Christmas

December 26, 2021 

Email #13

 

Aloha Family!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  It was so good to connect with many of you and learn what your Christmas was like.  Thank you so much for making our Christmas extra special with the ornaments the grandkids made, the very thoughtful gifts and the book with thoughts from each of you.  It made our Christmas so much more meaningful and very, very special.  Thanks from the bottom of our hearts. Our Christmas was simple and we loved it.  Oh course, the best gift was having Faith and Jordan here with us. Faith had brought small Christmas stockings that she put out some time during the night (since they woke up so early).  Isn’t it funny how such a small tradition makes it feel so much more like Christmas?  After gift opening and a walk down to the beach, we went to a breakfast at the Ostergaard’s house and had a fantastic meal. The Scovilles and Bearrys were also in attendance.  We talked and laughed and read a couple of Christmas stories which also caused a few tears.  It was so much fun.  We were there for a couple of hours.  We then went snorkeling at Turtle Bay.  The sun was out but the wind was blowing and it was pretty cold in the shade.  But who do you know that can say that they went snorkeling on Christmas day? Well—now I can say that. 

 

We came home and got ready to go to our dinner at the Wolthuis’.  It was a just like a full Thanksgiving feast.  The food was delicious and we were very grateful to be there.  There was another couple there also. The husband is a BYU-H student from India.  He  told us his conversion story.  He was a rather rebellious youth and after high school got with some pretty rough friends.  He was eventaully connected with the missionaries and turned his life around.  He could not tell his parents that he joined because they didn’t like Christians. When he went on his mission, he told them that he was going to do a two year internship.  What faith! They now know that he is a member of the church but he felt he couldn’t tell them back then.  Emily Wolthuis also shared her conversion story—which I won’t share here but it’s another incredible story of faith and perseverance.  The evening was a very delightful way to end our Christmas celebration.

 

Candi (a senior missionary sister) and I began a ukulele class on Monday for senior missionaries who want to learn how to play.  We will hold these classes every Monday night for who knows how long?  I was excited that Scott agreed to come.  It was a fun class—at least I think everyone had a good time. 

 

For a couple of days this week, we were able to be in our house and not need any fans or windows open or AC turned on and we felt comfortable.  It was so very nice. I love winter here but the increase in rain makes outdoor activities unpredictable.

 

I tried something new this week.  There is a woman across the street who does a “farmer’s market” of sorts.  She puts together local produce in fruit/veggie bins and then sells them every Tuesday morning.  But they must be pre-ordered.  You don’t know exactly what you are going to get. The produce is much fresher than store produce and is mostly locally grown. Since some normal customers were gone for the holidays, I got to order one. I picked up my bin and took it home.  Hmmm—not sure that I’m going to do with a very large bunch of kale or a very large beet.  But we will see.  This is a trial and I can only continue it if someone else drops out of the co-op.  I love the idea of fresh but not sure of the idea of vegetables I have never used before (yes--I have used kale—just don’t love it).  

 

Work was very busy at times during the week and we were short staffed a lot of the week because of students leaving to go home for Christmas. I taught more lessons than normal this week—many of them pretty large groups.  And I sold many more ukuleles than I normally sell. The most interesting customer of the week was a gentleman from Italy.  He had a very strong accent and was so very nice.  He is a guitarist and I found out later he is a teacher of music.  But he had never picked up a ukulele.  He began playing one of the koa wood ukuleles (the very expensive ones) and oh my goodness.  His fingers were flying.  I have never heard music come out of a ukulele like that.  His strumming patterns were unbelievable.  I wish I would have videoed it.  He gave us quite the concert.  

 

Since the PCC was closed on Saturday for Christmas—we were open on Wednesday so I didn’t need to work at the warehouse this week. 

 

Scott had Christmas Eve off as did most of the senior missionaries who work at the PCC.  But because I am in retail and most of our students went home for Christmas, I had to work.  I went into work feeling kind of bummed because I still needed to work that day and so many others didn’t need to.  But as I entered the store, I decided I would begin counting my blessing and think of the great things about being there and my mood changed almost immediately. The best moment of the week was when later that evening--Scott and Jordan and Faith walked into the store.  What a beautiful sight!  With so many flights being cancelled at the Salt Lake airport that morning, it was a blessing to have them make it here.  I know that it really hasn’t been that long since seeing family, but it was so much fun to see them and have them here! That evening turned out to be a very special, memorable one. We had a lovely dinner together. But the best part was visiting, laughing, decorating the tree with the ornaments the grandkids made, singing lots of Christmas songs—some with ukulele, reading Luke 2 together and praying together.  It was very a very special evening and as mentioned before--we are so happy to have them here.

 

It was fun to have Jordan and Faith attend our sacrament meeting with us today.  Out of the nine couples still here over the break, three were sick, so our numbers were very low today.  A couple from Mongolia spoke today and their testimonies in broken English were very sweet and heart felt.  The meeting ended with the bishop bearing testimony and admonishing us to spend time with “The Living Christ” document.  As our world becomes much more anti-Christ and anti-Christian, we need to be firm in our testimonies of who He is and what we believe about Him. I echo his sentiment.  I become increasingly more appreciative of this document. 

 

The four of us enjoyed time at the temple visitor’s center this evening.  Since Faith served her mission at the L.A, visitor’s center, she was very interested in visiting the one here in Laie.  I loved the experience so much.  We watched a couple of movies and looked at displays but the thing that surprisingly made me actually cry was the video display—God’s Plan for the Family.  It is very well done and I got very emotional as I contemplated my deep love for God’s plan for us and well as my deep love for my family.  Oh, I love this Gospel.  His plan is so perfect. 

 

Have a wonderful, happy week!

 

Much love,

Sister Bleak, Mom, Grandma, Gayle

 

 

How I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life this week:

  

*Someone brought in a very nice, expensive ukulele to the store to get a string changed.  I put it in the back room and let Jeff know about it (he does the repairs).  Later in the day, when he had time to work on it, he went to get it and it wasn’t where I had put it.  No one knew where it was.  I felt panicked about it but was soon able to find it on a table in the very back.

*Scott was able to go to the BYU game very last minute.  And it actually helped another couple by driving their car down to the Honolulu airport.

*We were short staffed on Thursday. When Candi went home, there were only three of us.   We needed to begin breaks for all three of us but didn’t dare because of the possibility of getting busy. Switzel came in to our store (a manager of another store) right at that time and was able to stay while be began breaks.

*Jordan and Faith were able to make it here.  Their flights weren’t cancelled.

*Christmas day was filled with the spirit of warmth, joy and love. 

*I have felt the influence of many wonderful friends here all week long.












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