Kona July 22 – 29
Sunday evening and it has been a good week!
We have enjoyed another week in the Kona Temple! Today is our three-month anniversary of the
beginning of our mission to the Kona Temple.
Time has really flown by and it’s getting hard to remember when we were
in Boise and not in Hawaii. The new
Senior Missionary Couple will begin their training tomorrow in the Provo temple
then travel to Hawaii, arriving in Kona Friday August 3. We remember with great fondness Elder and
Sister Hammond’s instructions for the days we were in the Provo Temple for our
training. We look forward to meeting and
help train this new couple.
Out of respect for privacy, we’ve tried not to include the full
names of the individuals that we have met and included in our blog.
We attended our first baptism on Saturday afternoon. This was a very spiritual and uplifting
opportunity for us and we were grateful for the invitation to attend. Kawika is 8 years old and had asked his
father to baptize in the Hawaiian language.
Kaipo, his father, asked me to witness the baptism and I was honored to
do so. While Kaipo performed the
ordinance, I followed the Hawaiian translation to insure it was performed correctly
(it was). The program was very family
oriented and spiritual. I’m sure our
Heavenly Father was very pleased with Kawika’s decision to be baptized. After the program, and in accordance with
Hawaiian tradition, we had plenty of food in the courtyard of the church.
Sometime, I’ll have to take a couple of pictures of our Stake Center so you can
see the unique design and functionality of the building. There was also a wedding reception at the
same time and we almost didn’t know there were two major activities going on at
the same time in the building.
I had mentioned before about giving a Hawaiian translation
of the Book of Mormon to a Hawaiian brother, ordinance worker at the temple. He has been diligently reading as I’ve
reported before. This Saturday, he brought
a hand drawn pedigree chart of his family line that includes Kamehameha the
great king who united the Hawaiian Islands and also Jonathan Napela, who
assisted George Q. Cannon in translating the Book of Mormon “Ka Puke i Molemona”
into the Hawaiian language. He was
struggling to follow references to the scriptures because in 1855, when the
translation was completed, the Chapter and Verse headings were much different
than today’s marking. I helped him to see how to accomplish this task that took
me about three years to complete.
I’m struck by the irony that I was able to use my limited
Hawaiian language skills to assist a descendant of Kamehameha and Jonathan
Napela, and in witnessing the baptism of one of God’s children. Truly the Lord utilizes everyone to fulfill
His purposes.
Today, we attended choir practice and Sacrament meeting in our
ward then we were picked by the Second Counselor in the Temple Presidency and
his wife, for the 45 minute trip to Waimea to attend the Sunday meetings of the
Waimea First Ward. It was great to
recognize and meet the saints in Waimea that we have come to know and love through
their temple service.
The President and Assistant to the Matron spoke to the
combined young men and young women of the ward about Patriarchal Blessings and Self
Worth. Once again we were taught correct
principles of the Gospel in a very effective and in the case of the President,
a most unique way. This is a story for
another day, but I can assure you, those young people will not soon forget the
principles that were taught and the tender mercies revealed in the meeting.
Finally, last Sunday evening we took a short walk around our
apartment in the Kona Coffee Villas and we took some pictures to share with
you.
Much Love and Aloha from
Paradise!
Coffee Tree Avacado Tree Macadamia Nuts and Blossoms
Fresh Avacado picked off the tree
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