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.