Yesterday we went to “Call of the Wild” movie with three other senior missionary couples:
2 couples are missionary military relations: the Scholes
from west Bountiful and the Fotheringhams. Elder Fotheringham went to
school with me in Cedar City, same class. He knew my friends there.
How funny is that1. Elder and Sister Hester
are from New Zealand and are serving at the PCC gardens nursery. We
have a couple back home in Bountiful from New Zealand, the Wilson’s.
They probably know each other? Ha, yes, Elder Hester was a counselor
in the bishopric to Brother Wilson back in New
Zealand. They are still good friends. They told us a lot about them.
Sister Wilson was a really good tennis player. Anyway, it was so fun
to make a connection. The Wilson’s live in our condo section.
Connections are always fun.
After we separated, Ray and I drove to the Dole
Plantation and looked around, took some wonderful pictures and shared a
Dole whip. The whip was so creamy but half a one was enough to cause my
tongue to feel raw. I will have to be very careful
of my pineapple eats. There are over 100 different varieties of
pineapple. The pineapple in the Philippines never caused a reaction. I
ate all I wanted there. Just interesting. The pictures are of Ray with
a painted eucalyptus tree, a beautiful yellow
hibiscus (must be Rachaels since it’s yellow), and a chocolate tree.
If you kiss by it, you get a chocolate kiss:). If you look closely,
you can see the chocolate pods. Ray purchased some chocolate macadamia
nuts. We ate at Taco Bell:)
We returned to Honolulu after buying a few groceries and
then watched on tv the BYU/Gonzaga basketball game. BYU 91-78! Woohoo!
It was a great game!
Sunday. Church at 11:30. The lesson was the conference talk by
Elder Budge “Consistent and Resilient Trust”. Surrendering ourselves to
God and putting our trust in Him in all things, even in hurtful things,
trusting, knowing that this hurt will or can
prepare us for joy. I loved the part “It violently sweeps everything
out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. ...Whatever
sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their
place.”
“The good news of the gospel is not the promise of a life
free of sorrow and tribulation but a life full of purpose and meaning.”
We, I can overcome the world by looking to Jesus Christ and trusting
He is taking care of me. He has not left
me in darkness? He didn’t whine about how he was unfairly treated. We
can feel burdened like Martha with so many concerns, but we have the
ability to seek assistance from the Lord in prayer to resolve our
concerns. He has prepared a way for me to become
like Him. Like the Jaredites in the barges, I am not in control,
except to follow Him and keep His commandments; but He is blowing me
with different winds (experiences) to get to the promised land. These
things can build my faith and trust in His work. We
have commended ourselves to this work here in the Hawaiian Honolulu
Mission office. I have light from Him to see me through the challenges.
I’m thankful to know He is mindful of me. And I do not cease to pray
for our families at home to seek Him, to know
Him, and to do His will. Thanking Him continually for our testimonies
and seeking to be continually converted by serving others, especially
each other.
The Jaredites were 344 days on the water. We must trust
His timing and trust His care of us in the storms of life. I know He
lives and loves me and I’m thankful for every tender mercy He shows me.
We went to a baptism of Ampai last night. She’s probably
in her late 50’s. Her and her husband, Courtney married yesterday.
He was a less active and they were living together. Now she’s been
baptized and it was really a wonderful service.
The talk on baptism was amazing. He told the story in John 3:1-5 and
D&C 13. His presentation was great! The talk on the Holy Ghost was
amazing also. He turned off all lights and had us close our eyes and
then he lit his phone. So much to learn from
that. We are not left to walk in the dark but we need to be quiet and
pay attention. So many times we receive promptings but ignore them,
brush them off as our own ideas, or even think to ourselves “I know
another way”. “It won’t matter this time”. Etc.
That first thought is generally the Spirit if it’s good. Then we must
act or we are stoning the prophets so to speak.
Monday I mailed out birthday cards to a few missionaries,
during our lunch break Ray helped me cut up vegetables for a huge
roaster pan of roasted vegetables. Tonight is family home evening at
the President’s house and all senior couples on
our island are bringing something to eat that they love. We played a
game that was really fun. We were seated in two circles, inside and
outside circles facing someone and then we were asked a question and
each person responds and then the outside circle
moves one person and another question is posed, such as: What are two
pet peeves of yours? If you were singing karaoke, what song would you
sing? What is one thing you would change if you could go back? What
are your hobbies? What is one thing you can’t
live without? What changes over time? ... After we have all changed
completely, then it was asked who could name 5 people with their
answers. It was fun.
Tuesday was missionary leaders conference (mtc). 60
missionaries and the office ladies all cut up pineapple, made salad, cut
up apples to put in chicken salad for croissant sandwiches, and washed
grapes then served it in the courtyard and cleaned
up after.
At night, we had a new missionary come in from Japan and 4 from Hong Kong, reassigned because of the coronavirus.
Wednesday was the beginning of Mission Tour with
Klebingot as the visiting authority. He’s German, his wife is from
Russia and teaches at BYU-I. They are very young. I missed some of the
talks because I was setting up for the luncheon (130+)
and cleaning up after. But what I heard was great. They go to Maui
tomorrow and the Big Island on Friday.
Friday Sister Foster and Sister Evans were not in the
office, they both had stomach flu. I answered the phones, ran off tabs
for the Book of Mormon and the copy machine is broken. They came and
thought they fixed it but it won’t copy anything;
it just shut down:(. The phone answering is interesting . We have a
regular caller that is institutionalized who calls every week and wants
the missionaries to come visit him and he talks a long time. It is
really sad. The missionaries have been told
that they can only go once a month.
Saturday we drove to Laie to the temple, the Olsen’s who
were our friends in he mtc met us there and we went to the 8:00 session.
The temple is small and only runs on the hour. They hand out numbers
when you enter and when the numbers are gone,
you wait for the next session in another hour. We drove in the dark,
leaving at 5:45 am , arrived at 6:50 but too late. The numbers were all
given out.
After the temple, we went to the Visitor’s Center and saw
our friends, the Cottrell’s there. They just came this week to serve.
They served as guest service missionaries (gsm) the same time we did on
Temple Square and the Conference Center.
His father served as the director of the (VC) some years ago. He has
passed away. But they were thrilled with their mission call. It ties
them back to his father.
The Olsens drove us around the campus and pointed out
where they serve (in the student services). And then we went to their
house and had chicken vegetable soup. It tasted like home. It felt so
good to my soul. We drove back to Honolulu after
that. Ray was going to take me out to eat but we never can find a
place to park downtown. I didn’t really want to go anyway. (I know
“sour grapes”). But it’s true. I’d rather eat where I know what I’m
getting—not too adventurous .
Today is fast day and next week is our family call! So
sorry we are missing all the plays going on there. We love you, Elder
and Sister Robinson
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