Sister Johnson in Hawaii

I saw this floating restaurant in the harbor and thought of old Sr. Johnson in our old Champions ward. She is from an old royal Hawaiian family, and was dirt poor growing up. She told this story about going to the temple as a small child. The family had not been sealed and her oldest sister was 17 and at 18 could not be sealed as a child. The family sold everything they could and still there was not enough cash for an inside passage inside the boat. The mom told the kids to put on their sunday clothes and then sold everything they owned except a pair of play clothes for each child. The father said they must travel inside the boat over to the main island so they would arrive dry and proper for going to the temple; however, on going home they all slept on the deck and arrived with sea spray all over them as they slept. In the royal Hawaiian family they had what they called white Hawaiians [Sr. Johnson is a pale white color and has black eyes] and black Hawaiians. Her daughter Sr. Cook is a black Hawaiian. They were also very tall. And out in the sun their skin turned the color of a very dark brown. Sr. Johnson told me she also fell for a cute, white boy, blond&blue eyed guy at BYU and he was a non member, too!! She also told the story several times of what she called " God bless the drunken sailor, story." She was very little and her mom sent her to the store with 75 cents to buy some bread for dinner. Walking into the store a very drunk sailor came up to her and ask how much money she had and how many kids there were in her family [9]. He took all of his 75 dollars-his pay for the month and bought all of the food he could and then he took her home in a taxi and gave it all to her mom. Sr. Johnson said the moral of the story was that God knew they were so poor that he sent the sailor. Then he [God] could bless the sailor as needed. And oh yes, never get in a cab with a drunken sailor. Her mom prayed for that sailor for years, " and please Lord bless that drunken sailor, that he may come our way again." Afterall, if the guy stayed alive then he had for sure been blessed, for his kind and needed gifts.

I have been so surprised at the incredible senior missionaries and other temple staff we have here. To be at same place and missionaries gives a blessing of a different kind = companionship. We will have friends in Utah and Washington state for ever. Also our friend Br. Vitinavulagi's daughter is a stewardess for Continental airlines and is in the Inwood Ward!!! We had missed each others calls before we left. Anyways, we will for sure have them come and stay [Pres. Wells says at least 1 month] a few weeks. That has to be another " it's a small world moment" when we fire up the grill and cook some steaks instead of breadfruit or roti. All of my love Mum Bula Yinaka, ya'll...



We are going to a baptism in Singatoka this weekend. We'll leave early from our temple shift and see the baptism in the pacific and then spend the night and go to church. We are so blessed each time we go there. Dad and Br. Bohman always give blessings to members, active and not so active. And then they start to come to church and bring their kids and grandkids. The count for sundays is up to 55 now for the branch, and they never have to provide speakers since they always have extra missionaries. And Br. Bohman is now in the branch presidency sos we always