Tsunami Scare

Well, Oct. 27,2012  will be a historical evening for us.  5:30 p.m. there was an earthquake in the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of B.C. A couple of hours later our landlord's daughter pounded on our door telling us there was a Tsunami warning for the Islands of Hawaii and to evacuate.  I thought she was joking, because I had specifically said in my talk "I just pray there will NOT be a Tsunami!!!    http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/28/us-hawaii-tsunami-idUSBRE89R02M20121028

We knew we were to go to the Temple (a littler higher level than where we live, which is just across the road from the beach). We basically packed up all our personal belongings, plus food from our little storage pantry, filled our backpacks (which I had obtained from my favorite store "Give & Take") and headed to the Laie Temple grounds.  I always keep half frozen bottles of water in our freezer, so we felt we were quite prepared to spend several days, if needed  before coming home. Plus, Elder Reynolds insisted we take his Bavarian Peach Cream Pie we had just purchased - so we were set! ("If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.")

The parking lot was filled with sr. couple missionaries,young missionaries, students, and local citizens. It was kind of like a huge tailgate party.  Everyone had their radios turned on, munching on goodies and just waiting for the first wave to come on shore, which was scheduled to arrive at 10:28 p.m.  

The Big Island of Hawaii was supposed to get the highest wave on the leeward side of Oahu.  (We live on the windward side.)  Fortunately, none of the waves (apparently there are many that come after a Tsunami) were very big and the surf was only about 3 ft. higher than normal.  No one seemed panicked and just waited for the final word that it was safe to return home.  Some of us finally left about midnight, and by 2 a.m. the "return home" notice was given.  What an exciting evening, after finally knowing all was well and we wouldn't be floating back to Idaho by way of the Ocean!!!!  Missionaries are always blessed.

Week in Review

Oct. 21 - Our first Stake Conference was interesting. It was held in the Cannon Center.  It's a nice auditorium with air conditioning!!   Yehhh - I even got cold!!!   President McArthur is the Stake President. He and his counselors spoke briefly.  We had a small choir of students who sang the opening song.  They were conducted by Sister Woods who used to sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. (She's a single sister serving at the PCC with us and also in our ward.)  Our favorite speakers were the students!

Sunday night we attended a special fireside under the direction of Vocal Point.  They were awesome and shared great stories along with beautiful hymns.  They sing a capella and are amazing.

Oct. 23 - Enjoyed attending BYUH devotional and listening to Sister Virginia Pierce (Pres. Hinckley's daughter).  Her talk was so uplifting!! She told us 3 different ways to THINK:  Think "Big Ideas, Think Straight and Think Abundantly."  Loved this quote....."There isn't anyone you couldn't love, once you know their story."

Bro. & Sis. Les Harper just happened to drop by my store.  They are volunteers from Lloydminster, Canada who helped with setting up "Give & Take" buildings etc.  What a small world, they know my niece Keri & Trevor Pratt from Sylvan Lake, Alberta. They brought me this lovely orange shirt and knew Keri would recognize it because it has an advertisement of their business on the back!

 

This is Helena Radzik from Switzerland.  She is serving a mission here and helps me sort clothes etc. at "Give & Take"!

Guess who else I happened to find?  Nowah Afangbedji from Togo.  He knows the Krupps, from our home ward in Idaho Falls, from when they served their mission in Africa.  Also a good friend of May's and we want to hire him to work with me after May leaves in December! 

Gary interacted with Michael Ballam this week! His son, who is wheelchair bound, is serving a mission here.  He was having major electrical problems with his car. There are no auto mechanics in Laie.  Elder Reynolds is thinking perhaps he could start a little family business when he completes his mission and make lots of $$$$!!!

Lots of little miracles happen daily as we "just happen" to bump into people who know our friends, & family.  Love being a missionary!!

My mechanic husband fixed yet one more item on our car - the window, which would no longer go up.  Not a good thing when it's RAINING!  He saved $l00 by getting the part from Mike @ good ole Idaho Falls, Idaho, BA Wackerli.  Thanks Ryan for helping your dad order the part!

Give & Take

Here are a few more pictures of the Give and Take Store:

The Library.  Isn't it awesome!  Lots of free books on every subject you can imagine.  I'm studying Hawaiian Culture.

Housewares

Baby Dept.  Lots of cute expectant moms enjoy shopping here at a great discount price. (FREE)  

This is Elder Zeeman consulting with Gary on a very important mechanical question!

 HAWAIIAN MISSIONARY BREAK TIME
 We do work hard most of the time!  But we also get little breaks for "consultation" or receiving our vital nourishing, vit. D.  

Church Assignment/ Mission President

We met with Pres. MacCarthey of the BYU-H 2nd Stake and were asked to serve as mentors in the 10th ward with Bishop Meyers.  The ward is comprised mostly of freshmen students!  This will be a fun challenge trying to teach students how to function in various ward positions. We're grateful for the experiences and training we had while serving at BYUI. 

 

Enjoyed testimony meeting and hearing from students all over the world:  China, Trinidad, Philippines, Korea, Caribbean, Canada, Utah, Austrailia, New Zealand, Samoa, California and even Idaho.  They are all so grateful to be attending college here in Hawaii. 

Here is a pic. of the R.S. Presidency.  The pres. is from Korea, counselors from Japan & Singapore, secretary from Trinidad. Amazing young women!

 

We enjoyed a short, but great visit with our Mission President, President Bill & Sister Dalton. They are from Yorba Linda, California.  Dad told him about our son, Ryan, working for John Force.  Well, he knew all about John Force, loved to watch drag racing and the conversation escalated from there.  We talked about John Medlen, who was Ryan's mentor while he worked on the blowers (super chargers) and John's son, Eric who had been killed while test driving. (small world)

 

Pres. Dalton knew every single sister and elder serving in the Hawaiian Islands.  We mentioned Elder Marlowe from our home ward and they couldn't say enough great things about him, how he is already training a new elder and is proselyting in the most remote area of Hawaii.  He is dynamite!!!   What a great blessing to be here serving with all these "Dynamite" missionaries.  Aloha!

Waves, Shrimp, and Tickets Please!

Tues. Night - We heard the surf was high so we went up to North Shore to check it out. When the surf starts to get high, the locals know that fall is here. So fun to visit and meet people on the beach. Would this be considered proselyting?!  We stopped at a local Shrimp Shack.  Yummmmy garlic shrimp served with 2 huge scoops of rice.

Oct. 10 Wed. night we took tickets for the first time at one of the Luaus.  We're assigned different locations each week and are required to wear matching muumuu and shirt.  It was great fun to greet the visitors and watch them smile as beautiful orchid leis were placed around their necks.  When we're finished, we eat free at "Prime Dining". Crab legs, prime rib, macadamia crusted chicken and macadamia nut pie, just a few favorites.  Some sweet students, some returned missionaries, serenaded us with their ukuleles as we ate.

 

It's a very HOT fall since there are no trade winds right now to cool us off.  We love 7 a.m. when I take Gary to work.....it's about 73 and we have lots of energy.  By 2 p.m. we're walking very s- l-o w, just like the locals.

 

Elder Reynolds is  becoming proficient at navigating the roads to and from Mililani and Honolulu area. We've had fun finding favorite stores Costco, Wal Marts and of course TJ Maxx.  Saturday, as we were leaving Costco, I tried to purchase a hot dog, but the window closed just as I got to it. Some sweet Hawaiian lady came running and insisted I have her hot dog and drink.  She saw my name tag, wanted to know where we were serving etc.  It was only a hot dog, but a special act of kindness for a hungry missionary.  It seems there are tender mercies every day.

 

Week of Oct. 1

Oct. 1 - Started our new jobs.  Our day begins @ 6 a.m. We don't need alarms - we have hungry dogs who are expecting breakfast (the 3 labs that live under our bedroom window).  I take Gary to work @ 7 a.m. His department starts the day with a little devotional and updates for the day. There doesn't seem to be a great rush as he walks over to his shop. Check out his fancy  clean shop and new "blue clothes". 

I was assigned to manage "Give & Take".  This little Hawaiian Retail Shop is patterned after our D.I.  It's lacking a few luxuries, but what wonderful "Retail Therapy" it is for all who come.  The local students and Hawaiian people are allowed to shop at their heart's content and take whatever they need for FREE.  All that is asked in return is to donate anything they have and work a little while. You just can't beat that kind of shopping!  Even I have found a few treasures - one day a new muumuu, sun tanning hat, cashmere sweater, much needed ironing board and a Hawaiian tie for Gary!!  He is afraid we mite have to have another suitcase to carry all my hard earned merchandise home!

Sis. Palmer & Sis. Maples are helpers for my a.m. shift.  They work from 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., then another person or two come for a couple of hrs. etc. 

 
 
A Hawaiian student came up with the idea  of this D.I. for the poor students who arrive with literally nothing for clothes, bedding etc. Most of the items come to us wet and very smelly (mildew) so we hang them up to dry, then transfer them to the clothing racks. It truly is a lifesaving shopping spree for many.   Here's a pic. of the interior of our Ladies department.  These 2 local Hawaiian sisters come each day and help organize the clothes. They're wonderful workers.

 This is May, she runs all over campus on this golf cart delivering excess "stuff" we don't want. I rode with her today around the campus.  She is getting married in Dec. and moving to Boise.  She is sure she will freeze!! 

We stopped by our local shopping center for Gary to get a haircut and guess who we bumped into? It was the rather large Hawaiian man who stars on Hawaii 5 -0, (Taylor Weiley). He lives here in Laie and has starred in several Hawaiian movies. Bummer, I didn't have my camera! Couldn't believe we actually saw a  Hawaiian celebrity, in person.  Aloha!!!

Training, cont.

 

Sept. 28  Fri. - We finished up our orientation by being trained on the different areas in the PCC where we will take tickets for the Luahs etc.  We ate at the ''Prime Dining Restaurant"....yummmm Crab Legs and Prime Rib Buffet!  Enjoyed watching the "Breath of Life."   A presentation of the circle of life.  The music and dancing is awesome.        

 

  The next boat Elder Reynolds wants to purchase!

Sat. a.m. We attended our first Devotional.  The various Islands do devotionals twice a year.  These are spiritual meetings to begin with then end up in a "refreshment hour".  Well, refreshment means a smorgasbord with much dancing & singing.  The Samoan women grease their arms, & necks with cocoanut oil. While they're dancing people in the audience come up and stick $l.00 bills on their bodies. They also throw the money all over the floor.  The money is used by their countries. 

Sun. For church, we went a local ward that our landlords live in.  What a very friendly ward.  We met Bill Neal who was our first email contact to see if we could even serve in Hawaii.  One of the counselors in the bishopric had a son serving a mission in Idaho.  He wondered if we knew where Arco was.  (small world) That's where Elder Reynolds is from and his brother still lives.  And come to find out, Gary's brother had just visited with Elder Beattie that morning.

Went to the beautiful Laie Temple Visitor's Center where the young missionaries were having a musical fireside.  Look who we found.  Sis. Cami Christensen from Blackfoot Id.  We knew her @ BYU-Idaho.  (small world)