Week 51, Kalaheo, Kauai (the Garden Isle), Hawaii

Christmas Sunrise

(For those who are keeping track, with a change of P-days due to the holidays and the Christmas phone call to home, this is the first letter since the 16th of December).

Sister Broomhead and Me -Christmas tree and our presents!

Aloha Ohana and Haoaloha,

    A new transfer has begun and I'm very excited! We had such an amazing week. At the start of the week it was a little hard, transfers always make me nervous with a new companion that I'm going to have to learn how to like and get along with 24/7, the holidays were ending, no more anticipation to talk to the family, my year mark is here, the mission is changing a lot, and then Carly came home from serving her mission. Aka- I had a lot of emotions all inside me and they finally all took me over the first few days of the week. It was hard but emailing my mom and Carly helped! And then I had to start walking by faith and allowing the Lord to help get me going again. And surprise! He has done it again. I truly am so blessed! 

   Monday was spent getting Sister Broomhead all packed and ready to go and then saying our goodbyes and giving last lessons before she left. It was really good. Side note- I'm much better at packing other peoples stuff and not stressing out than I am for myself. 

   Tuesday- New Years Eve! awake at 5 and driving to the airport at 5:30am! Aioe! so early! I made her a lei gave her a hug and kiss goodbye and then a member met me at the airport so that I wouldn't be alone for the next 2 hours while I waited for my new companion. Slightly awkward- it was this member and then her son, who is my age, and me. You know you have been a missionary for awhile when you feel awkward around someone your own age that you aren't teaching. Well we went to breakfast and then went and got my new companion. Sister Mottl is wonderful. A bit odd but completely herself, she laughs a lot, reminds me of my old roommate, has a strong testimony, and is trying really hard to be a good missionary. We are both weird together and it makes me happy to work with her! We get along super well and I love being her companion! 

OK, for new Years Eve all the missionaries went to one of our members house, set up a projector, watched a really sad church movie (I left at the end because I didn't like that it was sad), then at 12, fireworks. Then all of us missionaries, and some of my ward families all had our first meal together at the Morris's at 12:15! Then we went home and went to bed :) It was so great and I thought of last New Years Eve when my mom and I tried to watch the whole night and by the new year I was like," Yep that was a waste of time". My mom and I decided we would never do that again. Then this year was so great and simple but surrounded by so many people that I love! 

    Wednesday- New Years also our P-day (our day to get everything done.) We went to Koke'e with all the missionaries on the island! It is so beautiful. I wish we had gone up earlier and been able to do our studies up there because it was so peaceful and I just wanted to stay and take it all in and not be bothered by the tourists and being rushed to the next lookout point. We went to a park up there and I ended up seeing one of my members from the Palehua ward (Editor's note: back on Oahu) at the park! It was so good to see them and hear how the ward is doing. 

    Amazing good stories of the rest of the week: 

~ Awesome lesson with Gilbert. I hadn't seen him in a few weeks and it was great. We stopped by and he had just gotten home form work and he was really tired but told us later that he wanted to tell us to come later but then he remembered that he always feels better after he visits with us no matter how tired he is. We read 3 Nephi 18 which talks about the sacrament and the importance of church. Talked about the love of God for us and how we all need Him to help us in our hard times. He mentioned how he misses the sacrament sometimes. He really doesn't like any churches because he has seen a lot of judging and people going to church and then acting completely different than how the Bible tells us to be. We invited him to church and he said no. I half expected that but then he told us, "I want to go when I am ready, when I won't go with a critical eye waiting for someone to do something wrong. I am not there yet but I can feel that I am getting closer." I told him that we would keep asking and he said that is fine and that when he comes he will be ready and if it is right he will become a member. I love being able to see people's lives change. Gilbert is one who changes slow, but changing he is. He is so good and I know that when he is ready he will come to church and take that next step closer to our Heavenly Father. 

~ Had a lot of QGC (quality gospel conversations). Talked to a lot of people and found some with potential. One is Jacob. We met him and he was in his garage with his bike. We talked about the restoration of the gospel and left a Book of Mormon with him and asked if we could come back, he said yep on Saturday. So Saturday comes and we find him outside once again working on his bike, we found out that he built it himself (well that's amazing). Asked if he had a few minutes and he said ya. So we were able to talk to him about how God loves all of us and has given us our families, prophets, scriptures, and Jesus Christ to help us return back to him. We gave a little bit better review of how the Book of Mormon is the proof we have that the Lord's kingdom is restored back to the earth through latter day prophets. He agreed that it was all possible and wanted to learn more. We invited him to read and he said that he would and we are going back next week. We invited him to church and he said that he couldn't this week but that next week he could! He is really good and I am super excited to be able to keep teaching him. We are increasing our teaching pool which is awesome! 

~ We were trying to find this Recent convert who hasn't been coming to church. Well we turned down a wrong street that we thought was right. Got out of the car and met all these nice little ankle biters (small dogs). One of them took a fancy to my companion. So when I backed out the car and she opened the car door the little dog jumped into our car and sat in the front seat. It looks like I have myself a new companion haha. 

~ We are trying to work with a boy named Perez, who wants to be baptized but his mom says that he needs to wait until he is 18. He comes to church every Sunday with his aunt and uncle (recent converts, David and Doresty), and wants to serve a mission. Well, we taught about fasting and then we invited them to fast for Perez to be baptized this month. We fasted with them and they are so amazing and we are praying for a miracle for this month. 

~Random- I met my first Wicken. We were driving to dinner and see this guy on the side of the road who looked sad. So we turned around parked the car and walked up to him. Well, he was not sad but stood up and we had a nice talk about what a Wicken was. he was very nice and I just hope that some day down the line he will remember those 2 Mormon girls who talked to him one random day. 

     Well, I love being a missionary. I love being here in Kauai! I love the Lord and I love to laugh! God is good always! Sometimes the first thing we need to change is ourselves!  I love you all and will sprint for the finish line. 6 MONTHS! Ah! Alofa ia te oe! Mahal kita! Yakwe yuk! Ofa atu! Pweko pweko yuk! Aishiteru! Te amo! Aloha ia oe!