The new Laie Temple Visitors’ Center Director and his wife are here! They arrived very late Friday evening and have been running ever since. Elder and Sister Swinton are delightful people … definitely people people. We shall really enjoy working with and for them at the Center!

Further, Elder and Sister Jensen completed their mission on Wednesday and Elder and Sister Andrus from Rexburg, Idaho arrived very late Wednesday evening as replacements for Elder and Sister Jensen. They are also delightful people and we’ll have a lot of fun working with them.

As a result, we’ve been busy. We didn’t have a Preparation Day this week because of all the changes and people coming and going. We also worked very long schedules on a couple of days and have been quite consumed training Elder and Sister Jensen and supporting Elder and Sister Swinton as they’ve taken over the reins at the Visitors’ Center. But, that’s why we’re here and we’re enjoying all the change that’s happening.

Change is often quite invigorating, particularly when good continuity happens during the changeover. The sister missionaries seem to be working very well with the change in people … combined with this being the last week of the transfer. Saturday evening they’ll learn who’s being transferred, who will have new companions, who will move into different apartments and be assigned to different wards. Three sisters are completing their missions, one new sister is coming from the MTC in Provo, and at least one sister is returning from her three-month prosyliting assignment. So that’s a lot of change happening in a two-week period! Good thing the work we’re involved with is true!

On Tuesday we learned that a very good friend and former boss, Karl Anderson, is in Hawaii. He also knows Elder and Sister Swinton quite well. So, Karl and his wife Joyce came to the Visitors’Center on Wednesday about noon and we all had a great visit. I really enjoyed catching up on all the things that are happening with the Kirtland area and the plans for the recent property purchases the Church has made in Kirtland. Karl is the definitive expert on Kirtland and even has his own Wikipedia page! As Nina has often remarked, special experiences like this are clear signs that the Lord knows where we are and demonstrates that to us.

Hopefully we’ll get some pictures of Elder and Sister Andrus in the next couple of days. That’ll make good blog material as well. Meanwhile, I’m tired and it’s time to get ready for bed.

Ta ta for now!