Thanksgiving Greetings!

We woke up to find sixty hearts taped to our front door with messages of "thanks" from the sister missionaries we serve with.  Here are two of the comments on the hearts: 

"Sister McArthur!  Thank you so much for everything you do!  Especially for cooking for us during the open house!  We appreciate it so much.  You're the best cook!  WE LOVE YOU.  Happy Thanksgiving."

"Sister and Elder McArthur. Thank you so much for your kindness and help!  Especially during Open House.  Thank you so much so tasty food.  You are our great example.  We love you two so much!  Happy Happy Thanksgiving day!"

Chinese student wants to know more

Tonight as I was sitting at the desk greeting tourists from the PCC two oriental women were looking at our handouts.  I asked where they were visiting from.  The one who spoke English said she was a college student at a church school in Michigan.  The older lady did not speak English, only Chinese.  They were originally from Shanghai.  I was impressed to give them everything we had in simplified Chinese which is what they read on mainland China.  I even handed a Book of Mormon to the student.  She was very interested and started reading it right in front of me. 

Later I learned that as she rode the tram back to the PCC she filled out a comment card and asked for the representatives to visit her and added names of two friends.  The Lord works with individuals.   I can see that as we give out literature to the Chinese who come to the VC,  the  gospel is going forth to that nation.  I am in charge of ordering our literature from church headquarters and cannot get any more copies of the Book of Mormon in simplified Chinese as they are revising it and other Chinese literature.

We also had an interesting meeting in the morning with Elder Paul  Pieper of the Seventy.  He told of the miracles that are happening quietly in the Middle East where he is assigned.  He was also assigned to Kazakhstan and knew Craig Vincent and his wife.  Small world in the Church!  

Temple Rededication

This morning we attended the 9 am Rededication of the Temple.  Originally we were going to go to one of the stake centers since the temple could only hold 700 persons and we thought the local members deserved to be in the temple, more than we did.  However, Friday Elder Scott Whiting, Area Authority Seventy, came to the VC and handed us two tickets for the Celestial Room saying he wanted us there.

The services were broadcast by TV to all the stake centers in the Hawaiian Islands and were held in three sessions: 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm.  In addition to President Monson and President Eyring, we heard from Elder Cook and Elder Walker.  The choir of only 24 voices sounded like the Tabernacle Choir in stereo!

My last official act as a member of the Usher Committee was to lead the group out of the Celestial Room after the official party had exited.  It has been a very rewarding, and exhausting, three months of service.  I no longer complain about not having enough to do...on average we've given full-time service (and a little bit more).

Temple Celebration

2,000 youth participated in "The Gathering Place - Celebrating the Laie Hawaii Temple."  We received Special Guest seats and attending the dress rehearsal.  Here's a picture taken with my cell phone showing the climatic ending with a large temple replica raised and the picture of the Christ projected above.

At 10 am the temple and surroundings were blocked off for two hours in anticipation of a President Monson visit.  All the VC missionaries congregated at the VC watching and waiting.  About noon the entourage showed up at the temple and I took this picture.  This is as close as we got because when the group finished touring the temple they did not come to the VC.  How sad!



Elder and Sister Eubank's 50th Anniversary

Elder and Sister Mark Eubank's 50th wedding anniversary was on Friday, November 19.  With so many things going on at the VC they were unable to break away and go to dinner with us (we postponed it until Monday).  So Donna arranged a surprise visit by all the missionaries.  We gathered outside their apartment  at 9:30 pm and helped them celebrate with a cake and lots of hugs!

VIP's begin arriving for Temple Rededication

Thursday evening we learned that President Thomas S. Monson, President Henry B. Eyring, and Elder Quentin L. Cook arrived.  Earlier Elder William Walker, Executive Director of the Temple Department, and Brother Thomas Coburn, Managing Director of the Temple Department, both came to the VC.

On Friday President Monson and President Eyring attended the Polynesian Cultural Center and our BYUH grandson, Kody Cook, ran into President Eyring and shook hands with President Monson.

David Hanneman

In 1960, before the Palomar Stake was organized, the District held a Samoan Luau fund-raiser (taalolo) at the recently constructed meetinghouse in Vista.  A Polynesian group from Orange County was contacted to help us and one of the men who helped us was David Hanneman.  I later met David when I was called as Regional Representative (1977) and assigned to the Anaheim Region.  He was, I believe, on the High Council working with the missionary program.

 He now lives in Laie and has been here for many years, and is a member of the Laie 3rd ward, the ward we attend on Sunday.  When we first attended the ward there was David Hanneman and as he greeted us he recognized me and reminded me of our relationship in the Anaheim Region, and said he had a letter from me in his file at home.  (The next week he brought the letter to church to remind me.)

He served as president of the Laie Temple, as a patriarch, and is still the historian for the Polynesian Cultural Center.  Of all those we've met in Laie, David Hanneman stands head and shoulders above all the rest -- a true disciple of Christ.  One day, when I grow up, I hope to be more like him.

Bob and Cynthia Hendershot finish the VC "mission"

Bob and Cynthia Hendershot, our dear friends from Escondido (now Highland, Utah) finished their four-week mission covering for us at the VC and doing double-duty by helping at the Open House every day.  Their mission at Temple Square prepared them for helping us out and they were absolutely wonderful.  Everyone at the VC instantly fell in love with them.  They accepted the invitation to come without hesitation, even though their new home was still under construction and the final inspection would not be scheduled until their last days in Hawaii.  They attended our Monday morning training meeting and the sisters sang Aloha Oe to them in parting.  In the second picture the sisters are holding up a "Temple Handkerchief" that Sister Brown's mother had made and sent as a gift to all the missionaries, for use during the Dedication next Sunday.

Open House comes to a close

Saturday, November 13, closed the Open House with 4,920 guests, bringing the total tos 43,034.  We ended the 20-day Open House with 163 referrals and thousands of very favorable comments.

One of my favorite experiences happened today around 2:00 pm when Kevin and Lita Acdal came from the Big Island with their daughter, Chantel Hidaro, Chantel's two daughters (11 and 13) an aunt and a family friend.  Bishop Wilkes, bishop of the Honokaa ward had called me earlier in the week and explained that Chantel had terminal cancer and the family was hoping we could accommodate her with a tour of the temple.  Chantel's husband had been killed in an auto accident in 2004.  I was able to give them a personal tour and we spent almost an hour in the temple.  As we left the temple the friend (a lady in here 50's) grasped my hands in hers, pressed them to her forehead, and said she would never forget her feelings inside the temple as long as she lived.  She described it as having "chicken skin" all over her body.

Bishop Wilkes reported afterwards that the next day Chantel was back at church, and said all she wanted to do was go back to the temple.  So, the bishop processed a temple recommend card so she could attend the dedication this coming Sunday.

I had performed the sealing of Kevin and Lita in the Kona Temple five years ago, and Kevin told the bishop how surprised he was that President McArthur was so warm and friendly since his recollection was that I was a "stern" temple president.  I guess I let my guard down...will have to be more careful to protect my reputation.

Temple Open House Celebrates Veteran's Day with 6,000 guests

Busiest day of the Open House was Thursday, November 11th, Veteran's Day, with about 6,000 visitors.  For about two hours we had a line, four-wide, down to the lower parking lot, about 150 to 200 feet long. 

Temple Open House Overwhelming

The last three weeks have been a whirlwind of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual demands.  The Open House takes every ounce of energy - and then some.  We start at 7:15 in the morning and most days don't wrap things up until late in the evening.  But it's worth it.  Here's the view of the Open House "campus" we see from our apartment.

As of Saturday, November 6th,  25,000 guests had visited the Open House, with 5,000 that day.  We've also had almost 100 referrals for the missionaries. 

     Donna's assignment has focused on our "Special Needs" tent where folks in wheelchairs or those who are unable to walk up and down 50+ stairs begin their tour, (they use an elevator to go up and down the three levels of the temple).  Included in the picture is Lisa Bahen Ellis and Lorrie Porter.  Lisa grew up in Escondido (she's severall years younger than we are) and is married to Dean Ellis.  Dean is our "boss" and is chairman of the Ushering Committee.  Dean, Don and Merlin Waite, share in the overall duties orchestrating 200 +/- volunteers every day.  Lorrie (just sitting in the chair for the picture) is one of four coordinators of the Special Needs tent and is handles the evening shift every night.

     This picture was in the LDS Meridian internet magazine and shows Don pointing to the Special Needs tent while assigning Volunteers to their duty stations.