March 7

Eleven of our young adults showed up for the temple tonight.  Because there was a fireside we needed to attend, we got everyone started and then left.  I missed being in the temple with 'our kids'; they bring such strong spirits with them.

Tonight there was a fireside featuring President Wheelwright, the president of BYU Hawaii.  Anyone who had attended BYU-H  or is interested in attending BYU-H was invited to attend.  We arrived right on time, 6:30 p.m. to find that President Wheelwright's plane was delayed.  It was fun to watch the delay tactics of the two stake presidents.

I hate to admit it, but I had gone to prove once and for all that our Fijian kids going to BYU-H was a really bad idea.  You see they do not come back which is a huge spiritual leadership and brain drain for the church.  President Wheelwright and his wife both spoke and I was impressed.  In his speech he answered many of the questions I had.  When he opened it for questions, Scott immediately asked how many of our Fijian young adults who started at BYU-H graduated.  It was 70+ percent.  It did not used to be, but the school finally figured out that the islander kids were not successful because their understanding of English--written and verbal--was not good enough for university study.  Now every entrant has to take an English proficiency test and if they do not pass it at 80% they must take an online English class through BYU-H and pass it before they will be admitted.  According to Pres. Wheelwright that has made all the difference.  He also spoke to the problem that many of our Fijian kids are graduating in areas where there are absolutely no jobs in Fiji and yet they promise to come back for four years and work so they do not have to pay all the money BYU has given them for their education.  So many in the past have not come back to Fiji.  I do not know what they do about the money they owe.

By the time the fireside was over, I felt so much better about these young adults going to BYU-H.