Acai Bowl

Have you tried an acai bowl yet? The acai berry, coming all the way from Brazil, has become one of the newest super-foods--packed with omegas and antioxidents--and Hawaii is famous for its creative and delicious acai bowls.

An acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) bowl begins with a puree of acai berries and your choice of fruits or vegetables (kale, spinach) to make a thick smoothie. Next, comes a layer of granola or oatmeal, then a varity of sliced fruit, nuts, shaved coconut, seeds and other healthy choices. Sprinkle a little honey on top and you have a quick, beautiful, delicious and filling breakfast.

You can buy an acai bowl from many locations on the island--they are sold at the roadside stands as well as the popular Haleiwa Bowl shack in Haleiwa. . You can make them yourselves at home as well. Costco sells Sambazon organic acai pulp in their frozen foods. One package comes with ten pouches and one pouch will easily create the base for two acai bowls, The rest is up to your imagination.

If you have a favorite place to purchase acai bowls, or if you have a favorite recipe, please share in Comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Aloha and Farewell - Elder and Sister Jeppson

Elder and Sister Jeppson have been wonderful servants and missionaries. Elder Jeppson has worked with construction and campus projects and Sister Jeppson has worked tirelessly to help students with their writing assignments.

Mahalo - and Aloha oi to our friends, the Jeppsons

Aloha, dear Elders and Sisters!

A note about our departure from Hawaii and our arrival back in Taylorsville.

First, sisters, don't buy so much in Hawaii that you need a container ship to get it home. We (I) did, and man! We both had to work hard to get it packed up.  If you do have a bunch, start early.  I thought I was starting early when I mailed four book boxes home (came with only two) 10 weeks ago, but the other "stuff" ! Whew!  It was hard for us.

Being home would be wonderful, if I could only find the house! Our renters moved and packed up nearly everything in the house (not part of the original deal); that along with all that we brought home, all the boxes we had mailed, and all the gear for five families returning to home base for a 4-day reunion get-away (Pineview Reservoir, vacation house Hawaii-style), and they all needed to sleep there the first and last nights!  If you were deliberately trying to set up a scenario that would send a senior missionary couple over the edge of reason, this might be a good idea!

Despite all this, we are in good shape. We have been so blessed to have been with you all.  You all are in our prayers every night; I especially think of those in the Center for Academic Success and I can visualize New Student Orientation, the flood of students through the door, the flurry of activity with the four missionaries there, Elder and Sister Larsen and Elder and Sister Wollenzien.  After I stiffle my envy regarding the students they get to help, I think of all of you, at your duties and then at play and social activities together.  What an adventure! We are so grateful to have shared it with you. We are grateful to the Lord, too, for finding a place where we both could thrive and help.  We offer our testimonies that the Gospel is so true, and we can clearly see how the Lord has arranged for it to fill the Earth.

We send all our aloha,

Elder Gary and Sister Brenda Jeppson

Aloha and Farewell - Elder and Sister Roberts

As Elder and Sister Roberts depart, we learn a little more about this wonderful couple from Aotearoa who have endeared themselves to so many while they were here.

Mike Roberts’ parents were baptised in 1952, the first converts on the North Shore of Auckland. About a year later, in 1953, by the time Christine (Dil) Roberts’ parents joined the Church, a dependent branch had been established under the Auckland Branch. We started in a rented hall and rapidly grew into an independent branch. In 1958 we became the Auckland 5th Ward, part of the Auckland New Zealand Stake, the first stake to be established outside of North America.

Mike and Christine, the two little blonde children front left

Also in April 1958, the New Zealand Temple was dedicated by President David O McKay. In the first month both the Dil family and the Roberts family went to the temple to be sealed.  Thirteen years later in August, 1971 Mike Roberts and Christine Dil were married in the New Zealand Temple, sealed by the temple president, Fred W Schwendiman.

In 1978, Mike’s parents, William and Norma Roberts, were called  home one year early from their call as Mission President in the England Leeds Mission to be president and matron of the New Zealand Temple. They are pictured here with Mike and Christine’s oldest child, Rebecca.

Rebecca was married to Mark Wolfersberger in the New Zealand Temple in 1999, followed by her brothers Adam in January 2001 (to Michelle Reyes) and Paul in February 2001 (to Haidee Wilson). All three marriages were performed by the then temple president, Rulon G Craven. 

Rebecca and Mark

Adam and Michelle

Paul and Haidee

In 2016 Mike and Christine have been called home early from serving as a senior missionary couple in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission (serving at BYU-Hawaii) to serve a three year term as president and matron of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.

We are blessed to have been able to serve with such faithful dear friends at BYU-Hawaii, PCC and the Visitors Center. We are excited about the prospect of serving in a sacred and holy House of the Lord in Hamilton New Zealand. We pray we may justify the trust that the Lord and the Church leaders have placed in us. May God bless us all as we continue to serve him wherever we are. If you are down our way, please come and see us.

Happy Birthday, Sister Pavia, July 14

SUMMERTIME....

And the Campus is REELING

REroofed......

McKay Building reroofing in full swing

REsurfaced....

Detours galore as outer circle resurfacing diverts traffic

 RElocated...

Outer circle moving nine feet further south in front of Hale 2 and GCB

AND

REconstructed....

Palm trees removed...

Holes being dug for a new building by the Academic Support Center to house brand new campus coolers

 SUMMERTIME AND THE WORK ON CAMPUS IS IN FULL SWING!

What is this?

While shopping at Foodland, I spied a gigantic fruit unlike anything I have ever seen before. So I had a visit with the young man in produce and this is what I learned:

This is a jackfruit. According to Business Insider.com, "Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world — one fruit can weigh between 10 and 100 pounds and contain hundreds of seeds that are rich in protein, potassium, calcium, and iron — all of which are important for bodily growth.

"It's a miracle. It can provide so many nutrients and calories – everything," Shyamala Reddy, who is a biotechnology researcher at the University of Agriculture Sciences in Bangalore, India, told The Guardian earlier this year.

"If you just eat 10 or 12 bulbs of this fruit, you don't need food for another half a day."

The tree's leaves can feed animals, the bark provides dye for the color orange, the bark also produces a sticky substance that can be used as glue, and the wood is good for timber and other uses. 

"Whatever you call it, it's a versatile food source — and thus a potential economic boon for countries that market it. Jackfruits can be dried, roasted, added to soups, used in chips, jams, juices, ice cream. The seeds can be boiled, roasted or ground into flour. Even the tree itself is valuable: high-quality, rot-resistant timber for furniture and musical instruments.

Or you can eat a jackfruit fresh (npr.org, "Here's the  Scoop on Jackfruit)."

Word is that cooked jackfruit tastes just like pulled pork.

Are you sold? Just run over to Foodland before this one is gone...

Oh, by the way, it costs $4.99 a pound, so our 40 lb Foodland jackfruit is priced for quick sale--just $200. Hmmm, tempting!

(Please feel free to comment...your input is valued and appreciated)

Happy Birthday, Sister Millard July 6

Happy Birthday, Elder Barlow July 4

Happy Birthday, Sister Crookston July 4