Cover and backside
Here is a video that I made as well to share at the funeral. The songs were written by my family members and song by them as well. Enjoy!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Hauoli's Funeral Program
"Here is the funeral program that I designed for my Auntie. Her son wanted an awesome program design that no one could duplicate so I spent many hours on this and he loved it in the end so I guess I accomplished my job. We miss you Auntie!" - Melia
Cover and backside
Here is a video that I made as well to share at the funeral. The songs were written by my family members and song by them as well. Enjoy!
Cover and backside
Here is a video that I made as well to share at the funeral. The songs were written by my family members and song by them as well. Enjoy!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
HAUOLINANINOHEA - Happy, Beautiful, Lovely . . . and so much more
Attempting to write a story about my sister plays like the theme song from the movie,
“Love Story.” “Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a [sis] can be . . . the sweet love story that is older than the sea . . . the simple truth about the love she brought to me . . . where do I start?”
If the first Bible sibling story recounted the love between two sisters instead of two brothers it might go like this. Happy and Joy were gathering purple roses and plumerias on the hillside. They danced along the waters with their baskets laden with fragrant blossoms to a mango tree and rested in the shade of its broad and beautiful branches. 
In the same moment, each sister gleefully exclaimed, “I gathered these for you!” They laughed joyfully and each insisted the other take the better part. They skipped off hand-in-hand and shared their combined gifts of the earth with all they met along their path. Their joys were always doubled when they spent their hours together.
The first time I met Hauoli was when she drove with her family to Rapid City, South Dakota in their new Rambler station wagon, hot off the assembly line in Detroit.
They came to pick up their son, Elder Basso, who was serving as a missionary in the Northern Indian Mission. They surprised him by driving out to the Fair Grounds where he was busy working on a church display. He was known for his ingenious hands that could build nearly anything his creative mind could invent.
After a happy reunion out at the fairgrounds, the Basso family came back into Rapid City to spend the night before heading west to return to their island home in Honolulu. Elder Basso’s sister Abbie, or Hauoli as the family called her, stayed overnight with me (Sister Hansen) and my companion, Sister Lehua Awai from the Basso’s home congregation, the Auwaiolimu Ward in Honolulu. We became fast friends. Female missionaries are called sisters and Elder Basso’s sister fit right into that greeting. We soon felt like real sisters and eventually she became the little sister I never had.
It was like a match made in heaven! After serving our missions, Chuck presented me with a huge, priceless engagement ring.
In 1969, Hauoli’s brother that the family affectionately called “Chuckie” became my eternal companion. We sealed our love in the Hawaiian Temple and I became part of the Basso o’hana forever. Heaven smiled on us.
Hauoli instantly accepted me as her longed for sister in a family of brothers.
Other acceptances came hard. Some never came at all. But I always had an ally in Hauoli. We never had unkind words between us and never doubted our allegiance to one another. We could talk about anything and everything and often did so all through the night. Together we danced hula, sewed leis, laughed, cried, shopped and “talked story” together. When she returned to her temple covenants and served faithfully in the largest women’s organization in the world, no one was happier than I was.
She was totally devoted to her only son. She became a young widow so the Hawaiian name she selected for her first daughter was never used. She always kept it in her heart “just in case.”
My love for her was increased by her love for our children. They made her an Auntie and she loved to spoil them with gifts, junk food and movies. She taught me too late that children love you more for being fun than faithful – for playing more than praying and for partying more than parenting. Most of her childhood days were carefree and fun. Most of mine were traumatic and arduous. She laughed. I pondered. She spent. I saved. She loved razzleberry pie. I loved lemon cream cheese. She drove to the movies. I ran around the neighborhood. She drank soda. I drank wheat grass. She played. I worked. She worked. I prayed. She was brunette. I was blond. She was beautiful. I was plain. Our commonality was love. We both had the “aloha” spirit. We both loved to give. We both ended our emails with “Miss you. Love you.”
In my own adaptation of the story of “The Hare and the Tortoise,” I am the slow, boring tortoise. She is the happy hare. I agree with the Biblical observation that “. . . the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). When we have the Lord on our side and we are on His . . . that is our advantage in the race of life. That advantage helps us win when we’re not the fastest or strongest. We can all be winners. “Abbie, the people’s princess” was a winner and was loved by all who knew her, especially me. She was a loyal and devoted friend to all. 
Sadly, for our breaking hearts, beloved Hauolinaninohea is the happy hare that just couldn’t wait to hop into heaven. She passed me on the downhill slope and left me in the dust of South Africa. Though an understanding of God’s eternal plan burns brightly in my soul, my sorrow in missing our sister seems unrelenting. It's still so hard to wrap our minds and hearts around the reality of her “graduation” and absence from mortality.
The other night we had a special Family Home Evening here with other Senior Missionaries. One sister had a beautiful display of her African art work. She was willing to trade them as we don’t work for any money in our volunteer service here. I began to think of what I had of any value to trade for a painting to send to Hauoli. I thought, “She would like that one or maybe this . . .” Then my tears began to flow as I realized that she is now beyond postal delivery boundaries and that my sweet little sister shopping days are over. Now she is part of the gallery of the Creator's heavenly masterpieces. Her laughter now falls on other ears. Her dancing entertains angels. Her joy is full. Her earthly work is finished. She is at peace.
Then these words came to my mind: “. . . weeping may endure for a night, but “joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5) Just when I thought that the weeping might never stop, I heard my sister’s voice speak to me from a world far away from her lifeless, bald body, “Miss you. Love you!” May eternal possibilities keep us forever as sisters . . . and friends. It’s such a blessing to have friends who are like family and family who are friends.
Aloha, my beloved sister,
Hauolinaninohea.
Miss you. Love you . . .
forever.
“Love Story.” “Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a [sis] can be . . . the sweet love story that is older than the sea . . . the simple truth about the love she brought to me . . . where do I start?”
If the first Bible sibling story recounted the love between two sisters instead of two brothers it might go like this. Happy and Joy were gathering purple roses and plumerias on the hillside. They danced along the waters with their baskets laden with fragrant blossoms to a mango tree and rested in the shade of its broad and beautiful branches. 
In the same moment, each sister gleefully exclaimed, “I gathered these for you!” They laughed joyfully and each insisted the other take the better part. They skipped off hand-in-hand and shared their combined gifts of the earth with all they met along their path. Their joys were always doubled when they spent their hours together.The first time I met Hauoli was when she drove with her family to Rapid City, South Dakota in their new Rambler station wagon, hot off the assembly line in Detroit.
They came to pick up their son, Elder Basso, who was serving as a missionary in the Northern Indian Mission. They surprised him by driving out to the Fair Grounds where he was busy working on a church display. He was known for his ingenious hands that could build nearly anything his creative mind could invent.After a happy reunion out at the fairgrounds, the Basso family came back into Rapid City to spend the night before heading west to return to their island home in Honolulu. Elder Basso’s sister Abbie, or Hauoli as the family called her, stayed overnight with me (Sister Hansen) and my companion, Sister Lehua Awai from the Basso’s home congregation, the Auwaiolimu Ward in Honolulu. We became fast friends. Female missionaries are called sisters and Elder Basso’s sister fit right into that greeting. We soon felt like real sisters and eventually she became the little sister I never had.
It was like a match made in heaven! After serving our missions, Chuck presented me with a huge, priceless engagement ring.
In 1969, Hauoli’s brother that the family affectionately called “Chuckie” became my eternal companion. We sealed our love in the Hawaiian Temple and I became part of the Basso o’hana forever. Heaven smiled on us.
Hauoli instantly accepted me as her longed for sister in a family of brothers.
Other acceptances came hard. Some never came at all. But I always had an ally in Hauoli. We never had unkind words between us and never doubted our allegiance to one another. We could talk about anything and everything and often did so all through the night. Together we danced hula, sewed leis, laughed, cried, shopped and “talked story” together. When she returned to her temple covenants and served faithfully in the largest women’s organization in the world, no one was happier than I was.
She was totally devoted to her only son. She became a young widow so the Hawaiian name she selected for her first daughter was never used. She always kept it in her heart “just in case.”
My love for her was increased by her love for our children. They made her an Auntie and she loved to spoil them with gifts, junk food and movies. She taught me too late that children love you more for being fun than faithful – for playing more than praying and for partying more than parenting. Most of her childhood days were carefree and fun. Most of mine were traumatic and arduous. She laughed. I pondered. She spent. I saved. She loved razzleberry pie. I loved lemon cream cheese. She drove to the movies. I ran around the neighborhood. She drank soda. I drank wheat grass. She played. I worked. She worked. I prayed. She was brunette. I was blond. She was beautiful. I was plain. Our commonality was love. We both had the “aloha” spirit. We both loved to give. We both ended our emails with “Miss you. Love you.”
In my own adaptation of the story of “The Hare and the Tortoise,” I am the slow, boring tortoise. She is the happy hare. I agree with the Biblical observation that “. . . the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). When we have the Lord on our side and we are on His . . . that is our advantage in the race of life. That advantage helps us win when we’re not the fastest or strongest. We can all be winners. “Abbie, the people’s princess” was a winner and was loved by all who knew her, especially me. She was a loyal and devoted friend to all. 
Sadly, for our breaking hearts, beloved Hauolinaninohea is the happy hare that just couldn’t wait to hop into heaven. She passed me on the downhill slope and left me in the dust of South Africa. Though an understanding of God’s eternal plan burns brightly in my soul, my sorrow in missing our sister seems unrelenting. It's still so hard to wrap our minds and hearts around the reality of her “graduation” and absence from mortality.The other night we had a special Family Home Evening here with other Senior Missionaries. One sister had a beautiful display of her African art work. She was willing to trade them as we don’t work for any money in our volunteer service here. I began to think of what I had of any value to trade for a painting to send to Hauoli. I thought, “She would like that one or maybe this . . .” Then my tears began to flow as I realized that she is now beyond postal delivery boundaries and that my sweet little sister shopping days are over. Now she is part of the gallery of the Creator's heavenly masterpieces. Her laughter now falls on other ears. Her dancing entertains angels. Her joy is full. Her earthly work is finished. She is at peace.
Then these words came to my mind: “. . . weeping may endure for a night, but “joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5) Just when I thought that the weeping might never stop, I heard my sister’s voice speak to me from a world far away from her lifeless, bald body, “Miss you. Love you!” May eternal possibilities keep us forever as sisters . . . and friends. It’s such a blessing to have friends who are like family and family who are friends.
Aloha, my beloved sister,Hauolinaninohea.
Miss you. Love you . . .
forever.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
ALMA MATER Starving for Education
According to today’s South African news report, “thousands of mainly poor, black students have to live in such appalling conditions that it is a ‘major miracle’ they manage to pass any academic courses at all. Among the report's findings is that some students are "starving" and many go for days without meals while living in accommodations that are ‘squalid.’ The stench of blocked drains and malfunctioning sewerage systems was indescribable. The students' rooms were minute, barely big enough for a bed, which consequently must be used also as a desk, a cooking space and a social space." Student residents, student leaders and university officials alike acknowledged the extreme and varied dangers of such overcrowding, but pointed out that the alternative was for the extra occupants to sleep in hovels or on the streets."
Our hearts break for these students who are trying to get an education and make a better life for themselves and for their families. We work with many of these students. One woman that came to take our workshops said, “I’m so stressed right now. I have no money, no food, no place to stay and no job.” Her English is difficult to understand so that puts her below the radar for being detected for employment. There are so many hundreds of thousands like her. I hugged her, cried with her and gave her some food but the problem is so huge. We just keep trying to give them hope and skills . . . and love.
We heard that one of the problems that Mission Presidents in Africa have to deal with is convincing the black missionaries to return home at the completion of their missions. Most have never lived as well in their lives as they live while serving missions. They have a bed to sleep on, often for the first time, and have food to eat every day. Many send their mission funds home to help feed their families. Some enter the MTC (Missionary Training Center) with only one white shirt that has a “Pizza Hut” or car dealership logo on it. We have personally seen several of these. The only wardrobes many black missionaries have are retrieved from donation bags or given to them by families who fast to save money for their meager, bare necessities such as paperback scriptures. All the ones we have met have such a special, humble spirit about them and express heartfelt testimonies of their love for the Lord. My faith and testimony has grown immensely by rubbing shoulders with Heavenly Father’s beloved children here in South Africa.
Our hearts break for these students who are trying to get an education and make a better life for themselves and for their families. We work with many of these students. One woman that came to take our workshops said, “I’m so stressed right now. I have no money, no food, no place to stay and no job.” Her English is difficult to understand so that puts her below the radar for being detected for employment. There are so many hundreds of thousands like her. I hugged her, cried with her and gave her some food but the problem is so huge. We just keep trying to give them hope and skills . . . and love.We heard that one of the problems that Mission Presidents in Africa have to deal with is convincing the black missionaries to return home at the completion of their missions. Most have never lived as well in their lives as they live while serving missions. They have a bed to sleep on, often for the first time, and have food to eat every day. Many send their mission funds home to help feed their families. Some enter the MTC (Missionary Training Center) with only one white shirt that has a “Pizza Hut” or car dealership logo on it. We have personally seen several of these. The only wardrobes many black missionaries have are retrieved from donation bags or given to them by families who fast to save money for their meager, bare necessities such as paperback scriptures. All the ones we have met have such a special, humble spirit about them and express heartfelt testimonies of their love for the Lord. My faith and testimony has grown immensely by rubbing shoulders with Heavenly Father’s beloved children here in South Africa.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
South African Sights - Part 1
"I thought I'd break up some of my parent's 'sightings' around Africa and post them throughout this week of Leap Year. I hope you enjoy a little taste of Africa and some of the interesting things that Elder and Sister Basso have found along the way." - Melia
"Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent in Botswana and Zimbabwe. It developed from 17th century Dutch dialects. With about 6 million native speakers in South Africa, or 13.3 percent of the population, it is the third most spoken mother tongue in the country. Estimates of the total number of Afrikaans-speakers range between 15 and 23 million."
Image Caption: Afrikaans “SHUT” sign on the grocery counter.
Image Caption: Telling it like it is. This is not called butter or margarine but “fat spread.”
Image Caption: South African version of a 7-11 store.
Image Caption: Ya think?
"Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent in Botswana and Zimbabwe. It developed from 17th century Dutch dialects. With about 6 million native speakers in South Africa, or 13.3 percent of the population, it is the third most spoken mother tongue in the country. Estimates of the total number of Afrikaans-speakers range between 15 and 23 million."
Image Caption: Afrikaans “SHUT” sign on the grocery counter.
Image Caption: Telling it like it is. This is not called butter or margarine but “fat spread.”
Image Caption: South African version of a 7-11 store.
Image Caption: Ya think?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A Man Without Culture - is like a zebra without stripes
"Lesedi cultural center provided a day of singing, chanting, “clicking” dancing and story-telling. We enjoyed the crafts, sights and sounds of Africa.Friendly smiles greeted us as we danced with the natives as they welcomed us to the village. Artisans displayed their beaded handiwork and a marimba band made it impossible to stand still.
The innovative natives played checkers on a game board painted on a flat stone. Rocks and bottle caps were used as checkers. Grunts, gasps and groans accompanied the intense game as if the stakes were sky-high. It was almost as much fun watching them take a checkers break as it was enjoying their musical performance. They wanted their pictures taken with us more than we wanted to pose with them. They called me “mama,” a respectful greeting for older women.
Refreshments were provided but not consumed by this mama! Dried mopane worms, otherwise known as caterpillars, were served in a flat, woven basket in one of the small villages. They provide an important source of protein for millions of indigenous Southern Africans. Thankfully, I’m an American and haven’t been that hungry yet.We observed three generations of beading experts fashion and sell their wares.
I bought an intricate black and white beaded necklace. At work one morning I felt a “bug” scamper down the back of my neck. It was followed by several others. Twisting and scratching I tried to smash the tiny invaders. Then I noticed a trail of them bouncing off the floor. It was then I discovered that my beautiful new beaded necklace was made to self-destruct on the first use. Although my souvenir necklace only lasted a few minutes, the memories of Lesedi will last a lifetime." - Sister Basso
Thursday, February 2, 2012
THE BEAST OF THE EARTH - Stuck in the Lion’s Den
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” And we saw that it was good!
It was an exciting time when we joined the Savages for a visit to the Rhino and Lion Reserve! Unfortunately, the rhinos were in the “Witness Protection Program” and eluded our searching eyes. The lions and leopards picked up the slack and gave us a majestic view of the Creator’s handiwork. We were so close to those magnificent creatures that we could see them breathe, hear them purr and sense the rhythm of their heartbeats.
As we bounced around the rough terrain without four-wheel drive, we watched anxiously around every curve for signs of wild life. It was our closest encounter with nature in the wild. Some areas of particular danger were fenced in and we entered through gates to observe those amazing creatures. The fences were more to protect prey from their predators than to protect either from peering people.
It was a particular thrill to observe the lion and leopard feeding times. We witnessed a close call for a raw man dinner when a ranger turned his back on hungry leopards. It gave new meaning to the phase, “watch your back” and was a reminder about not jeopardizing safety by giving in to distractions.
At one of the feeding points, we drove up next to a ranger’s vehicle for a better vantage point to observe the lion luncheon. The previous night’s storm left the ground muddy and vulnerable to entrapping tires. We became stuck in a wet rut in the middle of the lion’s "lunch-roam." It became reminiscent of Daniel’s experience in the Old Testament although he had no rangers with walkie-talkie’s to summon a rescue. His faith and obedience summoned a higher rescue plan so that he was not listed on the den menu as the “catch of the day.” Instead he became a symbol of the miraculous blessings that can attend those who fear God and not man.
Our ranger neighbor quickly assessed our
situation and summoned help. In moments, we were in the middle of a triangle of three ranger vehicles. Massive lions joined the circle and eyed us as if we were about to be their Saturday Lunch Special. It was impossible to launch a rescue with the lions on the loose so we waited for them to lose interest in our addition to the menu. Such was not the case! Our appeal remained constant.
With no opportunity to attach a tow-chain, one of the rangers charged the lions with his truck and scared them off for just enough micro-seconds for the brave ranger behind us to jump out of his vehicle and push our trembling car out of the rut and back onto the dirt road. It was a heroic thing for him to do. We were so grateful to have been spared from being listing as the “catch of the day” at the Rhino and Lion Reserve. It was thrilling to get an up-close view of these beautiful creatures.
We pondered the plight of Daniel and
suddenly his story took on new meaning as we realized the possible demise in the den that could only have been stayed by the hand of God. He “shut their mouths.” That’s no small thing! Daniel, Chapter 6, would be a good read about now." - Sister Basso
L. Tom Perry said, "Not only did Daniel’s service benefit the king, but because of the faith that Daniel had in the Lord, it affected an entire land. The king sent forth a proclamation that all the people of the kingdom should worship the true and living God, the God that Daniel worshiped. How mighty was the power of the service of one righteous man, affecting so many, as he served “in the world” in which he lived! How effective will be the results of our service if we will continue to serve in our own personal way “in the world” in which we live!
May we have the necessary faith to place our trust in the Lord and not worry about the forces that will surely oppose righteousness. May we have the courage to move forward in the cause of truth.
As we live “in the world,” may we contribute by making it a better place because of our righteous living, our service in causes that are just, and our faith that good will ultimately triumph over evil."
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” And we saw that it was good!
It was an exciting time when we joined the Savages for a visit to the Rhino and Lion Reserve! Unfortunately, the rhinos were in the “Witness Protection Program” and eluded our searching eyes. The lions and leopards picked up the slack and gave us a majestic view of the Creator’s handiwork. We were so close to those magnificent creatures that we could see them breathe, hear them purr and sense the rhythm of their heartbeats.As we bounced around the rough terrain without four-wheel drive, we watched anxiously around every curve for signs of wild life. It was our closest encounter with nature in the wild. Some areas of particular danger were fenced in and we entered through gates to observe those amazing creatures. The fences were more to protect prey from their predators than to protect either from peering people.
It was a particular thrill to observe the lion and leopard feeding times. We witnessed a close call for a raw man dinner when a ranger turned his back on hungry leopards. It gave new meaning to the phase, “watch your back” and was a reminder about not jeopardizing safety by giving in to distractions.At one of the feeding points, we drove up next to a ranger’s vehicle for a better vantage point to observe the lion luncheon. The previous night’s storm left the ground muddy and vulnerable to entrapping tires. We became stuck in a wet rut in the middle of the lion’s "lunch-roam." It became reminiscent of Daniel’s experience in the Old Testament although he had no rangers with walkie-talkie’s to summon a rescue. His faith and obedience summoned a higher rescue plan so that he was not listed on the den menu as the “catch of the day.” Instead he became a symbol of the miraculous blessings that can attend those who fear God and not man.
Our ranger neighbor quickly assessed our
situation and summoned help. In moments, we were in the middle of a triangle of three ranger vehicles. Massive lions joined the circle and eyed us as if we were about to be their Saturday Lunch Special. It was impossible to launch a rescue with the lions on the loose so we waited for them to lose interest in our addition to the menu. Such was not the case! Our appeal remained constant.With no opportunity to attach a tow-chain, one of the rangers charged the lions with his truck and scared them off for just enough micro-seconds for the brave ranger behind us to jump out of his vehicle and push our trembling car out of the rut and back onto the dirt road. It was a heroic thing for him to do. We were so grateful to have been spared from being listing as the “catch of the day” at the Rhino and Lion Reserve. It was thrilling to get an up-close view of these beautiful creatures.
We pondered the plight of Daniel and
suddenly his story took on new meaning as we realized the possible demise in the den that could only have been stayed by the hand of God. He “shut their mouths.” That’s no small thing! Daniel, Chapter 6, would be a good read about now." - Sister BassoL. Tom Perry said, "Not only did Daniel’s service benefit the king, but because of the faith that Daniel had in the Lord, it affected an entire land. The king sent forth a proclamation that all the people of the kingdom should worship the true and living God, the God that Daniel worshiped. How mighty was the power of the service of one righteous man, affecting so many, as he served “in the world” in which he lived! How effective will be the results of our service if we will continue to serve in our own personal way “in the world” in which we live!
May we have the necessary faith to place our trust in the Lord and not worry about the forces that will surely oppose righteousness. May we have the courage to move forward in the cause of truth.
As we live “in the world,” may we contribute by making it a better place because of our righteous living, our service in causes that are just, and our faith that good will ultimately triumph over evil."
Monday, January 30, 2012
Temples Are a Beacon
"This is a great video about the sacrifices that people make to go to the Temple. I thought it appropriate to share with you as my mom recently posted about the Temple Assistant Fund and the blessings of the temple. The voice is of our prophet, Thomas S. Monson.
My family and I traveled to the Washington D.C. Temple on Saturday about 3 hours from our home in Philadelphia. Some travel 5 minutes to the temple while others sacrifice much and go a great distance to get to the temple. It is never thought of by us as a sacrifice but a great blessing to enter the House of the Lord." - Melia
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