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.