in the light of the spirit…Sacrament meeting at 9:00 (we get to sleep in until 7:00 AM), Mission Conference at 10:00-12:00, a nap, 4:30 dinner, Departure Devotional at 5:30-6:30, and a Fireside at 7:00.  Now how can a Sabbath at the MTC get better than that! Monday starts a wonderful week in the Temple for training!

MTC Day 5 May 4, 2012

                                    Our District with Sister Reese, our afternoon instructor!

MTC May 4, 2012

Friday, Graduation Day!  This week has flown by in a whirlwind of emotions and spiritual highs and now we are changing pace preparing for next week.  Today, was the last day of the Teach My Gospel training. When we first realized we would be going through the same training as all missionaries, we thought that wouldn’t be necessary because we will be serving in the Temple not teaching investigators.  Well, while that is true to some extent, but we have  gained so much in knowledge and testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the last five days, we can see the wisdom and inspiration behind this program. We are grateful for the opportunity!

Today’s focus was on Member and Leader Support which is the assignment of half our District's missions. One couple was going to Billings Montana and the other to Louisville Kentucky. They both left today after the closing meeting, driving to their missions. 

We have found many friendships in these few short days that may last a lifetime.  It is truly amazing that love and friendship develops so quickly when there is such a strong feeling of common purpose and testimony of the work to be done.  

I wonder if you realize how incredibly wonderful my bride is?  She is truly remarkable and compassionate to everyone.  Two examples…first, one of the members of our District from Homedale Idaho was terrified at the prospect of having to teach an ‘investigator’  face-to-faceas part of our training. In fact, I was afraid she was going to be physically sick and she kept saying ”I’m going home, I can’t do this!” Carolyn connected with her and calmed her all the while I’m sure she was not looking forward to the teaching sessions herself.  Later, after the session and through the next sessions, Caroln put her arm around her and got her to smile, helping to bring a new strength to this dear sister by getting her to “show me that beautiful smile!”

Second, today in the cafeteria, we had just set down to eat when Carolyn got up and said “I’ll be right back.” She walked behind me and I assumed she was going to get something else to eat.  In a few minutes she came back and I noticed she had tears in her eyes.  I asked her if anything was wrong.  She composed herself for a minute then said she had seen an older man setting at a table by himself dressed as one of the cafeteria staff.  Then she said, “I just felt that I ought to go over and tell him how much we all appreciated his work in preparing and serving the food to us missionaries.” Turns out, he was one of the dish washers!  She then told him, “Well I’m grateful for that because of you we all don’t have to wash dishes!”  I cannot possibly imagine what a boost to his self-worth she had just done with this simple gesture of kindness! “Made his day!!”

Tomorrow is our “P” day and we are going to the Provo Temple for a session and then go to see one of our beautiful granddaughters perform in a ballroom dance competition.  We’ve never seen her dance before so we are looking forward to some ‘outside’ time and watching our granddaughter perform.

MTC Day 4 May 3, 2012

MTC May 3, 2012

Near the end of another day of spiritual feasting!

The morning started with our second live ‘investigator’ teaching session. I think we did much better than the first session yesterday.  It all seemed much more like a real teaching visit to an investigator than we expected.  This was a ‘follow-up’ session where we were supposed to be contacting an investigator that had been taught and committed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Even in this learning environment, the spirit was strong and we could feel the influence and promptings.  I guess we were successful because she accepted our counsel to read 1 Nephi, part of 3 Nephi and the last chapter of Moroni.  We even have an appointment set for next week to teach The Plan of Salvation (well I guess not exactly because we be gone)!

We cannot help but get caught up in the spirit, enthusiasm and energy of the hundreds of young Elders and Sisters we pass by every day. They are so young, happy and full of the Spirit of the Gospel! They all treat us with great respect by greeting us when we pass by and holding the doors for us wherever we go.  We had dinner tonight next to 2 Sisters that are leaving next week for the Guatemala MTC before entering their mission in Nicaragua. They all ask where we are going to serve and the response of “Kona Hawaii Temple” invariably draws raised eyebrows, wide-open eyes and some verbal response like wow! Cool!!! These Sisters pointed to a large Elder down the table and said, “He’s from Hawaii!” we greeted each other and he asked the question of where we will be serving and we got the same response with our answer.  He is going to Chile!

It seems like we are eating all the time!  Breakfast at 7:00 AM, lunch at noon, and dinner between 5 and 6 PM. We’ve got to quit eating or get on to Hawaii before we won’t fit in our clothes anymore!

Not so much homework tonight! We finished last night at 10:35 then up at 6:00 AM to start the day. Not complaining, the spiritual blessings far outweigh all the ‘work!’

Tomorrow, we say goodbye to all of our District members as two couples are leaving for their missions in Montana and Kentucky and the third couple will be moving on to their Specialized Training in Records Preservation before leaving for the Independence Missouri Mission.

We pray that you can feel the spirit we have been treated to at the MTC through these entries. I know that our testimonies have grown tremendously and we experience an ever increasing testimony and appreciation for the Book of Mormon as we see that the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is contained within its pages.  We love you all!

MTC Day 3 May 2, 2012

MTC May 2, 2012

Aloha O’hana!

Near the end of another day at the MTC! Today was ‘all-you-can-eat’ BYU Creamery ice cream in the cafeteria!! Reece’s Peanut Butter cup ice cream for lunch and Raspberry Cream Cheese for dinner…we have got to get out of here!

The ice cream wasn’t the highlight of the day, so I guess we will stay for a while.  Today was our first practice session of teaching an ‘investigator’ couple about "The Restoration.” We started with the BRT (Build Relationship of Trust) questions to get to know them and their background better so we would know how to approach teaching them.  Mom started with her topic of the Restoration of the Gospel, when the husband asked “Why are you called Mormons?”

About 40 minutes later, we had covered the first vision, Christ in the Americas, revelation, the Book of Mormon, the Bible, the Brass Plates, Prophets, Joseph Smith and a number of other principles. I guess it went well because they committed to read some selected portions of the Book of Mormon and invited us to come back next week.  Don’t know if we were that good of missionaries or they were just being nice to us but it was a good experience! So much for a carefully prepared mission plan!

Tomorrow, we will again teach an ‘investigator’ as a follow-up to an earlier commitment by previous missionaries and to teach The Plan of Salvation. Almost time to work on our ‘plan’ so we will be ready tomorrow. As always, your prayers are appreciated!

MTC Day 2 May 1,2012

MTC May 1, 2012

What a wonderful, long and exhausting full day, but in a good way!

Breakfast at 7:00 AM with training starting at 8:00. We ended the day with a very spiritual devotional with Elder Keith R. Edwards of the Seventy as the speaker.

Today’s training was focused on being a missionary preparing a lesson plan to teach investigators and invite them to come unto Christ.  There was instruction followed by much role playing to develop our skills to learn to invite, testify and commit! Tomorrow we get to put our skills to work by teaching a volunteer 'investigator' from the Provo area. Since we will be with them as a missionary couple, just as if we had contacted them by tracting, the pressure is on! To top it off, the 45 minute session is televised for feedback.  Please pray for us, we get to do it again on Thursday!

This evening, we attended the weekly devotional. Let me emphatically say the Satan is in deep trouble with the organizational structure and army of missionaries the Lord has called to invite all to “Come Unto Christ!” A couple of thousand of us opened the meeting by singing three hymns as the prelude music. What wonderful and spiritual power can come from 2000+ thousand voices, singing in full voice, the hymns of Zion.  We were amazed how Elder Edwards delivered an instructional and spiritual message from just a few notes and from the scriptures.  We are so blessed to be led by such spiritual giants! We are looking forward to the devotional next Tuesday evening!

We’ve made good friends in our District. Most of them will be leaving on Friday for their mission assignments while we move into the specialized Temple training in the Provo Temple next week.

To use a perhaps overworked phrase, this has been an amazing experience! Our testimonies have been strengthened so much and the spirit of the MTC is almost breathtaking. As we pass these young missionaries between classes and breaks, they are always cheerful and are often marching along singing a hymn!  They all treat us with great respect and courtesy!  Kinda makes it feel good to be old!!

It’s bedtime and we haven’t finished our lesson plan for tomorrow so we will wish you all an Aloha po!

MTC Day 1 April 30, 2012

MTC April 30, 2010

Well, here it is at 6:15 PM on Day 1 of our Mission.  It was such a busy day, but they have everything so organized here that it’s obvious they have done this before!

A group of Elders were assigned to carry our luggage to our room then escort us to the registration process. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 steps…all numbered, quick and efficient.  By the end of step 5 we were registered, name tagged, photo badged and sent to the bookstore for our training materials and schedule. Next, on to the General Services office to pay for our stay.  

Lunch in the cafeteria was an adventure, but by the time we leave we’re sure we will have the menu boards and process figured out! About 2000 clean shaven young men in white shirts racing around with trays piled high with food!  There are also a large number of sister missionaries here as well and a big percentage are Polynesian! We couldn’t possibly guess how many countries are represented here but it has to be in the 100+ range!

One o’clock and time for welcoming talks by the MTC Presidency and some of their wives! We all had the chance to stand and introduce ourselves, tell where we were going to serve, where we are from, and how many other missions we had served. When I introduced us and announced where we were going, there was an audible groan from the other missionaries and the President Nally, who was conducting the introductions, wished us "a good vacation."  We get that a lot!! We met a couple from Ontario OR that are going to the Cebu Philippines Temple and another couple from Homedale going to Kentucky.  Small world!

One quote from President Hinckley…”You’re the best we have…and you’re all we have!”

After a short break, we were given an orientation by Elder Tom Peterson who is the Manager of Training at the MTC.  He is also a stand-up comedian of some worth and had the group laughing at his remarks at the light expense of where some of the missionaries were going to serve.  He also outlined the next four days of training to Preach My Gospel that includes role playing and televised discussions with ‘investigators’ most of which hold temple recommends! Can hardly wait…or not!

Next we were given an orientation by our “Bishop” or Missionary Coordinator.  He told us all about the ‘rules’ that mostly only apply to young missionaries claiming that most of us were old enough to know better anyway.  There are 57 Branches in the MTC and we can attend any of them if we speak the language of the Branch.

I was called from the pulpit to be a District leader of three other Missionary couples! I’m glad they don’t make calls like this any more from the pulpit.

 Our room is a nice, small but efficient unit with a beautiful view of the Provo Temple and surrounding mountains.  It’s time to study for our sessions tomorrow.