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