We can never get enough sunrises here and the beautiful clouds that come along with them.
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A little about Samoa and it's history. We still have a hard time distinguishing the Samoan's from the Tongans..
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Put in papers for a mission Then the roosters in the morning
Then waited long for the call They crowed 'til I turned blue
De-junked and de-cluttered I've got it! Is it morning?
And made trips to the mall. Then the dogs, give me a shoe!
When the packet finally happened What's that crawling on the ceiling?
Everybody gave a shout! There's a gecko on my wall,
We were headed for Hawaii Centipedes that sting you?
Paradise without a doubt. And that's not even all,
And around the very same time When I look into the mirror,
The comments flooded in A stranger greets me there,
"That's exciting! That's no mission" I see the wild and untamed
"That's vacation! That's a sin!" In the place that was my hair.
Next the MTC experience But among the icky, sticky,
Oh so humbling and neat and cock -a-doddle-doo's,
A whirlwind week of blessings, God's work is moving forward
The Plane--Please take your seat, At PCC and BYU.
Then touch down in Oahu It's true-we live in paradise,
Gifted with a lei But the thing that makes it so
Shown to our apartment, Is not the ever changing sea
What a very special day. And splendid ebbs and flows,
The training quickly followed It's being part of God's great work
So much for us to know United in his cause,
Aloha and Mahalo, With knitted hearts we labor
Schedules, meetings--where to go! In spite of all our flaws,
Things like how to make a shaka So bring on noisy roosters,
Stuff you mustn't ever say And creepies on the wall,
What's a lava lava Turn up the fan another notch
Wear your moo moo on this day... Clip on my badge--stand tall!
The weather was so humid,
All it did that week was pour,
"Don't touch me-you are sticky
"Move the fan, open the door!"
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The first 6 months here we didn't have any bugs or ants in our apartment, but now they seem to have taken up residence with us. Someone said they they come seasonally.I'm tired of sharing my cereal with the ants. I'm not a breakfast fan so I usually eat cold cereal on the drive to campus in the morning. Sometimes there's a tiny, little ant floating in the milk. As my dad use to say "they don't eat much". I pick them out and dab them on the dish towel on my lap. Funny thing happened the other day, he started walking away on the towel! I thought they were drowning. So we threw out the box of cereal and Saturday we "ant/bug bombed" the house. We closed all the windows and doors, opened the drawers and cupboards, let off the bomb and went to the beach for 4 hours. Hopefully that will do the trick.
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Speaking of bugs...termites seem to be quite the problem also. Every 3-5 years the Hales (dorms) are 'tented' and then fumigated. Out on my morning walk I came across this. Because there are fewer students in the summer, all the students have to move to a different hale while this takes place at different dorms. I asked the workers if this was the largest building they had tented. They said no, the largest is the state capitol which is 8 stories high.
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Shan Arumugam - from India. Let me share another amazing student and his story found in the school magazine Ke Alaka'i
Coming to BYU-Hawaii wasn't always his plan, but Shanmugsundaram Arumugam, or Shan, said his journey to the school is rooted in his conversion to the gospel. With little support from his non-member family, the new freshman from southern India studying business management said he remains positive that this path will lead to a better future for him and the people of India.
Shan met the LDS missionaries, Elder Smoot and Elder Solomon at a bus station in 2012. "I said, 'Hi,' to them first. I knew little English at the time." They handed him an invitation to an English class along with a pamphlet and exchanged numbers with him. "At first, I didn't respond to their calls. Later, I started going to the class and reading with them. I really liked them and we became good friends."
This same year, Shan said he was struggling with his life's purpose. "I was searching, I was thinking I want to be a good person." After accepting the invitation to take the missionary lessons, he was baptized on Jan. 1, 2013 without his family's approval, which he said was worth it because of the changes he experienced.
"I had a problem with the Word of Wisdom...and my family has seen my changes." he said.
"Then I started to become more involved in Church. I really felt the true love of the members in the Coimbatore District. Each family treated me as one of their family members. I was looking for love, and I found the true love." The members encouraged Shan to go on a mission, but he said his family was against it. "After I joined the Church, I was all alone. I stayed at my branch president's home and in a government hostel. I ate food with my branch president. They helped me to go on a mission."
He got his mission call on a Wednesday in 2015 to serve in the India Delhi Mission, where he spent the majority of his time in Mumbai.
One night during his mission, he got a call from his mission president. "He said, 'you have to go home.' My dad had a heart problem, a health issue."
Shan said he felt conflicted because he and his companion were preparing for the baptism of two children of a family who had been investigating the church for two years.
"I didn't go home. I chose to stay on my mission because I knew God would help my dad. Then I got a call three days later saying that everything is okay."
His decision to stay led to more conversions. Shan added. "Because the two kids joined the church, the parents ended up joining. Because of them, there were four other families that were baptized also."
Shan said the dad of the first family, Brother James, was pivotal in those conversions. "One day the dad was super sick. We got a call from his wife asking us to help him. We went to his home. He was laying on a bed. He didn't have food to eat. I just cleaned up the room and I cooked the food and I put some oil on his head as medicine and gave him a blessing. That blessing worked for him." From that day on the father gained a testimony and started coming to church little by little."
Shan finished a successful mission in 2016. "I came home. My family and branch president welcomed me at the airport. Then I stayed with my family for 10 days."
He relocated to New Delhi for one month but had a hard time finding a job. He said, "one night I knelt down and prayed. I heard a voice say, Mark 11:24. The verse reads" "Therefore I say unto you. What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that you receive them, and ye shall have them." He decided to go back to Coimbatore, where he found a job immediately.
Along with a job came the call to serve as a branch clerk in the Coimbatore First Branch. While gaining skills from that calling, he had a dream one night about studying in one of the church schools. "I had a small amoung of money saved on my own, but I started the application."
One member, George Scott, an American who was living in the area at the time, helped Shan financially with the application. "But the rest of it, I paid my own way."
"Meanwhile, I met James Faustino in April or May 2016. He's one of the keys for me to come to BYU-Hawaii." Shan also met BYU-H President Tanner while serving on his mission. "He invited me to come to BYU-Hawaii." Shan described his application process with 2 Nephi 28:30, 'line upon line, precept upon precept.'
"Within five days of applying, I got my visa. I'm the first person in my village to come abroad, and I'm the first person from my district to come to BYU-H. I'm the only Mormon of my entire village of Perundura.
During his travels to India, James Faustino, Director of Admissions and Recruiting at BYU-H said Coimbatore was not on his list of places to travel in preparation of recruiting students to BYU-H. When Shan found out Faustino would not be traveling through his hometown in the 'outskirts' of India he caught a flight to meet with him.
"Shan is an example of what the I-WORK Program is looking for, said Faustino. "We wanted to ensure that we are properly bringing the right people in being able to grow the church back in their home country instead of just aiding with migration to the USA." Faustino suggested they have a Skype interview but Shan said if he was coming all the way from America, he would fly to meet him. Shan took a 12-hour round-trip flight to meet Faustino. It was all within a 24 hour period and he didn't stay. He didn't have the money to stay. He got on the plane, came and met him and flew right back home. You need to find the right individuals who understand and commit into what our I-WORK Program is trying to accomplish. "He is one of those who have found the church and immediately, despite the persecutions he knew would follow, he decided to join the church."
The Polynesian Cultural Center orientation for I-WORK students gave Shan confirmation that he was in the right place. "It reminded me of the scripture: many are called but few are chosen." In addition to helping him improve his life, Shan said the Gospel "taught me to love my family" despite their disapproval of his choices. "Even though this Gospel helped me to understand that they don't hate me, but they just don't like that I joined the Church. But this Gospel helped me to understand and love them again."
"Going to BYU-H and seeing the love the people have, seeing many people from all over the world, seeing the Plan of Salvation--what I learned from my mission has come true."
Faustino added, "Many students like Shan who come here, don't know anyone or anything outside their own country. He is not used to seeing clear blue water and sky without pollution. This is foreign to him. He is going to be blessed and has already been blessed by being here, and I know so many people will be blessed by meeting him."
As for his future, Shan said "I want to help the people as I did on my mission. I want to show them with all my life what I'm learning at BYU-Hawaii, and I want everyone in the world to know this Gospel, especially in my own country."
Shan said he hopes to become the CEO of one of the top companies in India.
My comment, James Faustino, who Shan speaks about, is our landlord. James is native Hawiian. He and his wife Melissa met here at BYU-H, she is from Alaska. They both received their masters from Tufts University. They have the 5 cutest keikis.
The were dressed up for International Week where they try to encourage students to join their native clubs. One Saturday night I went to their club activity and we all tried our hand at making Naan bread. Lucky for us they brought some already fried with another dish and we were well fed.
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The lau lau leaves were attached to the fishing nets to scare the fish into the nets. We had 100 yards of these leaves we pulled in and then pulled in the fishing nets that had been taken out in a row boat.
One early Saturday morning the missionaries and plenty of students met at the Hukilau Beach. There are a dozen different beaches along the north shore. This is one of the close ones that students often flock to. We were going to experience a real 'hukilau'. A hukilau is a way of fishing invented by the ancient Hawaiians. The word comes from huki, meaning pull, and lau, meaning leaves. A large number of people, usually family and friends, work together in casting the net from shore of a row boat and then pulling it back, hopefully full of fish to benefit all.
Tradition has it that you bite the head of the live fish. Yes, they were wiggling and trying to get away. We take part in every activity to the fullest and that meant biting the head of the fish too. Frankly, we didn't see any locals doing it, just the crazy missionaries!
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Bill and Karen Garf, Robins, us and Nancy Waterfall.
This is a hike we took a while back to Muanawilli Falls. It poured most of the time so we were dodging the mud puddles and roots.
We were all a total mess after hiking hours in the rain and mud. This is the hike where Steve slipped down the side of the hill into the river below. He had not a bruise or scrape, the angels were with him.
At the end of every semester we sing 'Aloha Oe' to the students in our Ward graduating and moving on with life. Couples L-R, are Conner & MaKenna going back to Utah (he's 6'10"); Sam & Ladon from the Philippines; Bradly & Hailey to Utah
L-R Cameron & Alyssa going to grad school in Alabama, Sable & Jadon both plan to go to med school, Sione & Fokio back to Tonga
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This is a cute couple in our ward that has a 2 year old, a 1 year old and she's expecting twins next month! Sounds fun!!
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One of the sister missionaries teaches a weekly lei making class. I made these by crocheting, braiding ribbon and wrapping an 'eye lash' yard. It was fun to learn but that's enough for me.
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Yesterday was spring graduation. I don't want to forget these wonderful people I work with.. Top left, Salote from Tonga,
Karess from Hawaii, Victoria from Sweden and served a mission in Ghana, Sivi from Tonga, Micah from Hawaii and served in Utah, Front left, Pita from Fiji and waiting for his mission call, Daryl from New Zealand and head registrar, Hannah from Mesa, me, Michele from the states and John from Korea and just received his mission call to Japan.
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This is sweet Olive, or Yee Yee Mon her true name, from Myanmar. She will be a paid intern in the counselling department where Steve works. Olive was taught and baptized by our neighbors back home, Cal and Alice Andreasen. Then she served a mission, recently married and now has graduated from BYUH. Her husband is wearing her graduation hat and holding her diploma for her. He has already graduated.
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I finally got my act together and started walking again the in the morning before going to the campus. I kind of dropped it when the sunrise came up so late last winter. Since I'm up with the roosters at 5 am anyway, I head out with a walking stick to take care of any stray dogs or pigs. Steve takes off to play racquetball, luckily they have courts at the school. Of course another breath taking sunrise.
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Mission Tidbits:We got our DNA results back:
Kathy -
57.9% Irish, Scottish and Welsh
19.2% English
7.8% Baltic
6.8%Scandinavian
8.3% Other (5.2% Iberian; 1.8% East European; 1.3% Italian)
Steve -
51.6% Irish, Scottish and Welsh
26.2% Scandinavian
18.6 Greek
1.6% Baltic
1.0% Finnish
Now we need to visit all these countries.
The frequent rain and humidity do wonders for your skin and feet. I especially love it when it rains through the night and we can enjoy a beautiful Hawaiian day.
The first 6 months here we didn't have any bugs or ants in our apartment, but now they seem to have taken up residence with us. Someone said they they come seasonally.
A few comments from the graduation ceremony yesterday that I found meaningful:
"Character is higher than Intellect" University President John Tanner quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Not a mind Without a Soul" - Have a heart full of compassion
We need to pull together as a family (or workplace) for the good of all. This is what the Hukilau is that I described above. It takes everyone to 'bring in the fish'.
'You have been on the 'receiving end' up to this point for much of your life, now you can be on the 'giving end'. Give service and live abundantly." Elder Dean Davies from the Presiding Bishopric.
What amazing experiences you’re having. I’m so happy that you are in grossed in the culture. That’s pretty brave to bite off the head of a live fish. I definitely could not do that I would probably throw up. It sounds like your meeting so many wonderful people there and it’s smart that you’re taking pictures and writing down names. Keep up the good work and will see you guys in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteKathy and Steve, I've loved reading your updates and the profiles of some of the amazing students you've met. As I prepare to teach this month's 4th Sunday R.S. lesson on our responsibility to care for and minister to all of God's children, I'm impressed by BYUH's unique mission to do just that. What a wonderful opportunity you have to serve there! Thanks for sharing.
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