Saturday

Just a normal week, nothing new to report, so the week just went by and I forgot to blog.

Today we got up early and picked up my good friend Leslie, (who is also here on a mission, but she works at the PCC in the sewing part of it, ) we went in to the PCC and went to a morning devotional.  We hadn't been to one yet , they have about 6 a year.  This one was very nice, about 6 speakers and musical numbers, and then they brought us each a styrofoam container of Samoan food!  It was very nice but way too much food for one.  We brought Leslie back with us and we changed and went into Sharks Cove to swim and snorkel for a couple of hours.  She had to return about 3 to help take tickets at a PCC luau....(we start doing that the first week in May).  We had a nice day and then Ramon and I played two games of Cataan tonight. 

I took about 10 pictures of the devotional from the flay raising to the entertainment on the lawn afterwards but my camera isn't letting me download all of them to this computer.  I hate technology problems.  But here is a few from today...

Flag ceremony - two Samoan and our American

Girls dancing

Pulpit

Village

Meeting

Tuesday

Today is a very special day, but before I go there I will report that we had a great District Meeting at 10:30 and have 4 new Elders in our small district of 8 Elders and us.  Super young men who love the Lord and are willing to sacrifice two years of their life to show their love.

We had a good meeting and were reminded again as it is repeated so many times in the Book of Mormon, those who live the commandments of God will prosper in the land, a common theme and evidence of this fact.

Then we came home and I prepared food to take to a friend who had a new baby.  I did a few special things I'd do for my own and she is becoming a good friend and like "my own" in many ways.

Now on to the fun!  It was our new friend Tanner Cheel's wedding day to Min Edwards!  He has become one of our favorite people here in our YSA Branch. When we first came we were meeting over at the Rec Center and being hooked to Elder Sanft we were always there before the doors opened.  Tanner would ride up on his motorcycle and we'd always invite him to join us in the car while we waited for someone to open up the center. After a few of those days we became good friends with this young man.  Tanner is the Elder's Quorum President, and the Branch Mission Leader.  He just graduated on Saturday too.  He works hard at Turtle Bay at Roy's restaurant and his bride is a beautiful young lady.  We love Min too.  We are so happy for these newly weds.  They had a reception up at President Fulmer's house and it was lovely. My kids are going to be especially jealous when they find out they had a Leonard's Malasada wedding cake, (picture below) and a shave ice station, and a fruit station with LiHiMui coated pineapple!  All our favorites.  Our friend Louis roasted the pig and I tried again some Poke...still not something I like yet!  What a fun evening and getting to meet their parents and tell them what great kids they have.  Such a sweet night full of happiness.

Us with Tanner

Wedding Cake!

Tanner and Min

Monday

This morning we ran into Laie at 7:45 to be at the Visitor's Center for pictures and our meeting at 7:30.  After our meeting we changed out of our  Visitor's Center clothing and went into Honolulu with the other senior missionaries to go to the Atlantis Submarine.

Getting on the shuttle boat...
It was a fun day with good new friends.  The submarine was smaller than I thought and we really didn't see much under the sea but it was a fun thing to do together.  We ate lunch at 3:00 at a new place for us by  Pearl Harbor.  Because it was 3:00 they weren't serving lunch or dinner but appetizers were half price and we could get a "bowl" which are smaller portions of the dinner menu...so about the same items. I got fish and chips and Ramon got a LocoMoco bowl, and we got coconut shrimp for our half off appetizer!  Good food, I'm glad to know it near Pearl Harbor.  I'll post pictures below.  It was a beautiful day and we didn't get home until 6.

Elder and Sister Allen with Elder Sanft

On shuttle over to Submarine

Sheila and Bill Luker with Steve and Nancy Allen

Us with the Sebrings, Glenn and Sheila

Inside sub

Lunch with friends

Easter Sunday

We had a great Easter Sunday even without our most loved ones near us!  First we had Stake Conference with the Sunset Family Branch, superb speakers and then our Stake President simply stood and read from the Bible the account of the Saviors last few hours on this earth.  He read it so eloquently and with such feeling and emotion that the tears just flowed.  I think this simple account he read touched me to the heart of my testimony.  What stirring  feelings it brought forth.

Flower outside the Cannon Center, so beautiful this Easter morn!

Then we had our Sunset YSA ward and Elder and Sister Jenkins talked.  She was last and simply  told of how when they went to the Holy Land and saw the tomb and a simple sign was by the door that said "He is not here, He is risen" and how she had such a profound spiritual feeling come over her that it was so true.  We were all touched by her simple but powerful testimony of our Savior.  Today I was so touched by all and so grateful my testimony is growing daily, while here on a mission,  of our Savior.  I am learning to know Him better and can see how if we truly believe, we will do all we can to honor and ease his burden a bit, by living the commandments.

Then we came home and got ready to have an Easter meal with our good friends, also missionaries here, the Sebrings and the Lukers.  I cooked a ham and "funeral" potatoes, made deviled eggs and aspargus and cauliflower, they brought salads and dessert.  It was a great meal and unfortunately I forgot to take a "before" picture, so here is an "after" picture.

Elder Sebring (Glen), Sister Sebring (Sheila) the Lukers, Janice and Bill
It was too hot in the room, so I am in a muumuu cause it's my house and
I can wear what I want!  I made rolls, and made some cinnamon rolls, for
 them to take home for breakfast.

I wanted to post this picture of a meeting we had at Bowen's last Missionary meeting, before Elder Gunderson got transferred to Kauai.

David Bowen is standing, then the two Elders
Gunderson and Larkin, and
our two Sisters, Beuhler and Wu

Thursday

Today we had the Easter Egg Hunt for the Family Branch.  We first went into Turtle Bay condos to exercise at the pool there.  We love it there, it's so clean and private and beautiful.  I got some sun once in a while around the clouds but had a good workout and so did Ramon.  Then I went in to Laie for a hair cut.  Which the girl cancelled on me and so I went to the only other shop by Foodland and they fit me in about 45 minutes later.  I am trying to grow my hair out.  We'll see how that goes.

Then our Easter party....

These is our good friends and neighbors, Craig and
Kathy Freebarin, as well as Brooklyn and then
Jeremy Daniels, who is in the Presidency of the
Branch

Tomorrow we have the couples meeting and then we are doing a session at the Temple.  Beautiful Easter weekend here in paradise while we miss our daughter's birthday and our Inde's birthday party.
That is the only hard part of a mission, missing family and events.  This weekend we would have had our annual Easter Egg hunt an lunch with the kids on Saturday and dinner on Easter.  I hope we can continue when we return home.

Wednesday

Today Ramon got his boot off!  He was so happy.  The ankle looks good although it is still swollen some.  We had lunch in Kailua and then stayed around for the Farmer's market at 2:00 where we bought some produce.  I was kind of rushed and somehow misplaced my onions I bought.  I've been wanting to cook up some stir fry but never have enough vegetables.  I hope to do that one of these days.  We rushed back for dinner at the Gerionios.  We have a new Elder.  I'll have to take his picture some day.  He's a nice man, older at 24 than most of our Elders.

Tuesday

Today we ended up taking a friend of ours, Diego, to the airport.  He is from Brazil, has been here about 10 years.  He used to be a tennis Pro  and now is in real estate at Turtle Bay.  He needed a ride as he was going back to a family reunion.  So we rushed him into the airport and then came back and got ready for our "returning missionary luncheon" that was today.

The luncheon went well, we only had five missionaries returning home, and only one we knew,  Elder Moody from Riverside California.

We forgot a large plate of cookies I had made, so I rushed into Foodland and bought some Oreos to go with the other desserts, banana muffins and peeps.  I had died some eggs for Easter Eggs but only one person seemed interested in them.

Sunday and Monday

Wow, busy day on Sunday but a wonderful surprise when Sacrament was over and we were walking out...I went over to meet some new people, looked at this man,  I thought he was Brother Fieiki's brother, Brother Fieiki was a man we knew in our old mission in LA.  His daughter's were my good friends and one went on a mission while we were there.  It was actually Brother Fieiki and his wife Mary.  I haven't been to happy to see someone in a long while, since my Marisa!  It was so good to see them and catch up for  a few minutes.  There were here at Turtle Bay for a funeral.  The kids aren't married but have finished school and have careers! Time flys...6 years!  Such good people, he used to be the Bishop of the Centinela ward before we got there.

Then later on Sunday we participated in Break the Fast with our YSA ward.  The Fullmers had made 180 crepes and the rest of us brought toppings.  I was surprised at how full I was after two.  I haven't eaten crepes much in my life and they were really good.  But we had about half of them left, but no toppings!  We all had a good meal and good time visiting.

Today, Monday, we got up bright and early as usual and knocked on Elder Gunderson's door at 7:00 to bid him farewell as he is being transferred to Kauai.  He always sneaks my cookies on our ministering runs so I made him up a sack of cookies and a few for his companion Elder Larkin. We took a picture of him with us and he gave Elder Sanft a neck tie, saying "we always give our favorite ties to our favorite Elder."  Sweet.  He's a good guy from Idaho.

After we left him we went into our VCTM meeting until 9 then over to the PCC for another hour of training for ticket taking.  I think we are ready to do this ticket taking.  Now to find matching nice looking muumuus.  We went over to costumes to see what they had, we could borrow some matching ones, but they were all ...old and not very good looking.  We did bring a set home, which I washed up and ironed but I'm hoping the swap meet yields us something better.  Whenever we have the time to run over there.

After we got through with that we went home, changed, fed chickens, dogs, and the Sebrings came over and we went into Pearl City for lunch at a new Seafood place we had heard about.  Then we hit Costco and Walmart, because as long as we are in there we have to make our time count.

Then we came home and visited with them on our deck for about an hour and then Peggy and Dave and kids arrived home from Utah.  We informed them about Chester and Dave immediately constructed a ramp for the dog and hopefully Chester can now use the ramp and we don't have to lift his heavy bottom half of his body up onto the deck.  He loves sleeping by our door since he now can't climb the tall stairs to their front door.

Saturday April 13, 2019

We've had a busy week this past week and I've neglected to keep this blog up to date.  Monday night we had FHE with the Senior Missionaries at the Grant Building at BYUH.  We had a BYU religion professor, I don't recall his name, speak to us about the Book of Mormon and the perils of the last days.  He was interesting but spoke too fast and covered too much information in one hour.  My mind is slower in old age and it was hard to try to recall even some of it.

Tuesday we had our District Meeting with the Elders.  I had baked banana muffins and they mightily consumed those, about three each!  We thought we had YSA ministering that night but it was cancelled.  Wednesday I prepared food to take to Geronio's for dinner.  We went over a little early and visited with them a bit first.  The Elders weren't there but the Sister's gave a good lesson.

The Hancocks have been in Utah for their daughter's wedding so we have been tending to the animals.  Every day we feed and let the chickens out and then collect the eggs.  We feed the dogs and just keep an eye on things.  These chickens are a hoot!  One is always out when we get up in the morning.  I don't know how she is escaping!  The first morning I counted 9 hens and had to text the Handcocks because I thought for sure they had 13!  Peggy said she thought 9 sounded okay...hope so.
I feel a little farmerish!

Thursday we had a doctor's appointment.  Ramon keeps getting this swollen elbow and having to have it drained.  This time it ended up being a longer procedure as they added some steroids to try and prevent a reoccurrence.   I had blood drawn for my RA doctor.  We then went into Hauula to pick up some water on sale at Longs and got lunch.  Then went over to the PCC for further training on how to take tickets at the Luaus.  Then ran over and looked at the selection of matching muumuus and aloha shirts for us to "borrow" and wear when we take tickets.  Most were not very attractive...so we will go into the swap meet some day and buy our own.  For now we told them we could work 3 nights a month.

Friday we ran around shopping in Pearl City and Mililani for groceries for the Break the Fast on Sunday.  Then home and met the Lukers for a "Street Fair" in Kahuku.  We were probably the only people at the Street Fair!  Grabbed something to eat and then they took us over to their new house they are moving into by the beach, next to the big house where the Sisters were robbed last week.  It's a nice house, large and two bedrooms with a garage.  I still love our place best!  They are happy to move and she's finally get a stove!

Side note: the nurse from the doctor's office called and said she hadn't drawn enough blood from me so I have to go in again and give some more.  Fun.

I splurged and bought some flowers,  some potting soil and flowers to plant a pot for our porch.  I was missing my planting at home and couldn't resist.

Today will be spent washing and ironing and cleaning.  Then we will attend a baptism tonight at 6:30.

Sunday

It was such a great General Conference.  We rolled over in bed, put the TV on at 6 a.m. and watched.  We were so happy our Mission President was sustained as an Area Seventy and that Ramon's birth place is to have a new Temple built there.  It's a tiny island and has only a plane fly in once a week but it is full of members who will be able to do temple work there.  Such  a blessing for these saints.

We had a lazy wonderful day watching conference and Face-timing some children. I loved so many of the talks and also watched a video called "Stand Forever" from a BYU devotional.  This was so good.  I recommend it to all who have questions.

I put on a half a beef roast in the crock pot and it was done way before we felt like eating.  By noon it seemed like it should be 4:00.  We read our Book of Mormons a lot and tried to get caught up on our 100 day reading of the Book of Mormon, we're still a bit behind everyone else. The Elders, Gunderson and Larkin, stopped by for a few minutes.  We played "Catan" for a couple of hours and didn't leave the apartment once.  Slow peaceful day.  Looks like another busy week ahead for us,  just what we like!

Saturday

What a wonderful Conference so far this weekend! Our wonderful mission President was just sustained to be a General Authority Seventy.  He's such a wonderful spiritual man. 

In between sessions we went to a baptism over in Laie.   She wasn't someone we knew personally but the Elder's had invited us to it, turns out she is our friend Eliu Matagi's cousin, so he and Lorraine were there as well.  Small world in the church.

Sister Dutchess Ku'uipo Malepe
Our newest member!

Elder Madina, Sister Malepe, and Elder Lopez

We're had a pretty busy week, just doing our normal work, doing missionary things, temple service, meetings and ministering with food.  This weekend will be quiet with just watching conference and doing our spiritual study.  Ramon's leg is healing slowly, we go to the doctor in two more weeks to see if he can take off the boot.  
I guess I should mention that instead of taking off the monitor on our new car they just gave us another one just like it, but no monitor.  I feel free of driving restrictions!  This one is a clone to the other two, same color same smell etc!

Tuesday

Busy few days!  It seems like we've had meetings and more meetings!  Came home today after 6 hours of meetings and rested a bit while I did laundry.  To tell how busy it was, I ran out of clean garments and had to go buy some at the Visitor's Center this morning as I donned dirty ones after my shower last night, I hadn't washed in so long...well a week or so.  So did laundry in and around meetings and ministering today.

We also went and saw Khloe Anne and she wasn't doing well, stomach problems and had just had a biopsy last week on her stomach, no results yet.  Then ran over to the Travis house with a big plate loaded with cookies.  Their son was baptized last Saturday and we attended the baptism and wanted to welcome him.  This family is coming back to activity and he is 11 years old and needed to be baptized.  His Mom found out last month she is pregnant and due next month!  How do you do that?

We had our old friends and friend of my friend Holly, to our house for dinner Saturday.  Had a nice long visit with them, Lorraine and Eliu Matangi.  We are so busy we haven't hardly seen them at all since being here.

We are running into town tomorrow to get this annoying device off our new car.  Today it was silent but yesterday it kept talking loudly at me to "watch the speed limit!"  "Aggressive driving!"  so today I was very careful and no voice.  But it's really hard to go the speed limit on the freeway here when the speed limit is only 55 MPH.  Can't wait to be released from this monitor, I feel like I have an ankle bracelet on like I'm a prisoner. Today we went in and signed up to take tickets at the Luaus at the PCC.  We will be trained for two days first...how much training does it take to train to take tickets?  We had been supposed to do this when Ramon broke  his ankle but now he's almost back to normal and wants to get it up and running...pun intended.

We are eating at the Geronio's tomorrow and I am bringing two types of chicken enchiladas.  One you just use those frozen burritos and pour green chili sauce over with cheese and bake.  Real easy if they turn out good.

We were notified this morning that we should be doing a 100 day Book of Mormon read and it comes with a study guide.  So easy and it great because it tells us things we didn't know.  We are 13 days behind so have some catching up to do.  It's a mission goal and is to bring us unity.  Oh, I found out today our new Elder Larkin's first name is Kameron.  I love it!  He reminds everyone of Elder Bednar by looking and acting like him.  He's here with Elder Gunderson for the next couple of transfers we hope.  If any of you would like a copy of the study guide let me know and I'll email it to you.