On the 3rd Candi had prepared an Easter activity for the primary kids where they walk around to different homes on a circle road in the ward that had displays about Easter and an easter egg they can take. It was good and a lot of people brought their families around. She did an awesome job setting that up. We had Easter dinner at Scott's on the 4th. The younger kids got to find the eggs in the back yard.
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Mum and Dads Trip to Orlando 4/10 to 4/17
Mum and I took a vacation in Orlando again leaving on the Saturday night flight at 10:45 or something like that. The flight wasn't too full. We were at the back. We were both looking forward to it for weeks. It was a nice flight and we got in around 5 or 6 am. We found a spot in the airport to relax and wait until about 8:30am. We ate breakfast at the Burger King. Our plan was to go to Aquatica to lay out and wait for our Hotel room. I didn't check the weather. Dark clouds were looming during our ride there. We got a locker and dressed and found chairs but around 11am it started raining then they said it will close at 1pm because of the rain and lightning. We got a uber to the hotel and it was pouring rain, a deluge on the way there. We were able to get a room early so we relaxed in our room the rest of the day and a hot tub. We also ordered some groceries to be dropped off.
The rest of the week was nice and sunny, only Sunday was rainy. Monday was Sea World day. We had a nice time walking around and seeing the animals again. We rode the Kraken for the first time, a big long roller coaster with so many loops, since it was closed the other times. That was pretty fun. We rode the log ride too. I hadn't done it before. We watched the orca show. We ate the cinnamon pretzels again and lunch we shared a foot long hotdog. In the evening we watched a k-drama show on the ipad in the hot tub. It was a nice day.
Tuesday was Aquatica day. We rode a few slides at first then laid out then did the lazy river, laid out, wave pool, ate food. Candi got the $40 eat all day deal. She went and got 3 meals each hour in the afternoon. I was too stuffed. The fish taco had a massive fried fish that was nice. I got too much sun and was all red. But it was another awesome, fun day together.
Wednesday was Discovery Cove day. I made sure to put on lots of sunscreen. It was an awesome, neat fun day again. We swam with the fishes and sting rays twice, after breakfast and after lunch. We sat on some rocks on the side with our bodies half in the water and some big cow node stingrays kept swimming in circles right past us and we'd pet them going past. A fish also started hanging around us swimming between our legs. It would swim off and come back. We even pet it. We went on the lazy river a lot too. Breakfast and lunch was yummy as usual. We wish it stayed open past 5pm. We love going there. At night, more hot tub and k-drama watching.
Thursday was the Epcot center. We first rode the car ride. But our goal was more to try the food than do the rides as it was the Spring Flower and Food festival. We did do the Soarin' and 3 caballeros ride. But we stopped and tried lots of food. We started to the right for the international towns walk. Watched a 360 surround show in Canada about Canada. It was good. Candi took a photo of every food we tried. I liked the seared scallops and the pork bellies and fried cinnamon rolls pieces and other stuff. My feet were a bit sore in the afternoon but we rested a bit. The weather was pretty hot but not burning hot. It didn't close until 11pm but we left about 8pm. Was another neat fun day.
Friday we went to Gatorland. It was going to be a down day but Candi wanted to do Gatorland. I'm glad we did. It was something new and it was fun seeing and feeding the gators. There were some enormous ones. They also had crocodiles. Salt and Nile ones. One of the Nile ones was a desert tan color with the regular dark color so it looked like a camouflaged tank from WWII. It was the coolest looking croc I've seen. Watched a couple shows too. Went on a big monster truck ride but it sounded better than it was. There were ziplines but we didn't do those. We ate lunch and had fried gator bites and a big chili cheese dog. Gator tastes a bit like chicken and bit like a pork chop. My first taste of it was on my mission. We walked around a swamp area too and fed a wild snapping turtle a piece of my gator food. It was a fun day too.
Saturday was check out day. We left our bags with the front desk and walked to the Outlet mall close by and looked around until about 3pm. We ate in the food court some chinese food. We had pretzel bites too. We sat and people watched a bit. Then we walked back to the hotel and caught an uber to the airport and waited for our flight at 6:30pm. We had a good flight. I watched a western show with Tom Hanks. He helps an orphaned german immigrant girl that was raised by indians get back to her extended family. It was pretty good. Forgot the name of it. Mina picked us up at the airport. Our holiday was so fast.
The rest of April
On the 21st we went to Celsius Tarawhiti and Sierra's reception. Sinny and all his family came over for a few weeks. Except his boy on a mission. They actually got married last year but the whanau couldn't come over because of Covid so they had a reception while the fam was here for Seen and Tiana's wedding. That was on the 27th. We went to that one too. Dion Hettig was here and Seamus. We had a good time visiting with Sinny and friends at both receptions. We also went on FHE night to Classic skating in Orem with the Tarawhitis. We ate at Leatherbys after. On another night we invited Sinny's family over to Jared's. Fisi and Eugene came. We had a good feed and korero. We explained to our kids our connection. I gave Sinny his CCNZ bball jersey back that he gave me back in '95 I think it was. It won't fit him but hopefully he gives it to his daughter or hangs it on a wall. Sin and Tina are very in shape. They work out everyday. Was good to catch up with them. Nancy had also come and we visited with her too. Candi and the girls also went to Louisa's baby shower this month. They are having a baby girl.
4/25/21
Grandpa Pat's ANZAC Day Sacrament Talk
In Ecclesiastes 3 verses 1 and 8 we find these words,
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time for war and a time for peace….”
Pres Gordon B Hinkley once stated, “I make no defence of the war from this pulpit, there is no simple answer. The problems are complex almost beyond comprehension. I seek only to call your attention to that silver thread.” He was speaking of the Vietnam War. This morning I spent a short time along with others remembering soldiers who died giving their lives in times of War. Three of our company died during our time in Vietnam. I also remember many close friends and relations who served overseas in conflicts and have since passed away.
I
n D&C 60:40 the Lord has declared,
“For I, the Lord, rule in the heavens above, and among the armies of the earth”.
I’d like to share this true story with you…
Today was another muggy day, just as each previous day had been for the past several weeks. I was sitting in a shallow ditch, too tired to care about the mud or the smell around my feet. Sweat was pouring down my brow, soaking my shirt. What was left of our company were scattered about the landing zone. We had spent the last three or four weeks on patrol operations. Now it was our turn to board the choppers and fly back to base camp.
I instinctively ducked deeper into the ditch as a bullet whined overhead. A sniper had started shooting, so this was no time to be careless. The roar of the choppers filled the air as three HUEYs set down some ten yards behind me. Their machine guns opened up to cover the landing. Fresh troops, from the Twenty-fifth Infantry, scrambled off and into the ditch as our wounded were loaded aboard. The entire exchange lasted only seconds, and then the helicopters were gone.
In the silence broken only by muffled conversation and occasional gunfire, I became aware of someone whistling an ever-so-familiar melody. What was that song? It seemed to calm my fears and shut out the war. I listened intently and looked around to see a soldier sitting a few feet away. He was another private from the Twenty-fifth who had just arrived. He continued to whistle—and then I recognized the familiar melody of “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.” I quickly crawled over to him and asked if he was a Latter-day Saint and if he held the priesthood. He said yes, and my heart skipped a beat; I
had not seen another Church member that I was aware of since Saigon several months ago. I asked if he was worthy to bless the sacrament, and he told me that he was.
I knew it was the Sabbath because of the day and date feature on my watch. I had a C-ration biscuit and a canteen, so I asked if he would help me with the sacrament. He nodded and we crawled out of the ditch—out of sight of the other soldiers—into the tall grass and bamboo. I pulled from my pocket my serviceman’s copy of Principles of the Gospel that my bishop had given me. I offered my helmet, upturned, for our table, and the soldier produced a clean white handkerchief for the sacrament cloth. Kneeling with my companion in the mud, I opened the biscuit and broke and blessed it. While I prayed, he watched the jungle with his rifle ready. We served each other. Then he laid down his weapon, took the canteen cup of water, and blessed it while I guarded him.
Never in my life has the bread of the sacrament tasted so sweet and the water so pure as it did that day, nor has my soul been so strengthened by the ordinance. We clasped hands, then quickly crawled back to the protection of the ditch. Immediately the whine of the helicopters again filled the air, and I was up and running for the landing zone with the other members of my squad. I turned and looked back, my fear gone, and he smiled and gave the “thumbs-up” signal. I climbed aboard the HUEY, and we were gone.
I never asked that soldier’s name, nor he mine, but in those brief moments we forged a bond to last throughout eternity. That fellow Saint had rescued my soul from the horror and despair of war. Partaking of the sacrament in the jungle had brought me closer to the Lord than I had ever been before.
Through a gospel ordinance, we had found peace. Sunday is and always will be a special day, but as a Returned Serviceman today is an exceptionally special day for me being ANZAC Day.
My testimony of the Gospel is unwavering and I give thanks to the Lord and our Saviour for their blessings and guidance in all that I do. In the name of Jesus Christ – Amen.
