Aloha Ohana and Haoaloha,
Well the time has flown by yet again! Even Sister Harris has noticed - so it’s not just me :) I feel like this week has been a blurr and that everything has mushed together so I will talk about the stuff that stands out in my mind:
Sister Harris birthday was last monday. I learned how to make German Chocolate cake and it was super good! Then I took her for a tour and showed her some of my favorite spots here! It was beautiful day. That night Doresty had us over to celebrate! They sang and danced and just shared their culture and it was so much fun :) I really love them so much.
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| I made her those! |
On Tuesday we had exchanges and I went to Hanalei with Sister Haws (my old companion from Palehua) It was so much fun! We were both able to see how much we had grown since the last time that we had physiclally served around eachother. We met some amazing people and were able to have some really unexpected spiritual moments. One that will stick out in my mind forever is we knocked on a door of a man that they had met just on the streets a few times. He opens the door and has tatoos every where and 3 peircings on his face - I am sad to say that at first glance I judged and didn’t think this would go anywhere. We stayed and talked - soon the appearance faded and I was able to see him the way that Heavenly Father sees him - a child of God. He truly believed in God and in his Savior, Jesus Christ! He cursed like a sailor but then he listened. We bore simple testimonies of the restored gospel and how Joseph Smith had been called of God to be the prophet to bring back the same church that Jesus Christ had established with the proper authority. Then we invited him to find out for himself. He had read parts of the Book of Mormon but accepted the invitation to read it again. We invited him to pray about it - but, the prayer would only work if he was willing to completely follow what the Lord told him was truth. He thought about it and realized that if he found the truth he would follow it. He also agreed to come to church. To me, he was a miracle. Man looks on the outward appearance; but, God looks on the soul.
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| beautiful hanalei |
Timmy is a less active that has not showed too much interest in coming back until we started teaching his cousin, NG (getting baptized this Saturday). Timmy started sitting in the lessons with us and then has been reading with NG as well. We asked him the other week why he didn’t come to church and he said that he didn’t like having to wear pants and a tie. Um if that is the only reason - wear whatever you want. It is more important that you come wearing a nice shirt than not come. Well, he has come every week since in a collared polo and black shorts. He is 17 and remembered his older brother baptizing people and wanted to know if he could do the same thing. We told him he would have to work for it and to talk to the Bishop to know what he needed to do.Yesterday, he met with the Bishop for the 3rd time and he is set to baptize NG this Saturday and we are so excited! Sometimes we forget what is truly important because we put all sorts of little things infront of it. We go to church to partake of the sacrament- not to show off our nice clothes.
Well, that is what has stuck out to me this past week. I want to leave here with no regrets, with a smile on my face, and changed. Something that has been on my mind of late is, "Love is the Essence of the Gospel" by President Thomas Monson. Christ is our example and He did everything out of love. When I allow Christ into my heart I am amazed at how many people I can love. When I left Lanai I thought that I would never love my areas as much. As I met the man in Hanalei - I cam to love him. As I think of leaving here my heart breaks because I love these people so much. I find so much joy with them and cry with them when they call and voice their trials. A phone call ends and I offer a teary prayer because I love them so much and hope that they will go to the source of answers, comfort, truth and peace and that is to our Father in Heaven. As we allow Jesus Christ's atonement to heal us we expand. As I partook of the sacrament the other day I thought of the words, "blessed and brake" of how Christ performed the last supper. Every week I come to Him and leave feeling blessed. Then throu
ghout the week my heart breaks. Why? He knew what lay in the week and knew i would need healing - He blessed and gave me the strength to carry on even when I break. For that I love Him and continue to learn to love His children. With that I love you all! Mahal kita! Aishiteru! Ofa atu! Te amo! Narong secolm! Poake poake yuk! Alofa iate oe! Yokwe yuk! Arohanui! Aloha wau ia oe!
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| where I took sister Harris for her birthday |
Love Always,
Sister Cassidy Lang
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