Hi everyone,( I found this is drafts and thought I had lost it. somesay I will really understand this blogspot thing. so I may go ahead and post this and hope I haven't said it all again and repeated myself. If so just ignore it and please be patient with my rambling) I have already written in Jan and this will be in the wrong place so forgive me please.
today is Dec. 4th Tuesday. Since December has started there is much more going on here preparing for Christmas and all that goes on here at the PCC. I always want you to go to their official site and see the latest happenings as I believe they announce events. this coming Friday we start the Christmas Lagoon just like we had in Oct. for Halloween. that brought in thousands of people from just about everywhere. Hundreds of locals and of course students from here and also lots of adults were involved in that. It was a huge undertaking and again this Christmas it will be a huge undertaking.
There will be the story of Christmas told and much music. There will be animals like sheep and goats and who knows what all, I can't wait to find out. This evening there will be a dress rehearsal with everyone. Gloria and I and the Ballams have been asked to participate by having our own special place we will be singing Silent night with our Ukulele's. we got one that can hook into a sound system and we will have mikes. We are singing Silent Night all night long every time a huge canoe (holds 30 people) goes by so that will be kind of hard. I don't know how many hours that will be. I think it is three nights the first week and the second and then goes every night but Sunday. However we have other responsibilities like singing at the visitors centor one night and Family Home Evenings we are singing for as we did last night. It was wonderful to be involved last night for we have over 60 Senior missionaries here right now and they were pretty much all there last night. One of my roommates Janice Boise is here on a mission turning every VHS into DVD's and has re-filmed the night show called the Breath of Life. they will sell that at the show like they have been doing for years only she has made it significantly better. It is basically the Plan of Salvation ad it is done incredibly well. I have seen it twice now and like to see it when people come to visit if I can get away.
Brother Stotts wife and sister and daughter and Mom came to visit the PCC a short time ago and I was able to have dinner with them and have a nice visit. It was so great to see them all, such fun and I think they really enjoyed themselves.
So last night Janice had put video to music of the tab. choir and also Breath of Heaven by amy Grant was playing while the new film the church has put out on the birth of the Savior. It was really beautiful and she made us all copies. there is live narration and she sang the opening song Were You there and she asked me to sing Candlelight Carol. I was thrilled she included me and Michael Ballam played for me and that was fun. I believe I mentioned before his son Ben is here on a 9 month mission and they are here for him. However they are being kept very very busy. their family will put on an evening for the missionaries as well as at the visitors Center and all of us missionaries will also put on a program at the visitors Center. I am doing a trio with friends as well as a solo, not sure which one yet. I am planning on doing Heirlooms at the next Monday night Fireside as well as a trio. Weill be more fun. Last week I sang a duet with Michael for the women of BYUH and he told the history of Christmas and I learned things I had never heard. We sang Starbright since it was written by the Uncle of the President of the University Loren Wheelright. So that was fun too.
Well, I guess I had better get going and this is getting a bit long. I am going to try and attach a picture of me taken with President Orgil. He is the current President of the PCC and has been here for 12 years. He has just recently been informed that he is going to be released in Feb. and he and his wife will be called as new mission Presidents somewhere in the world but they don't know where yet. He is an amazing man and his wife is wonderful as well, they will bless anywhere they go.
I love you all and would love to hear from you at brendalwoods12@gmail.com. I can't figure out this blog thing and how to get comments. Dumb huh?
Love, Brenda and God bless you all.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Happy New Year everyone! I hope the year has started out well for everyone and that we are all eady for the New Year.
I have had a great month so far except that I have been sick all week with what everyone else has had here at the PCC and it lasts and lasts I'm afraid. It is awful to have to jsut stay here and cough my head off and feel lousey and miss being with all the wonderful people who come here to visit. I really do miss all my new friends at the mission settlement where I spend all my time every day. So I pray that I can get back to work on Monday.
It has been a busy month as everyone has been preparing for the big evening we had last night as we honored President Orgill and his wife Cherrie as they are leaving the PCC after 12 years of service as CEO and President. They are going to be called as Mission President and wife somewhere in the world but nobody knows where yet. So for the last week his f 102 of amily has been flying in from all over the world with their children, even a son who was just released from his mission in California. What a night it was starting at 6:20 in the evening when all 25 plus of them were put into huge canoes and taken around the whole PCC to each island village and given a presentation or show at each one. All the Senior missionaries about forty of us were at the mission settlement building on the porch and we played the Ukaleles and sang to his family as they went by . they even had a bunch of the dancers from the big night show on barges in the water with torches and sand and danced. It was really a sight to behold. When that was all over we all were invited over to the Island Feast building for a feast with the family and we had a program and gave them gifts from all the islands as well as all of the people who work at the PCC, each separate department. So we didn't get home until one in the morning last night. It was all worth every minute of it as the love that poured out to this amazing man and his darling wife was simply amazing. I went away from that evening last night with a very full heart and testimony strengthened that the Polynesian Cultural Center is part of God's plan for literally millions of people as over the past 50 years indeed it has hosted millions of people who could not have left here without feeling of the special spirit of this place and this people. So many miracles have taken place time and time again and now it is celebrating fifty miraculous years. this is a place that many people in Honululusaid would never survive and inspite of the odds against it it has indeed survived and thrived and grown and only through the hand of God has this happened. Now in Sept. President Monson will be here to celebrate the anniversary with everyone here and I just can't wait.
Now, in another week seven of my dearest friends from Salt Lake will be arriving to spend time here on this wonderful island and with me at the PCC and time in the beautiful temple here and I am so excited. They are my friends who I have loved since shortly after I met my darling Trapper, so for nearly 50 years. Boy that sure says how old I am. anyway I am so thrilled to show them this wonderful place and I have the grandaughter of a past Bishop from the Mt. Olympus Ward where we lived for 22 years, as our special guide. Her name is Amanda and her Mom was Marsha Hansen and Bishop and Naoma Hansen are her grandparents. I have come to just love this special young freshman and I see her nearly every other day as she is a guide here. She reminds me of my Jazzie who is only a year younger than Amanda. That is going to be a great day as she has offered to be our personal guide on her day off Thursday, how about that?
This evening we went to see Lincoln and as we came out of the theater we ran into the new President of the PCC and his family and friends. He name is Alfred Grace and I may have mentioned that above. I hope you all see it as it is very good and yes we can go see movies as service missionaries.
Tomorrow I have signed up to help out the huge family of President rgill by bringing a salad for thier dinner and a dessert on Monday for them . They have over 20 people to feed and the missionaries have taken it upon themselves to help out and I am so happy to do that.
I love it here as you can tell and I have so missed being there at the PCC while I have been under the weather. I love my new friends and am excited to know more perfectly wonderful people freom all over the country.
Oh I also expect the Vassilaros the first week of Feb. and I can't wait to see Pat and Dan. They will also be visiting the Kammerers who have been living and teaching here for over 20 years Can't wait to see then all.
I have had a great month so far except that I have been sick all week with what everyone else has had here at the PCC and it lasts and lasts I'm afraid. It is awful to have to jsut stay here and cough my head off and feel lousey and miss being with all the wonderful people who come here to visit. I really do miss all my new friends at the mission settlement where I spend all my time every day. So I pray that I can get back to work on Monday.
It has been a busy month as everyone has been preparing for the big evening we had last night as we honored President Orgill and his wife Cherrie as they are leaving the PCC after 12 years of service as CEO and President. They are going to be called as Mission President and wife somewhere in the world but nobody knows where yet. So for the last week his f 102 of amily has been flying in from all over the world with their children, even a son who was just released from his mission in California. What a night it was starting at 6:20 in the evening when all 25 plus of them were put into huge canoes and taken around the whole PCC to each island village and given a presentation or show at each one. All the Senior missionaries about forty of us were at the mission settlement building on the porch and we played the Ukaleles and sang to his family as they went by . they even had a bunch of the dancers from the big night show on barges in the water with torches and sand and danced. It was really a sight to behold. When that was all over we all were invited over to the Island Feast building for a feast with the family and we had a program and gave them gifts from all the islands as well as all of the people who work at the PCC, each separate department. So we didn't get home until one in the morning last night. It was all worth every minute of it as the love that poured out to this amazing man and his darling wife was simply amazing. I went away from that evening last night with a very full heart and testimony strengthened that the Polynesian Cultural Center is part of God's plan for literally millions of people as over the past 50 years indeed it has hosted millions of people who could not have left here without feeling of the special spirit of this place and this people. So many miracles have taken place time and time again and now it is celebrating fifty miraculous years. this is a place that many people in Honululusaid would never survive and inspite of the odds against it it has indeed survived and thrived and grown and only through the hand of God has this happened. Now in Sept. President Monson will be here to celebrate the anniversary with everyone here and I just can't wait.
Now, in another week seven of my dearest friends from Salt Lake will be arriving to spend time here on this wonderful island and with me at the PCC and time in the beautiful temple here and I am so excited. They are my friends who I have loved since shortly after I met my darling Trapper, so for nearly 50 years. Boy that sure says how old I am. anyway I am so thrilled to show them this wonderful place and I have the grandaughter of a past Bishop from the Mt. Olympus Ward where we lived for 22 years, as our special guide. Her name is Amanda and her Mom was Marsha Hansen and Bishop and Naoma Hansen are her grandparents. I have come to just love this special young freshman and I see her nearly every other day as she is a guide here. She reminds me of my Jazzie who is only a year younger than Amanda. That is going to be a great day as she has offered to be our personal guide on her day off Thursday, how about that?
This evening we went to see Lincoln and as we came out of the theater we ran into the new President of the PCC and his family and friends. He name is Alfred Grace and I may have mentioned that above. I hope you all see it as it is very good and yes we can go see movies as service missionaries.
Tomorrow I have signed up to help out the huge family of President rgill by bringing a salad for thier dinner and a dessert on Monday for them . They have over 20 people to feed and the missionaries have taken it upon themselves to help out and I am so happy to do that.
I love it here as you can tell and I have so missed being there at the PCC while I have been under the weather. I love my new friends and am excited to know more perfectly wonderful people freom all over the country.
Oh I also expect the Vassilaros the first week of Feb. and I can't wait to see Pat and Dan. They will also be visiting the Kammerers who have been living and teaching here for over 20 years Can't wait to see then all.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Merry Christmas Everyone and a very Happy New Year,
I kept meaning to write on this blog and just seemed to get too busy. this is an amazing place in the month of December. Remember in Oct. we had the Haunted Lagoon? well this month we had the Christmas Lagoon. The whole place had lights everywhere and it is just beautiful. As soon as it starts to get dark the light start coming on and all the normal things start closing down like the shows at the Islands and where I am all the time the Mission Settlement. We have been busy all month making things to sell for the people who visit. I can't imagine how many Nativity's we sold that were completely handmade and done by a missionary sister and they are so beautiful. We had Christmas aprons, lots of angel ornaments and shell ornaments and Christmasy stuff all over the place. We even had hand made Christmas tree skirts that were made in the Philipines to be honest with you. That's why they were affordable though. We continue to sell lots of Uke's every day and remember that after expenses for the PCC the money goes to the education of all of these young people.Each canoe holds about 30 people give or take and they have a 30 minute trip around the Lagoon. there are scenes all along the Lagoon with a story line and of course the Christmas story along one whole side and then the fantasy part of Christmas. there are dancers and singers and angels and animals. It is wonderful and these past few days it has been insanely busy. Last night a couple of my friends and I ended up bussing tables setting tables and going crazy trying to get people to leave the Prime dining area so other diners could get in. they had 1500 riding the canoes and over a thousand or two possible in the big restaurants not even counting the Luaus. I don't think I have learned to spell that right yet. Anyway today is Sunday and I sang in my ward this morning. We have hardly any students left maybe 20 and they are all freshman and we have to worry about them over Christmas. so, after I work tomorrow and Gloria and I are responsible for closing the mission settlement and it will be the busiest day of the season and it is Christmas Eve. That's okay except we are also responsible for our kids who are left here and couldn't go home for Christmas Soooo, I will head over to wherever the Bishop ends up having a get together. We are all doing that as it is also family night. So I am contributing a ham and possible cookies. Also there is a get together with the senior missionaries. We may go to that one first as it is in the schoolhouse which is right next to the mission settlement where we are working. Does that just make you tired reading about it? then Christmas Day everyone has off of course. Not sure what we will all be doing except we want to be on the phone with all of our kids. Perhaps we should Skype all at once, or once at Kim's house and once at Todd's. Mark is out of town so perhaps Kevin and Kim will be at Todd's I hope so.
We have all been busy singing every Monday night for family nights. The first song I did was in a show Michael Ballam was doing for the wives of the BYU Professors. I sang a duet of Star Bright with him. then on another family night two of my friends and I sang Mary's Lullaby together as a trio and I also did Born Is The Light of the World and OH Holy Night. Then I sang Candlelight Carol for the very first Christmas night as well as Heirlooms and Silver Bells with Michael and perhaps I mentioned that before. I also sang for an evening of music for all of the clubs from the different countries. I was the only old person and represented Australia because I am a mentor to their club. They don't have many students here about 10 I think. Some have over 100 like Korea and China. It was great fun to see and hear all of their groups, just loved the evening and I had a wonderful young man from Japan as my accompanist.
.Today I sang in my ward and later today I met up with Karen and Dale Murray who are here from AZ and my old ward waiting for their son to arrive on Christmas Night from Afghanistan. He has been deployed for a whole year. I am so happy for them. They are with Kendra his wife and their four children. So, tonight we went to hear Michael Ballam and his family but mostly him do a whole Christmas evening. He does a lot of talking about the songs of Christmas and the word Christmas and you get an incredible education about Christmas and Christ and Mary. It was a wonderful evening and I just couldn't keep myself from crying it was so spiritual and there were a whole lot of people there of all ages. The Murray's were very glad they came. I think I will meet up with them this week at the temple one day or maybe next week they have two more weeks here.
Well, that about does it. I keep meeting wonderful people at the PCC and having great talks and I love it. It is amazing the connection you feel sometimes with people you have never met.
I continue to work on my Uke learning new songs and more chords. I should be pretty decent after another whole year of being here. It is amazing how many friends I have made and that I am with people here at Christmas who I didn't even know 6 months ago. Life is amazing huh?
I do miss all of you all of my dear friends, dinner friends, study group friends and of course my relatives and loved ones.
I wish you great blessings this Christmas with love in your hearts for all people. I wish you the desire to serve others as you are only in the service of God as you serve and love His children.
I thank Heavenly Father for his immeasurable love for us and His unending patience and love for us. I am so looking forward to seeing Him one day and I pray I can live a life that He will accept me back in His arms one day. I wish the same for all of you. God bless you this Christmas and for years to come.
Love you all so very much,
Brenda
I kept meaning to write on this blog and just seemed to get too busy. this is an amazing place in the month of December. Remember in Oct. we had the Haunted Lagoon? well this month we had the Christmas Lagoon. The whole place had lights everywhere and it is just beautiful. As soon as it starts to get dark the light start coming on and all the normal things start closing down like the shows at the Islands and where I am all the time the Mission Settlement. We have been busy all month making things to sell for the people who visit. I can't imagine how many Nativity's we sold that were completely handmade and done by a missionary sister and they are so beautiful. We had Christmas aprons, lots of angel ornaments and shell ornaments and Christmasy stuff all over the place. We even had hand made Christmas tree skirts that were made in the Philipines to be honest with you. That's why they were affordable though. We continue to sell lots of Uke's every day and remember that after expenses for the PCC the money goes to the education of all of these young people.Each canoe holds about 30 people give or take and they have a 30 minute trip around the Lagoon. there are scenes all along the Lagoon with a story line and of course the Christmas story along one whole side and then the fantasy part of Christmas. there are dancers and singers and angels and animals. It is wonderful and these past few days it has been insanely busy. Last night a couple of my friends and I ended up bussing tables setting tables and going crazy trying to get people to leave the Prime dining area so other diners could get in. they had 1500 riding the canoes and over a thousand or two possible in the big restaurants not even counting the Luaus. I don't think I have learned to spell that right yet. Anyway today is Sunday and I sang in my ward this morning. We have hardly any students left maybe 20 and they are all freshman and we have to worry about them over Christmas. so, after I work tomorrow and Gloria and I are responsible for closing the mission settlement and it will be the busiest day of the season and it is Christmas Eve. That's okay except we are also responsible for our kids who are left here and couldn't go home for Christmas Soooo, I will head over to wherever the Bishop ends up having a get together. We are all doing that as it is also family night. So I am contributing a ham and possible cookies. Also there is a get together with the senior missionaries. We may go to that one first as it is in the schoolhouse which is right next to the mission settlement where we are working. Does that just make you tired reading about it? then Christmas Day everyone has off of course. Not sure what we will all be doing except we want to be on the phone with all of our kids. Perhaps we should Skype all at once, or once at Kim's house and once at Todd's. Mark is out of town so perhaps Kevin and Kim will be at Todd's I hope so.
We have all been busy singing every Monday night for family nights. The first song I did was in a show Michael Ballam was doing for the wives of the BYU Professors. I sang a duet of Star Bright with him. then on another family night two of my friends and I sang Mary's Lullaby together as a trio and I also did Born Is The Light of the World and OH Holy Night. Then I sang Candlelight Carol for the very first Christmas night as well as Heirlooms and Silver Bells with Michael and perhaps I mentioned that before. I also sang for an evening of music for all of the clubs from the different countries. I was the only old person and represented Australia because I am a mentor to their club. They don't have many students here about 10 I think. Some have over 100 like Korea and China. It was great fun to see and hear all of their groups, just loved the evening and I had a wonderful young man from Japan as my accompanist.
.Today I sang in my ward and later today I met up with Karen and Dale Murray who are here from AZ and my old ward waiting for their son to arrive on Christmas Night from Afghanistan. He has been deployed for a whole year. I am so happy for them. They are with Kendra his wife and their four children. So, tonight we went to hear Michael Ballam and his family but mostly him do a whole Christmas evening. He does a lot of talking about the songs of Christmas and the word Christmas and you get an incredible education about Christmas and Christ and Mary. It was a wonderful evening and I just couldn't keep myself from crying it was so spiritual and there were a whole lot of people there of all ages. The Murray's were very glad they came. I think I will meet up with them this week at the temple one day or maybe next week they have two more weeks here.
Well, that about does it. I keep meeting wonderful people at the PCC and having great talks and I love it. It is amazing the connection you feel sometimes with people you have never met.
I continue to work on my Uke learning new songs and more chords. I should be pretty decent after another whole year of being here. It is amazing how many friends I have made and that I am with people here at Christmas who I didn't even know 6 months ago. Life is amazing huh?
I do miss all of you all of my dear friends, dinner friends, study group friends and of course my relatives and loved ones.
I wish you great blessings this Christmas with love in your hearts for all people. I wish you the desire to serve others as you are only in the service of God as you serve and love His children.
I thank Heavenly Father for his immeasurable love for us and His unending patience and love for us. I am so looking forward to seeing Him one day and I pray I can live a life that He will accept me back in His arms one day. I wish the same for all of you. God bless you this Christmas and for years to come.
Love you all so very much,
Brenda
Friday, December 7, 2012
Well, it appears that I spent an hour writing a new post and then somehow lost it or forgot to save it or something happened. So, I guess I ill start over. It is Dec. 6th and a lot has been going on since I wrote last. We are well into the Christmas season here at the PCC. As a matter of fact when I returned from staying with Kevin in AZ the Christmas tree was already up when I returned. We have been selling ornaments and Christmas stockings handmade and quilted and beautiful. there are lots of beautiful ornaments handmade in our little mission settlement store and we sell Ukulele's every day. We have been rehearsing and already performing for Christmas events. Last Monday night was our family home evening with the senior missionaries and many from BYUH also join us who are here to teach there as callings for awhile. We are about to lose the Newman's and they will be missed. As a matter of fact Dave Newman gave a wonderful presentation in the Visitors Center last week about the Appearance of Joseph Smith and he had over two hundred likenesses of him that had been painted and some busts made and pictures of his death mask. It was a very very interesting evening and very thought provoking.
Last Monday one of my roommates janice Boise presented a wonderful Christmas program she spend many hours preparing including video and music of the Tab choir. She also asked me to sing Candlelight Carol and Michael Ballam played for me. It was great fun and a lovely evening. Janice also opened the program with were You There as a solo. She also gave every one of us copies of her program which also had narration of the Christmas Story and I hope to use it in my ward when I return.
then Michael asked me to join him in a program he presented to the women of BYU faculty last week. We performed a song called Star Bright which was written by the Uncle of the President of the University Loren Wheelwright. That was fun to do and I onoy learned it the morning of the performance. It worked out though. Next Monday we have yet another Family home evening and a whole lot of us will be performing . I am doing a tro of Mary's lullaby with Gloria Schick and Nettie Zeaman. Michael will play for us for that.
Then Gloria and I begin to perform at the Lagoon Christ event starting tomorrow night. The whole Lagoon is lit up and every couple hundred feet all the way around the Lagoon are different musical events for people to see from the Lagoon boats. We are performing Silent Night and accompanying ourselves with the Ukalele's. Believe it or not I have learned to do that. there are only 5 chords in the whole song though so I can get away with it. I think we will be dressed in white robes and look like we are in Bethlehem and yes with Uke's and all. I hope the whole thing works out alright. I will let you know.
I went into Honolulu today with my friend Tessie. I had my first real appointment with a different kind of Chiropractor who barely touched you and makes adjustments ever so lightly . They are called NKA.or NCA, not sure which. N stand for Neurological. Anyway a friend of Kimberly's in Atlanta has had great success and I am hoping he might be able to help me with the awful ringing in my ears and lower back pain etc.
we kind of went the wrong way to get to a Walmart so the day was extremely long It is easy to get lost here
I did finish some of my Christmas stuff though and will get some things in the mail tomorrow I hope. In the morning there is a devotional for Christmas for the whole PCC and our single sisters are singing Were You There for that as well and the Ballam's are singing as well and I guess lots of others. It will be nice. Then I am invited to a Baptism of someone from Australia and I am connected to the Australian group so I need to hurry over to that if it isn't too late. Well, I need to go to sleep fast because it is just so busy. I will write again soon so I don't forget anything.
It is really great here. I meet the greatest people. I will write about that later. Pray for me that I will be able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many as possible. they have to ask though as we can't talk about it at all since we are not that kind of missionary. However we can answer questions.......
Love you all, God bless to love this season of the year as we celebrate the birthday of Christ our Savior.
Brenda
Last Monday one of my roommates janice Boise presented a wonderful Christmas program she spend many hours preparing including video and music of the Tab choir. She also asked me to sing Candlelight Carol and Michael Ballam played for me. It was great fun and a lovely evening. Janice also opened the program with were You There as a solo. She also gave every one of us copies of her program which also had narration of the Christmas Story and I hope to use it in my ward when I return.
then Michael asked me to join him in a program he presented to the women of BYU faculty last week. We performed a song called Star Bright which was written by the Uncle of the President of the University Loren Wheelwright. That was fun to do and I onoy learned it the morning of the performance. It worked out though. Next Monday we have yet another Family home evening and a whole lot of us will be performing . I am doing a tro of Mary's lullaby with Gloria Schick and Nettie Zeaman. Michael will play for us for that.
Then Gloria and I begin to perform at the Lagoon Christ event starting tomorrow night. The whole Lagoon is lit up and every couple hundred feet all the way around the Lagoon are different musical events for people to see from the Lagoon boats. We are performing Silent Night and accompanying ourselves with the Ukalele's. Believe it or not I have learned to do that. there are only 5 chords in the whole song though so I can get away with it. I think we will be dressed in white robes and look like we are in Bethlehem and yes with Uke's and all. I hope the whole thing works out alright. I will let you know.
I went into Honolulu today with my friend Tessie. I had my first real appointment with a different kind of Chiropractor who barely touched you and makes adjustments ever so lightly . They are called NKA.or NCA, not sure which. N stand for Neurological. Anyway a friend of Kimberly's in Atlanta has had great success and I am hoping he might be able to help me with the awful ringing in my ears and lower back pain etc.
we kind of went the wrong way to get to a Walmart so the day was extremely long It is easy to get lost here
I did finish some of my Christmas stuff though and will get some things in the mail tomorrow I hope. In the morning there is a devotional for Christmas for the whole PCC and our single sisters are singing Were You There for that as well and the Ballam's are singing as well and I guess lots of others. It will be nice. Then I am invited to a Baptism of someone from Australia and I am connected to the Australian group so I need to hurry over to that if it isn't too late. Well, I need to go to sleep fast because it is just so busy. I will write again soon so I don't forget anything.
It is really great here. I meet the greatest people. I will write about that later. Pray for me that I will be able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many as possible. they have to ask though as we can't talk about it at all since we are not that kind of missionary. However we can answer questions.......
Love you all, God bless to love this season of the year as we celebrate the birthday of Christ our Savior.
Brenda
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Well it is definitely time to write once again on my blog and say hi to everyone I am missing in my life right now. It is November 13th and I don't think I have written on this blog for awhile. I guess the thing is that since I am not on a normal mission my days seem to be pretty much alike and I don't want to bore anyone.
Things have changed a bit here. Ross and Kay Workman have been released as President of the Temple in Laie, and they were much loved by everyone here. I heard them speak a couple of times and of course they are great. Things just keep going forward though and the new President was one of his counselors and I believe a Hawaiian. I have been able to go to the Temple every week which makes me very happy. It is amazing to have one less than three minutes from my door. Once I get back to AZ I bet our new Phoenix Temple will be nearly ready to open and that will be a 15 minute drive. Wow how great is that?
So, now that Oct. is over we are thinking of Christmas and all that will be going on. Gloria and I and possibly another gal will be singing in the Christmas show that will be going on all along the sides of the Lagoon at the PCC. I don't know much about that yet though but we have already decided to wear white mumus with read flower lei's . I am not sure I spelled that right. I will tell you more about that when I know more.
Last Sat. we had a great day off. We usually work Saturdays except we all get one off a month in addition to our P-Day. Four of us went to Pearl Harbor and it was an amazing experience to see those ship still under the water. The main one is the Arizona where they have built a monument that you are taken out to. It is a very sacred experience realizing that those men are buried under the water there inside the ship. I heard that those who survived often want their ashes added to those who are already there. I believe there are just a couple still living. We were fortunate to have been met by Gloria's cousin who is a Commander there. We lunched with he and his wife on base and they took us to see the Utah where the general public does not get to go. There is a small platform there as well to visit and it goes out to the edge where the ship is still out of the water. It capsized so it is on her side and you can only see about a couple hundred feet of it out of the water. Anyway it was a wonderful day in Honolulu.
This coming Sunday we are having a Relief Society event and I have been rehearsing with the young women in my ward so they can sing He Sent His Son. They are going to be beautiful of course. I also went to ward council meetings as well as met with the RS presidency so it was a full day of meetings. It is amazing to see just how well a whole ward of freshman take on their responsibilities. However they will change quite often with their positions and that will be tricky. There are older kids there as there are returned missionaries who are of course freshman so that is a good thing. Our RS President is Korean and beautiful and 20. So that is a good thing to have a bit more maturity in that position.
I will be very involved in the Thanksgiving dinner as will the other couple who have been assigned to this ward. Even though the University provides food the Bishop doesn't think it will be enough, so I think we will be taking runs to Costco to supplement. I think they will be renting movies and planning on ways to keep them all busy too. The missionaries have also been invited to a restaurant for a free meal but I think I will just stick with this ward which will be fun. Please know that I miss everyone of my friends and ward members and think about what must be going on in AZ and of course all my friends in UT as well and all of my family in several states. I love you and miss you and I especially think about my wonderful grandson Jordan serving a mission in Argentina. I am so proud of him and the life he is living. I think about what I am missing not being able to see my granddaughters in their performances. I hope you get me DVD's. Oh and Lily please be careful behind that wheel:) You are all so precious to me I love you all.
Things have changed a bit here. Ross and Kay Workman have been released as President of the Temple in Laie, and they were much loved by everyone here. I heard them speak a couple of times and of course they are great. Things just keep going forward though and the new President was one of his counselors and I believe a Hawaiian. I have been able to go to the Temple every week which makes me very happy. It is amazing to have one less than three minutes from my door. Once I get back to AZ I bet our new Phoenix Temple will be nearly ready to open and that will be a 15 minute drive. Wow how great is that?
So, now that Oct. is over we are thinking of Christmas and all that will be going on. Gloria and I and possibly another gal will be singing in the Christmas show that will be going on all along the sides of the Lagoon at the PCC. I don't know much about that yet though but we have already decided to wear white mumus with read flower lei's . I am not sure I spelled that right. I will tell you more about that when I know more.
Last Sat. we had a great day off. We usually work Saturdays except we all get one off a month in addition to our P-Day. Four of us went to Pearl Harbor and it was an amazing experience to see those ship still under the water. The main one is the Arizona where they have built a monument that you are taken out to. It is a very sacred experience realizing that those men are buried under the water there inside the ship. I heard that those who survived often want their ashes added to those who are already there. I believe there are just a couple still living. We were fortunate to have been met by Gloria's cousin who is a Commander there. We lunched with he and his wife on base and they took us to see the Utah where the general public does not get to go. There is a small platform there as well to visit and it goes out to the edge where the ship is still out of the water. It capsized so it is on her side and you can only see about a couple hundred feet of it out of the water. Anyway it was a wonderful day in Honolulu.
This coming Sunday we are having a Relief Society event and I have been rehearsing with the young women in my ward so they can sing He Sent His Son. They are going to be beautiful of course. I also went to ward council meetings as well as met with the RS presidency so it was a full day of meetings. It is amazing to see just how well a whole ward of freshman take on their responsibilities. However they will change quite often with their positions and that will be tricky. There are older kids there as there are returned missionaries who are of course freshman so that is a good thing. Our RS President is Korean and beautiful and 20. So that is a good thing to have a bit more maturity in that position.
I will be very involved in the Thanksgiving dinner as will the other couple who have been assigned to this ward. Even though the University provides food the Bishop doesn't think it will be enough, so I think we will be taking runs to Costco to supplement. I think they will be renting movies and planning on ways to keep them all busy too. The missionaries have also been invited to a restaurant for a free meal but I think I will just stick with this ward which will be fun. Please know that I miss everyone of my friends and ward members and think about what must be going on in AZ and of course all my friends in UT as well and all of my family in several states. I love you and miss you and I especially think about my wonderful grandson Jordan serving a mission in Argentina. I am so proud of him and the life he is living. I think about what I am missing not being able to see my granddaughters in their performances. I hope you get me DVD's. Oh and Lily please be careful behind that wheel:) You are all so precious to me I love you all.
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