Karen McBride's Island Views

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Devotionals and Parties. Is this really a mission?

The past two weeks have flown by just as all the rest of my time here. Life is good and there is lots of work, fun, church and more work to be done. It is hard to get to the work with everything else that goes on at the PCC. Now, the holidays begin. I can't wait to see what is in store for them.
I will first start out with another devotional that was held.

TONGA Devotional- Nov 11, 1017

BYU-H students who work at the PCC bear their testimonies and tell stories of living in their native countries and show us different ways the worshipped our God in their cultures. I loved this young ladies lei. It is a very unique piece of ornamentation.

Native Tonga ceremonial clothing.

Blue shirt party

At the PCC there is a tradition of showing respect to the "blue shirt" workers. These are all the maintenance men and women that take care of the behind the scenes work. There are about 80 of them. The missionaries put on the party and it was a great one as parties go. It was held in the middle of the day and we had a cowboy cookout complete with hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, potato salad, peach cobbler and anything else western that we could think of. I don't think the Hawaiians cared for the haole food as some brought there own taro and rice which are staples here but fun was had by all.

Here we are getting ready for the big day. The missionaries from the nursery brought over 100 aloe vera plants for center pieces and the workers took them home afterword with chocolate covered macadamia nuts. One of my favorites.

More Sisters Leaving

We come and we go at the PCC. One day you are part of the crowd of missionaries and the next you are back home wondering if it really happened and did you just spend 12 to 23 months away from home. Here are two of our recent graduates that will be leaving. Sister Patsy and Sister Bright. Sister Bright lives is in Lewiston so there may be a chance I will get to see her again. We are at Pounders Restaurant.

Last week at food service meeting in the food warehouse we got to meet with a vendor who was trying to get us to buy leis from his company. Here are a sample of his wares. They are very beautiful but we already had a 3 year contract with another company. He gave us all leis to take home.

Of course another P-day arrived and we decided to attend the Makahiki Festival at Waimea. It was another festival celebrating the Hawaiian traditions. They had a hula competition along with the festival. The native hula dance is so beautiful and graceful as the dancer tells a beautiful story with their hands and graceful movements.

Of course I can't go to Waimea falls and not find a dozen or so varieties of flowers that I've never seen before. I have included a couple of bird pictures. I don't see many varieties of birds but I may not be looking in the right places. Here are two:

and the flowers are next:

A gigantic tree of flowers:

Walking out of church today I met this beautiful display of God's handiwork.

and finally another of one of God's gifts to each of us:

Amen and amen.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

PCC Mission Statement

The Polynesian Cultural Center is a unique treasure created to share with the world the culture, diversity and spirit of the nations of Polynesia.
In accomplishing this we will:

Preserve and portray the cultures, arts and crafts of Polynesia.
Contribute to the educational development and growth of all people at Brigham Young University-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center.
Demonstrate and radiate a spirit of love and service which will contribute to the betterment,uplifting and blessing of all who visit this special place.

It has been and interesting 10 months learning and growing in this part of the world. There are so many memories I want to keep alive. It has been a great experience and I wish everyone I know could be a part of it.

We have been to many parties, devotionals and FHE this past few weeks it is hard for be to keep them separated but I will share a few experiences.

FIJI Devotional:

Jarrod Hester in back of the speaker is VP over financial services and we were at dinner with him the night before.
Alma, the speaker was in my YSA ward.

Food and Beverage Devotional

And then there was Halloween

It was like monster city USA. We had over 800 pieces of candy and it was gone in less than an hour so we spent the rest of the night walking around Laie and being amazed at the thousands of people. We met one lady sitting by the side of the rode handing out candy and she said she was from another town and never got trick or treaters so she came here to pass out candy.

What is Halloween without Minnie and the Green Bay Packers:

Ghosts and Goblins:

Baby Moana who is my bishop's granddaughter. She would be only second to my great granddaughter, Addie cakes.

Birthdays:

MIsi's belated birthday party at Aloha BBQ Lunch

Pua had a birthday, also and Elder G had one on Halloween but didn't want pictures.

Riding around Laie

Polly Beach and I like to go riding sometimes and find ourselves in unusual places. Today we decided that we had ventured into a not so friendly part of Laie.

I promise I did not touch his coconut tree.

Glad I didn't see the owner! Last of all:

No I did not enter! Was I tempted? Well, yeh I was but Polly wouldn't let me.

I didn't have any pictures of the Island Buffet so I attached a couple. I think this is one of the most beautiful places in the world to eat. The murals go all the way around the building and the light fixtures are very unique. I enjoy taking tickets here.

Breakfast with Polly and Raeola in Haliewa. I would return here.

More flowers or a tree or a bush. I couldn't decide but it was unique:

And finally another sunset but this one is riding the surf.

AMEN for this week!

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!

A really sad thing happened at our "ohana" earlier this morning. I was up early getting ready for church. I get to go at 8:00 am, now. It is so much better than 2:00 pm. I heard all this commotion and racket out in the front yard. Then a hen started clucking with a mournful cluck. Yes! Mournful! You just have to imagine it. It was awful and she just wouldn't stop. Then the other hens started. It was like they were being warned against danger. I went to the front door in time to see a mongoose dash across the blacktop to the side of the house and the hen had flown to the roof and was making the most awful racket. I went outside to try to calm her down and realized it was the hen I had seen outside the house on Thursday prancing around like a queen hen with her 7 little chicks. By this time a couple of the neighbors came out just as the mongoose took off in another direction. I guess the mongoose had killed a few of her chicks and the rest had scattered every which way. She kept up the mournful clucking for at least an hour. I think she finally rounded up a couple of her chicks but this afternoon she was back in the frontward mourning again. It was just a sad thing. I didn't know hens could have mournful clucks and for sooooo long. I know some of you may be laughing at this but it really was awful to listen to. Enough said. I don't like that mongoose.

Had another interesting p-day, yesterday. I decided to just take off in the car and go to wherever it took me. I went to the southeast this time. It was kind of a blah day. Everyone was busy doing things and I didn't want to stay home. We were have a taco feast later in the day so I knew I had to be back for that. Off I went. Just the little explorer.
It has been windy for the past few days so I parked and watched the ocean. She was very tumultuous. She was really washing up and down the shores and over the rocks. She was very angry at something. I love watching the waves crash against the banks.

Next, I ended up at a park by Kaneohe. I found and ancient fishing pond. A gentleman that I was talking to said it has been there for about 800 years. When the tide is high the sea water and lots of fish get caught in it. Then they can't get out and it is a great fish pond and wolah they have dinner. It is also fed by the streams from the mountains so it is also a fresh water pond. A sign said not to walk on the wall and I looked over and there was a group of about 20 people walking on the wall. It was a tour group. Go figure. Anyway here is a picture. Next, I ended up at a park by Kaneohe. I found and ancient fishing pond. A gentleman that I was talking to said it has been there for about 800 years. When the tide is high the sea water and lots of fish get caught in it. Then they can't get out and it is a great fish pond and wolah they have dinner. It is also fed by the streams from the mountains so it is also a fresh water pond. A sign said not to walk on the wall and I looked over and there was a group of about 20 people walking on the wall. It was a tour group. Go figure. Anyway here is a picture.

I spent the next little while driving around and taking in the ocean views. It always takes my breath away when I think of being on this little island and just surrounded by all this water and beauty. The island is not really very big.
Then I was hungry and tried to decide where to eat. Next stop Burger King. My favorite hamburger stop and I've only had one in 10 months. I figured I deserved it. While at Burger King I saw a sign that said:

Off I went to explore the Botanical Gardens. I thought it would be just a small area to walk around. It was acres and acres of beautiful trees, flowers to drive through and then when I went for a walk I found a beautiful lake. The grounds were all groomed and beautiful. I don't know how I ever missed this.