Update

We have spent another week in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission.  I (Marsha) go for my walk most mornings, look at the ocean, beautiful trees, flowers and green foliage and think--- “I can’t believe I’m in Hawaii what a beautiful part of the vineyard to labor in.

Sunday we are sitting in the Tongan ward.  A cute 14 month old boy was sitting next to us.  He kept looking at my lilly white legs then at me & back to my legs he finally came up to touch my leg then smile & tough again.  He started to gently push on them.  So cute – I really think he thought my legs were like marsh mellows & he wanted to see if they would puff back.  With all the walking that’s probably the only part of my body that can bounce back.

Our Wednesday class at Kahana went well, we only had three in attendance this time.  The other four were all from one family and they were gone somewhere.

The three that came arrived about 30 minutes early. Their mother was bringing them home from an after school activity and they saw our car so their mother dropped them off.  Their mother is not active and we are not sure she is a baptized member maybe only a member of record.  We are gradually getting to know where all the people live and their status as far as membership.  It was very encouraging to have their mother drop them off because sometimes we have to  hunt them in the area. 

Our lesson was about “Doing Good Each Day”.   We played a music video by Alex Boye'  “Have I Done any Good Today” 
(Here is the link to watch it yourself)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdoaHHDK_SA

It is very touching but a little more upbeat than the way we sing from the Hymn book.  We gave a short lesson and went to the community garden to  weed and pick up trash.  After we finished that we had them decorate sugar cookies.  When they finished and the two boys started leaving taking their cookie treasures with them Marsha said “See you next week” Areal the eleven year old girl said, “Sister Anderson you forgot something” .  Marsha said, “Oh what? Did you leave some cookies here”  “No, Prayer,  the Closing Prayer”   How neat that she would want a closing prayer.

We followed the suggestion of the stake president and told some of the members that we are helping with a records audit and need to get the names and birthdays of everyone that are living with them.  The response has been great.  Most still don’t have an interest in coming to church.  The most common excuse is that is the only day they get to visit with their family and since so many are now inactive or non-members.  We were invited to come to a baby blessing on Saturday at noon.  They are doing it in an area near the ocean in Kahana Valley.  It is nice to know they are willing to invite us to attend a family event like that.  They are having someone from the ward come to do the blessing.  Step by step we are getting to make friends with the adults in the valley.