As part of the ongoing renovations on the Visitors’ Center grounds, a brand spanking new, very tall flagpole has been (almost) installed. However, some of the flashing to go around the base of the flagpole wasn’t delivered and the wrong kind of a ball to go on the top of the pole was delivered. All of this was discovered as the flagpole was being installed. The result: a flagpole that we can’t put flags on (yet). The contractor can’t release the flagpole until it’s complete and signed off by the Temple authorities and we can’t use it until it’s been accepted by the Temple. Meanwhile we have this very tall pole sticking up in the air. Almost daily I’m asked, usually by someone serving in the military, why we don’t have a flag on the flagpole. Most think the reason is rather crazy, but such is life over here. Lots of things just move along at a different pace.
On a different note, all of the electronics in the Visitors’ Center are now working once again! The air conditioning in the Asian Theater is now working and all of the touchscreen monitors that weren’t working have been replaced and for the first time since we’ve been here, all of the displays and exhibits in the Center are fully functional. That’s really cool! (The cool part literally applies to the Asian Theater. It’s now quite chilly in there. The theater is so named because of the Asian motif in the room).
We volunteered on Saturday taking tickets at the Prime Dining eatery at the Polynesian Cultural Center. This is a buffet style restaurant a bit more upscale than the Island Buffet venue. The other two options for the evening meal are luaus at either the Hale Ohana or Hale Aloha. Those luaus are complete with the pig roasted in an imu and a show. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we’ll be ticket takers at the Hale Aloha.
At each of the food venues members of the cast for the evening show are at the entrance where a photographer takes a picture of the family or group with the cast member. These 8×10 photographs are then available for purchase following the meal (and show at the luaus). The photos are $18 apiece or two for $30. Most people buy two pictures. I wouldn’t have expected that, actually. In the picture to the left, Nina and the photographer were having a great laugh about something. The photographer is a senior in high school and is just delightful with a great sense of humor.
Sunday was Ward Conference for the Laie 3rd Ward, the Ward that we are assigned to. After the meetings the Ward has a big potluck dinner. No assignments, everyone just brings something to share. An incredible amount of very good food showed up! These folks over here know how to do a potluck dinner. Seconds and even thirds were available and some of the desserts were so good they must be sinful. As we were eating our fill, the Sunday School President asked me if Nina and I would be willing to be substitute teachers. I told him that we would be happy to do that (oops … I haven’t told Nina about that, maybe I’ll wait for her to read it on the blog…..). It sounded like there are substitute opportunities coming up when school lets out and families start taking their vacations. I enjoy teaching Sunday School and particularly enjoy teaching classes to the teenagers and young adults. This should be fun and interesting.
This is transfer week. The new companionships were announced on Saturday evening and literally every sister missionary companionship is being changed, except one. Two sisters are going elsewhere in Hawaii for their three-month stint as full-time proselytizing missionaries, two brand new sister missionaries are coming in from the Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah, and three sister missionaries are coming back to the Center after their three-month full-time proselytizing assignment. This is also the week that we swap schedules with Elder and Sister Jensen, the other senior missionaries. That means we’ll be working at the Center Sunday through Wednesday in the morning, have Thursday off as a Preparation Day, and work Friday and Saturday evenings at the Center. This will be our schedule for this week and the following five weeks when we’ll switch again.
Yesterday (Sunday) evening we held a musical fireside at the Visitors’ Center open to the public. Several of the sister missionaries performed either solo or in groups and many of them were called extemporaneously to talk briefly about their missionary experience. At the end all of the sister missionaries sang “Gethsemane” and I accompanied them on the piano. A YouTube recording of the song:
We had a great turnout and the missionaries performed very well. My part actually worked out OK, for which I am very thankful!
Life is pretty much sublime….