Let it Rain, Let it Rain, Let it Rain

This week's weather report is rain and more rain and even more rain. We are on our third hurricane watch of the season. The weather people have suggested that many people are suffering from 'hurricane fatigue' and cautioned everyone to still be vigilant and prepared. Thankfully hurricane Ana has passed to the Southwest of the state but it did manage to drop an enormous amount of rain on the islands. While sitting in a Stake Leadership meeting a few minutes ago, everyone's phones started beeping with flash flood warnings for Laie. It has been raining for two days now. The temperature has cooled off nicely, but the humidity is crazy. It is 90% outside and 90% in our apartment. There is really nothing quite like damp sheets, clothing, and furniture. Hopefully, tomorrow it will have passed by and we will settle in to some nice trade winds.

Another fairly typical week for us. Last Sunday one of the Elders in our branch announced that he was being transferred to Maui. His name is Elder Petter and he is from El Centro, California. Just to show what a small world it is, he is friends with a family we knew when we lived in Mesa all those years ago. Here is a picture of us with the Elders.

Elder Moffitt, Dennis, Elder Petter, and Kaye

On Wednesday we were able to go through the temple with another one of our branch members who will be leaving soon on his mission. His name is Zach Nobbmann and he is going to the Mexico City mission. He is a great young man and will be a wonderful missionary. He was in Dad's temple prep class that he gives to the branch members as they prepare to go to the temple.

Sister Wright, Zach, and Elder Wright

Friday we thought we would try and go snorkeling over at Shark's Cove before the hurricane, but it was windy and the ocean was stormy so we went to Castles which is only a few minutes from our house. It was windy but I do love watching the ocean in all kinds of weather so it was a fun morning.

Dennis at Castles

Friday night we went to the girls' volleyball game. There was a tournament and they played Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They won Thursday night as well as Friday night. I don't know if they won on Saturday because we had to stay home and watch poor BYU lose yet again. On Friday we sat by the Dennisons, another senior couple who are here serving from Elise's ward.

Kaye with Sister Dennison

Due to the hurricane, the community center was closed today and so our branch met here on campus at the Little Theatre which is where we first met when the branch was organized. It is hard to believe that was over a year ago. It has grown from a modest beginning of maybe 15 to over 90 on most Sundays. There are always new people coming to join with us and some just 'hopping' but we are happy to have them as well.

As I review the events of the past week, it seemed pretty ordinary to me.  I guess there are no really ordinary weeks, but teaching went just fine, Kaye had a busy library week, went to a BYUH soccer game in the rain, had a nice evening at the temple and a great Sunday with the branch.  Pretty nice week, but not a lot of adventures to tell about. 

The missionaries did go to the "Meet the Mormons" movie.  I did not know what to expect.  I am not a real fan of the new "Pop-mormon" movement but I have to admit that the movie was well done  Not your typical members of the Church by any means, but it was, after all, a movie and had to have something different than folks just going about their lives. I guess we ordinary Mormons will just have to muddle through our faith based lives without being the coach of Navy or a great humanitarian.  Maybe just being a missionary mom is just as important as being one with a story right off the pages of the Ensign.  Maybe ordinary lives are okay.  Having beat my drum, I enjoyed the movie and arranged for our branch to choose it has their FHE activity tomorrow night.  

We also went to the reception (locals call them "feedings") of our branch RS president.  It was a nice affair with lots of food.  She is a nice girl and did a great job as RS president.  She is now a schoolteacher and off on her life's adventure. 

Kaye and Marvelyn

Kaye and her Branch friends

This is Kaye with the Bride.  The other photos are of the wedding and one with Kaye and her branch friends, Hannah (the librarian) and her sister Kulia (a pro photographer like Leah)

Bad picture of a well decorated Church gym

That is about it for this week.  We are watching our mission chain grow smaller.  Only seven weeks left.  I am hoping for snow, it is still rather warm, although it is cooling down more each day.  Now only 82 degrees and 77% humidity in our apartment at 8:00 pm :)))

Well, we were wrong. . .The hot weather is still with us. The palm trees are still but it is beginning to rain a little everyday. They say the tradewinds should be returning by Thursday. Even the locals have been complaining about the heat and humidity. Honolulu was 91 degrees on Thursday. Enough weather reporting.

This was a fairly typical week - work, ticket-taking on Tuesday at the Aloha luau, temple session on Wednesday. Friday was our big outing to Costco and Wal-Mart down in Mililani. We volunteered to go down and buy the food for the branch conference breakfast. Each general conference our branch reserves the Little Theater on campus and we gather at 5:30 AM! to watch the first session of Conference live. We have always done pancakes and eggs (and rice) for those who show up but this time the leaders said to simplify it so we had muffins, fruit and hot chocolate. The first time we did this I was a little skeptical. What YA is going to drag him or herself over to campus from the North Shore to watch Conference? I was happily surprised at the number of kids who come. This time we had around 35 attend. Here are a few pictures of our Saturday morning.

Nayomi (recent convert), Noah, and Sister W preparing breakfast

"Big Screen" TV Church

Zach (boy w/ hat on backwards) just received mission call to Mexico City.

That's about it for this week, except a big Happy Birthday to Elise who turned, never mind, on Friday and got to go to a Lone Peak football game. Better there than Cougar Stadium. That was a sad night in Cougar town. We felt bad for the team. Now we will see what happens this week.