Aloha

Dear Everyone
It has been a long time since I have written. I dropped our laptop & the screen shattered. A new screen has been ordered, but not delievered yet. We keep very busy at BYU-Hawaii and usually don't have time to write while at work. But we love it. Our 3-person office should have a revolving door installed. Some students come in because we invite them in, others stop by to chat. But there is never a dull moment around here.

It helps to be temple workers each Wednesday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The task of organizing & training Temple Workers after the Temple had been closed for nearly two years has been a monumental job. President & Sister Workman are very specific and detail oriented with their expectations, but I never observe any stress with the Temple Presidency or Matrons. It is a wonderful place to be. In the past, the Hawaiian temple workers used to bring their crops (huge avacados, sugar cane, papaya -- whatever was extra & growing) and leave it at the front Temple desk. Then whoever wanted it would take it on their way out. I envision it as a free Farmers Mkt. The new Temple President was aware of that custom (as well as other unique customs) and has had to put a stop to people bringing things into the temple. It has been a difficult habit to break for these kind & unselfish people. So as we come -- or leave the temple each Wednesday, there are people in their cars calling us over to share their fruits -- or whatever extra they have. One week, a sister was handing out large bags of Hershey chocolate chips. She instantly became my new best friend.

The weather is ALWAYS beautiful. It may rain a little bit some days, but it isn't torrential rain. It is a fine mist, and that's probably why everything is green. We are lulled to sleep each night by the waves & breeze of the ocean (however, we really don't need any help).

We have learned so much about people from all over the world. I thought I knew about diversity. What I've learned is that I only knew how to spell it. We have so many people here from all over the world, most come from poor circumstances. Some don't even dream of owning a car because it will always be too expensive for them -- even after college. Their apartments are mansions compared to what they have come from, to mainlanders they seem dumpy & very small. Most of the students are very happy, grateful to be here,humble and gracious to the missionaries. They are great!!

I keep trying to find a good mexican food restaurant. I miss that a lot. (Sunny & Dustin, could you mail over some of your famous enchiladas?). We would love to have visitors. So schedule early -- Only 11 months to go!!

Love, Gary & Eileen

Surf Lessons

A PCC missionary, Elder Dummar has surfed his whole life. He offers surf lessons to anyone who wants them. Just be on the beach at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. Today we, and about 10 college students, took him up on the offer. The video shows Gary showing his skills (prior to putting the board in the water). Gary had fun trying to catch waves & Eileen enjoyed just being in the water & on the beach. She did try the board once or twice. Hawaii 5-0 makes it look way too easy.. . . Another Day in Paradise!

Happy New Year -- 2011!!

We arrived safely back in Laie on Dec 30th. The flight was relatively good -- considering it was a red-eye. We must have been so tired that we were actually able to sleep most of the flight.

We had asked a husband & wife in our ward to give our Marriage & Family class for the two Sundays we would be gone. On Saturday, we went to their apartment to retrieve our books and took them some candy as a token of our appreciation. They had turned their small kitchen & small living room into a MAJOR bakery. They were making pineapple pies and turnovers for the “older people.” They gave us one of each (I guess since we are “older people“). Remember us telling you about the LARGE containers people bring to FHE & Ward dinners? Well, that’s what these pies were. They were made in the LARGE RECTANGULAR TIN BAKING PANS and were 2 inches deep. The turnovers were actually the size of ½ of a regular pie. It made up four servings. We took the large pie to our New Years Eve party and it served 12 with about 1/3 of it left over. Think BIG!

2010 New Years Eve in Laie was amazing. We had heard that people celebrate with fireworks on New Years Eve. We had also heard that this is the last year that people will be able to buy & use fireworks. This is why === People are able to buy the same kind of fireworks that cities on the mainland use for their large July 4th celebrations. There were more HUGE private fireworks than you see in many small towns back home.

The fireworks started ALL OVER TOWN about 6:30 p.m. The air was smoke filled at 7:30 when we went to the Missionaries party and they were still lighting them at 12:30 when we drove home. They were everywhere, strings of large firecrackers tied to the street light pole that had to be 25 feet long and lasted for several minutes, hundreds of the bright cascading fountain type that only go about 15 feet high. They are kind of done as a neighborhood effort, where several families gathered around together with the road blocked off with cones and everything. The Costco in Mililani, had a sale on fireworks, their packages went from $49 to $199 and there were people buying several of every size.

During our party, there was a 2 hour downpour from about 9 to 11pm. We commented on the fact the noise had stopped, then we had to sandbag the door to the TVA multipurpose building so the water didn’t come under the door. The 2 weeks that we were in Utah, they had enough rain that they had placed sandbags at all of the doors to the buildings that are in a low spot. Eileen wondered why that building always smelled like a swimming pool locker room when we go to Family Home Evenings, I don’t know if the carpet ever quite dries out.

Our party included The Draper’s, Wilson’s, Olson’s, Thompson’s, and the Brinley’s. Everyone just brought something to eat or snack on or drink. It was a really fun evening. We played several “minute to win it” and other “thinking” games. These are mostly Religion Professor types and it was good for us to see them frustrated and still laughing. I hope those memories last for a long time. Two of the men are really good piano players and as it got to be midnight, they played and we sang several songs. One that I had never even heard of before, #215 in the Hymn book. If you can play that and sing, do that, but at least read the words to the song, it is a good new years song.

We tried to initiate a polar plunge today -- no takers. If we’re ever going to do a Polar plunge, it will be in Hawaii where the water never gets too cold to swim.

2010 brought a few major challenges to our family. We are hoping for a healthy and happy 2011.

Our Temple is now dedicated

After many busy weeks of preparation for the Temple Dedication -- cleaning up the town, cleaning BYUH, many stakes preparing for the Cultural Celebration, organizing the Temple open house & meeting thousands of people who went through the Temple prior to its dedication. The week finally came. Presidents Monson and Eyring, along with Elder Cook came to Laie for the Temple Dedication. It was a wonderful culmination of lots of hard work and effort by many members.

We attended the PCC night show, “Ha, the Breath of Life” the same night the General Authorities attended. As we got there, we could see the decorated PCC golf cart type vehicles parked in front of the Ambassador Restaurant. I ran back to the truck to get our camera. And ran back just in time to see them drive away. The parable of the ten virgins came to mind. President Monson was greeting people and everyone was taking pictures and it was fun to watch as a group of Missionaries sitting off to the side. President Monson had only been seated for a few minutes when he took off the large, special lei that he had been given and put it over the head of a lady that was sitting right in front of him. At the end of the show, the cast gathered together and sang two songs for the special guests. President Monson stood as they sang. The performance was exceptional, it was obvious the performers wanted this night to be special. We were told that some people who normally performed couldn’t do it, because they were too nervous to dance in front of the Prophet. I loved watching President Eyring. I can only imagine how tired he was, but he was so full of enthusiasm as he cheered at the end of the show. You could tell by the grin on his face that he loved the performance.

Laie Hawaii Temple
The Laie Temple Open house has finally begun. For the last month this small community has taken a great deal of pride in community clean up, so that the whole town looks well-kept. The Temple Grounds and the three blocks leading up to the Temple are lighted and as beautifully manicured as the rest of the Temple grounds. There are beautiful fountains and reflection pools that lead to the Temple.

We took a tour through the Temple last Saturday. I was surprised at how small it was. The rooms are all beautiful, they have refurbished the original murals. There is wonderful art work, mostly of the life of Christ hanging in the halls. The Baptistry has many original paintings around the top of the walls. We have been asked to be tour guides for a 4 hour shift on Saturday, the 6th of November. We are excited to have that opportunity to serve. When the Temple opens on November 22, we will work in the Temple one day a week.

Maybe you will notice that above the front doors of the Temple, the words: "Holiness to the Lord, House of the Lord" Those are the words that you will see on every LDS Temple. Now look at the picture on the top of the temple. "House of the Lord, Holiness to the Lord" is the way this temple has always been. They are trying to decide whether to leave it, or change it to match all of the other temples. The Laie Temple was the first one constructed off of the mainland (and outside of Utah). It was the fifth temple built. It was originally dedicated in 1919.

During the VIP tours, I talked with the Construction Superintendant. His father had done some work on the Laie Temple back in 1949 and had told him where several of the original workers had written their names in pencil on the cement beam in the top of the Temple. He had gone back in and found them and more names and dates were added. He said that the 1949 remodel had involved taking a planter box off the top of the Temple. He also said that in 1919, cement walled buildings had just started to become feasible and that he how this temple was built.
The walls are between 8 and 24 inches thick.

If you have time for a great article on the Laie Temple & its history, go to http://www.meridianmagazine.com/photography/category/80

Haunted Lagoon at the PCC

There's always an opportunity to volunteer!! The Polynesian Cultural Center has a "Haunted Lagoon" each fall. They put monsters in the canals they have made for the day time programs to do a sort of outdoor spook alley (only it's a spook canal). Some of the people involved are in the water and and standup right as the canoe full of people float by. The scary lights & music are also a dramatic touch. In the month of October, about 40,000 visit the Haunted Lagoon. The Haunted Lagoon will still be happening when the Temple openhouse begins. We've been called to be Tour Guides at the Temple Openhouse. We hope to see someone we know come thru. We are really having a good time. The weather is wonderful and the people -- BYUH & missionaries are wonderful.

Our First Visitors!!

This is the job Gary applied for!

The boys @ the PCC

Drew on our front porch next to Grandpa's ocean.

Don’t think that we have been swinging in our hammock, and too lazy to write. We keep busy!! Gary has become an expert on the computer. I am proud of his progress. Enough about our “day job.” About once each week we go to the Polynesian Cultural Center to help take tickets. They provided us with Aloha wear -- that they custom make to our measurements (that’s scary -- a custom fit moo moo?). When we want to walk around the PCC, all we need is our missionary badge to enter. Brooke & her boys came two weeks ago to visit. They spent a couple of days at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Plus a couple of visits to the beach.

Two different perspectives of our 500 sq foot apartment from the boys:
Drew (standing on our front deck facing the ocean): Grandpa, is that your ocean?
Trey (standing on the same deck): Grandma, did you buy this place because it doesn’t cost much money?

Gary & I are teaching the Marriage & Family Relations class on Sundays in our married student ward.
I have also been called as the 2nd counselor in the Stake RS.

We miss you and have been thinking about southern Utah a lot lately.