Update...1/10/13

Dave & Janice Campbell were here on business so we had thanksgiving dinner with them, Kassi Hartle and Brandon Reaves had dinner with us also, both students at BYU-H and from Highland Utah area where Denise and Danny live.  We were grateful they were here to fill the gap of family.  We are finding we are all family…  we spent two nights with Dave and Janice in Honolulu, very busy in Honolulu compared to Hauula. It was nice to get back to our rural Laie area. 

December 8^th. 2012 we flew to Kona on the big island to visit again with Dave and Janice.  Good thing they come on business so they can give us guided tours of areas they have been.  Also being a senior missionary couple we are able to take a break from the missionary work unlike the young elders and sisters.

While on the big island we drove to Hilo and Dave and Dennis took a- doors-off helicopter ride over the volcano, hoping to get some good photos.  Not much action.  We also got to see the Kona Temple it is right next to the stake center where we went to Sacrament Meeting on Sunday.  Our trip was too short to go to a session.  We also had the opportunity to visit with  Elder and Sister Raiper who were in the MTC with us.

Our classes in Kahana Valley are going well.  On November 28^th we challenged the girls to baptism. We are hoping they can be ready by the 29^th of December.  They have moved and are  not always at our classes.  It has been hard to track them down. Their mom and dad did give permission for them to be baptized, this is a huge step for them since the mother and father are not members and are not married or living together ( too common here).   We will update later.

Christmas in Hawaii 2012, never thought we would be in Hawaii for Christmas, have to admit it is a lot warmer than Utah.  Denise and Sarah sent pictures of their blizzard.  We felt grateful to be here.

Christmas eve we went to the mission home to have dinner with the senior missionaries that work in the mission office and the military missionaries and of course President Dalton and Sister Dalton.  They prepared a special filet mignon that was marinated for eight hours and baked, very good. 

Christmas day we were able to face time with all of our children and grandchildren. We missed being with them but it is a blessing to be here where the Lord has called us.

We had breakfast with the young Elders and Sisters in our Zone. They are very dedicated to their calling.  Most of them had called home and were happy to have talked to their families.  We had dinner with some of the young missionaries who did not get have dinner with the ward members and two other senior couples.  Later about 7:00 PM we attended a white elephant gift exchange with the young Elders and Sisters.  That was fun to be with them.

The Tongan ward had three Christmas activities, a ward dinner, a ward dance and of course the ward Christmas Sacrament program.

After the Samoan ward meeting a few weeks ago the bishop has a unique way of suggesting that he would like us to speak in Sacrament Meeting, he said “ Our ward would be so blessed to hear from you” how do you turn that speaking request down. 

With the help of the Young Elders that are in our district we were able to baptize two of the young girls that we have been teaching in our Kahana Valley class for several months.  Elder Allen performed the baptism on December 29^th and Dennis confirmed them on December 30^th.

So that ended our six months in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission. It has been a great experience and blessing.