June 30 - July 8 Happy 4th of July

For our first week of for temple closing it has been filled to the brim with things to do.  We started by helping clean the temple every morning at 6 am.  We helped Susan in the office first then Paul helped with the carpets and I helped with the crystals in the brides room with Emily.  On other days we helped clean chairs and vacuum the sealing rooms.   It has been a great week in the temple. 

The Laie 1st Ward started their beach camp out Monday afternoon.  It was such a fun week for them.  We were able to take it down several times to walk thru the camp, have a breakfast and luau and talent show and clean the porta potties one morning.  They had a really great turnout.  On the 4th of July they had a patriotic devotional and then participated in the parade.  On Saturday morning we participated in the hukilau which was lots of fun to watch.  We didn't catch too many fish however.  

Ward Camp Carsons

Ward Camp

Brother Shute 

kids playing at the beach 

kids jumping off a ladder into the sea 

 Monday at FHE we said our goodbyes to the Waterfalls.  After their talks I participated in a musical patriotic program.  It was a fun way to start off the celebration.  

After FHE a bunch of us ended up at McDonalds for a snack

Working at the Visitor Center

Paul helping the Sisters take down the flags

a view of the FHC and I love these Monkey Pod trees 

The Christus inside the Visitor Center 

Some of the awesome Sisters we served with. 

Me counting the visitors as they enter the center 

4th of July Parade 

Laie 1st Ward 

The football team doing the Haka 

I had already changed to head to the PCC for our job there

We took the tram over so we could find a parking place 

Bishop Magalie and Paul 

Monitoring the bounce house for 6 and under

Fireworks at the PCC

The Ward camp out service project cleaning up the cemetery 

A baby's grave

Three days last week we served with the Sister missionaries at the Visitor Center.  We loved it.  Such great missionaries.  All so sweet and many trying to learn English and the missionary lessons at the same time.  We had lots of tram tourists from the PCC and buses with Chinese visiting the area.  We were there for six hours each of those days.  The Goodmans had to go home early because of death of a grandson and the new couple were not coming in until Saturday.  It gave us a wonderful opportunity to get to know the Sisters who live right across the road from us.  

The 4th of July was filled.  We started by cleaning the porta potties at the Ward Camp out.  At 9 am we showed up at the Ellingsons for the Senior Missionary breakfast, which was really good.  At ten we needed to be at the Visitor Center until 5 pm.  From there we went to the PCC to help with the bouncy blowups for the pre fireworks sponsored by the PCC and the Ah Yous.  We worked there from 6:30 till the fireworks at 9.  Watched the fireworks, which were really good and then filled up a bag of garbage before heading home at 10:10.  Needless to say we were tired.  We spent Thursday recovering.  By afternoon we were tired of staying in so went over to the PCC and walked around the mission home and watched the Hawaii movie before coming home.  

Friday we cleaned again at the temple and served at the Visitor Center then went to the Ward Camp out.  
Saturday morning the hukilau at the beach and then drove to Waikiki where we got our condo.  We got settled in and then walked to the beach, had a hamburger and back to the condo.  

Sunday we attended Church at the Honolulu Tabernacle.  It is a very beautiful building and has quite a history.  We ran into several people who serve at the temple and Matt and AmyTau were there visiting.  Friends from Camarillo.  He still remembers Paul calling for his birthday.  

We came back to Laie to do our Just Serve assignment.  Stopped to visit the Ellingsons at the church farm then to the assisted living home to visit Leslie.  We stopped at the visitor center to see how things were going and drop off an extra Book of Mormon and met the new VC missionaries.  The Allens were there and invited us to dinner.  They  had family visiting and were having left over hamburgers from the 4th of July celebration.  It was fun to listen to his stories from when he was in charge of the Missionary Department.  

A great week filled with lots of good memories.  



A note from Sister Pam Page
Aloha and good morning,

Me again. . . When my children were young, we would have called this day, "the morning after the night before!" I am pleased to report we all "lived to tell the tale!!"

Yesterday's events were wild & crazy, family & community based, and just plain fun. Yet, for me. the events were humbling in terms of Elders and Sisters whose nature it was to "go with the flow," even when there were moments of torrential tides. . . so to speak. For Sister Pam Page, you are the unsung heroes of yesterday's celebration.

Thank you for your goodness, patience, and kindness; even when many things occurred which were completely beyond my control; and yet, for which, I felt responsible.  That means a great deal to me and I hope you can feel the sincerity of this note.

In seeking to adequately express my thanks, I came across this scripture in Revelation 2:19-

"I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first."  I am so thrilled to be serving with individuals who possess such traits of character; particularly "good WORKS!!"   

May the Lord's choicest blessings be poured out in your behalf as you continue to serve.

Mahalo nui loa,

Sister Pam Page