7-28-14

Another week has gone by quickly.  I can't believe the days and weeks go by so fast.  Monday was work as usual.  We are getting a senior missionary lady who has been elsewhere but is being transferred over to costumes.  She hates rats and mice.  Hope we have all of them caught so she doesn't have a come-apart.  She seems to be really nice and wants to help with things.

Wednesday in the morning we had another party for a senior missionary going home.  She is the one who has helped me make Mary and Joseph's.  She has taken some night hula lessons with some older ladies so they came to the party for her and danced.  I bet a lot of them were in their 60's and 70's.  Beautiful and graceful ladies.  Some of them are going to Las Vegas to compete in some dance contest in the next few weeks.  Of course we had a lot of good food and desserts.  All we do is eat over here!

Older missionary ladies trying to learn to hula dance!

Kathy, our boss and her little 6 yr. old daughter trying to teach us.  Kathy is a Tahitian.

A lot of the senior missionary couples were asked to go to Honolulu again to do the "mystery shopping".  A few months ago we posed as tourists and went to the hotels and asked the guides about the packages and the things to do here on the island. The PCC wants to know how they are being advertised.  We were asked again and we told them NO.  We did not like doing that.  A few others told them no also.  I can't find that any fun.  I tried to bargain with Elder Pollock to not make me speak in home evening and I would go do that but he wouldn't budge.

Saturday Denis went with 2 of his friends and Grant's son-in-law out into the ocean a little ways to go fishing.  Didn't have too good of luck.  Caught 4 little tuna fish but didn't bring any home.  We have had enough of fish.  He had a good time though.  I just had some good alone time cleaning and sewing.  

Elder Grant Nielsen

Elder Gary Cardno

Sunrise

The boat they fished from

Shark in the water

Grant Nielsen

 Saturday night we took tickets at the PCC.  We were talking to one of the missionary couples at the Visitor Center.  They work with the little sister missionaries at the center.  They also proselyte in rotation.  They have some little Chinese sister missionaries there.  This week there was a convention of people from China who sell make-up over there.  They were staying in Honolulu but were coming up to the PCC for a tour and a luau.  I don't know how it came about but there were some Chinese in the group that wanted to have the missionary lessons.  The sisters had prepared and planned to do it but a male Chinese missionary in Honolulu taught them.  There were 20 people from China who were taught in 4 days, accepted the gospel and were baptized on Friday before they went back home to China.  Another group who went to California did the same thing and the church baptized 50 of the Chinese people there.  The missionary we were talking to said that Elder Russel M. Nelson of the Twelve Apostles said the Chinese are ready for the church but the church is not ready for them.  (Meaning there are so many who want to be converted and we do not have enough people to teach them.)  People in China can not teach the gospel or accept it in that country unless they have a blood relative who is a member.  This missionary said that they study and learn all they can and just wait for the opportunity to be able to be baptized.  I can not believe the little Chinese kids over here who are members.  I think we have as many Asian kids as we Polynesian kids at BYU.  Anyway, back to the little Chinese sisters.  I guess they were so disappointed about not being able to teach their people the gospel.  He said they were all having a sad time, glad about the baptisms but sad not to be able to teach them after they had prepared for it.  In church today, during our Relief Society lesson the girl said that there are 29 countries that the church has not gotten into to preach the gospel.  Maybe they will accept the gospel in ways that are not the norm.

Temple at dusk.  We had just done some temple work and were walking around the grounds.  So beautiful.

Today, Sunday we had Tomomi again after church.  She loves to come and help cook dinner.  We walked to the beach after and she threw rocks and walked in the water and got wet.  She wanted to know how long we had before we left to go home.  She has gotten so much better as far as talking and being happy.  I hope she will attach to another missionary couple when we go home.  I
think she feels safe with them.  Have a good week.  

Love, Sherleen
P.S.  We have had our exit interview with the mission president this week.  Passed the test!