We're Still Waiting

On January 2 we were set apart as missionaries by our stake president in Orem to begin our Suva Fiji ITEP mission. Unfortunately we were still in the process of submitting our visa application and we were not able to travel to Fiji just yet and begin our mission. We finally got the application submitted about January 17. Since we weren't going yet, we went to California to help Abbie and James with their 3 cuties while they took a week trip with Debi & Phil (James's parents) to Maui. We were happy to help out. We love our grandkids and love the chance to be wtih them. Katie was already planning on helping out Wednesday through Saturday since we were suppose to be on our mission. We came the Thursday before and kept the kids Saturday to Wednesday. Katie came Tuesday and on Thursday, we flew to Honolulu for 5 days. We had previously found some super cheap flights to Oahu so since we were already in the LA area we decided to go. We spent 2 days in Honolulu and then met up with our ITEP missionary coordinators in Laie for 3 days. We did a few tourists things, went to Pearle Harbor, hiked Diamond Head, went to the Polynesian Cultural Center and to Kualoa Ranch where Jurassic World was filmed. While at the PPC we ran into our friends who taught English with us in China. I love surprises like that. They are from Idaho and were visiting Hawaii with their children. We also got to watch some professional surfers during the Billabong Pipeline Surfing Contest. Amazing surfers on some huge waves. We also toured the Dole Pineapple Plantation. We spent Sunday with Elder and Sister Johnson, our coordinators, walked the beach, went to church, walked around the temple grounds, and had dinner with them and another missionary couple who had previously been in Samoa as ITEP missionaries. On Monday we toured BYUH and talked with Jonathan Shute, who is the BYUH professor over the ITEP program. We got him excited to try and get ITEP missionaries all on the same entering and leaving track and do more formal trainings before entering the mission field. As ITEP missionaries we teach BYUH education courses to teachers in Fiji who do not have teaching certificates. The church owns 2 schools in Suva, a Primary School K-6 and the Fiji LDS Church College which teaches 7-13. So the low down is, we are still in Utah and have not yet received our visa. We spoke with our mission president, Brad Markus, a week ago Saturday. He had submitted our application to the immigration department and thought it would be another month. As we continued to talk with him, he decided to see if he could get us there on a tourist visa, which would be much faster. We got really excited with that idea but have not heard anything since. I really thought we would be out of here by March 1 but seeing that it is only 7 days away and haven't received any flight information, I don't think we're going to make it. So just as things have gone for the past 23 months, we wait. We wait and we wait and we wait. Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." And in Alma 32:42 we learn that when we are patient..."by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof." We could sure use strength and knowing that blessings will come. We shall continue to be patient and wait upon the Lord and His timing so that we will one day "pluck the fruit." We WILL make it to Fiji and have the opportunity to teach the fine teachers at the schools and help in any other ways that they need. We just don't know when. But check back soon. We're hopeful. Here's some pictures in no particular order from the 2 weeks in California and Hawaii. 

Elder Bill & Sister Ravae Johnson

Kim and I at the temple

Kualoa Ranch with Elder & Sister Johnson

Schramm Fam 

Macie lost her first tooth while Abbie & James were in Hawaii. Macie was so excited but her mom and dad were not too happy that they missed it!

Jurassic World

FIJI

Bob & Debbie Bowen! Such a fun surprise!

We met this man at the buffet at the PCC. He is from Fiji and we know his cousin who teaches at the LDS College.

Pipeline Surfing Contest

Honolulu

At the top of Diamond Head. You can see forever!

Dole Pineapple Whip....soooooo good!

Hukilau Beach like the song and dance. This is the place! Who knew? Not me! And I taught my class the hukilau when I taught Kindergarten way back. I think it was the year that Abbie was in my class.

Jurassic World

Stopped at a food truck that is famous for their garlic shrimp! AMAZING! So good.

Dinner with Elder and Sister Johnson and Elder and Sister Lloyd, former ITEP missionaries in the Pacific, now missionaries in Hawaii.

Everyone always rants and raves about the Hawaii Shaved Ice. We tried a couple of places that were good but no better than what you get in Utah. But our last night there, the Johnsons took us to this place where we found out why people rant and rave about the "shave ice". I don't know how they get it so fine and soft. It just melts in your mouth. Abbie described it like snow! So glad we finally got to experience it.