Week 63 - I Love Heartaches! - April 2, 2014

Aloha Ohana and Haoaloha,

   Sorry this is a few days late. As sister trainers Sister Mottl and I had a meeting on Monday in Oahu. Man that was weird to go back there and then I remembered that I am so grateful to be on Kauai still :) Oahu is like the mainland in that it is so busy and city; when I was there I loved it but if I had to choose I would stay off island (off Oahu).

    Transfers came and went- I am still on Kauai and that is a miracle in itself. The new people are great haha. Elder Morris came who was my District Leader in Palehua for awhile; and, Sister Haws came as well, and she was my companion back in Palehua. It is good to see her again and she has been able to fill me in on what has been gong on in my past area.

   As for the work: it is going super well! I love all the people we are working with. Perez is the best! His baptism is the Sunday after General Conference and he is so excited. He had his baptismal interview last night and did awesome! He is so excited and I am so grateful that I have been able to stay and see all of these miracles! We were quizzing him right before his interview on what a few words meant and he got all the ones he had been struggling with. The mission has taught me that LDS people have our own language with gospel terms that we just use as if other people know them. Kinda like how doctors can't use their language when they are just talking to us normal patients.

   Antoinette- still so amazing she is so excited for her baptism on the 19th! She struggles a lot with the after effects of past mistakes of drugs but she told us that whenever she is with us she doesn't feel the negative forces working so hard on her. She also told us about a dream she had where she saw 2 angels watching out for her. When she woke up she realized the angels to be Sister Mottl and I. Whether that was true or not I know that she is being watched over and that she has been an angel to me. She is so strong and a fighter. She managed to get herself out of really hard situations and has found Christ and is truly allowing Him to heal her. It is amazing how He truly is the Master Healer and can heal anything we bring to Him. I am just so humbled and grateful to be able to see these miracles occur.

    Vegas Ohana- They are doing awesome! Their little son is so cute! We taught them about prayer and it was really good. They still struggle with praying. They feel okay praying by themselves but when it comes to praying with us they pass it off to one of the missionaries. Sister Mottl and I are trying really hard to help them resolve this fear they have. Besides that they are doing awesome and I just feel so close to them as we teach them. Lyon, the husband, reminds me of Dad because he can fall asleep anywhere and at anytime. He was telling us that as they were driving to church he had to pull over and make Mojo, the wife, drive because he was falling asleep. Mojo was like, "Really? you were just singing and fine." And he was like, "I know but I was falling asleep." Yep, that is my dad :) As we were leaving the little son, Landon, says, "Come mommy, we have to walk my friends out." It was so Cute!!! They came to Kalaheo ward this week and it was so good to see them. They usually go to a different ward because that is where their family all goes. I love them.

   June: she is less active and we randomly stopped by on Friday and it was perfect. The day prior she had had an awful day and is really struggling with a family problem. She opened up to us and we were able to be a source of comfort for her because she didn't feel like she could seek peace from her family. She hasn't been to church for months now and we told her about the Women's
Conference the following day. She said that she would try and come. We then proceeded to ask if she did go if we could go with her because we needed a ride and then she wouldnt have to walk in by herself. She said she would let us know. Saturday comes and she calls and she takes us and it was great! She is such an amazing lady and is finding her testimony again and holding fast to Christ! She ended up getting along really well with Antoinette which was awesome because we have introduced Antoinette to a lot of people but she hasnt yet hit it off with any one but maybe they will be able to help one another. June came to church on Sunday and sat with us (along with half the Marshalese kids) and it was great!

   Missionary Leadership Counsel (MLC)- it was really good! We were trained on how as missionaries we need to endure to the end of our missions. I really liked it, I don't think I'm that trunky but we do deal with some trunky missionaries so it was nice to go over how to help them. I think my favorite part was seeing some of the missionaries that I know. ( I don't know very many but it was nice to see the few - I guess spending 12 months not on Oahu does that to you; but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make ;)) I was able to talk to someone that had just come off of Lanai and it was great to hear how the people were doing. They baptized someone that I had started teaching! Then one of the less active families that I helped come back just went through the temple! and I found out that Brandon, my 1st convert, is getting sealed to his wife and kids on April 4th! It fills my heart so much but it hurts at the same time to know I'm not there but I am so happy that I was able to help the little that I could. I cant explain how I feel because I want to stay here forever but I know that is not Heavenly Father's plan for me. I will have to leave I will have to move forward. But my heart doesn't want to leave what I love so much! But I also know that somehow I will love where He takes me too. I feel as if complete joy is always accompanied with heart ache of missing the ones I love too!

   I am so grateful to be here! I am so grateful for 4.5 more months to serve (editor's note: she will eventually  realize it is less than 4,not 4.5). I am grateful for this time of year with General Conference this week end where we get to listen to prophets and apostles, the ones that speak with and receive direction from Jesus Christ! I love Easter time and remembering that because of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection I can be forgiven of the things I have done wrong and that even after I die I will rise again, body and all! I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints is the true church and that it contains the Lord's Priesthood power! I know that Christ died and yet lives again for all of us! I love the gospel and I love being a missionary and a representative of Jesus Christ! I love you all! Poake poake yuk! Ofa atu! Alofa iate oe! Yokwe yuk! Aloha wau ia oe!