Paul and Mar Jean Lewis: December 17

This week as not as busy as we expected in the temple. It was steady just not quite how we pictured it. We did get to escort a few weddings during the week. This is always a great joy to see these couples come and begin their lives together in the right way. We also had a couple of sealings with children being sealed to their parents.

Monday at noon we met at the hale to celebrate Renee's retirement. She has worked at the temple for 25 years. An interesting story. As a young girl she was in the mainland taking care of neices and nephews. When they didn't need her anymore she came back to Hawaii. She was not active in church at this time. Her mother was RS secretary and started asking her to help her. Finally the Bishop called and asked her to be a Sunbeam teacher, I think with her sister, which they did for a number of years. Shortly after this someone told her there was an opening at the temple to work in the office and there she has been ever since. Active and loving the Lord with all her heart. She is a woman without guile and always has a sweet disposition.

Renee

Thursday evening we had Julie and Dar Weech come to dinner. They are from Arizona and live next door to us in the Hughes apartment. She serves at the Goo store and he works in the finance department of the PCC. The campus is pretty empty since graduation.

We have been on the early schedule this week so are in the temple by 7 am. We also had a meeting with President and Sister Hallstrom this week about how they could better use the missionaries. We told them we loved the Saturday assignments and otherwise use us as needed, which is what they do. I spent some extra time in the laundry, which I love. The sisters down there are the best and I love chatting with them as we work.

Today, Sunday, we had one hour sacrament meetings. We went to ours, which was very good and then decided yesterday, what were we going to do all day, so we went to one of the YSA meetings on campus. Also very good. Not many there. A little later we will do our Just Serve and then pick up Scharee Munson tonight for the musical fireside at the Visitor Center. The Chock family are singing.

We celebrated Paul's 75th birthday by driving into Wai where we had Panda Express. He received calls and well wishes from family and some friends. He got what he wanted--money. I told him what comes around goes around because I gave him back the $100 bill he gave me for my birthday. If we just keep passing it back and forth it won't cost us anything.

We had to go see the new 99 cent store in Honolulu, it's from Japan and not quite the same

Josh turned 15 and passed his driving permit test on the first try. We usually celebrate together with cake and ice cream. This year he had a party of his peers. Riley also called today to say he went to the temple for the first time Friday with Robbie, Amilie and Mercedes. They went to the Oquirrh Mt. Temple. I challenged him to attending at least once a month but twice would be better.

Early in the morning he found a condo in Wikiki for Kelly when she comes so evryone is happy.

Sister Carter and companion

Elder Allen in one of the new missiionary vans

checking out a paddle board experience for Kelly and boys when they come

People have been so generous. Sister Monteig, Coordinator on Tuesday mornings gave us this nativity. Their Stake did a tree filled with them at the VC. They are so beautiful. One of the other shifts gave us these beautiful posters. Sister Vim and Carole Ann gave us the camel with the sweet story that goes along with it. We feel very blessed.

Beautiful handmade nativity and card made by Sister Monteil. Their stake did a tree of them for the VC

Merry Christmas 2018 spent in Laie Hawaii

Christmas Eve we were invited to Brother and Sister Helen Goo for dinner and program. It reminded us of home when their grandchildren reinacted the manger scene while Grandpa Goo read the story and the rest of us sang the songs that went along with it. The kids were so cute and funny. Little Mary who was probably 4 or 5 rode in on a bigger brother, who was the donkey. She couldn't stop laughing. At the end their son-in-law shared a talk he gave on Sunday. He had asked all his children and wife and in-laws, "what does Christmas mean to you". They all had something to say about the Saviour and how He blesses our lives and what a great gift He is from our Heavenly Father."

Sister Goo always has a wonderful meal. This time she had a pan full of rice and different kinds of fish, shrimp, mussell, squid, clams. I tried most of them but only shrimp do I really like. I believe Paul and the Broadbents passed up that food. They also had some smoked turkey which was very good. She is a great cook and had homemade rolls. For dessert we had different pies. A lovely evening and we were so grateful to be invited.

Christmas day we spent time talking with the kids and hearing about how they were all doing. Most were getting ready to go to Island Park. Kimberly convinced her family, except for Mallorie, to open their presents Christmas Eve and open their stockings Christmas day while they waited for Kaylee to call. Kelly's kids got up one or two at a time and opened presents and Kory's family pretty much slept in except for Gage who was the only one anxious to get up.

That day we went up and helped Emily and Stuart wet up tents and prepare food for the dinner she was having that evening for 15-28 people. She wasn't sure who was going to show up so she got nervovus and bought another turkey and as usual we ended up not needing all the extra food so we shared a bunch with the Sister Missionaries across the street.

There are now 60 sister missionaries at the Visitor Center. They should move into the new teaching center on the 7th or close to it. The temple is now officially closed for two weeks.

We really worked hard the last week. All of the shifts were short of workers so we went in in the evening to help out. Friday I was in the laundry helping Zina and her crew for four hours. I love being down there. They are such wonderful women, especiallyZina, who has the most wonderful attitude, all she does she does for the Lord and her love for Him. She is there at 5 or 6 evening morning and often until 9 or 10 at night. I don't know how she does it but she loves it and the temple would not work without the work she does in the laundry.

We love the Lord and are so happy to be able to help and assist in His great work. Not to toot our horns but it is something good to hear that what you are doing it noticed. There is a Sister Reed who serves in the temple. She is an order student at the university. Her daughter lives in Manhattan and is RS president of the mid single adult ward. They were visiting and talking about a couple who served in Manhattan and were always helping clean the temple and this girl also came and cleaned the temple and her mom was telling her about us here in Laie and they put it together that we were the same couple. Guess we are doing something right.