Ostergaard's/goat Island

Sunday August 14, 2022.   

Email #45.  

Happy Birthday Jordan—today, Carter—tomorrow and Faith on Tuesday.  We hope you have wonderful birthday celebrations!

 

Aloha Everyone! 

 

We are happy that Cal was able to receive a Priesthood blessing today with Jordan as the mouthpiece.  It was even more special that it was Jordan’s birthday.  You were in our hearts and minds and missed being with you.  I’m sure that it was a special day.  I hope that each of you are recording those special days in your lives.  I wish I would have been more diligent about that when we were rising our children. 

 

One of our best friends (The Ostergaards) here in the mission will go home on Wednesday. Scott has worked right next to Elder Ostergaard in the same office since arriving here 11 months ago.  Elder Ostergaard is a landscape architect.  Sister Ostergaard (Jill) works in the warehouse full time sending out on-line orders for customers. I have had the great privilege of working with Jill on my Wednesday warehouse days.  She is the most enthusiastic, fun, party loving person I have ever met.  I haven’t been able to work with her for the last seven Wednesdays however because I’ve been working at my store on Wednesdays.  Jill requested that the “busy B’s” come for one last prayer meeting this past Wednesday and sing together. She loved it when we all sang the hymns and harmonized together.  That particular time, she and are were in tears knowing that  it would be our last time to sing together.  We are called the busy B’s because each of our last names begin with B. Bleak, Bjarnsen, Barton, and Burns (who is now home from her mission).  And I coined the term “Bostergaard” for Jill—so she could also be known as a busy B.  Because of the number of missionaries who serve here, we are saying goodbye constantly to friends and welcoming new missionaries.  The Ostergaards loved us into their circle from the beginning and we will feel a great loss. Jill is such a helpful, enthusiastic, loving person and I will miss her a lot.  But as we have learned many times over, the mission goes forward, and it actually survives.  I am so thankful to have been taught by so many good friends here.  

 

One of the newest trends at our store that has been so much fun is having jamming sessions with the other missionaries, students and sometimes even customers when the store is slow.  On Monday a gentleman and his wife from Seattle area came in and he began singing “Hallelujah” with us.  He had a great voice, so we all let him sing a solo while we kept playing.  I was on the drum.  It was so fun.  A lot of people came in and just stood around listening to us.  The students we have at the store right now are talented and fun to sing and play with.  When a customer has a “happy birthday” badge on, those who are available quickly grab an ukulele and we sing Happy Birthday to that customer.  They love it. 

 

Scott and I were asked to substitute at the visitor’s center Wednesday night.  It was nice to be helping out there again.  I really love working there but it made for a very long day.  Working 2 1/2 extra hours on top of my normal six hours was a little tiring but good. The thing that stands out the most is when a little seven-year-old boy came into the center, and he had tears in his eyes and told us that he was lost.  With a prayer in my heart, I went outside and helped him find his family.  I was glad that I could help him.  His family went behind the temple, and he didn’t follow them.  

 

I had arranged to take the students night swimming in the ocean at Turtle Bay on Thursday after work.  I don’t have a big enough car to fit everyone in but didn’t want to exclude anyone.  I didn’t sleep well the night before thinking about how I could make it work to include everyone. I kept praying that it would work out somehow and my prayer was answered.  One student who normally rents his car out, had it available that night so he could also drive and we were able to take everyone.  It was too scary for the kids to actually swim in the ocean because it was so dark, but I think they enjoyed being there, wading and enjoying the peaceful evening. A couple of the students are married, and their spouses came as well.  A husband of one of the students I work with was very sincere in wanting to know how we were able to raise our children in the Gospel. 

 

Saturday we were able to do two things that have been bucket list items:  Walk out to Goat Island and go snorkeling at Three Tables.  Scott wrote his version of those two events and they are included down below.  His write up is MUCH better than mine.  

 

"Saturday, August 13, 2022

 

We started the day early receiving a text message from Ilene Barton inviting us to join them and the Nichols to walk to Goat Island. (It used to have goats grazing on it long ago, hence its name.) It was the perfect time to make the walk through the ocean to the island as it was low tide. One always has to time things like this just right to work around the tides. It started out only ankle deep and gradually got up to just above our knees. But it was at a point where the waves come around the island and converge together from the opposite directions and hit us perfectly at the apex of the two waves, again and again. It is always surprising how strong the waves of the ocean are, even the seemingly small ones. We made our trek through the rocky coral and sand bed stepping into deeper holes that you can’t really tell how deep they are. It took less than fifteen minutes to walk it. It is a small island just off the shore of the state park just north of Laie and Hukilau Beach. But it is large enough to be a nesting ground for a seabird called the gooney bird. In fact, it's a seabird sanctuary for them. We just walked around the shorelines and around the coral rock and finally back watching the birds in their nests. Many are on the brush areas and the ones on eggs are nestled in holes they’ve somehow dug for this purpose. I’ve attached a photo of one of them in her hole. They don’t budge even though we’re only a few feet away from them. We made it back across the water without incident, though a number of missionaries (previously) had fallen on the rocks being tossed by the waves.   

 

Since we were already wet and salt covered, the Bartons and us decided to go to Three Tables Beach for some snorkeling. It was very calm, unlike the wintertime when there are monstrous waves, and packed with people. We found the last parking spot and almost got a ticket from the police officer who was right by us as we were parking. We had to stay away from the locals’ driveways by 4 feet or get a ticket. We just barely escaped getting one. We found a beautiful spot with lots of shade. We only went in a couple of times but had a very enjoyable time. There were just a few fish. I had an interesting experience while snorkeling. I was trying to video the fish underwater with my iPhone that I had a plastic case. It didn’t work very well. But while I was swimming around trying to find fish, I lost my bearings and orientation several times. I was out much further than I anticipated. I would peak up to find the beach and I was way out there. I would swim back in that direction and found that I wasn’t any nearer the beach the next time I peeked up. I did that three or four times, trying to get back to the beach while still trying to video the fish. (The video thing didn’t work very well as every shot was blurry.) When I finally made it near the beach, I couldn’t stand up because the waves kept knocking me down, time and time again. I kept getting slapped back down into the sand. One fellow asked if I needed help. I said, “No, I’ll be fine.” But I wasn’t and didn’t recognize it. He asked me again since I was knocked down again and I finally said, “Yes, I could use some help.” He helped me get up and past the waves. I tried walking back to our group but wasn’t steady at all. I was still disoriented but didn’t realize how bad off I was. I finally made it back to our chairs and sat down relieved to be done. It took a while longer before I felt normal again. Probably partially from the rolling action of the waves. It was really weird to not be in control of myself." 

 

Saturday evening, we were invited by one of the students to come to a dinner that he and his wife made--Filipino food.  He also invited all the other students who work at our store. We enjoyed their company so much.  It was a great evening. We ate, told stories, laughed and I was sad when it was time to go home.  I’m so thankful that I know these wonderful young people.  They are happy and grateful and full of love.  They have a great desire for education and they work hard. 

 

Have a great week.  We are so thankful to be here.  We are truly blessed. 

 

  

Much love,

Sister Bleak, Mom, Grandma

 

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

*I felt the spirit during two separate conversations at work on Tuesday when asked about what I am doing here by the customer.  I know they felt something as well. 

*I felt His spirit as the “busy B’s” were singing at our last prayer meeting together. 

*I was able to help the little boy find his parents.

*I had my prayer answered about how to drive all the students to the beach. 

*The basket came off the walking stick I had borrowed while walking back from Goat Island. Ilene picked it up as it floated in front of her, not knowing what it was.

*I had a prayer answered concerning someone who needed some help.