Wed. August 17, 2022 - District Meeting

 Our district had our meeting tonight out on our deck. It was cool and a light breeze was blowing, so it was very pleasant outside.  Sister Alofa Brown serves at the PCC where she works in the Samoan Island teaching people to weave fish out of coconut leaves. So she taught our district tonight!

We all had a great time making our fish…..

With Sr. Smith and another Sister Brown, and the Masons.

Then she presented us with our own woven headbands! 

Elder and Sister Mason, our District leaders!

Tuesday August 16, 2022- It’s a grand ol’ flag

 Today, after 6 months of being broken, our flag pole finally was fixed! ( the wheels grind slowly here in Hawaii ) we all had to have a tutorial on how to raise and lower it. It has to been cranked up and down by hand and the line has a very heavy weight on it, so everyone needs to know how to do the honors or it will come crashing down! (And thus the way it was previously broken) Nice to see it up tho….with the Hawaiian flag that reminds me of the British flag!

Monday, August 15, 2022 - Comings and goings…

 Today we celebrate our two new missionaries in our family coming to the mission field!

Elder Landon Mahaffey going to serve in Australia Perth.  Began his home MTC today!

And Elder Trevor Monroe heading for the Italy Rome mission who also began his Home MTC today!

And here in our mission we said goodbye to our two AP’s - Elder Bang and Elder Nesbitt. We sang Aloha Oe and each gave them a lei!

President and Sister Bassett, Elder Bang and Elder Nesbitt

Picture of the out going and in coming AP’s - E.Hua - new AP, Elders Bang & Nesbitt- outgoing AP’s and Elder  Burnett- new AP.

 Same elders with the Lead STLs ( Sister Training Leaders- the sister’s equivalent of an AP- 

Sister Crowley on left and Sister Roden on right.

Friday-August 12 - more pretty shots

 I think we must take a million pictures of either sunrises or sunsets or the temple. Here a another couple Roger took of the temple when we worked tonight!

It is lovely here at sunset!  Pres. Heber J. Grant dedicated this temple in 1919 and he said then,

“May all who come upon these grounds which surround this temple, in the years to come, whether members of the Church of Jesus Christ or not, feel the sweet and peaceful influence of this blessed and hallowed spot.”

Wed. Aug. 10, 2022 - dinner at our house

 Each month we try to do a get-together dinner with the seniors who work in the VC, and tonight it was our turn. We assign different dishes to each couple. Tonight I made chicken enchiladas and others brought Spanish Rice, Salad, chips and salsa, and dessert.  We had 10 people. Good thing we have a big enough apt. For everyone!

From let and around table- David and Teri Call - in the office, going home in Sept.   Shari and Grant Cannon- work with us in the VC- cousins to our Canadian Mission Pres. Nelson Cannon,   Roger, Terry and Diane Bushman- our VC coordinators, and Darla and Scott Tarbet- our downstairs neighbors, she works in the office and he works at the PCC. Getting together with these people is good for the soul!

 

Aug. 9, 2022 - Shopping

 So, grocery stores are pretty few and far between here.  We have permission to leave our mission to go down toward Honolulu to shop at Walmart and Costco. ( we pretty much have permission to go anywhere on the island ).  So, we try to stock up when we go to Costco and Walmart because it takes at least an hour one way. ( usually 25-35 mph roads, lots of road construction, traffic on two-lane roads ) but, when we need something quick we go to our 2 local stores.  For an example, a gallon of milk at Costco is $4.99, the same milk at Tamura’s  is $6.50, and at Foodland it is $7.50!!!

 At least we get to see some fun sights along the way…. Like this painted fence!

Sunday Aug. 7, 2022. - Visitors at the Visitor’s Center

 Our wonderful MTC teacher, Sister Paul came to Hawaii with her boyfriend for a wedding in his family and stopped by to see us!  We love these unexpected visits!

Then a young man from our old Cedar Hills ward, PJ Nettesheim came.  Roger was his 11-yr.old scout leader, and his dad was our Bishop. Now he is on a mission in the Honolulu Mission. He and his apartment came to a temple session ( they can go once a transfer ) and they came in and we all just about fainted!

 Then we had a fun experience…. a Sister Bates had come on vacation with her mom and grandmother.

She had put in her mission papers only a week before and thought they would have plenty of time to come on vacation and then get back home before her call came. Alas! It came in only 1 week and so we had the privilege of helping her get her zoom call and pictures set up, so she could open her call in front of her family, in front of the Christus statue!  She was so cute! Crying and trembly while she read!  This never gets old watching people open their call!

Wed. Aug. 3, 2022- Roger’s birthday!

 What a day we had today!!! We started off with Roger’s  favorite- an early morning walk on the beach

Then I wanted to take him to breakfast at Papa Ole’s…a great place which we have yet to try! Alas! They were closed on Wednesdays! So, we went to a cute little place over by the VC called the Hukilau Cafe. This is a take-out place. So we decided to split a regular order of 3 pancakes with Macadamia nuts. The pancakes were as big as our plates!

Then Roger had received a present from Barbara and Dick, so he opened that. It was a cute plaque and a tie- which looks very Hawaiian because it is so bright blue!

Then we got a call from Tanner wanting us to help teach his district . His entire district were going to serve in a mission office somewhere, so we were happy to put in our two cents.

Then we went to work at the VC- only today was different. Normally, during the school year, the PCC is closed on Wed. So, that is when they hold zone conferences here. But, since it is open on Wed. During the summer, we had to make different arrangements during this zone conference. Usually sister work about a 2 hr. Shift doing what we call Scouts. It is from about 1-3 pm at the PCC where they will hand out cards to people telling them about a free tram tour we operate from 3-7pm. Then some other shifts from 3-5 and 5-7 do what we call inviting. This is during the times when the tram is running so we basically invite everyone to take the free 35 min. Tram tour that tells about the community of Laie, takes them to see the. BYU  Hawaii campus, then on to the temple and visitor’s center for about a 10 min, stop to walk and take pictures.. Hiwever, since all of the sisters were in zone conferences until 5 pm- the Bushmans worked over at the PCC doing Scouts, and we worked the 3-5 shift doing the inviting.  Usually the sisters also are the tram tour guides, but today the tram drivers did it, since we did ‘t know the dialog.

Of course, if you EVER ask the missionaries to take your picture, they do a few selfies on your phone as well!!!

That was a little intimidating, but fun!  Then we went back to the VC. One of the couples, the Calls is leaving in Sept. and wanted to get a picture of all of us in our blues…just as the sun was setting behind the temple.

L to R: David & Terri Call, Terry and Diane Bushman , us, Pres. & Sr. Bassett, elder & Sr. Kendall (mission nurse ), Mimi Mitchell- our substitute, and Grant and Shari Cannon.

Pres.Sidney and Sr. Stephanie Bassett

Then, sister Call surprised Roger with Rootbeer floats for everyone…since he loves them so much!

We were GOING to go out for dinner…but we had dessert first…and then decided to go to dinner anyway! Ha! We went with the Bushmans to Seven Brothers in Kahuku. They have HUGE burgers!

( PS - they just opened one in Provo and Saratoga Springs!)

Then we came home to a wonderful present from all of our kids to help Roger with his recent leg cramps! AND all their ice cream photos. For several years now, Roger has told our family that the only thing he wants for his birthday is for each of them to take their family for ice cream ( since it is his favorite dessert)

And take a picture and send it to him.

Even some of our young sisters got into the fun.

And Zach sent his a little later!

We even came home and had some ourselves! With the cupcakes I made for him!

What a great day!!!

Sunday August 2, 2022 - Senior devotional

 Once a month we hold a devotional for all the seniors serving here. This month President and Sister Bassett spoke! Afterward, one of the couples brought their drone and got a picture of all of us out in the main foyer of the Visitor’s Center.

The Lead STLs  - Sr. Roden and Sr. Crowley,  Pres. & Sister Bassett and the APs- Elder Bang and Elder Nesbitt  are on the fron row since they all spoke in the devotional. Amazing…there were about 100 of us in this picture. A few were not there, but it is amazing how many seniors serve here, between the PCC, BYU Hawaii, and the Visitor’s center!  It is definitely a different experience with so many seniors!