Monday

Yesterday was a very tearful day.  So many emotions as we got a new YSA President and then later in the evening had a loving farewell meeting for our beloved Mission President Bekker and his wife.

During our YSA meeting a new Branch President was called, Bret Lee and his wife Cassie.  Unfortunately, she had just broken her ankle last week, (we loaned her our scooter) and so she is headed to Utah to heal.  He called two men to be his councilors, but we don't know either of them but I am sure we soon will.  President Lee is a great person whom we knew from our Sunset Branch so that helps us transition a bit. His wife spoke first and said he is "solid" in the gospel.   He said he serves because of the love he has of his Savior and the knowledge he has of Him.  His councilor Brother Cory Blake said "the church is not a trophy for winners but a sanctuary for sinners."  These are going to be great leaders of our youth.

After our meeting, where I had to give the closing prayer... so we all know I cried through it, we had a surprise dinner for the outgoing Presidency.  Louis Prescott spearheaded it by cooking up 40 lbs of chicken and the rest of us brought items to add to it.  It was a fun farewell but sad.

President David Fullmer and me

Rebekah Fullmer, Steve Speigler, Effie Speigler and David Fullmer

The Roses, Speiglers, Fullmers, Jenkins, and us
The three missionary couples and Presidency,
Brother and Sister Micah Smith are in Utah

After we went over to the Visitor's Center and had a kind of private farewell for the Bekkers.  It was just for the Sisters who serve in the VC and us senior couples.  We had a very emotional song, some talks by two Sisters and a couple of musical numbers.  Our Sister Yentz from Germany played the Saxaphone and it is amazing how well she plays and brings us all to tears.  Then President Allen spoke.  He mentioned knowing the Bekkers for years and how President and Sister Bekker were personal caregivers/ministers to Elder Richard G Scott for 10 years.  How Sister Bekker took care of Sister Scott through her decline with cancer and her final passing.  How Elder Bekker was always by
Elder Scotts side to see that  he was cared for as he travelled and spoke in his declining years until his transition into the Spirit World.  Then Elder Allen said he was told by the Spirit that the Scotts were in attendance at our meeting and pleased with Elder and Sister Bekker and he was sure they were saying "Well done".  Such a sweet impression.  Later the Bekkers spoke.  Sister Bekker really told the young women how they were chosen to be at this very mission, that she'd  never forget one of them, and how they were to always hold to the iron rod and not settle for a man that wasn't that worthy of them no matter what.

Elder Bekker reminded us to always remember "psst"  on our shoulders...Prayer, study, Serve, and temple, and we'd stay true to the faith.  What a great day and night it was to be so spiritually fed.

Today we had a VCTM meeting at 7:30, then worked at Prime Dining taking tickets at the PCC.  Then we went over to our Senior Couples FHE at 7:00 and then left that and went into  Kahuku for our YSA FHE where they were Tye Dying t-shirts.  I  took some pictures, they did it in the parking lot and then moved inside to all comment on how this activity related to the Gospel or Jesus Christ.

Sisters Hensley and Shumway

Elders Larkin and Higa

FHE with our new YSA Presidency