Update from Vickie

Dear Family,

So here is your first of what I hope to be lots of missionary news! I am thinking about once a week or so I will do this. Just wanting to keep everyone up on what is happening and how we are.

Our week at the MTC, Aug. 11-16. We truly enjoyed it. Lots of orientation, classes for helping us learn basics and techniques of teaching, lots of practising our teaching on volunteers from the community, we learned that we really COULD do some of what was expected in this arena. We only ate lunch there, eating breakfast and dinner at home. We made so many great friends there that were going all over the world! We became close friends with Del and Sharlene Nebbeker, as they are going to the PCC with us. He is in Human Resources and she is going to do what I am (whatever that is...office, etc).

Sunday Aug. 17 was a great day for us as we were able to go to our own ward and see a few of our friends from Midway again and then most of the family were able to come over and visit. We loved that day. Thanks for coming and seeing us.

Mon. Aug. 18 we were at the airport and off to Hawaii. We were met by Bro and Sis Dixon and they took us to our apartment in Hauula. The drive from the airport was beautiful to say the least and not too bad for humidity so far. Our apartment was NOT anywhere near ready! Our BIG mistake was right then, we should have said, "OK, sorry but we will find another place!" But trying to be nice, and our little landlady was a sweet girl and wanting to have us rent, so we told her we would be back around 8:30. The apt. looked like a construction zone. Literally from the entrance from the carport underneath right into our apt. was construction "stuff", clothes, boxes, and I don't know what all! The two of them were painting in the apt. area and putting together a dresser for our bedroom.
We left for a tour of campus, the PCC, meeting lots of missionary and fellow workers and had Family Home Evening, it was nice and we loved meeting everyone and they were all so kind and eager to have us there.
Back to the apt. actually a little work was done so we could put our suitcases down on the floor and find the bed. However, she had not moved completely out of the apt. yet and it took her 3 days to get things out. Let me explain, the apt. is fairly new. It was built over the garage of their home, which they are in the process of working on, therefore they have been living in the small apt. with 4 children until now. So the apt. has two bedrooms. Each room has a bed, but that was it! One room had a clothes rod in the closet, the other did not. They put a small dresser in one room at my request. No closet doors, no window coverings on any windows...it was a literal fish bowl! We were upstairs, the view was beautiful of the ocean and the breeze came through those windows so great! But we couldn't unpack much as there was not room for many of our things. Only a couch in the living room, no shelves or bookcases. She had put two bath towels, 1 hand towel and 1 washcloth in the bathroom, but not rods to put them on! There was a box of pans in the cupboard, a toaster, 4 plates, 4 glasses and about 6 plastic spoons and forks. (She said she hoped that would do until she could get more). Well, we went to bed and the next morning we begin to see all of our roommates! They were everywhere in the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. Each drawer that was opened there were about six or eight scurrying for cover. Then we opened the frig., the dishwasher and the oven...exact same story!!!! She told us she had sprayed everything a few days ago. So we decided we needed to clean good. Well, I cannot even tell you what we found when we "tipped the fridge" over completely on its side to clean the bottom, WOW was it scary! I've heard of BIG roaches...well 3-4 inch ones were common! The dishwasher was not working and she said sometimes the roaches get in the workings and gum them up. HELLO!!!!! Bob tore it apart and you would not believe the bugs and mounds of droppings he cleaned out of the workings in the door of that thing! Of course, we cleaned it all up (I almost gagged)! But I put on my rubber gloves and we went to work. Boy did we get it cleaned up and the dishwasher worked (imagine that), and the stove was clean and we washed out all of the cupboards (all looked the same), and now we thought we could probably get by. Well, because we were exhausted we went to bed and during the night we both awoke with little sleeping partners running here and there! This was where we finally threw in the towel...no way was I going to share EVERYTHING with those ugly little beasts! Food is enough, but not my bed! I talked to some of the other missionaries and they all agreed that we will have roaches but that is far from the normal and not acceptable! (Cockroaches in your bed is NOT normal)! We went on Friday to the Laie Inn and rented a room for the next 10 days. We are working on getting another place and the one we hope to get is right across the road from the PCC so we can walk to work and it is right on the beach. It is not available until Sept 2. But we stayed in our little hotel room last night and have rather enjoyed it! Our sweet little landlady said she was sorry (I guess they become accustomed to those critters) and wanted us to stay and she would fumigate again. However, we declined her offer and she said she would give us our deposit and rent back. We both were amazed at how quickly we moved back out of that little place! One half hour at the most!

So through all of that we also spent our days at the PCC and BYUH doing lots of orientation, learning our way around, meeting the Pres. of BYUH and also the Pres. of the PCC. We have been to Walmart once and yesterday we took a few hours and drove into Honolulu, just for the drive, and had dinner at the Hard Rock cafe. It is a beautiful island and we love it!

We have our assignments for Mon. am. Bob starts at 7:00 a.m. in his levi's and blue denim shirt (he is in all his glory). They issue those to him. I start at 8:00 a.m. at the Island Office, which is a cute little office in the middle of the 6 represented islands and we do the scheduling and time for the students working in the islands, finances, issuing of items each island need to run each day, etc. It will be lots of fun. In the afternoon I report to the Safety and First Aid office. I have been there but have not been given my specific assignment yet.
We spent one day as "tourists" at the center last week to get a feel for the place. It was a fun day with the Nebbekers and then we went to the luau and the show at night.

Today was Stake Conference and the Mission Pres., President and Sister Peterson, spoke and also the Temple President, Pres. and Sister Workman. The meeting was great. Our stake Pres. spoke about being prepared both temporally and spiritually for whatever is to come. He discussed a lot about the parable of the ten virgins and how prayer is the vital key to keep us spiritually prepared for eternal life. I must say, it made me reflect upon how much we do depend on the Lord and how blessed we are.

Please know that we love you all so much and that we pray for you every day. We want you to be healthy, happy, and successful. We are well and happy. It sure helps to be with someone you know. I just shudder to think what our "missionaries" went through, and all alone! It's a good thing mother's do not have to know it all!

Hope your week ahead is marvelous. We will keep in touch.

Love to you all,
kids and grandkids alike.
Love forever and always,
"The Happy Wanderers!"