June 18 - 24

FHE  Two couples said their goodbyes.  I loved some of the things they said.
1) freedom in not having stuff
2) satisfaction in doing a good days work that is not compensated
3) peace from being unaware of worldly things
4) power in being set apart from the world -- a higher plane of thought
5) love where there is ministering--truly what God will do to you.  When you minister you are taking God's love to people
6) so in love with my companion
7) really enjoyed the companionship of the Spirit
8) God is concerned with how you do it not what(position)  you do  RMN

Leadership defined   President Monson, something he said to his daughter on one of their last visits to a friend (92).  "I feel we have done some good today"  Influence others to be good and do good.

Going to Hawaii on a mission is not a mission it's a vacation.  How do you answer that?  "The really righteous go to paradise".Wednesday Paul and I did three sessions.  It was really nice.  We stayed for the 6 pm session because it was our Ward's temple night.  It wasn't very large but a good spirit.  I have been reading a book called "The Temple" by Ed Pinegar and it has helped me be more focused and trying to learn and remember the covenants we are making.  We also had a sister from China receive her endowment.  Her friend, also from China, came with her.  Josie Luo joined the church when she was 8.  Her mother had joined the Church in 2004 in China.  They knew the Chens who served in Mainland while we were in Hong Kong.   Mavis Ren is going to be serving in Washington DC Visitor Center and will be the 2nd Chinese speaker there.  So fun to meet these great girls.

Afterwards we invited them to come for refreshments provided by President Au Yu's family, choco rice and yummy bread and butter.  A wonderful day.  Today Thursday we did our two sessions and because they did not need me I went on a session.

Aloha oe

We heard this week from Laurna Lundberg that Blair Fictum passed away in December 2017.  Following is his obituary.  He and his wife Trudy were dear friends from Camarillo.  He was in the Bishopric when we first arrived.

Blair Eugene Fictum passed away peacefully on December 22nd 2017 after a long illness.

Blair was born December 31st, 1923 in Wilbur, Nebraska to Doris (Harper) Fictum and Otto Fictum. Blair was raised in Los Angeles and had been a Ventura County resident since 1966. Blair served his country during WWII as a B-17 navigator and bombardier with the Mighty 8th Air Force, 384th Bomber Group  based in Grafton Underwood, England. Blair flew in 34 missions over a 7 month period and survived his plane being shot down into the English Channel . After serving his country he returned home in March of 1945 to serve his community. He earned his Bachelors degree from Occidental and his Masters and Doctorate in Education from USC. Blair spent nearly 40 years at LAUSD as an Educator, Football and Track & Field Coach. During his summers Blair worked with the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Foundation where he would take kids to various pools around Los Angeles for some fun and exercise.

Before shipping overseas for the war Blair married Janice Meilstrup in April 1944 while stationed in Texas. They  had a son, Steven, while Blair was stationed in England. The marriage ended shortly after his return to the States.  Blair then met the love of his life, Trudie Anderson and they married in January 1947 in Santa Monica. Blair and Trudie had 7 children together, Linda, Dorise, Joan, Brian, Jeff, Gary and Lisa.

Blair was predeceased by his wife Trudie in 1997 and daughter Dorise in 2014. He is survived by daughters Linda Newton, Joan Blancan (Joe Casalino), Lisa Boone (Bobby), and sons Steven (Erika), Brian, Jeff (Mary) and Gary (Kristin). He is survived by 19 Grandchildren, 15 Great Grandchildren and 4 Great Great Grandchildren.

A church service will be held on Tuesday, January 2nd at 11:00am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Camarillo. Grave Service will be immediately following at Conejo Mountain.

June 11 - 17

FHE said goodbye to three couples.  Two from the PCC and one from BYU Hawaii.  All have had wonderful experiences.  Elder Muller, Richie, and Baker.  We knew the Bakers the best.  She served in the temple on Tuesday mornings and worked at the Mission home village and he played and taught ukulele lessons to the visitors.

Thursday evening after the temple we hurried out to the Visitor Center to cover for the Allens while they were at dinner with the Goodman's and Chongs, who are VC missionaries, and are going home this week.  It was such a fun experience to be in the Visitor Center with the Sister missionaries.  They are the best.  They knew exactly what to do.  Paul worked outside by the trams and I sat at the desk inside the VC.  I was even able to answer a few questions of some girls from Canada about the gospel and how it differed from other religions and then I started a movie for another family. 

In the afternoon the VC sends sister missionaries over to the PCC to invite people to take a tram ride from 3 - 7 over to the visitor center and temple.  There they will show them films and let them wonder around the visitor center and take pictures outside.  They get over a thousand visitors a day.  At closing we take down the flags and lock up.  They invited us to a missionary breakfast Friday morning so we went over after Paul played racquetball.  We had bagels with them.  Such a great group of missionaries and gave us an opportunity to get to know them better. 

Saturday we helped with just one wedding and so left the temple and went to Koneaho to T Mobil to find my camera on my phone.  Seems it was just in another box hiding all week.  Then we stopped at Panda Express for Father's Day dinner.  The Bennets were there also so we got to know them better.  They are from South Carolina and she teaches in the college of Education at BYU Hawaii.  They have been here three years.  He is taking classes.  They are often on one of our sessions each week.
It has been good to have some of the same people come each week so we get to know them better.  The Nites come and bring her mother, the Hopkinsons, who are missionaries, come and last Friday we had three wheelchairs and one walker on our session.  Surree Munson, Brother Lowe brings his son and daughter, who are both in wheelchairs, and Sister Memea.  Wonderful people we have grown to love. 

Sister Kealoha said she appreciates our willingness to serve.  We are happy to be here and help where we can.  It is a great blessing for us.  We are up-to-date on our reading the Book of Mormon in three months.  Katie got us all started.  Hopefully more than 50% of us make it. 

We love the Lord and each other and especially our wonderful family.  May God bless and keep you all safe and happy. 

Tyler is working for a landscaping company this summer.  It is hard work he is learning.  Robbie is headed for Trek at Martin's Cove this week.  Brayden has been at Kelly's for a week.  Riley has been taking golfing lessons, Blake finished some swimming lessons.  Mallorie and Kimberly spent last week at girls camp.  Katie spent a week at girl's camp.  Dad's are all working hard to keep the family happy. 

Fountain outside the temple doors

some table runners from the Mission Home at PCC

The new canoe parade with new costumes and dances

Laie Temple where we are privileged to serve every day

Fountain in front of the Visitor Center

June 4 - 10

Monday we made our usual trip around the island getting gas and some groceries. Also visited the PCC Nursery for a few minutes before it rained on us.  It seems to take all day when we go.

PCC Nursery

We had FHE that evening and a couple was going home and we had Kap from the PCC come and talk to us about his life.  He is pretty much in charge of the Samoan Village.  He also has a store there where he sells his art and sculptures.  He grew up in Tonga.  When he was eight his father passed away but by that time he had learned how to take care of his family.  His father had taught him everything he needed to know to use a coconut tree for everything his family would need.  His mother had 15 children plus many more they adopted.  His parents taught him the gospel and she saw that they sang and read every day.  He used all of that and came to BYU Hawaii where he used all his skills at the PCC.  He took every job that paid extra like climbing the coconut trees, doing the dances, singing and anything else.  It all did him well and he and his family are doing well. It was very interesting.

Kap helping to sing Aloha Oe

Tuesday evening after the temple we had Jerome and Loretta Pollard over for dinner.  We had a wonderful evening sharing conversion stories.  Brother Pollard joined the church at 16.  He quickly went inactive and joined the service and was in Viet Nam.  While there one of the officers found out he was a member and got him coming back to church.  He also served in the LA temple with Paul and we had many fun memories.  Loretta married an inactive member of the Church.  When they had their twins he told her they were going to be raised Mormon.  Slowly over the years she slowly came along until she was finally baptized.  Her husband also came along and became Bishop.  They are wonderful and Jerome has two daughters here on the island.  Lupe and Martha both have nine children.  We have meet both of them in the Samoan and Tongan wards we have visited.

Wednesday evening the Nichols invited us to go with them to the home of a new member of the Church Nick and Niki.  They have a beautiful place right on the water just beyond Turtle Bay.  They have a wedding party business.  Their property goes just a short way and the rest is owned by Hawaii but because they plant a tree, a special endangered tree fern, and because they have the forest on each side they plant these threes.  It's a beautiful piece of property.  They invite the local Elders in their ward and the Sr. couple and several others to dinner every Wednesday.  We had some wonderful curry dishes.  Really a fun evening.

Nick and Niki's son is taking care of a parrot

A wonderful dinner 

It got a little dark but very beautiful and you can imagine lights throughout

Great days in the temple every day.  Several young missionaries were able to come. Saturday we were able to help with two weddings.  One was the Shupe family from the Laie 1st Ward.  They had a nice big sealing.  We had also had them on our session the week before when she received her endowment.

After finishing at the temple Saturday we drove to the Assisted Living home where we picked up Leslie.  We had met her at the home a week before.  She had recently moved to this new place and had left many of her things at the old place.  It was over on the West side of the island.  We couldn't get it all into the car so we brought her back and then went back and got the rest of her things.  We stopped at Five Guys for dinner and made a stop at Walmart and also needed to get gas at Costco.  It had already closed except for the gas.

Leslie and Mar Jean 

Percy singling and playing for the residents 

Some leis from Pastor Virgil for the Kamehameha celebration

Sunday we had a great Sacrament meeting.  We came home and had a tomato bacon sandwich and then went to pick up the food for Just Serve.  We drop it off at Pastor Virgil who takes it to the homeless.  We then went back to the assisted living to listen to Percy, our neighbor, play his guitar for all the people.  He does this most Sundays.

some table runners from the PCC Village

Sunday night we attended a YSA Fireside.  One of the young ordinance workers told Paul about it.  We decided we needed to go because President and Sister Nihipali were the speakers.  They had five of the young ordinance workers bear their testimony of working in the temple and then the President and Sister Nihipali spoke and told about their life and the temple.  They determined at the beginning of their marriage that they would attend the temple once a week and they have pretty much accomplished that.  Great blessings have come to them.  They have also served as counselor in the Kona Temple.

May 27 - June 3, 2018

MEMORIAL DAY 2018

This morning we left the house at 7 am and drove around the island to National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific or Punch Bowl for the 69th Memorial Day ceremony.  We were saying I think this is the first one we have ever been to.  We have never lived close to the cemeteries of our parents and grandparents.  We thought this would be a good time to start.  We learned it is a day to remember and honor our military heroes who have fought and died for our freedoms.  It was a beautiful setting.  All the graves had flags and leis on them.  In fact yesterday after Sacrament our Scouts were loaded up and taken to Punch Bowl to help put leis on the graves for today's ceremony.  There were speakers, music, placing of wreaths and a fly by.  A great time to remember.

We were trying to remember who we knew in our family that served.  My Dad, Ray, Grandpa, AR, Uncles Wayne, Joe, Norman, Roy, Ralph.  Brother-in-law Mike, brothers, Ron and Don, cousin Glenn, who was killed in Veit Nam.  I'm sure many others but those come to mind.  

We did a little shopping at our favorite places, Walmart and Sams Club and then stopped at the Ranch to pick up food for "Just Serve".  A very rewarding day.  Now time to get ready for the temple tomorrow. 

Cemetery behind us 

About 30 organizations laid wreathes up front

The Fly By

38,000 graves had a flag and lei

 A great week in the temple.  Our usual 11 and 4 o'clock sessions.  Many of the same people are on these sessions so we are getting to know a few more of them.  We were invited to come in early on Friday and help with a wedding and an own endowment which is always really special.  We have several new temple workers.  Some of the senior missionaries are starting to serve and in the evenings we have many of the students from BYU Hawaii.

This Saturday we did not have a wedding but I helped with an own endowment.  We are grateful to be of use.  We love our Presidency.

Saturday after the temple we finally made it to the Aloha Swap meet.  Spent about an hour walking around.  Paul a headset for his phone.  He lost his last ear phone and now has the one that goes around your neck and I found some shell leis for when visitors come.

Sunday we attended the Tonga Ward in Kahuku.  We saw many of our temple workers there.  Lupe Pollard was playing the organ.  We ran into her our first day here in Laie.  She has nine children and expecting number 10.  Such a great family.  Paul bore his testimony.  The meeting is in both Tonga and English.  We attended the English Sunday School and RS meetings.  Great women in this Ward.  It was a great meeting.

Stopped at Laie Point on the way home.  A beautiful afternoon.

From our Sunday drive

Laie Point 

Tonight is Break the Fast at the PCC.  Not as many there as usual but a good time and good food.  A big group is going home in the next few weeks so new ones will be coming.  Always change. 

Seminary was really good.  They had 50 graduates in the Stake.  They have an awesome Stake President, President Kinglsey Ah You.  He always gives great talks.  His family is in the Laie 1st Ward so we see him often. 
Lots of beautiful leis given out to the graduates.  We then came home and listened to President and Sister Nelson's devotional.  Pretty neat to be enlisting the youth 12-18 in the army of spreading the gospel to all people.  Five things he asked of them.  

1. Hold a seven-day fast from social media.2. For three weeks in a row, make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord.3. Keep on the covenant path.4. Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.5. Stand out and be different from the world.

President Nelson asked that the youth prayerfully study the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet and give a copy to a friend who may not know or live these standards.

“You are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world,” he said. “You have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation!”

President Nelson boldly urged every young woman and young man to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to help gather Israel.

“You are the hope of Israel, ‘children of the promised day!’”

I'm praying all my grandchildren will take up the challenge. Some wonderful blessings are promised.