Hi Everyone,
It has been awhile since I have written and some marvelous things have happened in the past month. We have new missionaries serving in the mission settlement I immediately loved. Kelly and Rob Chalmers and Dave and Judy Lunt. The Lunts are from AZ around Thatcher where the University is He has been teaching and performing music in schools for 31 years and the last place was the college near or in Thatcher and I think there are kids going there form Anthem. He is retired now but was a base player and a wonderful choral director. Rob Chalmers plays a beautiful guitar and between the three of us we have a ball before the guests come into the PCC just singing up a storm. When they do come in I am playing my UKe and Brother Lunt gets out the base Uke and Brother Chalmers from Orem plays the baritone Uke whiich actually is a Uke or he plays a beautiful Martin guitar. Tomorrow night we are going to sing for a dear man who got burned on half of his body from his electrical job. He is home from the hospital and sure needs some cheering up. Hope we can do that for him. We have family home evening with the forty+ missionaries here at PCC and BYU every Monday night at 7 til 8 so that will give us time to do that. Kelly has a lovely and we enjoy singing together. I am having such a great time teaching the UKulele to grown ups and kids and many time they buy them to take home and that only helps the kids here with their educations.
One of our senior missonaries I dearly love had a bad accident last week and fell from the work he was doing building a new building and he crushed his heal. I believe they are going home asap to have it fixed in their own state so he can recover there. They were leaving in three weeks. He has been such a great help to all of us single missionaries as well as this whole place. They are the ones who thought of the extra help for the I Work students giving them laundry bags filled with things they desparately need to start living here. I am so very grateful to our ward members who reached out to help these young people. They are so amazing and good and kind and I love everyone who went the extra mile. My darling daughter brought even more sheets etc for them when she and Kevin came here to visit me a short while ago. You have no idea how much it is needed.
I had a birthday last Friday and one f my young men form the Phillapines who I have know for this past year and who has played piano for me went all over and made a video for me for my birthday. I have put it on my Facebook page. I have no idea how to add it to this letter. I wish I was better at computers.
Tonight my stake choir performed and they were wonderful. We also heard from Eric Workman and his wife Ann. He is the nephew of Ross Workman who used to live in the Mt. Olympus Ward where we raised our children and where I have many lifelong friends. They were just wonderful. They met here in Laie. She went to school here and graduated. Her parents apparently taught here so she grew up here. He is now head of marketing and sales for the PCC. Both were superb speakers.
I have met once again many wonderful people from all over the world this past month. One who stand out was a wonderful Lutheran Minister whom I had a very interesting discussion with. He was curious about our church and we had a great conversation.
I have had wonderful visits from friends from SLC friends from ANthem and friends from Centerville. I joyfully share this amazing place with everyone who comes and they love it here. Everyone loves to learn about the Polynesian people. They are wonderful people and have an amazing heritage.
I have less than six weeks to go and I leave with mixed feelings. There is work to be done here and that will forever continue and people will step in and take my place over and over again. They will love it as I have loved it. I have made life long friends from all over that's for sure.
God bless you all,
Sister Brenda Woods