Aloha Ohana and Haoaloha,
This week has been an up and down week. It was transfer week and thankfully Sitter Mottl and I are both staying a little bit longer! We were able to teach some really great lessons.
Sad news first: one of our less active Marshallese sisters who was starting to come back passed away suddenly. It was rough! We had gone over Saturday to see if she needed a ride and found out that she had been medivaced (flown over to Oahu for medical care which is very common here for basically anything) we asked a few questions and found out how we could get a hold of her husband. We called him and asked what was going on and he told us that his wife was doing better but sleeping. 2 days later we understood that sleeping meant a coma. Her liver failed and then while they were trying to stabilize her to have a liver transplant her kidneys gave out and she passed away on Wednesday. Even though there have been a lot of tears there have still been tender mercies through it. I am so grateful for the organization of the church and of the mission because within minutes we were able to have someone going over to the hospital to give her a blessing, and I was able to contact Sister Broomhead (my companion 2 transfers ago, who was moved to Oahu) and she was able to be with the family in the hospital when she, Romina, passed away. Also, as a ward we have been able to bind together and help out the family that stayed here in Kauai with meals and support.
Then, we had 2 other people in our ward whose relatives passed away this past week. It has been a sobering week. Some how Heavenly Father helped me keep it all together for lessons when all I wanted to do was cry and go home and pray.
I'm grateful to say that there is good news to report on as well! We have started teaching a family that is so good. Funny thing is that they are from the town right next to me back home. The mom is a less active member, with a non member husband, and a son who has been coming to church and loving it! We started teaching them last week with the restoration, then we had a mid week lesson and we reviewed and watched the Restoration DVD. Then this past Sunday we were all able to go over to a members house and have another lesson; and, of course, it wouldn't be Hawaii without some form of food afterwards. We were able to talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the things that Heavenly Father has asked us to do and Jesus has been the example for. We must have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost and, the hardest one, endure to the end. The whole family was loving it and I love teaching people that are open to learn and want to know what we believe. They have so many questions and the 9 year old son is seriously a sponge! Oh my, everything we teach he just takes in and understands and I know that it is not because I am a great teacher; but, it is because of the Spirit and how Heavenly Father loves this boy so much that He is helping him! Wow, God is so amazing and good. We are trying to work with the family for the 14th of March to be baptized on!
Also, we were able to teach another family (husband and wife). They have been attending church for the past 3 months or so but never really had time for us to come by till now! We taught them on Wednesday right after we found out about Romina. It was really hard for me to go into that lesson. We watched a video about a family that takes the lessons and is baptized and then goes to the temple to be sealed as a family. It was such a spiritual moment and one of Heavenly Fathers reminders to me that this work is so much more that just baptizing people. I am here to bring people closer to their Heavenly Father and being baptized is just the first step! The temple is the real goal, that is where we have our families, the people we care the most about, bound to us for eternity, not til death do you part. God created a plan for us and the family is central to that, why would He create a plan and not create a way for us to be sealed with our families? I'm so grateful that He did prepare a way and my job as a representative of Jesus Christ is that I must help people know how they too can obtain this amazing gift our Heavenly Father has given us! I am so grateful for Heavenly Father and how much He loves me and helps me get through so much, the big things and the little things. I truly would be nothing without my Heavenly Father.
Jiman has been clean of smoking for 1 whole week! He is doing so well! We have a lesson with him tonight. He is still working for March 22! His broken English and our struggling Marshallese make quite the team, I am grateful for the Spirit which helps and for bilingual members who are so willing to help!
Testimony builder: Resita is a recent convert who is an elderly lady whose family does not always come to Church. We stopped by and she was so happy that we had found a ride for her the prior Sunday and asked if we could find her another ride. Of course we can - a ride problem should never be the reason not to come to church. She then told us that every Sunday she wakes up and gets ready for church and then wakes up her family who told her they would take her. Then some Sundays they tell her they are going to go to the beach instead, and she refuses to go with them. They will go out to eat and she says, " I am fine with water and the scriptures- that is food enough." She truly knows how to obey the commandment, "Keep the Sabath Day Holy." Her strength and desire to follow God has truly blessed her life and given her much strength.
Well, I think that is it for now. I truly love this work! I have learned that it is so important to work for our Heavenly Father and to do the things that he asks us to do because that is when we will grow the most, and find the most happiness! We may not be able to change the world but we can change ourselves. Michael Jackson said, "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change." We can't control other people but we can control ourselves. I pray that I am changing for the better and I hope that my little example will be enough. I know that when we serve others we find love, we become angels to others and that is where I have found so much joy. My mission thus far has been full of moments where others have been angels to me and I have been angels to them. I am servant of the Lord, and I have no greater Master because I have found so much joy here doing His work and helping as much as I can. I love you all and I love the Lord! God is good Always! Ofa atu! (Tongan) Aishiteru! (Japanese) Mahal kita! (Tagalog) Poake poake yuk! (Polynesian) Alofa ia te oe! (Samoan) Yokwe yuk! (Marshalese) Nalong secolm! (Crotrian) Aloha wau ia oe! (Hawaiian)
Love Always,
Sister Cassidy Jean Lang
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