Kona August 20 – 26

Ahoha I he ua nui!

Greetings on a very rainy afternoon from our island paradise.  At the elevation we live, about 1500 feet above sea level, the climate is very different from where the Temple is located just 7 miles away.  Up here, the temperature is about 10 degrees cooler and it rains almost every night.  These huge volcanos that form the island act as giant weather engines.  Many mornings start out clear and sunny but during the day, the rising moisture from the ocean is carried up the slopes of the mountain to the cooler air then turning into heavy clouds surrounding the higher elevations.  In the late afternoons and evenings, these clouds heavy laden with moisture, are pulled back towards the sea by gravity.  At some point, all is needed is the right combination of elements and the rain cascades down in a torrent of water.  Last night and this afternoon’s rain, I would estimate, could measure up to a couple of inches of water.

Today was Stake Conference for the Kona Stake and we enjoyed the talks and testimonies of those who spoke to us.  One couple who spoke were Senior Missionaries from a place called Idaho Falls, Idaho!  I met a couple in the Temple this week who were from Meridian, Idaho and she had graduated from Meridian High School just a few years before the first of our six MHS graduates!  A member of the Stake Presidency and another Brother we met today, all had served missions in the Arcadia California Mission in the 1983-85 timeframe when our oldest son Rod served there.   Okay, so the world isn’t very big!

The prelude music for the Conference was played on the organ by a young man in our stake that is blind.  I don’t think we’ve ever heard such beautiful and soaring renditions of the hymns as this young man performed.  You could feel a power and majesty to the music as he gave feeling and emphasis to every measure unlike we’ve ever heard before.  Even though he played without interruption for over half an hour, I could have listened to his testimony through the music that flowed from his spirit to our ears and hearts for another hour.

Today, we enjoyed the company of the other Senior Couple serving with us in the Temple.  They live just a few miles south of us and picked us up this morning to go to Stake Conference (their car is air conditioned).  After conference, they joined us for a dinner of fruit salad, tacos, and burritos followed by Raspberry cheesecake and ice cream.  We watched the NBC Rock Center report on the church from the internet.  Elder W. announced it was time for a nap so they left and we cleaned up the kitchen.  I want you to know this is no small feat to be typing, listening to the falling rain, and needing a nap!!

Just a note about the generosity and love shown by the Saints here in Hawaii. Perhaps it’s the Temple but I think it goes beyond that. The love is genuine and is not restrained like we sometimes experience on the mainland.  We have seen this from the very first day we arrived here.  While shopping in Wal-Mart, a sister who we had never met noticed our missionary badges and immediately came up and welcomed us with a hug and kiss.  Ordinance workers bring food to the break room to share with others on every shift.  Fresh fruit is to be shared with everyone.  This past week alone, we were given papaya, limes, avocado, tangelos and bananas. I think the picture says it all.  I hope we can bring a little of this love and generosity home with us.  In many respects this truly is a paradise!

In closing, the Young Women’s program is inspired and has and is playing a very important part in our family.  The Temple Matron, my Hawaiian Kumu (Teacher) gave me this translation from the YW values…

                E ku ana au, me he ho’ike o Akua  (I will stand as a witness of God)

                I na manawa apau (at all times)

                I na mea apau  (in all things)

                A me na wahi apau. (and in all places.)

 

Love and aloha from Paradise!

 

                                                                Bounty of Paradise

Kona August 13 - 19

Kona August 13 – 19

Aloha!

This has been a very quiet week as we have now shifted to only serving on the morning shifts.    There were, however, a couple of highlights.

First, we enjoyed the company of the full-time Elders as we hosted them for dinner on Wednesday evening.  In a role shift, we provided the spiritual message and bore our testimony about the importance of both the service of proselyting missionaries and temple service missionaries in bringing all of God’s children to the ordinances of exaltation.  We really appreciate the service of the full-time Elders in our ward and since, tonight is transfer night, we hope they don’t get the dreaded transfer call.

Second, even though this was a quiet week, I did end up in the emergency room at the hospital this afternoon.  I had been exhibiting the symptoms and the pain of another kidney stone since last Friday morning.  In fact, the pain was pretty intense Saturday morning so I stayed home while Carolyn made the trip to the temple by herself.  As part of the training for Sister W. in assisting new missionaries and those coming to be sealed after marriage, it was important that Carolyn be there to provide that training.  Saturday was the longest we had been apart since late April.  She even got to go do the shopping without me which I’m sure she enjoyed since I do not like to go shopping!

I was wakened about five thirty this morning with the intense pain I have, unfortunately, come to know all too well.  We stayed home from church and called the full-time missionaries to come give me a Priesthood blessing.  Finally, we went to the hospital to verify my diagnosis and to get some serious pain killer into my system.  The diagnosis was correct and now we just have to wait for the final phase of this process.

So, I’m tired and a little more ‘dopey’ than normal, therefore, we bid you our Love and Aloha from Paradise!

P.S. Time to start planning for Christmas!

Kona August 6 - 12

New Stake Pavillion

    

View from the Kona Stake Center

Kealakekakua Ward Sunday Picnic

Kids Playing at the Picnic

 

Kona August 6 – 12

Malo e lelei,

Greetings in Tongan!  Our new missionary couple speak Tongan and they are trying to educate (confuse) me with another Polynesian language.  Elder W. was born in Tonga, emigrated to New Zealand when he was about 8 years old and later became a professional Rugby player.  While we are about the same height, the power comparison ends there!

This week, we have concentrated on training our new best friends to use the temple computer systems and procedures.  Elder W. was set apart as the Assistant Engineer so he will be more extensively trained in the facilities aspect of temple operation.  They are a delightful couple and since they used to live in Kona, they know virtually every local that comes to the temple. On Friday, along with one of our regular office volunteers, they were comfortable enough for us to leave early in the evening and for the first time since we arrived, we had a Friday evening off.  It will be very strange to have most of our late afternoons and evenings free.  We think we may as well go to the Temple for sessions.

On Wednesday evening, we attended a Relief Society meeting in the Kau Ward to listen to the Matron and one of her Assistants address the subject of Family History.  Sister Mossman spoke about her Hawaiian heritage and of her search for her Great Grandmother’s grave site.  Her Great Grandmother had been exiled as a young woman to the Leper colony at Kalaupapa on Molokai’i where she met and married her Great Grandfather.  Under the laws then in place, Kalaupapa was a life sentence due to the fear of spreading leprosy.   While there, her Grandmother was born and under the laws, was allowed to leave the island before she reached one-year of age.  It is hard to imagine the grief of having to give up your only child.

BYU became interested in this touching story and sent a crew to Hawaii to film sister Mossman’s quest to find something of the past to link her to her Great Grandmother.  The resulting four minute film was titled “Searching for Emma” and was shown to the group.  Sister Mossman then sang a song she had written about this quest and her journey of discovery to honor her Great Grandmother.  This was a very touching and tearful story and she gave us a copy of the DVD for us to share when we get home.

After some beautiful songs about Heritage written and performed by two brothers in the ward, Sister Nihipali, an Assistant to the Matron, shared the story of her efforts to trace her family history.  Sister Nihipali is Chinese and through much prayer, travels and a fair number of miracles, she has been able to trace her ancestry on some lines, back 25 generations.  Carolyn and I started a Family History class today!

Also today, the Ward Choir performed in Sacrament Meeting.  When Carolyn and I arrived this morning we doubled the size of the Choir. Fortunately, three more sisters and two brothers’ joined in the last practice! Everyone was amazed when Brother Kaipo arrived wearing glasses and sporting a new haircut! (See the post about the Hawaiian Language Baptism) He had donated his long hair to Locks of Love and was later sustained as the Assistant Ward Mission Leader…that’s awesome!  I told him that I hoped his short hair wouldn’t affect his beautiful singing voice…it didn’t!

After church, everyone was invited to a picnic at the adjoining parking lot of the temple, to celebrate the graduation of the grandson of one of our ward members.  I’ve included some pictures on our blog from the picnic which consisted of rice, chili with franks, salads, curry, spaghetti, and desserts!  Mainland wards ought to take the hint!  Yum!

Finally, the First Counselor brought us an awesome treat from his home on the Hilo-side of the Island, a White Pineapple.  I’ve included a photo on the blog of this White Pineapple which is the sweetest pineapple we’ve ever eaten.  While it may look similar to the pineapple you find on the mainland, the flesh is a creamy white and so sweet it almost defies description. This White Pineapple is rarely exported so if you find one on the mainland, give yourself a real treat.  After trimming off the rind, we ended up with four or five pounds of sweetness!

In Hawaiian…A hui hou! Or in Tongan ‘Alu a e!

Hawaiian Proverb – ‘A’ohe lokomaika’I I nele I ke Pana’i. (No kind deed has ever lacked its reward.)

Love and Aloha from Paradise

White Pineapple

Kona July 30-August 5

Kona July 30 – August 5, 2012

Aloha!

This has been a relatively ‘routine’ week at the Temple.  We’ve been busy preparing for the new Senior Missionary couple that joined us on Saturday, August 4^th.  Elder W. has been set-apart as the Assistant Engineer and Sister W. will join Carolyn in the office.  After another week of double-shifts while we train them to use the computer systems and office procedures, we will only work the morning shifts on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday and Saturday, we will all be in the office since we don’t have evening sessions on those days.  Because the office is not very large, I’m sure we will take turns attending sessions while the other couple staffs the office.

We’ve been contemplating what we will do with our spare time since, as on most days, we will be through by 1 or 2 in the afternoon.  The last three months have been so busy with learning our responsibilities and serving as the only Senior Missionary couple we really haven’t been anywhere.  I’m sure we will stay out of trouble however!

Elder and Sister W. are delightful people and we have quickly learned to love them.  They used to live in Kona and served as Ordinance Workers before moving to the mainland to help with family.  Their warm and loving reception from the members here is a testament to how well-loved they are and we are excited to have them serve in the Kona Temple with us.

Last evening, the Temple President and Matron took all of us to dinner to get better acquainted.  We had originally planned to go to a local Thai Restaurant but they had closed, so the President announced we would all go to the bowling alley to eat!  Ok, we had the same mental picture!!

It turns out that there was a section of table and booths for eating and a huge menu.  While we had to go to the counter to order, the food was delivered to our table and was delicious and very plentiful.  We had a wonderful evening of getting to know each other and getting ‘stuffed’ with good food.  I’ve been feeling the effects of all that eating today!  Auwe noho ‘i ‘e! Oh my goodness!

Tuesday begins a new experience in our Mission as we start the training with Elder and Sister W.  We’re now in our fourth month of serving here in Kona and we continue to recognize the great blessings of serving in the Kona Hawaii Temple.  I may have said it before but it bears repeating that although we may be the second smallest temple in the world, we have the biggest heart!

E komo mai I ka Hale La’a!  Welcome to this Sacred House!

Love and Aloha from Paradise!