WE ARE HOME!

As I mentioned in my last post from Hawaii, it was with mixed emotions that we boarded the plane in Honolulu on June 13 headed for the Salt Lake airport.  We really enjoyed our mission and met some phenomenal people.  We loved the work we were doing and the responsibilities that we were given.  I really think that the people will miss us also, at least for a few weeks until they get used to the new missionary couples.  Funny how that works.  You work so hard to do things in a way that you hope people recognize your contribution. Then someone else steps in and all is well again and who knows, maybe we will be forgotten.  I do think we left an impact on many, however.

When we stepped off the plane in SLC and got to the escalator, the whole family was there waiting for us complete with signs of welcoming.  It was so good to see all the kids and grandkids waiting with happy smiles and hugs.  That was the BEST!  After collecting our luggage, we all went to Leatherby's for ice cream.  It was tremendous.

We were officially released by the Stake President on the 14th of June.  We told him about our mission and the impact it had on us and bore testimony.
Today, Sunday June 26, we met with the high council and reported our mission to them.  Our opportunity to speak in sacrament meeting is July 17 and we get to share the meeting with Spencer as he prepares to serve his mission in Portugal.  So excited for him.

Since we have been home we have purchased a truck, made a trip to Lehi to see Michelle's house and visit the boys, attended the Provo City Center temple and done some miscellaneous yard work here and there.  I really haven't had to do much because Ryan and Allie had it in such good shape.  I was really blessed in that respect.  They are still living here but they do have a house under contract so I'm sure they will be glad to get into something bigger and their own again.
They had the other parts of the house under control too.

I will admit it has been a little hard getting back into the groove of things.  I have been helping Hannah with some sewing.  She is a good little seamstress.  She is making aprons for her friends and herself.  So cute!

Well, in keeping with the things I wrote about while on the mission, I think I will write a little about church meetings today.  We had a missionary farewell for Elder Colton Wilden who leaves for Modesto CA. on Wednesday.  He did a very good job and will be a great missionary. President and Sister Broadbent are also leaving on their 3rd mission to Africa.  Evidently he will be a field representative for 131 mission presidents in Africa.  Hard to believe that there are that many missions in that country.  Both of them talked of missionary work and the importance of it.  Such spiritual people.  If I could only have a portion of their knowledge and ability to speak of the gospel, I would be happy.  Well, I am happy but I would feel better about my level of knowledge.
In Relief Society we were given the lesson I think from the conference talks entitled "Feasting at the Lord's Table."  I need to re-read the talk but in essence it was talking about rescuing the Lord's lost sheep.  That parable from the Bible was referred to so I need to re-read that as well.  We all know family or friends that for whatever reason, have elected to withdraw from the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am sure this is concerning to Him since he wants us all to return to His presence and has given us the pathway to follow to get us there.  I know it is concerning to me as well.  I am so glad for the atoning sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ.  Through him, we have hope in our eternal progression IF our faith in our Heavenly Father is strong enough.

Here I go again.  Off on a tangent.  I will close for now and go read the things I mentioned earlier in this post.

Happy Sunday!!!

SEVEN DAYS...MIXED EMOTIONS

Well, here we are with just one week to go before we board a plan headed for SLC.  This week has gone so fast, as have the others.  In each of our Prayer Meetings last week as I stood to give the training, I mentioned that that would be my last day on that particular shift.  I got a little choked up each time I said it.  This week we will say goodbye to all the night shift people as we train in their prayer meeting.  When I came to Hawaii just a year ago I had no idea I would get so attached to some of the people here.  I have so enjoyed what we have been doing here and the special interaction we have had with so many.
A couple weeks ago President and Sister Taala invited us to their home for dinner along with Brother and Sister Fry.  They served Hawaiian Haystacks which were really good.  I haven't had those for a very long time so I totally enjoyed the evening.  We had a nice time just talking-something we don't get to do in the temple very often.  Tonight we had a visit from President and sister Nihipali.  They brought us a nice gift of a picture of the Laie Temple and a picture of the Chad Hawkins version of the Laie Temple. I don't have either of those pictures so I was thrilled.  We have been collecting some Hawaiian pictures to put on our walls at home so these will be nice additions.  Tomorrow we are invited to President and Sister Kealoha's home for lunch.  I'm sure we will have a great time there also.  These people have been so very nice to us and have really appreciated our service.  The Fry's are going home the same day as we are so the lunch is for them too.

This week we will be busy packing our suitcases and cleaning out the apartment.  It isn't to big so we should be alright.  We have had to send some boxes home and still have a few boxes to go I think.  Mostly because we have bought some souvenir items.  Oh, alright.  I have bought a few new articles of clothing but I am leaving some things here too.  I have given some of my things to the sister missionaries and have left some temple clothes at the temple for the student workers. Some of our left over food will go to one of the college girls who is a coordinator at the temple, Sister Katie Kelly.  I have become pretty close with her and hope we can keep up correspondence at least through FB.
Next Sunday we have been asked to speak in church so that will require some prep time this week.  I was hoping we could escape that but not so.  Our topic is Fathers, in honor of Father's Day the next week.
Sunday night we have been invited to stay at Keith's house since he is taking us to the airport early the next morning.  We will leave about 4:00 AM for our 7:00 flight.  We should arrive in SLC about 7:30 PM where all the kids and grandkids will be awaiting our arrival.  If all goes well, we will go for ice cream on our way home.  I can't wait to see them all.

As for things I learned or was reminded of in church today.  Our SS lesson was on the conversion stories of the Sons of Mosiah and Alma the Younger.  They were rebellious and speaking out against the church until they were visited by an angel and chastised.  Alma the younger was even struck down for a while.  After he regained his health he became a great missionary for the gospel of Jesus Christ.The question was asked "when were you converted to the church"?  I pondered that.  I have been a member all of my life and probably relied on the testimony of my parents and my husband to some extent.  I am not the kind to question authority and have always known that the teachings of the church give me a better life.  I know that as trials have come to me through the years that I was strengthened through prayer and reading the scriptures. I know that my testimony of the atonement and temples and families has truly been strengthened this past year as I have been away from family serving in the temple most days.  So for me, my conversion has been a gradual process-one that could have been challenged because of any number of difficult trials in my life.  I am so grateful I have chosen to let the Lord and His son Jesus Christ help me through those times and heal me rather than distance myself from them and let adversity and the adversary win. I know that when the time comes that I have another huge trial or devastating circumstance, I will find myself in the temple to find solace and answers rather than try and figure them out myself.
One thought to go along with this. After Carl died, I found that I needed a crutch to help me get through some pretty tough times.  Yes, I prayed and read scriptures and asked questions but sometimes I just needed a diversion.  I shopped.  And I shopped.  Almost to the point of an addiction.  I didn't need the things I bought but it made me happy.  I have now come to realize that those things were a false sense of security.  I really only needed the gospel of Jesus Christ and the comfort I receive from earnest prayer and study to make me happy. I have come to appreciate that so much this year.

Yes, I know this has been long but I had lots to say.  I may not get to write again until after we get  home but I will continue this blog.

THREE WEEKS AND COUNTING

Well, three weeks from today, at this very time, we will be preparing to land in Salt Lake City.  Where has the time gone? Can that even be possible?  I am so glad we decided to serve a mission and that we were called here to serve in the House of the Lord.  I have gained so much insight that I didn't have or hadn't thought about before serving full time in the temple.  I have been able to rub shoulders with some awesome people of great spiritual strength.  I have also be here as young sisters in the gospel have been so excited to serve in the temple over and above their busy schedules at the University here.  Some of these sisters are recent converts themselves but have such a love for the gospel and the temple.  My testimony has grown right along with theirs.  The mission has been hard at times, even most of the time but it is another witness to me that I can do hard things and that I have chosen the harder right among the other things that I could have been doing.

Yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, we were privileged to have Elder and Sister Swinton speak to us.  They are serving as the directors of the Visitors Center here.  She has written several books for the church and was asked, while they were serving as mission president in the London South Mission, to write President Monson's biography.
I love her stories of him and the testimony she has of him being the Prophet for our day.
She asked us to think about promptings you have had to act on someone else's behalf.  I know that I have had some of those promptings and have not acted on them a few times and feel very bad about that now.  President Monson often speaks of listening to that quiet prompting but Sister Swinton told us that he was not always good at listening.  One story involved him being torn between doing what the spirit told him and visiting a man in the hospital or staying in a stake meeting that required him to sit on the stand.  He knew he would draw attention to himself and possibly offend the Stake President so he stayed in the meeting.  After, he hurriedly made his way to the hospital only to find that the elderly man had been calling for President Monson (then a bishop).  The man passed away minutes before President Monson's arrival.  He made a commitment to himself to never ignore the spirit again.  Today, he is a master at listening to those small promptings.  Again sister Swinton asked, "How are you doing?" When we follow the prompting and act, we are on the Lord's errand.  "Strive to be the one that the Lord knows He can call upon to do His work."  What a powerful statement.  I really have a long ways to go with this but I know that if I am prompted to do something, I will do my best to act on it.
Elder Swinton talked about the beauty of the Christus that he has the blessing to look at each day.  I will admit that when we walk past the visitors center, I look at it in awe too.  He made the comment that our whole purpose of our very life is to become like Christ.  Wow!  Do I have a ways to go.
Another interesting concept he talked about was the grand council in Heaven.  We know that Christ told God when asked who could come to earth and carry out His plan, "Send me and the Glory be thine."  Do you thinK that each one of us answered in that enthusiastic way? When I was asked who could come to earth and experience a certain set of trials, church callings, triumphs, etc., did I say "Send me, and the glory be thine."?  I hope so.  I also hope I will continue to accept those things that are in store for me whether I think I asked for them or not.  The way we handle those experiences in this earthly life will determine how much like our our Savior, Jesus Christ we will become.

Well, I had better close for this week.  Only two more posts will come having to do with our mission but I have become so accustomed to writing a few things each week for my benefit and those few members of my family that follow this blog, I will probably still write. I know this will be a good resource for me to look back on and reflect how I am doing in becoming more like Christ.

FOUR MORE WEEKS! EEK!

Well, here I am.  Just four weeks left.  I commented to Larry yesterday that at the beginning of the week it seems like it will be long but by the end of the week we are wondering where that time went.  I think I am wondering where this last six months went.

 I love the days I spend in the temple. There is just a special spirit there but most days I am so busy that I fail to take time to bask in that spirit felt in the temple.  Our temple Matron, Sister Kealoha always reminds us that we need to take time to minister to ourselves as we serve diligently in the temple.  For me that means a few minutes of peace in the Celestial Room with my focus on what my Heavenly Father has done for me and the blessings I have received throughout my life.  I always take a little time to reflect on my eternal companion and what he is doing on the other side of the veil and if he is happy with the things I am doing in my life now as I prepare to someday meet him there. (Although, I hope that is not for many years.)

Each Sunday I feel like I have a Spiritual Feast.  Today I read the Sunday School lesson complete with five chapters in Mosiah.  The main focus on the lesson was that we, like the people of the Book of Mormon, have a living prophet who receives revelation from God concerning the members of the church.  I truly believe that Heavenly Father watches out for us as a people and gives revelation that will help the world in times of need.  Some of those things mentioned were: the beginning of Family Home Evening and how it helps families endure tough times, getting out of and staying out of debt, the changes in missionary service i.e age, method of presenting discussions, etc.  I know that each general conference, the things we learn and are reminded of come from revelation and are given to improve our lives and help with our understanding of gospel principles.

Our Relief Society lesson was on the blessings that come from paying tithing.  I have always done so with no questions asked but I remember one particular time when Carl and I went to tithing settlement several years ago.  We were building a new home, Ryan was on his mission so we were paying for that and tithing, I was teaching part time but also had gone back to school and was paying tuition.  When we looked at our income versus the amount paid out for tithing and the mission we were amazed at how much of our income that was yet we were still able to buy the things we needed for our family and the new home.  I truly have a testimony of tithing.

Tonight we attended the annual Temple Devotional.  Larry was asked to bear his testimony and did a very nice job expressing our gratefulness for the opportunity to serve this mission in the Laie Temple.  He also told of a couple of spiritual experiences he has had while in the temple.
We were reminded by President Nihipali that it doesn't matter how far away the temple is from where you live but how far away you are from the temple.  I really liked that analogy.  We need to attend the temple regularly in order to gain that knowledge and and faith that are required of us by God.
Sister Kealoha spoke of the fact that in the 1000 years of the millennium, we will be those people working in the temples of the world doing the work for all who will accept the gospel on the other side of the veil.
President Kealoha talked of the sacrifice that we are all making to serve in the temple each week.  He reiterated the fact that the Lord expects us to sacrifice in order to receive the blessings of exaltation.  We have to sacrifice something good for something better.  That happens through temple service.

Many of the people there tonight expressed their sadness that we are leaving soon.  It is nice to be told that because it means we must have done what we were supposed to do here in a pleasant and friendly way.  We will miss these people as well.

On to another week.....

MOTHERS DAY 2016

Here is another week come and gone.  We are down to only five weeks left now.  I think I mentioned last week that I am getting maybe a bit nervous to leave here.  Our daily schedules have been pretty much planned out for us with not much to interfere.  Next month I will be going back to reality.  Back to the day to day runnings of a house, children (though they are married and on their own) and grandchildren.  Yes, I am ready for all of that again and will embrace it as I have before but it still makes me a bit nervous that I will be responsible for what I do with my time and how my decisions fit into my quest for eternal salvation.
One of my dear friends from the temple, Sister Feinga, made a comment last week that I have given much thought to.  Some of the sweet sister missionaries were leaving the temple and after we gave them hugs and told them to have a nice day, Sister Feinga said "Can we always be like the missionaries, just one thing on our mind."  I have thought about that in a few different aspects of life.  Of course, because of what we are doing right now, the temple comes to mind. May we ever attend the temple with just one thing on our mind. Leave all the "stuff" outside while in the temple- with an eye single to the glory of God and what he wants us to do with our life. Remember always that the temple is God's university where He will instruct us on all things pertaining to our salvation.  It is our job to ask for that instruction and incorporate it into our lives.

Because today is Mother's Day, I can also relate the comment from Sister Feinga to that.  Can we always be the best mom we can be.  We have been given stewardship over these children while they and we are here on earth.  We are to teach them in ways of righteousness and raise them to be upstanding adults so that they can contribute positively here on earth and be ready to return to our Heavenly Father and to our eternal families when that day comes for each of us.

Today in church, a new bishop was announced.  In speaking to the congregation, he said that he couldn't possible do what he has been asked to do with out relying on the Lord.  I think that is true in so many areas of life.  I don't think I could have come on this mission without the reassurance that Heavenly Father would help me every step of the way.  And He has.  I couldn't have done Motherhood without relying on my Heavenly Father to help me teach them and love my children unconditionally.

The former Bishop's wife, Julie Ah You, bore her testimony and made the comment that one of her children had asked, "What if there is no heaven like we have been taught?"  She testified that she knew that there was a heaven and we could all be with Heavenly Father again if we were obedient, but IF there isn't, we have not been hurt by living the gospel as Christ has given it to us.  And we have hurt no one by living the principles and ordinances of the gospel as outlined by our Heavenly Father. We are living good lives and doing good things and believing and hoping for better things in the hereafter.  That is our goal.

One last comment for today.  Our Relief Society Lesson was about spreading the gospel around the world--Missionary work.  I am so glad I decided it was ok to leave my family and friends for a year and serve this mission.  I quote from the lesson "To satisfy the new demands being made upon us in this great missionary work of the last days, perhaps some of us (particularly the older generation whose families are raised) need to take stock to determine whether "walls" that we have built in our own minds need to come down.  For example, how about the "comfort wall" that seems to prevent many prevent many couples and singles from going on a mission?  How about the "financial wall" of debt that interferes with some members' ability to go, or the "grandchildren" wall," or the "health wall" or the "lack of self confidence wall" or the "transgression wall," or the walls of fear, doubt, or complacency?  does anyone really doubt for a minute that with the help of the Lord he or she could bring those walls crashing down?"  A couple of those "walls" were very real to me before we decided to put our papers in.  So glad they came down.

Until next week.............

TWO MONTHS...BUT WHO'S COUNTING?

Here we are. Ten months into our mission with just two months to go.  And the time is going so fast now.  I think it is because we are in the temple nearly every day and we have no time to have to fill our time.  This month we are on the late shift which starts at 1:00 pm and ends at 8:00 pm.  Rarely do we leave any earlier than that.  There is always a need for someone to be trained or an opportunity to help when shifts are short of workers.  I have mentioned before how I love training and learning a little about people.
This week I helped train two young ladies who are attending BYUH.  Both are from the mainland-one from Minnesota and one from Blackfoot, ID.  I told her I had cousins who live in Blackfoot.  She knows them!  I am always so amazed at how small this world really is in the whole scheme of things.

Another young lady I worked with this week is Sister Bennion from Boise, ID.  What a delightful young woman.  In talking to her, I found that she is about to go on a mission.  Her parents came over to HI for Easter and to be here when her mission call was opened.  While they were here, she came to the temple to receive her endowment.  She then talked to her bishop about serving in the temple and she is doing that now- before she serves her mission.  What great training that is for these young people.  I know her temple service will be a testimony of eternal families and the blessings of temple service throughout her life.

I have heard from many of the very busy students who serve in the temple that they will make time to serve because they need the blessings in their lives as far as schooling and dating and eventual marriage.  Oh how I wish I had had that kind of vision when I was their age.  I wish I had been more instrumental in instilling that love of temple work to my children.

Larry and I were discussing the fact that in the early days of our church the saints were asked to gather together where the temples were.  Now days, saints are asked to gather in their own countries as temples are dotting the earth.  Each and every conference there are new temples announced where faithful saints and growth in the church require it so as to save people from traveling such long distances to do the Lord's work.

Today our stake presidency was released and a new presidency called for the Laie North Stake.  Our bishop, Kingsley Ah You is the new President.  He is an awesome leader and will do great things while in this calling.  Our visiting Authorities were Elder Sitati from the Seventy and Elder Aunu, an Area Seventy.  Both of them spoke in our Saturday night session as well as today leaving us with wonderful advice and counsel.

In comments outside of what is happening here in Laie, Spencer received his Mission Call to Portugal.  Not sure if I mentioned this in my last post but he received it just before they all came here to visit.  He leaves August 3 and from what we have heard from home, we will be reporting our mission the same day as he has his farewell.  I am so excited for him to feel the spirit of missionary work though his mission will be vastly different than ours.  What an honor it is to be his grandmother. He is an extraordinary young man. I know his grandpa Bruce is SO proud of him and how he serves others.

GRATEFUL FOR FAMILIES AND FUN!

Uh Oh!!  I was so busy this past week that I totally forgot to make this post.  So here it is.  I was so lucky to have two of my daughters, Stacie and Keri and their families come to Hawaii to visit us and "play".  And play we did.
They came on March 31 so we went to Keri's rental on the point for pizza and to talk for a while.  They were quite tired after their day of travel so we left and they went to bed.  The next day we went to the temple to work and they played.  We went to the beach later and then to North Shore Taco to eat.  On Saturday we all (minus Steve due to back surgery) went to ClimbWorks zipline.  What a HOOT!  I really enjoyed it much to my surprise.  There were eight ziplines of varying distances to conquer.  I didn't ever feel unsafe.  The hardest part was when we had to pull ourselves up from one level to another to catch the next zipline.  I found out that my core strength is next to nothing right now.  I was able to get about half way and had to be pulled up the rest of the way.  What a WHIMP I felt like!  We got some great pictures of the whole experience and the kids and grandkids won't stop talking about it.
It was conference weekend so on Sunday we listened to conference and then I prepared dinner for everyone and we ate at Keith's house since he has more room than we do.  Ham, rolls, potato Salad, chips and fresh veggies and quinoa salad were prepared by Debra.
Monday we went to Haleiwa with Stacie's family then to Turtle bay beach with all.
Tuesday those with temple recommends (all but Kaydee, Maelynn and Elli) came to the temple.  It was great having them there and letting those I work with know they were my kids/grandkids there doing baptisms and initiatory.  The little girls stayed at our apartment and wrote little notes to us and scattered them around the apartment.  How fun it was to come home and find them all over.  Then we went to Polynesian Cultural Center for the rest of the day.  I know they all enjoyed that as well.
All good things must come to an end and so they all left to go back home early Thursday morning.  Lots of pictures hit Instagram and Facebook!

I mentioned that it was conference weekend last week.  I really love that we get to hear so many speakers with so many different topics having to do with the gospel and our eternal salvation.  I will be reporting on some of these talks in future blogs but for now suffice it to say that my testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost has been strengthened so much through the words I was able to hear and through the testimonies that were borne.  I love this church with all my might and am so proud to be serving my God in the capacity of a temple missionary at this time and season of my life.  I have always loved the temple and the peace and calmness that I feel there but I haven't always been as dedicated to temple attendance as I am now.  I often wonder why I didn't indulge myself in the blessings of the temple on more on my own rather than only going when it was a scheduled temple night.  I have some repenting to do.  I love the principles of the gospel that are taught in the temple and know that each time we attend, there is something new to be learned if we just open our hearts and minds to it and ask for guidance before attending the temple.

As a last little note in this post.  We are down to about 9 weeks more here in Laie.  We got our travel plans home from the church missionary department and will be leaving June 13.  I am already torn about leaving.  It will be nice to get back to our normal life and do some things we are planning but I will miss helping people learn about the temple, the friendships I have made while here and having that feeling of being a missionary and being obedient to my Father in Heaven.  I'm sure it will be an interesting adjustment.

Oh, and Spencer got his mission call and will be serving in Porto, Portugal mission, leaving August 3.  I am so excited for him.  He is very excited to and looking forward to serving a mission.  Proud of this great young man and the potential that I see in him.