Emily & Hollis visiting

                                 A fun time with Em & Hollis!

Emily learning to twirl a fireknife at the PCC

Learning to toss a fishing net

Success!!

PCC lagoon

Valley of the temples

Dim Sum in Chinatown

 Hollis's cute little mermaid
moʻopuna wahine (granddaughter) from Hauula

                

Happy Birthday Hollis!

                                               

Hollis's children and grandchildren came over for the birthday!

Did we tell you to pull a funny face?

We also went for a little ride to Pupukea Heiau, a lookout over the beautiful ocean. Emily saw something none of us noticed...little puffs of white out in the distance.  There was a pod of whales spouting here and there out in the ocean.  It was so cool!!!  Wouldn't it be so cool to be next to a whale when it spouts to see how high up the water goes.  I'm glad Emily had eyes to see this cool sight and share it for our eyes to see.

Hymn blending

We have church in a big classroom building with multiple YSA wards meeting at once.  We had just finished singing the sacrament hymn 

“We love thee Lord, our hearts our full. We’ll walk thy chosen way”, 

then as sacrament is being blessed we hear a distant congregation’s hymn drifting into our meeting 

“Oh it is wonderful that He should care for me” 

then the room right next door begins 

“God our Father hear us pray, send thy grace this holy day.”   

Beautiful hymn singing from multiple congregations while we ponder during the sacrament.

  Because I enjoyed that so much I listened for the singing again at closing.  We sang 

 “Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation no longer as strangers on earth need we roam” 

…the hymn ends and we hear next door 

“We doubt not the Lord nor His goodness.”  

Such peace from our hymns ringing their messages through the college classroom building.

Boarders with boards

Three skate boarders with their surf boards heading to Hukilau Beach.

Saturday Morning

Aloha from Laie, the city of refuge, the community with a temple, a visitors center open seven days a week, a university that provides an education for international students many of whom would not normally be able to afford one and an amazing cultural center where students are given employment and where they learn more about their very own cultures.  In this center thousands of people come six days a week and leave with a greater appreciation for Polynesia and a soft introduction to the church who all day long gave to them the spirit of Aloha.

This morning we received an emergency alert on our cell phones. 

At first I thought my phone had been hacked.  Chris turned on the computer and saw a bar scrolling the top with the same emergency warning.  

The ballistic missile was fortunately a mistake but for nearly 40 minutes we had many thoughts going through our heads.  There was much pandemonium and fear in Honolulu apparently but here in Laie it was quite calm.  

I felt grateful to be here, a place where I truly feel God is watching over.  So much good happens here everyday.  So many good people and so many prayers for everyone laboring in this work of the Lord.  All I could think of to do was to kneel down and pray and I knew that if it was not time to end this great work, then everything would be well.  Otherwise, it must be God’s will and within the hour we could be visiting our loved ones on the other side.  I thought about all of my children and grandchildren & what they might go through if this would happen.  

Anyway, with a "pheww" and seeing life is still good on Oahu I offered a prayer of thanks and we got ready to go serve at the PCC Mission Settlement.
We got to fill the fish feeders

 and take the money to the cash office to count it. 

This is the cool machine that we drop all the quarters
in and it counts them and puts them into rolls.  I just
think it is so funny that it says "To count fish food only"
ha ha ha!

Despite the all the craziness that happened in Honolulu just a few hours earlier, we had tons of guests in the shop. Chris taught many ukulele lessons & I got to visit with guests and sew a couple more bowl holders.  We are sure enjoying our friendship with Gary Bakers parents. 

(PHOTO OF BAKERS)

Chris teaching ukulele lesson on the porch
while a group of guests go by in the canoe.

The Old Chapel

Bessed is he to whom the Gospel is welcome. (Talmage)

Working with Bill and Jeanie Baker yesterday at the PCC mission settlement was wonderful.  The old stone building has a wrap around porch.  The wooden windows are propped open and a handmade quilt hangs from a dowel at the top of every window.  Inside it’s all homey with all kinds of hand sewn items in beautiful fabrics.  Quilts, hotpads, bowl holders, hens, turtles, teddybears, doll clothes, ties, bows, purses, etc.  Ukuleles hang from cabinets on the outside and people sit on the big porch and learn how to play ‘You are My Sunshine”.  It feels like stepping back in time in an old country shop of yesteryear.  

Next door is the old chapel with a beautiful old pump organ and next to that is the old bench filled schoolhouse where you can learn how to weave a pandanus rose or a ribbon lei.  

Old pump organ purchased
for 36.00 back in 1890 from Sears & Roebuck

L: He will remember the islands of the sea.
R: He that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Catholic Father Damien & Mormon Bishop Napela

who worked together at the Leper colony on Molokai 

Enlargement of the words above: