Our Mission to the PCC

Here is our mission blog for the Polynesian Cultural Center.  We served for two years and worked very hard in an office with BYU-H students.  We were on many committees representing different areas of the PCC.  We provided service to them to see how we, through research and data, could help with customer satisfaction and decision making.

We conducted many surveys, customer mapping, mystery shopping and luau comparative studies.  We also helped in the evenings with luau. We kept busy enough that we often forgot that we were even in Hawaii. Ha ha.

For about 6 months, while waiting for a new couple to arrive, we forfeited our Saturday P-day to serve with the Bakers at the Mission Settlement within the PCC.  Chris taught ukulele lessons with Bill and I helped in the shop with Jeanie.  We ran the cash register and sewed all kinds of things to sell at the shop.  We just loved this experience and love the Bakers.

Many of our blog posts are from pretty places we went on p-day or for mystery shopping or luau studies.  Even though our predecessors got reimbursed for travel and lunch etc,  we did everything on our own dime so as not to impact sacred funds and also because we thoroughly enjoyed the experiences and felt it was the right thing to do.

When we had our exit interview with President Grace, he told us to never stop saying Aloha. :) 

Aloha!!

Aloha Oe dear Laie

Now is the hour when we must say goodbye.  Our car in on the ship sailing to Seattle.  Our goodbyes have been many and exhausting with emotion.  We have been laden with so many gifts and leis.  How we will miss this place and people.  We are excited to go home to our loved ones and the mainland once again but this will always hold a special place in our hearts and we will be back periodically to help in the office. :)

Here are a few more photos in parting.

 

Beautiful lagoon

Removing the imu pig for the luau

...one more wigglegram photo

   

Our last Mystery Shopping on the Island

We've supplied many mystery shopping reports to the PCC and this will be our last one.  We went to the Moana Surfrider.  Beautiful hotel...first one ever built on Oahu. They were favorable toward the PCC.

Great view from our balcony

 

Surfboard stowage 

Natural Healing Retreat

Fourteen Footzoners met at our place today for a Natural Healing Retreat.  We learned about meditation, benefits of sound, chakras etc.  We had a great lunch and then we footzoned each other.

May Day in Laie Hawaii

Laie Elementary School May Day Celebration!

Dinner with SDR students

We call ourselves, SDR the Genius Bar.  ha ha  (Strategic Development & Research)  Our students decided to host a cultural dinner for all of us at Dexter's apartment.  It was so much fun!  Dexter brought Korean, AJ brought Filipino, Linda brought Taiwanese, Helam brought Chinese & I brought Danish!  What a feast!

Sea Life Park with Malatji's

Today we took Nature, Namzamo and Inathi on an outing to Honolulu and then we had lunch at Marukame Udon Noodle shop at Waikiki.

   

 

Artist Jaime Mendame

Each day when I go out to get the beam counts, I pass through the lovely art gallery at the Welcome Center.  A favorite painting holds my attention each time and I really love it.  One day I was passing through and "my painting" was gone.  I was so sad and wished I had purchased it.  The next day, to my great surprise,  the beautiful art was back!  Even better, the painter was there doing more beautiful art.  I had a lovely chat with him and he sold me "my painting" for a great PCC discount.  He signed the back and named it "Home Sweet Home".

 

Graduation

Our student, AJ Caduada, from the Philippines, was the student speaker at graduation today!  She did such a wonderful job and we were proud of her.  AJ will become a full time employee in our office now that she has graduated.  We are so thankful and hope it will be a positive experience for her.

   

Laie Happenings

We were serving at the Luau and then finished up the evening at Prime Dining where President M. Russel Ballard, president of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles was having dinner.

This is the beautiful Prime Dining Hall and the
white arrow is pointing to President M. Russel Ballard

 

After dinner we walked to our office and there we
saw again, President Ballard chatting with PCC employees.

       

Chris singing outside the Hale Aloha prior to luau

Beautiful flower arrangement at the luau
made by Misty

Visit from Aaron

We had a great week with Aaron visiting.  He brought work with him and worked at our place while we worked at the office and then we played.

Royal Hawaiian Luau

We had another mystery shopping assignment in Honolulu and we also did a luau comparison study at the Royal Hawaiian.  It was very delightful and the Royal is just gorgeous! It was the 2nd hotel built on the island.  Very interesting to learn that in those days, because everyone came by ship, nobody wanted a room that looks out to the sea!  Their rooms were all facing the beautiful courtyard to help everyone forget about their long journey.