Monday

Wowzie!  David Bowen texted me bright and early and said the competition for the surf was cancelled today due to high waves, and he was sub-teaching at the Jr. High.  He told us to be sure and stop at Sharks Cove and Waimea and see the swells.  Well, all night we heard the roar of the waves from our little apartment and it sounded like thunder.  Ramon had already been to the beach to look at it when David texted.  Ramon ran back to grab his phone to take pictures.  Then we headed out to Honolulu for my infusion and couldn't believe the sights.  The waves had come right over the road at Sunset and brought a lot of debris, and washed out a fence.  And driving down Kam Highway, we were slowed down by one spot with water still over the road and sand interfering with driving.  Nuts.  Then at Shark's Cove we pulled over and took some fast pictures.    It was unbelievable, so beautiful in the majesty of God's creation but kind of frightening in the fierceness of it all.

Water from ocean over road

From fence line at Shark'sCove

More Sharks Cove

We'll take more pictures tomorrow.  We'll have more time.  The waves hit 45 feet the news said tonight.  I guess when it is that big it is not safe for surfing because they break up so much.  There were 37 rescues today on the North Shore by people who tempted fate, stupid people.  Crazy.

We made it into the infusion but it took two hours, had to wait for the pharmacy to deliver the meds, etc. The we couldn't find our car, we have the same problem every time, two parking structures, three buildings and we get so turned around as we go in each  building for different reasons,  This time we were so careful to remember where we were.  But...Then on the way home it took forever because of the traffic. There were about 50 camera men in the backs of trucks set up to film the ocean, they were all over from the Turtle beach to Waimea to Sunset.  Everyone drives and looks.  We went about 2 miles an hour.  Frustrating.  Got home, started getting dinner ready for Frank and his family, I had made the lasagna when I woke up, so just had to finish up the prep for dinner.   We waited for them and they came about 5:30, then we ran to the beach so they could see the waves before the sun set.  I got a few pictures.  We had a good visit with them and hope they have a wonderful vacation! Beautiful family!

Frank and us with some of his children, the boys were missing

Frank and his wife Heather with their four kids, 2 boys are fishing

Trying to get the waves in the background...this is the sidewalk
the waves flooded in the night.

Sunday

We had another whirlwind Sunday.  It wouldn't have been so bad but the surf competition started today for the Triple Crown and everyone in the world who wasn't at church was on the one and only road around this island on our side of the island.  It took us 20 minutes to drive 1 mile.  It was lucky we ditched RS and Priesthood to come home early to change our clothes and grab something to eat, before the fireside at the Visitor's Center. As it was, we only had time to change and run off again.  I had to teach the Gospel Principles class on Chastity and thought I might get out of it, if Diego decided to go watch the tournament, but he was obedient and showed up to Sacrament meeting and then to our class.  So far he is the only member, so we run out in the halls to recruit more people.  The

Tofa's joined us along with our four missionaries.  Elder Chandler made it interesting by role playing how he, as a father would talk to his child about chastity.

So, the fireside was really great.  Lots of people showed up, including the whole office staff at the mission office.  I got to meet Elder Walker the Car guy and he took my keys and checked out the car.  Said we were on the list for a new car, but one just wasn't available.  I told him this car now had two warning lights on and we have to make two trips into Honolulu this week.  He said to be careful and get an appointment with the Organic Mechanics who fixes the mission cars.  On a wing and a prayer this week, I guess.  We just had the car in last Monday and they said all was fine...

Ramon's nephew, Frank, texted us and they are here.  We will get with them tomorrow hope.

Oh, I picked my first and only tomato, it is small but tasted great.  There are blossoms but no new big tomatoes.  I have some cherry tomatoes of a good size on the other plant that are getting ripe.  I need to get my $10 investment back.  This is 3 months growing so far.

I put the can to compare the size.  This was
a beefsteak tomato plant!

Merry Christmas

Saturday

Last night we had our two Elders, Chandler and Bass and our two Sister's Presler and Boyce, and our friend Cody join us for a Friday Thanksgiving Dinner.  It went well, but the Elders forgot and when we texted them were cooking but ran right over and ate late with us.  Elder Chandler loved the pecan mini pies I made, said they were the best thing he'd ever tasted!  Funny guy!  I loaded everyone up with huge plates of food to take home so we wouldn't be eating leftovers for a month.  Just two days!
I made little pilgrim hats out of cookies and Reeses peanut butter cups.  They liked that.

This morning we went into the Visitor's Center to practice for our fireside tomorrow night.  The VC was all decorated for Christmas.  Our practice went well, we have so many talented Sisters here right now.  Elder Sanft and I, plus the Tuitupos are singing two lines in Tongan of Silent Night.  Wish us luck!  I took some pictures of my favorite trees decorated by the different Stakes here in Oahu.

My favorite

His favorite?

After returning home, we went over to the Kopp house and instructed them on how to play "Settlers of Catan"not sure if that was missionary worthy but they sure loved it.  We played with them from 10 to 2:00, when I was so hot, we were outside on their deck.  We left them with the game, they were hooked, they'll get one for Christmas, I'm sure.  They are probably still playing as I type this.

It was a hot sunny day so I talked Elder Sanft into taking me to Turtle Bay beach to snorkel.  We only get to the beach about once every two weeks, I'm hating that part of this.  My swimming every morning isn't happening due to meetings almost every morning at 7:30.  or RAIN.  But I was happy to see my Christmas Wrasse there in all his beauty.  Lovely day for the beach.

Thanksgiving Thursday November 22, 2018

It's been a very busy week.  Monday we did a FHE with the Mitchell family, once child who is 18 months.  I did a bit of prep work and the darling boy didn't want anything to do with what I had planned.  He did love the Thanksgiving sing along, 2 minutes, over and over again we showed on the computer.  He was very good for prayers, and actually cried when we left after 45 minutes.  We could hear him crying clear to the car.  He was so sweet and they were so happy to have us, in our meager efforts to do a FHE with their little family.

Then we ran to our YSA FHE where we wrote letters of gratitude to someone who immediately came to our minds.  Sweet Elder Chandler wrote us a  note of appreciation, said we were like grandparents he really didn't have.  My note was to Aloha Beckwith, she is simply amazing as our leader of FHE.

Tuesday after our District meetings,  we ran into Costco and Walmart and shopped for Thanksgiving dinner.  We are having ours on Friday at 4:00.  I got permission to have our two Elders and two Sisters to our apartment for Thanksgiving dinner.  I got a free turkey from the local market, along with the rest of the towns and hated to keep taking up space in Peggy's freezer so decided to cook it.  On Thanksgiving we will be having dinner at the PCC.  After FHE  Cody was standing by and I invited him to our house also.

I don't think  I mentioned it, but the new directive from the church is that Elders and Sisters are not to be fed by the members except on Saturdays and Sundays only.  This has been tried in places around the world and found to be much more productive.  Baptisms are up and members are showing remarkable ability in doing missionary work also.  Elder Cook told us about an urgency President Nelson is feeling.  I see more accountability on parents for teaching in the home.  And also, missionary work is taking a step up.  At Christmas we will have over 70 Sisters at the VC.  When we came it was at 38.  The VC will be remodeled in January and we will be the second largest in the world.  The teaching center is where the computers are, and the Sisters reach out through computers to people who have filled out the interest cards.  The teaching center is being enlarged, more and  more Sisters are needed to man the computers and to answer calls.  It is thrilling to be a part of this new effort.

Wednesday. we went into the swap meet with the Seebrings and then on to Hanauma Bay to snorkel.  It was a fun day but a lot of driving for me.  Not a very hot day but I saw "my" fish, in pink, purple and light blue.  Ramon thought maybe he was a sick one but he looked so beautiful.  I am going back with my camera next time to try and get a shot of him.  Pretty cool if I could, I'd have two with different colors.  He's called the Christmas wrasse.

Halona Blowhole

Today we got up and I prepped for tomorrow's dinner by making brine for the turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, and later I made two pumpkin pies.  I,  also, made mini pecan pie bites to take with us to lunch at the PCC.  We were fed by Junior AhYou and his family, they fed all the senior missionaries and the Sisters at the VC and the 8 Elders we have around us.  They also fed the homeless people in another town.  They cooked 200 Turkeys and furnished everything except salad and dessert.  We all brought enough salads and desserts for everyone to be stuffed.  It was good food.  We are very appreciative of him and his family.

Junior AhYou and his wife

The food!

Ramon sitting next to the Seebrings

Good picture of the Seebrings

We ate early at noon, then came home and I made pies.  After they baked we walked across the street to see what was set up, there is another tournament for the Triple Crown of Surfing starting Sunday.
When we first got there it was all deserted but as we sat and waiting for the sun to set, more and more people came.  It got so crowded!

See that silver car?  We live right down a lane on
the right of the car.

Ramon walking by the trailers for the surfer event

Ramon crossing the street to get to the beach

Sunset on Thanksgiving at SunSet Beach

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  We were so fortunate to be able to visit and skype with all our children today.    Everyone looked good, and the dinners we saw looked like my kids know how to cook.  Proud of them all.

We have so much to be grateful for.  One thing I really am grateful for today is that my children are like yours, all very unique.  I have learned to appreciate each difference and value it.  I love that they love us and show us their love by helping each other when we are not there.  A shout out to you who know who you are!  Thank you.

Saturday

I got up this morning and baked some peanut butter bars and "swig" cookies for the Hancock's (upstairs landlord) son's coming-home-from-his-mission party tonight.  We then headed into Honolulu for a special meeting with Elder Quentin Cook who was speaking to all us missionaries of the Honolulu Hawaii Mission.  We gave rides to three Sister Missionaries from the Visitor's Center.

The meeting started with Elder Auna, our area Seventy, then Elder Jorg Kleibengat spoke.  He was such an incredible speaker for the young missionaries.  He had been a Mission President in the Ukraine, and also, was a convert.  What an amazing man from Germany.  He advised us to follow Christ's example and always be kind, the person that rejects the message and is treated kindly may remember that, if he encounters missionaries later in his life.  He advised us to do hard things, as they soon become easier.

Then we had Elder Kearon and he was British.  He was grateful for us seniors and lovingly told us how we were appreciated.  He asked us "what did we do in the pre-existence to be blessed to have Elder and Sister Bekker be our Mission President.  He said they had been watched for years by the  General Authorities for their kindness to Elder Scott after his wife died.  He told us we must have done something right to be trusted to this wonderful couple.  Side note:  Sister Bekker came in early and went down each aisle and shook hands and hugged the missionaries then returned to join her husband to walk in with the other men.  She is really an amazing woman and shows her love abundantly to us all.  She acts like we're each her best friend, I know I feel I am!  Elder Kearon ended by telling us that God adores us!  The God cherishes us.  That He yearns to give people a better way to live.  What a nice man, and a nice way he phrased how God loves us.

Then Elder Cook stood up and said he was turning the time over to his wife to do "whatever" but it would involve singing.  She had us sing a hymn, then the hymn in rounds...she was really cute.
Elder Cook then started to speak.  He told us a cute story about a Tongan Elder in Washington, DC, when they were Mission Presidents there.  He said the Elder told him that he got his call in the mail in Tonga, but his sister was getting married the next day in the Temple and his mother asked if he'd wait til the next day to open it, when all the family and friends were around to be there for the announcement.  He agreed and the next day came.  The wedding happened and no one remembered his call.  So he mentioned it to his Mom and she said, "Oh, I forgot.  We'll do it now but I already know where you are going!  I had a dream"  Elder Cook said if you know Tongans you know they value dreams.  So then the Dad walked up and said "Hey. I had a dream.  I know where you are going!"  Then Mom said "I dreamed it was a place with lots of statues and it was the capital of the United States."  then the Dad said "No, I dreamed his Mission President was a Japanese man, so it must be in Japan."  So the boy opened his letter.  He was sent to Washington, D.C. and the Mission President was Japanese,  (before the Cooks replaced him as Mission Presidents).

He went on to talk about how calls were given and how they were one of the most spiritual of all
times.  He said he and Elder Holland had been Mission Companions in England and meet about every two years for lunch and to catch up.  He talked on about the Preach My Gospel book and said Elder Allen (the VC Director we work with) worked directly with him for 4 years on this book and how inspired it was.  He mentioned the work of the gospel and how there is an urgency in these later days.  All the changes, we are seeing so much here in our mission, with the VC expanding and soon to hold 77 Sisters instead of 38.  He ended by telling something very special and spiritual I won't write here and then gave us all an Apostlestic (I don't know how to spell it) blessing.

He told us to remember someday how we felt on our missions when everything was right, the peace and happiness we had.  I sure he was referring to the young Elders and Sisters but I felt it wouldn't hurt us to also remember those feelings.  Peace is what we feel when we are doing what is right.  The happiness that comes from living the best we can, trying to be like Christ.

Thursday

Today we worked at the Visitor's Center from 2:00 to 8:00.  It was pretty uneventful but I took a few pictures.  We had 14 new Sisters arrive last week, so we had a lot of new faces and names to learn.

Elder Sanft and Elder Seebring

Some of the Sisters were asked to sing at a special meeting
we have with Elder Quentin Cook on Saturday.  This is them
practicing.

Monday November 12

Tonight we had a very small FHE but it was fun to get to know a couple of new men.  Louis and Tiger.  We made parachutes and then had to liken our experience to the gospel or Jesus Christ....Alora always goes around the room and everyone has to comment.  For instance:  Our testimonies will carry us into the next life to see God,  sometimes we are not prepared for the sharp winds that come like the pains and trials of life, but we have the tools to build our testimonies and make us strong to meet the trials in life.  Some times these kids are pretty profound.

Tiger, Nicole, and Louis

Opps, where did it go?

Thursday

We went to the Bishops Museum with the Senior Missionaries today.  A lady that works there is a convert and invited us as her guests for free.  It was fun to have a special tour and spend some time with other adults with the same goal in mind.`

Us with the Tuitupos and Lukers, both from Utah

Our above friend and landlord, Dave gave me a tangerine from his tree outside my window, meanwhile I bought some at the grocery store.  Look at the comparison, the store one is the small one.  Dave's is as large as an orange and sweet!

Wednesday November 7, 2018 OUR 49th Anniversary!

Whoopee!  We made it 49 years! I'm so happy we are here together to celebrate today.  What a blessing this man has been in my life.  Love him for ever!

After my hair cut, we drove up to Kaneohe and then to dinner at Haleiwa Joe's.    We had to be there at 4:30 when they opened because they took no reservations and it gets very crowded.  This one is up the Haiku Valley where the botanical gardens are.  There is one in Haleiwa but it's on the beach and really cramped and crowded.  We  hadn't been to either one and chose this one for our special day.  Wd had a nice dinner and the prime rib was 2 inches thick and the size of a plate! I should have taken a picture but my phone was dead!  Made me wish Aisea or Sam was with us, they could eat it all!

Elder Sanft in his new Aloha shirt!

Entrance

Restaurant from the garden

Inside restaurant, our view from our table

Tuesday

Today I got up and baked and cooked for 3 straight hours.  Made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to take to the lunch for the returning Elders.  Also, made a huge potato salad to take to the Geronio's this afternoon.   The Elders and Sisters didn't arrive from the Temple until about 45 minutes late but they love cold Taco Bell so who cares!

They all sang again to us a "Thank you" song and then at the end they sang this funny little missionary song about Hawaii and being a missionary here.  Such bitter sweet moments.

We hurried home, grabbed the potato salad and leftover watermelon and ran over to Nick Geronios house.  He started early today and it's a Tuesday not a Wednesday.  The birds were out and being kind of annoying, their wing span is huge now and they were kind of in our face.  I gave one some watermelon and that keep him busy. I told Nick it was our anniversary tomorrow and next year would be out 50th!  He said we'd reserve the place now and have a big party and renew our vows!  Sounds kind of fun, I told him I'd get my kids to fly over for it.  We'll see.  In the pictures you can see how beautiful the place is, a lovely Wedding venue.

Nick, Nicki and Shy listening to the Elders give their spiritual thought

Elder Sanft took this of us listening to Elder Chandler

Monday

First we ran in to Honolulu for Elder Sanft to see his eye doctor, who decided he needed another shot in the eye... It was the second one in a month so I'm a little worried.  Then we had a terrific FHE with the Bowen family.  It was our first FHE here with Sunset Family Branch and we had a lot of fun.  Great kids and parents, Ashley is due to have another one in 3 weeks.  Dave is the cameraman for the surf championships for TV.  Fun fun night!

Sunday

Another busy busy Sunday.  Here are some picture of the "Break the Fast" dinner at YSA.

We had a potato bar this Sunday and not quite as many YSA people as usual.  We always have to rush through as we only have an hour between church meetings in one building and driving to the next, and our drive time is 1/2 hour.  It was a nice dinner then we went over to the Sunset Family Branch.  Elder Collins' last day here is today so they sang Aloha Oe to him and I took pictures to send to his mother.  It was kind of bitter sweet to have him bear his testimony and then we sang to him.  Everyone in the chapel then lines up to hug him and the men all take off their ties and put around his neck.  I have never seen that done before.  Interesting as Elder Collins just unloaded all his old ties at the last District meeting.

After leaving this church service at 5:00 we rushed home and I threw together a salad for our next break the fast at 6:00 in Laie, we were a little late but it all was good.  Got home at 8:00 tired.  A good days worship.  Met some new people and enjoyed the shared testimonies.

Saturday

Today we spent the morning checking for cleanliness in Elder's apartments.  Always a fun (?) thing to do, but it does make me appreciate the nice place we live in.  Then we stopped in Hauula at Papa Ole's to get a sandwich.  This is a new little place we heard about, Ramon actually loves it for it's hamburgers, I get the Teri beef sandwich.  It is very small but they have a very large fresh flower arrangement as you enter.  I took a picture and asked the girl who made it up each week.  She said her uncle grows the flowers and another lady arranges them.

After we came back home and did laundry, and cleaned.  We are having the neighbor's over to our place for dinner to night.  It has been raining on and off most of the day.  As I mentioned before it fascinates me as it is like a tap turning on suddenly and pouring out water,

Here are some pictures taken at dinner.  On the left are the Freebairns, Kathy and Craig and on the right the Handcocks, Dave and Peggy...we live in their house.