Our Prophet....My Prophet

President Hinckley always uses his cane, just not much for walking. Accra, Ghana.

See what I mean. He was told to carry a cane and that's what he does - he carries it.

Elder Russell M. Nelson is at far right. Accra, Ghana.

We marveled at the contrast of Joseph Smith's visit to the White House to meet with President Van Buren and President Hinckley's visit to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given aUnited States citizen.

The White House, Washington, D.C.

President Hinckley said that "Sister Hinckley would have loved this event."

The White House, Washington, D.C.

You just can't help breaking into a smile when you are around Gordon B. Hinckley.

Kirtland Temple.

President Hinckley is patient with all the photographers who are constantly taking his picture. He did say to us one time, in a quiet tone , that "if all the cameras in the world were thrown into the ocean, there would be a great flood." Kirtland Temple.

Who can resist President Gordon B. Hinckley's warmth?

President and Sister Hinckley were just the trademark of happiness in Ghana..

No one could keep their eyes off of them. Their warmth was infectious.

Their kind waves of the hand always made everyone feel loved.

Accra, Ghana
These two are love birds, no less.




I'll never forget when President Hinckley invited his precious wife to the stand in Moscow and introduced her to the 2,000 present as his "Babushka.''

It brought the house down - they loved it. Moscow, Russia.




When we first published it, one woman wrote to us and said,

"If people don't believe Mormons are Christians, just have them look at this picture of Sister Marjorie Hinckley." I so agree.

Nauvoo , Illinois

How blessed we are to live during the administration and ministry of President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Nauvoo , Illinois.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

I'm sure we have all heard of the death of our dear Prophet. I do need to say though that I have not felt sad for a moment. I will miss President Hinckley dearly and am so grateful for the things he taught me throughout my life and I will always remember him as my prophet but I can not help but think of the happy reunion that is going on on the other side right now between him and his wife and him and Joseph Smith and all the people that President Hinckley has constatnly talked about meeting. I love President Hinckley so much and am happy for his influence and power in my life. I do thank God for a prophet and the knowledge we have that the church does not have to sit in limbo while we wait...it will go on never missing a beat!

You were generals in the War in Heaven and one day when you are in the spirit world, you will be enthralled by those you are associated with. You will ask someone in which time period they lived and you might hear, "I was with Moses when he parted the Red Sea," or "I helped built the pyramids'" or "I fought with Captain Moroni." And as you are standing there in amazement, someone will turn to you and ask you which of the prophets' time did you live in? And when you say "Gordon B. Hinkley" a hush will fall over every hall and corridor in Heaven, and all inattendance will bow at your presence. You were held back six thousand years because you were the most talented, most obedient, most courageous, and most righteous. Elder Boyd K. Packer

sand+water=SERIOUS CHAFFING!

Well, I spent my first official day at the beach today, and let me tell you it was some adventure! The ocean was very angry the day we went and for a begining body border the waves were rather large. My roommates wouldn't even try it, but I did. There is a reason they call the beach that we went to "pounders" The second you got caught under one of those waves you were living proof that science was real....what goes up must come down. I was so sore the next day! It was really painful. But i loved it and am so excited for the opportunity to go do it again! Hawaii is beautiful. I know I've said this like a hundred times but it is a hundred percent true! I've never felt so loved and excepted before anywhere in my entire life. It doesn't matter here if you are fat or thin or silly or maybe not the best looking person people just love you here and you can feel super confident with the person that you are, no matter who that is. And that is how I feel, for the first time in my life I'm happy with who I truly am. Of course I still want to improve and become a better person but it's so good to know that people will love you despite all of your flaws and inperfections. PS just so you all know I got a pair of shorts to button comfortably and remain comfortably buttoned (it's actually a snap) all day! YES! I love you all so much and am so grateful for the love and support that I constantly feel and am getting from my family. Thanks for helping to be and feel beautiful! Also, just by way of information I got called to be the teacher development teacher in my ward that's pretty exciting. I'm a little nervous for the calling because it requires me to teach all the teachers how to teach...yikes! I was also sick for the first time, I was suffering from a chest cold and I thought it was developing into bronchitis, well I asked for a blessing and this boy from Japan and a memeber of the bishopric gave me one (the boy from Japan did the oil and he didn't know how to do it in english so he did it in Japanesse) and it was a most beautiful blessing. I felt one hundred percent better by the end of the night and my chest still didn't hurt in this morning. I bear testimony to you that miracles do happen and the Lord helps us when we put our full faith in him and trust in Him to help us in our time of need.

The Challenge

Aloha my dearest Ohana...for those who don't know, that means hello family. I have a special challenge for all of you. Today(whatever day it be that you read this) I would like you to do something extremly special and nice to a complete stranger today. Make someone smile, and make them feel like that when they go home they can tell there ohana about the awesome thing that was said to them today. The reason? Because today at work I worked with someone (another employee) that was extremly unhappy and it got me very frustrated, yet the other night at work I helped a customer who gave me a beautiful compliment about my looks and how I reminded them of someone at home who was the sweetest most beautiful girl they knew. Thinking of these two situations tonight I realize the different feelings I have coming home from work. So, that is the challenge, make someones day. Let them go home with a smile, and let them always remember and realize that there are still great people in this world who understand the meaning of true happiness.

China Man's Hat

And last but not least, we stopped at "The China Man's Hat" and did a little bit of touristy stuff on the way home! It was a beautiful, adventurous and joyful day. Now, I bet be getting to my homework. More post later!

It's jumping time!

Okay, here is me finally jumping. Now, let me tell you, this jump is like the unltimate wedgy machine. If you turned your body at all and did not go in straight it was extremly painful, and let me tell you, I'm in a lot of pain. My butt and thighs just flapped against that water and I felt like I couldn't even move my legs...plus the wedgy was not helping the situation at all. It was a lot of fun, and I'm really glad I went and did it, but I'm happy to say that I only did it once! I'm sure I'll be feeling it for the next week! :)

The Pond

The options for jumping was either 50 ft or 30 ft. I chose 30, that was plenty high for me, and once you climbed up, there was no other way down but to jump.

Cliff Jumping

Climbing up to the jumping point was actually far more frightening then anything....it was like just super gripping the rocks to get up there...yikes!

Hiking, Mud, Cliff Jumping, and China

We went hiking today. It was a lot of fun! We went to Kanohe and had to hike up about 45 minutes into this mountain. It had rained really hard last night so we were covered in mud....but we made the most of it and it was a lot of fun! We hiked up to this little pond that you could cliff jump into because it was deep enough, and it truly was. My roomates are fabulous...I love them dearly. There is Missy, me, Lisa, and Melissa. We have one more but she couldn't come with us today. Sad!

The Hawaiian Hula

For my very first enrichment meeting here we learned how to do a hunla dance!! It was super windy, so I'm sorry you can't here the sound in this video, but we had a lot of fun and I am going to do my best to try to remember it so that I can show it all to you when I get home, Hey, maybe I can even use it for one of my talent performances in the Miss Grantsville Pageant! :) (ps, for some reason the other post that I've posted tonight won't show up automatically, at least not on my computer. If you are not seeing my cliff jumping post then just go over to the side and click on "January (2008) That's what I did and then it shows up, I'm not sure why this is happening, but that's how you fix it.)

The blue dress

Mom wanted to see a picture of my blue dress...so here it is. I'm so glad for the five of you that read my blog, it makes me so happy. Mom, don't forget to spread the word and tell more people about me. I love reading the comments most!

Sad Day

Today was a sad day here in Hawaii. I'm not quiet sure why, I just know that I was not my usually happy self today. However, I did figure out how to upload videos onto this cool blogspot though, and that's exciting...so, I'm a hundred percent sure that I'm going to film a cool video tomorrow of this beautiful place and myself and put it onto the blog so that you all can see it!!! YEAH!...That just made my day a lot better. :)

The Polynesian Culture Center

Tonight, I officially worked my first night at the PCC. It was AWESOME!! I love working there. I love the culture diversity and all the beautiful people that I'm working with. This is my awesome uniform and I have a blue one just like it. The PCC is an awesome place. I missed a play audition to work, I'm hoping I can still get an audition in tomorrow, but, if not I will just have to do the play. You win some you loose some I guess. I also got to eat dinner with all the new hires the other night and I sat with someone from Samoa, Fiji, and Korea. It was really awesome to get four different nationalities together and to be able to visit with them and get to know a lot about them.(They also taught me and let me taste raw fish...they eat it in all their countries like it's noraml...it was great!) BYU-H and the PCC are truly wonderful. Nowhere else in the world can you get this many great people together of different nationalities eating and laughing together in such a simple manner. BYU-H truly is the churches biggest secret. If anyone could explain in words how great this place truly was than the line would be out the door for people to come hear and nobody would ever leave. I love it hear and I hope all of you are doing well at home. All my love! Aloha!

My friend Kent

This is my friend Kent, we met on the tour. He's awesome. We became good friends and I'm so grateful that I got to know him even better. Yeah!

Pearl Harbor

On my island tour I got to go see Pearl Harbor. I always have know what happened at Pearl Harbor and the things that occured there on that tragic day. But, actually being there makes a big differences. All of the sudden history becomes reality and you feel so conected to those people. Not only did going there make me so grateful for those men who died on that day but it makes me even more grateful for those who have ever died for my freedom or who are still fighting for my rights, and it makes me so sad to think of all those who takes these wonderful blessings for granted.

This is my wonderful roommate Lisa. We went on a circle Island tour where we were able to explore the entire island of Oahu. It was beautiful. This is Poli Lookout...Probably a good place to take your special someone...instead Lisa and I just hung out.

I went to my first luau! (I'm not really sure that is how you spell it) Well, none the less...I really enjoyed it! There was plenty of food, ice cream, games, and of course...dancing!!! These girls here (from left to right) Hannah, Ursula, and MingMing are the friends I made at the dance. We had so much fun. It even started raining so we danced the night away in the rain! It was super fun and I'm so glad I got to make new friends ad get soaking wet and was able to spend some time with these girls from Samoa and New Zealand. That is one of my favorite parts about going to school here is the true cultural differences that you find. People really do come from all walks of life but it's really cool to see everyone come together and just be so fun and loving. And, for the first time since I've been here, and in my hole life, I was referred to and called a Halea to my face....by Mingming...sweet of her wasn't it? :)

This is just a picture that I thought you all would like as you are spending your winter up in those cold states! :) The beaches here are like nothing I've ever seen before. The water is so blue and clear...I guess it's all part of living in paradise huh? ALOHA!

I have officially had my first Hawaian laundry experience. My clothing desperatly needed washed! It seems I have to change a lot more often here because the humidity that I'm not quiet used to makes me sweat more, plus, in the winter in Utah you could where your pants or shirt more than once before you have to wash them because they don't get all wet...definitly not here!

I love to see the temple

You know, I used to think that nobody could talk me out of getting married in the Salt Lake Temple, now I have learned differently.

Walking onto the temple grounds of the Laie Hawaii temple is like nothing I've ever experienced before. No picture can fully articulate its true beauty and majesty. As you stand up at the top by this temple you can see the beach and as you walk down it's perfectly kept roads to the beach you can then look back up and see it's beauty shining over all around it. The temple is breathtaking, and the experience and chance that I had to now witness it for myself and set eyes upon it's true beauty I have forever changed. I know that this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the fulness of the gospel restored here upon this earth. I have a testimony of the Lord's temple's and know that they are his houses and that He does come visit them and manifest himself unto his children there. I love my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ so very much and am so excited one day to finally get to go into the temple to recieve my own living ordinances and to kneel acrss the alter from the person that I will truly love for eternity!

The Ghetto

This is the outside of my house...pretty ghetto huh? Dad says that it is typical Hawaii with the washer and dryer outside and everything looking rather rusty, however nobody's house is as quite bright blue as ours is....at least not anywhere in this neighborhood. I have four beautiful roomates, we get along fabulously. Two in one room and three of us in the other, it's wonderful. The house is small so it leaves plenty of room for us to rub shoulders.
We all share one bathroom, one refrigerator, and one small living room. The living room has the most random furniture, and the walls are bright green. Thus, the reason they call it "the geko den"

I took my first trip to the grocery store today, and walking back was quite the game. We didn't even make it half way before someone stopped and gave us a ride and then actually helped us carry the groceries into our house and put them away. It was super nice! I love Hawaii and I love you all!

West Nile?

My very first misqiuto attack!!! Pretty huh? I don't really have west nile, at least I don't think so, but it definetly itches!!! We went to the PCC last night to watch the evening show because we got free tickets, it was awesome, however I made the mistake of wearing shorts (I was warned about the bugs, I just forgot because the weather was so nice outside, who wants to put on pants?) Well, anyways, as you can see I was over run. And that's the story of my first misquito attack!

No place like Hawaii!

Well, life in Hawaii has started! It truly is paradise here and I love it! I spent Monday the 7th just traveling and upon arriving in Hawaii I sooned learned of it's beauty. It was 79 degrees and a beautiful clear day. My apartment is probably the most ghetto thing I've ever seen. It's a bright blue house with green walls inside, the most random furniture and bunk beds in the bedroom. My roommates are great and I actually met them on the flight here, all of us happening to be on the same flight.
I'm excited to say that I will be working at the PCC and will start that job ASAP. I woke up early this morning to walk to the beach and see the sunset. That was beautiful. The beaches here are like nothing I've ever seen before. The water is perfectly blue and the sandy beaches are truly sandy.
I'm excited to start my life here, and it's still sureal to be here. When it truly sets in I will let you all know. I love you all and am happy to be here!