We Are Here!

October 4, 2021 

Email #1

Hi Family,

 We are so happy to be here in Laie, Hawaii-- two weeks now. In some ways it seems like we have been here a really long time already.    I have had a sense of being “off”.   It’s like when you go on vacation and eventually just want to get home to begin “normal life” again because everything is so “not real life” when you are on vacation.   I hope that I don’t feel this way for the whole 18 months.  I’m sure it is caused by trying to get used to so many new things-- New apartment (which is not very furnished), new stores, new schedule, new friends, new responsibilities  etc., etc., etc.  But there are many, many things that we love here and are so grateful for.  We are enjoying many wonderful sunrises and a few sunsets.  They are gorgeous and I never get tired of them.  We live on the Point at Laie.  Which means that we are on a peninsula so we can see the ocean from every side of  our house (when you are on the upper level).  I am  hot and sweaty almost all the time. I am thankful for the ocean breeze which we get almost all the time.  AND, I am doubly thankful for a window AC unit that we can use in our main room which was constantly in the 80’s before getting the unit.  With ceiling fans and windows cracked, sleeping has been OK. 

 

Because of covid testing (we were given the wrong one the first time), and trainings, we didn’t really begin our assignments until Wednesday of this week.  It was so nice to have a few days to get settled.  We traveled to Mililani three days in a row to shop for a car, food and supplies.  Even though it is only about 35 miles, it usually takes an hour to get there.  Thank Heavens the ride is beautiful!  My assignment at the Ukulele Experience is going ok but it is very slow at times.  When the BYU-H students come in to work their shift in the late afternoon, I stand around a lot. It is rather boring and is hard on my feet and back.   I am hoping to get a new assignment for the later part of the day.  We will see what happens there.  I love giving the little ukulele lessons but they only last about 15 minutes and I might only have about 3-4 lessons to do each day.  I had a sad experience on Friday.  A girl about 12 or 13 and her family came into the store.  She knows how to play the ukulele somewhat and had been saving her money for a long time to be able to buy a uke.  I gave a lesson to the family and chatted with them for a while.  They are from Ephraim, Utah and were very nice.  Ellie finally chose the ukulele she wanted and also chose to pay extra to have it engraved (that’s a service we offer).  She had to wait a really long time—maybe two hours to get it engraved because there was another person getting one engraved before her.  I don’t know if it is customary to take that long or if this was a special situation, but the whole family waited a really long time. Ellie asked for several things to be engraved (front and back) on her brand new ukulele which she was already in love with.   Anyway, the engraving machine (or the person who set it up) messed up and it looked terrible.  Ellie was in tears.  Another ukulele (same brand and the only other one in the store) was pulled out to replace Ellie’s now ruined one, but it had a broken part on it.  More tears.  Elder (Jeff) Arnett (he came to Hawaii at the same time we did) assured Ellie that he could fix the part and that we could mail the new one to her.  The family left the store after being in there for around four? Hours.  They missed the whole PCC experience.  We all just felt so bad about how things turned out.  The point I want to make is that the family was so patient and forgiving.  They could have been livid and had every right to be.  They were very disappointed but not angry.  I learned something from them that day.  Will our disappointments make us angry or will we handle them in a positive way?  

 

BTW—I was hoping to be able to get a ukulele while over here to practice on.  But honestly, the ukes in our store are very overpriced.  Jeff Arnett, one of the missionaries that was in our group at the MTC found a uke store on the island and asked them if they had any broken ones in the back.  They brought two out and Jeff talked them in to selling the ukes to him.  One is a $300.00 one that he was able to talk them into selling to him for  $50.00  It is too small for him, so he sold it to me.  I want to get better on it.  I’m really such a beginner at it.  

 

Scott and I have been assigned to attend a married-student ward.  Last week was stake conference and this week general conference so we haven’t attended that ward yet but we hope to be helpful in whatever way we can. 

 

We have met so many wonderful people here.  We have been invited to do things and have meals together.  We are excited to be here but miss you all very much.

 

Much love,

Sister Bleak, mom, grandma, Gayle

 

How I have seen God’s hand in my life these past two weeks:

*Being able to buy a car

*Getting an AC unit, and a ukulele

*being blessed to have so many missionaries take us places and make us feel welcome

*inspired by the wonderful talks given at general conference






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