Temple Dedication Weekend

After a fabulous movie of Harry Potter, another great thing happened!  The arrival of President Monson.  People were really stoked about this on campus and we had things like "Prophet Radar/Prophet Stalking" going on.  I think he came on Thursday night, but he made his public appearance Friday at the PCC.  Lots of students went over there to see him, but I felt weirdish acting like he was a celebrity.  I mean the prophet is a celebrity and all, but people were wanting to shake his hand and get a picture with him so that could be their Facebook profile pic and I guess I just wasn't feeling that.  Anyway people said it was really cool over there and he was playing with the little kids and dancing along with all the dancers.  Elder Erying was here with his wife and so was Elder Cook.

I did get a ticket though that night to go to Night Show with the prophet :).  I went in through the back gate and I saw all their golf carts, which were covered in a million leis, so I just lingered there a little longer before going inside and waived to them as they drove past me. 

He got swarmed when he went into Night Show.  (Kayli and the other Ali went and talked to him about chocolate and such...)  The Spirit was really strong in the show and I was really emotional the whole time ha!  As was everyone else.  When the show was over all the cast came out and President Monson stood while they sang "Teach Me to Walk in the Light".  Then everyone started crying!  All the oriental tourist were probably really confused.

Look closely to the right and you can see President Monsen

I had such a special, excited spirit all day long knowing that the prophet was in Laie.

Saturday morning we went to Turtle Bay and got some good beach time in.  Kayli tried to use one of the resorts chairs, but that only lasted 5 seconds before the "chair police" came and took it away.  We stopped at a shrimp shack too on the way back so I could get my coconut shrimp...so delicious!  Then we were almost back to Laie, Steve and those guys were heading to North Shore so I just swapped cars and headed back to the beach with them!  Why not!  We went over by Pipeline and the waves were huge.  I was in the water playing around, but that didn't last too long before I decided I was to scared of being slaughtered either by a wave or a surfer and their board.  It was super crowed, but still fun.  I just played in the sand and people watched.  I am so content just sitting and watching the waves and people.

I headed to the Cultural Celebration broadcast that night.  I think their were 11 stakes involved with it.  But it was at the CAC and only family of the cast members got tickets to go actually watch it.  It was good and a lot of hard work went into it.  They focused on the timeline of the Laie Temple and did expressed it through dancing.  President Monson gave a lil spill before and was being so funny.  What a humorous guy.  Oh and people clapped before he stood up and when he sat down...kinda different, but I just went with it.

Sunday there were three temple dedications 9, 12, and 3.  I went to the first and last.  They were both good and a lot of talks talked about people and the sacrifices they make to go to temples.  In the third dedication there was a women there who had been there for the 1919 dedication, 1978(?), and now this one.  She was in the sealing room and they clapped for her in their too...just all around weird clapping happening this weekend.  President Monson and Erying were cracking me up in the third one.  Erying was conducting and the choir kept forgetting when to come in so he kept clearing his throat like, "kkhmm, the choir, kkhmm the choir!" then President Monson was up to speak and he was just looking around and Erying looks over and is like "You're up" anyway they were just funny together.  President Monson was talking about randomish stuff in regards of a temple dedication, then when he realized that he was like "I guess I'm not really talking about the stuff I should be, but hey I can talk about whatever I want!"  He was cracking us up.  I loved how "not serious" they were acting.

I really chose a good semester to come to BYU Hawaii.  All the events leading up to the temple dedication have lead to so many neat experiences and opportunities.  So many students had really cool experiences meeting the Prophet and things like that.  It was a great blessing and opportunity to participate in it.