The miracle of it all

You may have been wondering - have we literally fallen off the face of the earth?

No, but sometimes it feels like it. Our life is so busy, busy, BUSY. Who knew that Paradise was hard work?

At the end of our mission call last June (gosh a whole YEAR?), we made the decision to stay in Hawaii. Why NOT?! They are crazy enough to actually want us to stay, not just at the PCC, but at the house that we are taking care of. What blessings! We love it here, so it did not take much thought.

We simply transferred from full-time Missionaries to what they term "Stake Missionaries". Otherwise, its the same job, the same house, the same nametags!

What has fallen by the wayside seems to be my blogs. That is something I lament constantly. I hope to repent immediately. There are so many stories to share of the amazing people who live and work here. Miracles happen here everyday, and I should be sharing them...so you KNOW that there is a great work amongst men. Ron and I have come to truly understand Heavenly Father's love and involvement in all of our lives. We see it everyday here. You just can hardly believe the amazing things that happen here. I know I gush, but really - its more repentence, since I know that our friends and family could really use good news, great inspiration and proof of the eternities.

So, my dear ones, please don't give up on us.

Also, we'd love even more to hear from you - how you are, what you are doing.....and when you are going to VISIT US!!!! I mean, really, don't you think it's about time?

Here then, because I don't have enough either the time or the room to describe it in words, is our last year in 21 pictures:

Visiting dear friends in Sequim

.....and family

Going on a trip of a lifetime

...and making memories we'll never forget

Hiking the trails along the islands - on our own....

....and with friends

Letting Ron be Ron

And discovering that there are more adventures to be had!

.....even when they're SCARY ones!

Visits from people we love

....family is the best!

Oh, there are so many more memories, but this is what happens when you become a slacker - it just becomes all so overwhelming.

Hope to bring you a great story soon!

La'ie Finding Refuge From the Storm: Pearl Harbor and Beyond

As part of my service at the Polynesian Cultural Center, I write blogs for the website. This helps to preserve culture and history. It also brings people to the website, which is a great thing. We want the world to know about the Polynesian Cultural Center and the wonderful island nations we celebrate.

My latest series of blogs have been a particular honor to put together - as it led me to meet and work with three wonderful kupunas (honored elders) of our town. In honor of December 7th's remembrance of the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, I'd like to share these short stories with you - my friends and family. I hope you gain some wisdom, both of the effect and fortitude experienced by our islanders back in 1941, and the beauty of family, faith and sacrifice told in these stories...... Just click on the first link to start reading.

God Bless America!

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In  remembrance of the 75th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of World War II, we hope you enjoy this 3 part series describing the events of December 7, 1941 and the ensuring war years from the eyes of three local La’ie/Hau’ula residents, Gladys Ahuna, Joseph Ah Quin and Laverne Pukahi.

SEGMENT ONE: La'ie Finding Refuge From the Storm - http://shop.polynesia.com/blog/12-7-1941

SEGMENT TWO: La'ie Under Martial Law; The Military Takes Charge - http://shop.polynesia.com/blog/Laie-and-martial-law

SEGMENT THREE: Mixing It Up in La'ie - http://shop.polynesia.com/blog/Mixing-it-up

We are proud to share their memories and to honor the brave soldiers and citizens of Hawaii, as they faced war in their own backyard.

• 
  A View of Polynesia - PART I - Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor and WWII Histories from La'ie: Finding Refuge From the Storm of December 7, 1941
• 
  

Imagine, if you would........

I wish, more than I could say, that I was a great painter. It is my passion, and the fact that I have no skills in that vein is a cruel joke on my ego.

That said, I envision a picture. If I could paint it, I would But I'll simply have to use words as my brushstroke.

Imagine, if you can, a tree - a shining white tree - as described in 1 Nephi 11: 8

"And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the tree which my father had seen; and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the whiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow."

I see this beautiful tree, laden with fruit just in the background, a little elevated from your level, as if you (the viewer) have to climb a bit to get to it.. Just in front, I see me. I am walking with great urgency towards the you, my arms outstretched. My face is filled with such joy at the very sight of you. Just a few steps closer is my Beloved bending towards you, with one arm outstretched, prepared to lift you up and onto the level of the beautiful tree.

I'd hope everyone could enjoy and gain peace from such a picture, but it would be no surprise that first and foremost, I would want this to be a reminder that we are here, and will always be here for our family. Dear family, we are here...just like when you were little - Dad helping you climb that seemingly impossible cliff. Me just wanting to hug the stuffin' out of you when you were safe home again. Being a parent/grandparent never changes. We are always seeking our loved ones, calling to them, welcoming and helping them to partake of all the blessings Heavenly Father has to offer.

We are far from perfect - so very, very flawed, in fact - so we can only hope that we are found worthy enough to share this amazing message. We truly find comfort in the knowledge that Heavenly Father loves all of you as much as we do - and MORE! In a world of sorrow and pain, this is the one great truth - love really does ultimately conquer all!

What a wonderful feeling, having this much love to share. I wish I could do this great message justice. I especially hope that whenever we come to mind, it will be this picture that our family sees. We love you so much. We rejoice in you, pray for you, cry with you and ache to know that you truly understand how much you mean to us.

That is my Sunday thought - simple, gushy and really, truly heartfelt.

So, can't show you the picture in my head....but, I love THIS message a lot too

BACKSTORY: The Once Secret Recipe for PCC's Famous Pineapple Bar Recipe!

One of the fun aspects of my service in the E-Commerce Dept., at the Polynesian Cultural Center is helping with the on-line social outreach. I get to work with Facebook, Pinterest, Blogs, and internet sites.

So it was no surprise when I was added as a member of the I Love BYUH (Hawaii) Facebook Group. It has become wildly successful. Alumni and current students and employees alike are busily posting and reading about past and present happenings, memories and pictures. I have become quite involved in answering fun questions, such as "who is in this picture" and "does anyone have....."

What I find really fun is how much our alumni miss the great food they ate while working at the Polynesian Cultural Center. "Does anyone have the recipe for Chicken Long Rice from Prime Dining?" "How about Panipopo?"

Each of these recipes were easy to find and post. But the most requested recipe proved to be the hardest one......a wonderful treat called "Pineapple Bars"

We have it, of course, because we serve it every day. But since we are just starting to enter the busy summer season, it took a few weeks for Chef to find the time to send it over. I opened up the email with great excitement, and then ran into my first hurdle. Let’s just say, if you ever need to feed 100 or more people, I’ve got the recipe for you!

Obviously I needed to reduce quantities. Luckily, there are some awesome apps for that. But I didn’t want to simply trust those measurements, especially since I needed to round off quantities when converting from multiple gallons to measuring cups.

So I decided that I would have to test the recipe first.

Here is where I ran into my second hurdle.

There were no instructions. Zilch. “I’ll just have to figure it out”, I decided.

My third hurdle came in the form of two mystery ingredients.  The first mystery ingredient was ‘modified starch’. That turned out to be cornstarch…..easy enough! The second ingredient is simply called macaroon mix. There is no macaroon mix at the store. I did find a number of macaroon cookie recipes online. They usually call for shredded coconut, egg whites and sugar. So, I made enough cookie dough to equal the required 4 cups, and kept on going with my great, experiment.

Needless to say, my first attempt bombed royally. My pineapple bars came out more like a gooey candy. My husband, however LOVED it and gobbled them up quickly. Still, they weren’t the PCC Pineapple Bar that we know and love, so it was back to the drawing board.

Chef invited me to come down to Food & Beverage to watch them make the cookies. This proved invaluable. For instance, I discovered that the Macaroon Mix is dry. So, putting the egg whites in is the main reason my first attempt failed so badly.

Now I was ready to return to my humble kitchen and try it again. But first, I had to solve the Macaroon Mix dilemma. It turns out that King Arthurs Flour carries a dry Macaroon Mix. Sadly, it is not stocked in any grocery store on Oahu.

So, I went to the King Arthur’s website, where I was able to look up the ingredients listed for their Macaroon Mix. I discovered that it contained shredded coconut, corn starch, sugar and DRIED egg whites. Finding them was a bit of detective work, but easily solved by going to the wedding section of Walmart where they actually stock powered egg white.

I didn’t have any measurements for putting this dried macaroon mix together, of course, so it was back to the kitchen.

After my fourth attempt, and numerous taste testers, I can confidently present to you the TRUE PCC Pineapple Bar recipe. And don’t worry, the experimentation part may have been a little challenging, but the actual recipe is EASY!

·         NOTE: Pan – I suggest a 10 x 15 baking sheet, at least 1 ½” high. I actually ended up using a roasting pan – I know…but it’s what I had and it measured out perfectly.

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PCC Pineapple Bars

 Yield 32 pineapple bars

Crumb Mix

4 cups of coconut macaroon cookie mix (available from King Arthur Flour)

*see below to make your own mix!

4 cups of sugar

1 cups of bread flour

2/3 cup of shortening

Place all crumb mix ingredients into a bowl and mix on low until it resembles fine crumbs. Place to the side.

  

      *Make Your Own Macaroon Mix  

(use if you weren’t able to find Coconut Macaroon Mix):

2 1/2 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup dried egg whites (can be found in the wedding section of Walmart)

Stir until all ingredients are well combined. 

Pineapple Filling Mix

2 large (20 oz) cans of crushed pineapple – drained thoroughly

1 ½ cups of sugar

1 cup of modified starch (cornstarch)

Mix all the above ingredients together, set aside.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 320^o 

I suggest a 10 x 15 baking sheet, at least 1 ½” high. I actually ended up using a roasting pan – I know…but it’s what I had and it measured out perfectly.

These pictures show how PCC get's the job done! 

Fill pan up ¼ of an inch deep with approximately 2/3 of the crumb mix. Using a piece of sheet pan liner (wax paper), press down on the crumb mix firmly to make it even.

 

Spread the pineapple spread evenly over the crumb mix.

Top with remaining crumb mix. Using wax or parchment paper, pat down gently, but thoroughly 

Bake at 320 degrees for forty five minutes. Cool. Cut into fourths length way, and eighths width way.

Peeking Into Paradise - In Pictures

Beloved and I went for a walk on Friday, which in Hawaii, happens to be Prince Kuhio Day - a lovely little holiday honoring the last prince of Hawaii, who was never allowed to claim his throne, and so, he became a statesman and represented his people in the Hawaiian Congress.

So, we ended up at the Valley of the Temples. For those of you who have not been there, it's a very large cemetery on the leeward side of the island (about 16 miles south of us). This particular cemetery boasts a sea view (well, if you look just over there to the left.....you might just catch it).

So, do you see it? We were literally at the top back corner of this extremely large cemetery, and that's all we saw.

Doesn't matter, the place is still gorgeous.

The most famous section of the park if the Byodo-In Temple. I wrote about that a while ago. It is an exact replica of a famous temple in Japan. It's a lovely place to visit.

One of the charming aspects of Valley of the Temples are the many faith based or family based memorials, mausoleums and chapels.

One way or another, everyone was represented.

Some of the more unusual markers

 Two tributes really touched my heart. I hope you take a moment to read the sentiments:

"In response to the promise of liberty, opportunity, justice, and freedom of religion, we left our native lands which we loved so dearly and, coming from the farthest corners of the world, we arrived in America. We fished her waters, farmed her fields, worked in her factories, sold her produce and realized that here in this beautiful land, we had fulfilled our hopes and dreams for ourselves and our children. Now united as one people, we work toward our goal of living as equal Americans.

God bless America and the good people who made her strong.

Such an excellent point. Most all of our citizens came from somewhere else. It is our ancestors who dreamed of freedom, and longed for dignity. They came and worked hard, sacrificing even their loved ones back home to partake in the bounty offered in this new world. These are our people, and we are theirs.

First Resurrection

Dedicated to the memory of those members of the Iglasia Ni Christo (Church of Christ) who  have steadfastly and unwaveringly labored and served in the name of our Lord Jests Christ and almighty God, for they shall take part in the first resurrection:

...and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God, they had not worshipped the beast, or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years, and this is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy are they who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years (Revelations 20:4-6 - NEV)


What better place to honor the knowledge that we will all be resurrected than this sacred place of rest for so many loved ones?

I felt such peace and love here. Months ago, on our first visit, Beloved and I saw families who were litrealy having a b'bq with Grandpa. An elderly Asian woman was set in a comfy old beach chair next to her husband's headstone.  The son cooked on a portable grill. The wife and children tended to the gravesite, weeding, changing out the flowers, .... and they were laughing, and loving and enjoying their day. No sorrow - because they knewthat they would be together again.

I'm so glad we came here this weekend. It has made the resurrection so alive and real to me. I have no fear of death. Why should I? My Heavenly Father loves me, and will welcome me to paradise with open arms when it is my turn. I have great confidence that my family is there too - all of them. Because they are good people. Because they also are children of God. Because he loves them as much as I do. I miss them, but I no longer grieve for them, because they are still my family exactly as they've always been. How grateful I am for that knowledge and that comfort.

So, to round up my little tour of the Valley of the Temples, let me tell you about an added bonus. There is a dear little section for one's beloved pets, which considering what we discovered next, got me to wondering.

You see, the cemetery is literally overrun by cats.

Dozens and dozens of cats!

Kinda creepy, kinda fun, kinda stinky.

A woman was walking around the spacious grounds with a large container of cat food, pouring a little here, a little there. None of them looked like they were starving.

I don't suppose they get to use that pet section when they head off to kitty heaven but they sure seem to be having a marvelous time while they're still alive.

Thoughts on "Fun, Happiness and Joy"

The following are my thoughts on the difference between Fun, Happiness and Joy and the significance in each. I have been working on this thought for years and hope it provides you with some opportunity to reflect on the beauty and importance of the Gospel of Christ in our lives.

Have you ever noticed when a child does something funny, that they want to do it again....and again ... and again until, it's no longer funny? They liked what happened. They liked how it felt. They want to feel it again. Much like a lab rat trained to press a button for food, stimuli, or medication.... people who prioritize 'fun' prioritize immediate needs.

1st Corinthians 13:11 reads: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Fun is a childish thing. It's the playgrounds, the funny movies, the trips to Disneyland. It's a double-dare, seat of your pants type of experience. Fun can be selfish, it can be rude and insensitive. Fun can also be relaxing, entertaining and lighthearted. It can form bonds or throw up walls. It all depends on personal preferences and values.

I love to have fun. I love to laugh, to play, to have a great and enjoyable time. But people cannot sustain themselves on 'fun'. Fun is temporal and temporary, and is never satisfactory in the long term. In fact, fun is best in doses, a break from normal life. Otherwise, it becomes commonplace and worse yet, expected.

Happiness

For many people, achieving happiness is mistaken for the lesser goal of 'having fun'. They become convinced that having more 'fun' will make them 'happy'. But I have discovered that happiness is neither immediate nor based solely on pleasure. Rather, it comes from obtaining a level of satisfaction from a job well done, a perfect moment in life, a beautiful site or condition. Happiness feels secure, and in this crazy world, security is everything.

But even happiness is ultimately temporary. That new car will not always be shiny. The adorable baby may become a moody teen. That spouse will pout or yell or get angry. That perfect house will someday be old and worn down.

And then?

That depends on your attitude and your ability to adjust to change and challenges. It also depends on where you focus your priorities. As we move away from selfish pleasures, we move towards genuine happiness. The type that actually sticks to your ribs, so to speak.

I have met people in Peru living in the most dire of situations who found happiness in their hard work, their daily devotion and most of all, in the people they love. Conversely, I have found people with great wealth who never seemed to know a day's happiness. I'm not saying that there aren't people with money who are happy, even very happy. But it's not based off of what they have, but rather, who they are and what they cherish most in life. Happiness, I have discovered, comes from one's ability to appreciate and own who they are, and where they are going. Happiness takes work, especially the ability to live beyond the focus of here and now. 

Yet even happiness has limitations. I believe that this is because happiness is an emotion - one that can change in a flash, simply based off of what is happening in that moment. So, happiness, while wonderful, is still somewhat short-sighted for followers of Christ. Let me illustrate:

When Moses went to the Mount to learn of and bring back the higher law, the newly freed Hebrews, fearing they had been abandoned, built images of the gods taught to them by the Egyptians. Through these actions they proved that they were incapable of understanding the depth and purpose of the higher law, which was the law eventually introduced by Christ during His mortal ministry. 

The Hebrews saw their circumstances as diminished, because they could not keep site of the ultimate goal, which was to be reintroduced into their true position as 'the chosen people'. Great rewards awaited them, but because they could not see themselves as 'free', they turned back to what felt comfortable and easy, hoping that it would address their fear and bring back some physical safety..

And yet, God was merciful. Rather than 'punishing' the Hebrews, Heavenly Father actually showed great patience.  He recognized that the Hebrews were incapable of living the higher law given to Moses at that moment. So he gave them the lesser or Aaronic law instead. This law spoke of truth in a way that they could understand, where there were consequences to one's actions, and where good behavior was rewarded and bad behavior was punished. It worked off of the basic formula that 1+1=2, and where doing "this", while not doing "that" would bring you happiness. Therefore, we see that happiness is conditional.

Happiness is a gift, something to be cherished and sought. But I see it more as a classroom, training us when we're ready to seek even more for ourselves and others, which is the ultimate source of happiness.....

Joy

According to the LDS Bible Dictionary, joy is "a condition of great happiness coming from righteous living."  I agree. True joy is an eternal principal.

Joy is based on a noble desire to serve the highest law, which the Lord, himself provided for us. It is a desire and focus of serving and loving others beyond the instinctual attitude of 'what's in it for me'. It is the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate reward. It is love in it's purest form.

Think about a time when you felt true joy.

I know of one particular experience that brings me great joy to this day. I am a convert to the LDS faith. That said, I had a wonderful childhood, filled with loving parents and great experiences. I joined the Church as an adult, where II learned that families could be united forever through temple ordinances. I was the only member of my family, but I longed for the same experience as families raised in the faith - one of eternal vision and ties. I worked to build that type of family with my own husband and children. But I found myself wishing that I had come from such roots, and that I had the knowledge and (quite honestly) the courage to offer those eternal bonds to my parents and siblings. Luckily, I know that Heavenly Father loves and blesses all His children. I know that He provided a way for everyone to have the chance to hear, and decide for themselves whether they could know and follow the Savior of the World. This news gave me much joy when I first learned about it back in 1976 and comforts and guides me to this day. Heavenly Father is a God of love, forgiveness and equity.....and, He honors and upholds family bonds. 

2011 was a particularly rough year, as both of my parents left this mortal existence. I love them and miss them greatly to this day.

But in 2013 I received a great blessing. I knelt at an altar in a temple of the Lord with two of my children and my husband and were sealed to my parents and a sister who proceeded them into immortality. On this day, I felt a deep connection to the family I love so very dearly and miss so very much, and I felt pure joy.

As my husband, children and I entered the Celestial Room of the temple afterwards, I looked up and saw a beautiful depiction of two loving parents and their daughter sitting in a beautiful, and obviously heavenly, garden. I could not contain the tears, knowing that this now was my legacy - my hope for the eternities. 

Again, I was enveloped in pure joy, and it was wonderful, glorious, and beyond description.

I have decided that, given the choice, I want to learn how to always choose joy. Notice that I said "learn". Being human, I am certainly not there yet. But I also know that I am - as are we all - a child of a loving and powerful Heavenly Father, and that from that truth, I have all of the keys necessary to achieve the eternal happiness offered through the atonement of Christ.

I have broken these thoughts down into a table format - which always helps me when I'm working my way through a complex thought:

Feeling	FUN	HAPPINESS	JOY
Focus	Operating from a physical condition - Carnal/Temporal	Operating from an emotional condition - Emotion based	Operating from a God-like condition (pure and selfless) Eternally based
Duration	Momentary	Conditional ("This happened, so I feel happy")	Eternal
Pro	Easily obtainable (at first)	Satisfying. Sanctioned by God. Leading to eternal progress.	Eternal - the ultimate goal
Con	Short – even addictive in nature.	Difficult to maintain long term as temporal beings ("That was difficult, so I am no longer happy")	Unusual even to achieve (at first). Takes study, faith, trial and error and commitment.
When obtained	Based on physical/temporal gratification	Based off of a simplified view of God's law - “Do this to get that”	Based on eternal principals - Sacrifice, mercy, charity, faith.
Scriptural base	Mosiah 3:19  For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ……	2 Nephi 5:27  And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.	2 Nephi 2:25  … men are, that they might have joy.