So I realized that I didn't tell you about Lanai. It is one of the smallest islands. The whole town, where all 3,000 people live, is right in the middle of the island. There are 2 hotels Manele on one end of the island and Koele on the other side of the island. Then the town is super small and in the middle. This island used to be a pineapple plantation but when the hotels came in they had to choose whether to use the water for the pineapples or for the golf courses at the hotels... The hotels won. Now the fields that used to be covered with pineapples (one lady described it when she came to the island and the plane was landing she didn't even see the runway she thought they were just landing in pineapple fields... so they were everywhere) are left barren. My companion and I live at the church in a little tiny apartment that is connected to it. There is a little kitchen, bathroom and then our bedroom. It is cozy but small, but I like it and it has come to be home.
Story from Lanai: Last week we went to Sweetheart Rock down at the beach. The story goes: There once lived a working man on Lanai who fell in love with a beautiful girl. He worked hard so one day he could marry her. His hard work paid off and the two were married. But the man was so protective of his beautiful wife and he didn't want any one else to behold her beauty so he placed her in a cave where they would live and then he would be the only one that could see her beauty. One day, he was on the island hunting and had left his beautiful wife in the cave and when the high tide came up she drowned. When the man returned to find his beautiful wife dead he couldn't see her left to the ocean. So, he swam to the cave rescued her body and taking all the strength he had, he climbed to the top of the rock where he buried her. After he had made the greatest burial he could manage he realized he could not live life without her and ran and jumped off the rock to his death. The legend is that he was turned into a shark that guards Sweetheart Rock and his beautiful wife to this day.
We went and saw Sweetheart Rock last week and saw our baptismal font in the ocean! But don't worry the gospel is being shared too! We have had so many great moments here this week. First, we ate dinner with the Oshimas (a super cute and old Japanese couple who are members) and they had a nonmember, Flora with them. (Flora has come to church for 20 years now but has never been baptized.) It was amazing to talk with her. We shared a video about the Restoration and we all bore testimony of the gospel and the Restoration and then we asked what she was thinking or if she felt anything. She opened up to us and said that she didn't understand us when we said we know. How can we know? Then she doesn't know how the Holy Ghost talks to her personally. We shared experiences of how we feel the Holy Ghost but it is different for everyone but I know she has felt it she just does not recognize that those feelings are the Holy Ghost. We asked her if she would like to be baptized and she said she didn't know. At times she wants to but then she just doesn't know. She has a hard time understanding why her husband was not healed and why that prayer was not answered. It was a really good start and I am excited to be able to get to know her better. It is hard to understand why bad things sometimes happen; but, I do know that God has a better perspective than we do and he only wants what is best for us even if that means we have to suffer a little bit first. Then, I know that if we follow this gospel we have the opportunity to be with our families forever, not until death but forever.
Second, we met a guy named Wesley, and we went over for a return appointment and we were able to talk about the Restoration through Joseph Smith. After we had talked about it he was really excited and was like, "That is so cool. It makes a lot more sense now!" I think he is feeling the Spirit and he has started to read a little bit from the Book of Mormon. We invited him to come to church but he didn't come yesterday, but we will keep trying.
Lessons God taught me: prayer softens hearts. With the Prayer Approach and asking people if we can pray with and for them to leave the Savior's blessings of peace and comfort, I have seen the Spirit soften people's hearts. One example, we knocked on Primo's door and he was like, "No, sorry I am watching the news." Then I told him that it wouldn't take long so he said ok. We prayed and after he started asking us questions and told us to come back when his wife was home. Primo went from someone that did not want to pray with us to wanting us to come back to talk more with him! The second thing God has taught me is that when we try our best He will provide. Every day we set goals and try our best to achieve that goal. One day we had a goal of 3 people we could pray with. We had knocked on doors for an hour and a half and no one had been willing to pray with us. There were about 5 houses left on the block and I was discouraged to say the least. Within those 5 houses we were able to pray with exactly 3. I know that when we set goals and try our very best to achieve them through our own works and fall short, that is when the Lord will step in and help us. He never wants to see us fail but that doesn't mean He will give us success if we do not first work for it.
Well I think that is it for this past week! I love this gospel, I know that it is true. I love the Lord and Jesus Christ. I love this work! And I love the people of Lanai! I hope and pray that all is well in your lives back home
Love Always,
Sister Cassidy Jean Lang
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