M and M's: Music, Micha, Monet'

Sunday July 3, 2022.   

Email #39.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Cade on Friday and Jennie today and AMERICA tomorrow!

 

Aloha Everyone!  

 

We had a rare treat in Sacrament meeting today.  We had a special musical number.  That sounds weird to mention, but this is the first time since we have been here—9 ½ months that there has been a special musical number in sacrament meeting.  And it was really beautiful.  A husband and wife from our ward who are moving to Utah this coming week sang together, “I Feel My Savior’s Love.”  They didn’t even harmonize during the song, but their voices were incredible and they truly brought the spirit into the meeting. I didn’t realize until today how much I have missed hearing beautiful music during our meetings.  (I’m so glad that it wasn’t—“You are My Sunshine”!!!!!)  I LOVE good music.  

 

Work has been very different this week.  Since the students are required to work full eight-hour days, they are the ones opening the store now—at least for the next eight weeks.  I walked in to work on Monday and there was a whole staff of employees already at work—so different than it has been.  When the manager came in and saw how many employees were there, she told the students that if they hadn’t seen the shows in “The Islands” yet—to go enjoy them. Purles’ (the other senior missionary couple) also left to watch the shows, so that left me and Ellie and Carolina (the two managers) in our store.  The two managers went into their office, so I was the only one out on the floor.  How did we go from a room full of employees to only me?  I just had to laugh. The plus for this new schedule is that I get to spend a lot of time talking with and learning about the students.  They used to not come in to work until 3:30 or 4:00 when we got busy and it was harder to talk. 

 

Tuesday was wedding day for Micha (a student at work).  She had asked me the previous week if I would help her get leis for her wedding—a groom’s lei, a neck lei, and a head lei. It is truly a long story which I will not share here, but just know that it was a big hassle to make that happen and ended up being very expensive.  My missionary friend here was instrumental in helping me and she personally made the neck lei and lined up the head and groom’s lei.  When I went to pick them up Tuesday morning, I was so disappointed!  It looked like the flowers on the head lei had been put in the freezer and the flowers were freezer burned.  My heart just sank.  In the end, she looked beautiful at the reception (since the lights were dimmed).  We had a nice evening of Filipino food, entertainment, and good conversation.  I was happy to be involved. But it was also sad.  Neither of these kids had any family there to celebrate their new marriage.  I am just so impressed with how resilient they are and how they try so hard to be good and do what is asked of them.  Micah took Wednesday off but was back at work on Thursday.  No honeymoons for most of these students who have no car, no money, no time off.  But they have such good hearts and dedication to their goals of being here and getting an education.  The two girls that work at our store from the Philippines (Pau and Micha) took their 30-minute break and slept on the floor of our “stock room”.  I didn’t have the heart to wake them up. 

 

Thursday evening, Scott and I had Thomas over for dinner.  He is the man Scott met at the visitor’s center last Sunday and Scott wrote about in last week’s email.  We had a nice time with him and learned more about his background.  He left home at age 13 because he and his mom were going to be evicted and he didn’t want to be placed in the foster care system.  He has had missionaries teaching him but has concerns—especially about why the church would require him to give up his coffee.  He lives in Honolulu so coming to Laie is not convenient, but we will stay in touch with him and ask that you might remember him in your prayers as well. 

 

The directors of the temple visitor’s center let us know on Thursday night that we will no longer be serving at the center.  They are now fully staffed and don’t need us to work the two-hour shift on Sundays.  I thought that maybe we would feel relieved but instead, we felt sad.  Our Sunday seemed empty today when we did not need to go there and serve.  I am thankful we got the chance to serve there for a couple of months. 

 

I had a great birthday on Friday.  It began with Scott and I doing a sealing session.  It was so nice to be in the temple.  It is still a little tricky to attend here.  We have to have an appointment and appointments are still not easy to come by. When we got in the car after the temple, Scott surprised me with his gift to me.  It was a list of 67 things he loves about me. It was so very nice of him.  I am so thankful to be married to him.  We decided not to give each other birthday gifts because we don’t want to have to send or take more things home to Bountiful when that time comes.  Later that morning, Scott got a text that he was supposed to have me go to the warehouse at 11:30 for a birthday luncheon.  A sister missionary that works there full time was also having a birthday so everyone who works at the warehouse was invited for a lunch.  It was such a nice gesture. I had previously asked my manager if I could get off early from work so Scott and I could go out to dinner but instead—she gave me the whole day off.  After the luncheon, I came home and just relaxed a bit.  Then one by one our kids called and talked with me.  As soon as one hung up, another would call.  It was so fun!.  I spent about two hours talking with everyone.  That never would have happened if I would have had to work.  I’m so glad that I got to take it off. 

 

On Saturday 15 senior missionaries went to Honolulu to attend the art exhibit called “Beyond Monet’ “.  We had heard that it wasn’t very good, so we had low expectations and we actually really loved it.  It was only two rooms, but the second room was amazing.  It was in a very large room and on all sides were projected pictures of his paintings.  There was movement to the pictures and background music.  The “loop” was 37 minutes and I wanted to stay longer.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.  It was moving. The whole group went to eat at Olive Garden afterwards.  Scott and I got into a conversation with Elder Welch (a BYUH professor) about a recent trip he took to Germany.  Part of the trip was spent experiencing the passion play in Oberammergau.  It is a five-hour production of music and drama depicting the life of the Savior.  The community puts on this play every ten years.  It takes about two years to prepare for it.  I would love to attend in 10 years from now.  I wonder if our health will be good enough to go.  I hope so. Anyone else want to join? This is how the play came to be:  

 

“In 1633, Oberammergau was struck with the bubonic plague, and many people died. The townspeople vowed that if the deaths would stop, they would perform a Passion play every ten years to show their appreciation for God. The plague ended, and the townspeople fulfilled their vow.” 

 

For hundreds of years they have been fulfilling this promise to God.  I hope that I show my appreciation to God in a way that is acceptable to Him.  I know He is real and He lives!

 

I love you all.  Have a wonderful week.

Much love,

Sister Bleak, Mom, grandma

 

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

*A worker from the warehouse (with a cart) walked into our store right at the moment I needed to walk to the warehouse.  I was able to get a ride on the cart with him. 

*I finally found a hole punch that I could use to punch papers for the ukulele class.  (This has been an ongoing search)

*I felt the sweet spirit in the temple.  

*I got to talk with each of our children on my birthday—mostly back to back. 

*We received knowledge about someone we have been praying for. They are doing better.

*I felt the spirit during the musical number during sacrament meeting.