Conference Weekend
Aloha Everyone!
Oh, how I love general conference weekend! Scott and I made the mistake of believing that we could access the Saturday morning session later that day, so we decided to not get up and watch it at 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning. We were wrong. It wasn’t available until much later, and I was upset at myself all day for not making the effort to get up a little earlier. I awoke at 6:30 but decided that I wanted to watch it with Scott, so I didn’t turn it on. We are very blessed to be able to have access to it relatively soon after the live sessions. It is a great time to live. There are so many talks that I loved, and I can’t wait to go back and listen to again and study. BTW—we did get up and watch it live on Sunday morning (and then took naps afterwards). We missed being with you this weekend with the traditional food of apple pancakes, cinnamon muffins, and enchiladas. We will enjoy all that next April!
We drove to Kailua yesterday afternoon to watch the evening session (2:00 our time) with Connie and Peter Uluave’. Steve and Kay were “in town” and staying at their house. We had a very nice visit. We will probably see Steve and Kay less often when we get home than we have while being here. It’s been a blessing to have Connie and Peter living on this Island.
This evening we had our traditional first Sunday meal with all the senior missionaries and sang “Aloha Oe” to those missionaries who are going home this month. Our dear friends- The Grahams will be leaving on the 21st. We will miss them, but we get to be with them this week for three days as we travel to the Big Island on Wednesday. We look forward to spending time with them before they leave. We are very blessed to have kindled many friendships here.
Work was hectic on Monday. Not in terms of customers but in terms of things that occupied my time. Jenn called me from the warehouse and told me that 11 boxes of decorative plates would be delivered to our store. After I checked them in, I would need to put sale stickers on each of them. Carolyn called me and needed me to look up a receipt before she sent out an expensive ukulele for an on-line order. Kris came into the store and needed to know that names of the two songs that were sung at the devotional last Tuesday so she could put that information in the newsletter. While I was talking with Kris outside our store, Anita walked by almost in tears and told us she had lost her phone and had looked everywhere for it. We spent some time trying to help her. All these things were going on at the same time. But the good news—the time went by quickly and I LOVED that. Another good thing was that I didn’t have time to finish five of the eleven boxes, so I had something to look forward to on Tuesday! Before I left Monday evening, I told both managers that those five boxes weren’t to be touched because they hadn’t been counted and checked in yet plus the new price stickers were not yet put on.
Tuesday I was excited to go to work because I actually had a job to do—check in and price tag the remaining five boxes from the eleven-box order of yesterday. However, when I got to work, there were only three boxes in the back room. And some of those boxes had items taken out of them. It took me hours to try and figure out what “they” had done. I found some things back in the jewelry section without new price tags on them. It is a big “no no” to put items out on the floor before they have been counted and checked in. A job that should have been easy and pleasant became frustrating and laborious. I can hear Ken saying to me right now: Frustration = unmet expectations. To end frustration change expectations. I do need to work on that!
I had two interesting experiences at work on Thursday that was a big contrast to Monday and Tuesday. Since I had been working on “other things” on Monday and Tuesday, I hadn’t had many interactions with customers. It was nice to have some “real people” experiences that day. I was playing the ukulele in the doorway of our store and a couple came and asked me if I could help them understand how much it costs to get into the PCC. They had been at the kiosk and the student employee there couldn’t answer their questions. I walked them down to the main ticket office and the woman was talking nonstop with me. Even when we got inside, she kept talking with me and her boyfriend went to the ticket counter. This woman hugged me two or three times and told me how much she liked me and thanked me over and over again for helping them. She said that when they come back to the PCC, she would look me up. It felt good. Not long after that, I asked a customer in our store about his “copper knee brace”. We began talking and his wife came over and we all continued talking for a long time. We had a connection because they have a house in Gilbert, AZ. They LOVE the people there but don’t go there very often. I told them that Scott and I are serving a mission here for our church and what that meant. The wife talked about the San Diego temple (they also have a home in San Diego). They told me about some people they know that are “Mormons”. We had a great discussion, and it was so comfortable and easy. They also said that they would come back to the PCC and hopefully talk some more. I hope they do. Who knows if anything will ever come of either interaction but at least I think they will think fondly about the church. Planting seed? I hope so.
As I close this email, I want to include some comments by our beloved prophet from conference:
- “I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can”
- “find rest from the intensity, uncertainty and anguish of this world by overcoming the world through your covenants with God.”
- “Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples — and keeps them — has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ.”
- “In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns ‘with power and great glory’, He will bestow countless privileges, blessings and miracles upon the faithful.”
I am thankful for a living prophet on the Earth today!
One of the most touching parts of conference for me was watching the clip from season four of the Book of Mormon videos when Christ appeared to the Nephites. I could imagine the feelings those people must have had when they experienced that miraculous visit. It made me want to live my life in a way that I will be worthy of being there when He comes again. I want you to know that I know He lives and loves us. He is the Redeemer of the world! I am so thankful for His sacrifice for me.
We love you all!
Much love,
Sister Bleak, Mom, Grandma
How I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life this week:
*I noticed an item in the closet that I needed to take back to a store (an hour away) that I would had forgotten.
*I felt inspired to begin using a certain positive affirmation to change my thoughts and feelings about something going on here.
*I received inspiration on how I can include more hymns in the ukulele class.
*I received whisperings during general conference about what I need to work on in my life.
*I felt the spirit several times during various conference talks.
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