Sister missionaries at the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors’ Center have been teaching children about the Savior every Friday morning for the past three months. They call this summer program Story Time.
Sister Phraendrich Penales, a full-time missionary from New Zealand, said, “The missionary purpose is to help people to come to Jesus Christ. Story Time helps everyone to come closer to him. Every topic is based on a different Christ-like attribute.”
Sister Lindsay Evans, a full-time missionary from Southern California, shared, “Storytime helps children because it involves the Spirit. The Spirit teaches us simple truths. It also helps us to learn how to teach simply and make people better understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Sister Ardis Jensen, a senior missionary from Utah, said every week there are approximately 50 people, usually parents with children, who come to listen to the stories.
Each weekly Story Time is 30 minutes long and starts and ends with a prayer. The sister missionaries sing a few hymns with the audience throughout the performance.
The sisters use objects to tell the stories that all cover the same topic. Five to six companionships participate in Story Time, actively engaging children and parents with objects such as finger puppets, pictures, and costumes.
Sister Jensen continued, “This year our stories are based on the scriptures.” She also said, “Only sisters participate in Story Time. I find stories, adjust, edit them, and [sister missionaries] perform it. We are also trying to put a cultural aspect into the stories we tell. For example, sisters always wear leis to give a Hawaiian flavor … and we also add some music.”
Ann Toilolo from Laie came to Story Time on Aug. 14. “This is my first time bringing my grandkids here. It is so awesome. Loved it. If I keep bringing them, they will learn children songs, feel the Spirit and learn good manners.”
Toilolo said her grandkids feel very peaceful at the Visitors’ Center and enjoy learning and singing children's songs.
Sister Jensen said Story Time is focused on the children ages 2-5, but all children are welcome. They usually come with their families, she said. “One of the main reasons of the Story Time is to help sisters to learn because one day they will be leaders in their own home; they will be mothers. It is also a service for the local community.”
The last two Story Times are scheduled for Aug. 21 and 28 at 10:30 a.m. The doors of the Visitors’ Center are open to anyone every day from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.