VC Visitor asks for Baptism

On Monday a young couple came to the VC and as we walked through the exhibits I learned that she was a member but he was not.  They were married two years ago and have a "blended" family: 2 of her children and 3 of his.

I learned Rob had met with the missionaries in the past, attended church every Sunday, and seemed like a "dry" Mormon.  So I said "Rob, you need to be baptized."  And he agreed.  I said, "We could to it today.  How would you like to be baptized in the Pacific Ocean in the shadows of the temple?"  He said that it sounded like a good idea.  We talked further and I suggested that the two of them talk it over while touring the Polynesian Cultural Center and that they call his children to make sure they felt OK about it.  I gave him a card with my name and phone number so he could call me if they decided to go for it.

That evening Donna and I were serving at the PCC and we ran into them.  They said they were still trying to reach the kids.  Here's a picture I took with my cell phone.

They did not call that night or the next, or the next, so we figured they had decided to wait and be baptized at home in Toronto.

However, Thursday morning, while attending our weekly training meeting with all the VC missionaries, I received a call.  As the meeting ended and I recognized the number, I asked the missionaries to stay while I took a call.  I turned on the phone's speaker and we all heard Rob say that he wanted to be baptized that night (Thursday) before returning home.  [All the missionaries whooped and hollered.]

We scrambled.  The zone leaders came by and offered to help.  One of the sister trainers said she'd help with the arrangements.  And Donna and I took off to drive over to the other side of the island (Ko Olina) to do the baptism interview and fill out the forms.

Rob passed the interview with flying colors and we completed the form and both signed it.  I said my only concern was that his children would miss feeling the Spirit that is present at baptism services.  We talked about it for some time and then I said if I were you I would wait and be baptized with your family present.  It was the right thing to do and he agreed.  We then talked about going to the temple in a year and being sealed.  It turns out that his wife's brother is the Lehi City Manager and a stake president so they come to Utah regularly.  To make a long story a little shorter, we have an tentative appointment for them to come to the Jordan River Temple in March or April 2011 and I will perform their sealing.

Escondido friend and 1855 rare Book of Mormon

One of our favorite exhibits in the Visitors' Center is an original 1855 edition of the Book of Mormon.  We were surprised to learn that it found its way to the VC with the help of a friend, Dean Ellis, who grew up with us in Escondido in the 1950's.  Dean married another younger friend, Lisa Bahen, and the two of them live close by, and Dean serves as a Bishop in one of the BYUH wards.  Here's a picture of Dean and two of his family, taken when the exhibit opened at the VC in November 2008.

The Book of Mormon was translated in Hawaiian from 1851-53 by Elder George Q. Cannon (then a missionary in Hawaii) with the help of a Hawaiian convert, Judge Ionatana Napela.  About 3,000 copies were printed in San Francisco and shipped unbound to Hawaii.  Approximately 200 were bound and the rest destroyed during a fire in 1868.  The copy on display at the Visitors' Center is one of only 15 to 30 copies believed to be extant.  BYUH has one other 1855 copy in it's collection.

There is a more complete account of this story in the November 22, 2008 edition of the Church News.

Missionary Experiences for the week

June Lee, A dad who lives in Honolulu and his daughter, Karen Enriquez, who was visiting him from northern California came to the VC.  The dad has attended church a few times with a friend.  As we finished the "God's Plan for His Family" presentation I could tell both were touched by the message and both said that they would like missionaries to visit them and answer more questions.

We decided this week to sign up for Direct TV instead of cable (which has caused us no end of trouble).  As I talked to the person helping me over the phone I told him about our serving as missionaries in Laie and that we would be returning to Utah next year.  I asked him if he knew anything about the Church...he didn't...said he was a Lutheran.  I asked if he would like a copy of the Book of Mormon and he said yes (what else would he say since he was trying to complete a Direct TV sale).  So I have sent him a copy and will have the missionaries in Colorado Springs stop by and visit Eric Martinez.

1981 visitor returns to PCC

This is a picture of Ray Lockwood and his wife, Suzie, who visited the PCC Saturday, returning after their first visit in 1981.  Ray was not a member of the church in 1981 and his member-wife wanted to come to Laie to see the Temple.  They stopped at the Visitors' Center for a tour and a Senior missionary, Sister Haskell, took him in tow.  She showed him an exhibit and then send, "Oh, you need to see one more."  Then she would show him another.  After which she would say, "Oh, you need to see one more."  This continued all through the VC.  At the end of the tour she said, "Of course you will want to sign our guest book," (the forerunner to the Comment cards we now use).  And while he was signing she said, "Of course you will want to have the missionaries visit you when you return home."  And he said, "Of course."  The two of them returned home, the missionaries came, and Ray was baptized.  And their entire lives were changed forever, thanks to a sweet and unbashful sister missionary in Hawaii.

Moanikeala Festival

Today we attended a Hula Festival held in the Pacific Theatre at the PCC.  It was teriffic!  Here's a composite picture of a few of the performances.

Trip to Kona

Thursday afternoon we flew to Kona and on Friday I met with Major Rodriguera of the Salvation Army in an effort to convince him to sell part of their property adjacent to the temple to the Church.  (I've been asked by Church Real Estate to help out.)  They have been planning on building a Thrift Store on the property and we feel there are better locations.  I didn't make much progress but later in the afternoon I checked out two properties found by Chuck Corbe, the realtor who sold us our first condo at The Shores.  Here's the two of us standing in front of one of the properties.  The second property has promise and Chuck will show it to the "Army" next week.

Donna and I were able to attend an endowment session on Friday, between meetings, and another session on Saturday morning on our way to the airport.  I was also able to do the initiatory for a cousin and a sealing of a son.  Thursday night we had dinner with Tom and Dorothy Heers at our Shores #125 condo (they are renting it) and Friday night we had dinner with Phil and Olly Harris at Huggo's.  We stayed both nights with the Harris's.  It was nice to be back on the Big Island...it is like a second home to us...and we saw many temple worker friends Friday and Saturday.

Senior Missionaries at BYUH and PCC

Here's a picture of most of the senior missionaries serving at BYUH and the PCC.  We're in the second row, right side.

Mainland Chinese Convert

This week Sisters Hu (Taiwan) and Aguda (Philippines) (in muumuu) saw one of their investigators from mainland China be baptized.  Qian Ying Zhao, and her husband, have been in Laie visiting their daughter, Jiayuan, who is attending BYUH and playing on their tennis team.  All three began meeting with the missionaries at the VC.  The husband had to return to China for business but the mother continued with the discussions and was baptized.  This picture includes the District Leader, Elder Stanger, who conducted the baptism interview.  In China, non-members can only attend church services if a family member is a church member, and they must hold separate meetings from the expatriates who are in the Country. Sister Zhao joined the church here so her husband can attend with her in China and learn more.  The daughter, Jiayuan, says she will be baptized soon.

Happy New Year!

Donna and I were in charge of the New Year's activities for the sisters and elders.  (We now have six elders in the VC zone.)  We began with a dinner at the stake center adjoining the VC.  Menu: Kailua pork sandwiches and BBQ pork sandwiches, salads, beans, etc.  We got the Kailua pork from the PCC at a great employee discount.

After dinner we moved the the VC for a "talent show."  I was the MC and shared the magic trick "Flags of All Nations."  Next we watched the movie, "The Other Side of Heaven," thanks to a permission letter we got from Mitch Davis (Dave, Linda and Steve's contemporary from the San Pasqual ward) who produced this movie about Elder John Groberg's mission to Tonga.

Last, we went back to our "PADS" and had ice cream sundaes in the driveway followed by watching the locals shoot off fireworks like you wouldn't believe!  Actually, they have been shooting them off for the past week.