Thursday, June 30, 2011

Another Six Weeks In Kauai

Aloooha!!!


Another week in Kaua'i has come and gone!!! Transfers came and we found out the transfer information. I am staying on Kaua'i and my companion, Elder Watson, is going to Laie to train! My companion is Elder Coffin from Idaho Falls, Idaho. He's 9 months out, so he's super young for a ZL, but it'll be fun! I get to train him as a ZL. So that'll be fun!!
We had an awesome week!!! On Tuesday, we had six lessons scheduled, and we ended up teaching ten!! We were so busy we had to split and go with members of the ward from five to nine. It was wild!! Fun though!!


Let's see. We lost all of our investigators, and than God blessed us to find six more. Four of them are set up to be baptized. Nolan is going to be baptized the 23 of July. He came to church last week, and now really wants to change his life and be baptized. I'm excited for him, he's awesome!!! That's our next baptism!!!


I failed to mention something. Joey C*** who was baptized last week, or two weeks ago, his legal middle name is "The Speedy" because when he was born, he came faster than the doctor did, so they called him the Speedy!! I think that's hilarious!!! I want to name my kid something awesome like that.


Anyways, back on track, we went to Kalaheo to watch the new version of the Joseph Smith movie. It was awesome!!! It's on radio.lds.org or you tube, and it has new material in it!! It's also meant more for people who don't know too much about Joseph Smith, so we took some of our investigators!! I saw the whole Kalaheo ward again!! It was awesome!!! The WML, Dale K***, had me stand up and re-introduced me to the ward. It was cool cuz all the members came up to talk to me again! There are so many good ward members there, I just loved that ward!! They are all incredible. I've been sooo blessed to serve in good wards such as Kalaheo and Kaneohe 3. Those have been my two favorite areas. The members in any area are so devoted to the gospel and so devoted to living it. It's such an awesome example to me of how to be when I am older in life.


Anyways, thanks for all you do!!! Love you all and hope to hear from you soon!!! A new transfer in Kaua'i!!!!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Last Week Of Transfers

Aloooooooha!!!!


Another week has come and gone here in Kaua'i!!! We had the two baptisms of Katherine T*** and Joey C***. They were both very well prepared for the gospel and so ready to be baptized. You can tell there is a different countenance about them when you see them or talk to them. They are just so much happier and know they are taking the right steps to return to live with Heavenly Father again.


I don't know if any of you remember Hilton from when I served in Kalaheo, Kaua'i. But the sisters recently started teaching him again and set a baptism date of July 23 with him. I would be so excited if he got baptized. They said they'll suggest I can do the ordinance as well, which was be awesome to baptize someone from my Greenie days. I sure loved that man and hope he can make it to be baptized. The sisters will do an awesome job with that.


We also had a miracle happen on Sunday. A few weeks ago we called a guy who was taught a long time ago and asked him if he wanted to be taught again, he surprisingly said yes. He said he was going to come to church, but didn't that week. Well, this week, he popped in and stayed all three hours!! We have a lesson set up on Wednesday, and he could be our next baptism!! I'm excited to see how that turns out!!!


Well, this is the last week of the transfer. It's going to be interesting to see how it turns out. Elder Watson could go, I think I'm staying though. I'd be very surprised if I left the island. I'm trying to pull some strings and get Elder Garritson over here. He has been on O'ahu for a year, and should come to Kaua'i with me haha. That would be sickly amazing. We'll hope and see what happens!!


Elder Watson has been sick so I did a massive 8-hour personal study. During that 8 hours I read Leviticus, Numbers, part of Deuteronomy, Mosiah, and finished Jeremiah. I'm almost done with the Old Testament. I just have to read from Ezekial on, but my brain feels like it's going to explode!! Goodness.


Anyways, work is going well, and now it's time to find investigators!!! This week, we'll work hard and see what can happen!! Love you all!!!

Edit: I found out today that Elder Garritson has just been called to be an AP (Assistant to the President) so Elder Travis will probably run into him from time to time but they won't be companions again. I can hardly wait to get his email about it next Monday.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Signs In Kauai

Here are some more silly signs of Kauai.Everyone seems to be warning us of this.This one makes me laugh right out loud!
Definitely a drink I wouldn't want to try!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Sister Missionaries In Kauai

Aloha!!!!

Another week is down in the famous life of a missionary. We had a baptism of Lisa W*** this Saturday. Her daughter is very interested and will probably follow. The sisters still teach her because she likes them better haha. But it's a baptism in the same sense, so it's ok!!! President and Sister Dalton flew out to it because they know how hard the sisters worked to get her, and it's their first baptism in Kaua'i. It was cool to see that.We have a surprise baptism this Friday!! Katherine wanted to get baptized a week earlier!! So Friday she'll be baptized!! Than on Saturday Joey will be baptized. So we have two baptisms this week. I just love being a missionary. We are seeing so many miracles and so many awesome things happening. We are certainly busy and working hard. I'm glad Elder Watson is seeing a close to his mission like this, like Elder Barraza did. I want an end like this!! Hope I do, we'll see :)
on the other hand, we had ZLC this week. It was good, we counseled as leadership of the mission how to achieve vision 200. It'll take a very long process and hard work and diligence from future missionaries, but President wants to hit it before he leaves. It's possible, all things are with God. I'll keep my eyes on that bit of knowledge!!! Right now we are striving to hit vision 115. The most the mission has every baptized was 113, and we had 108 last May of 2010. So we'll see if we can beat that before I leave!!
Anyways, aside from that, we spent a lot of time this week contacting people who used to be taught by missionaries, and part member families. We are starting to run dry of investigators here in Kaua'i. We don't want to sink into a 0 investigator pit after this week. So hopefully we'll find more who are prepared!!! That was our problem in Kaneohe, we baptized 6 people in 6 weeks and ran out of people to teach. It's a wonderful problem to have, so we just have to fix it!!
Aside from that, it's been a fun week and we've been working hard.I love it here in Kaua'i and the ward is magnificent. Hawaii is a very blessed place to serve!!!


Love you all and can't wait to hear from you!!!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Kauai News

Well, another week in Kaua'i!!!


First off, we had our baptism for Teagan ***. We should have one this Saturday for Lisa ***, then Joey and Katherine. We are excited to see those go through!! I didn't do too much to help with Teagan, but it's awesome to always see baptisms.
We had a meeting with Elder Whiting on Sunday. It was just a conference call but it was still cool!! He's less intimidating in person and not so ...rebuking haha. Maybe it's cuz Kaua'i is doing better than Kaneohe baptisms wise, I'm not sure.


On the other hand, we figured out that Elder Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy is coming to speak to the Kaua'i stake in July!! I'm stoked for that. I missed Elder Russel M. Nelson, but I can see Elder Rasband, whom I just love!!


We had a cool experience with Katherine. She told us that she was beginning to feel doubt about the church and didn't feel ready. She was ready to call it all off and stop meeting with us, but she decided to pray first (smart choice). She than prayed, and on her way to church, she said she felt an overwhelming feeling of peace, and felt the desire to be baptized. She now wants to be baptized really bad!! She will wait till the 25th cuz it's a special day for her, but it's a true testimony to me on how the Lord truly does work through our investigators. I believed it was Elder Pearson who told us that, "Thousands of legions of angels are preparing the hearts of investigators. More than you can possibly see or comprehend."


I just love being a missionary, and this Thursday I hit my 18 month mark. I don't even know what's happened to my time. But I know that I will work my hardest the last 6 months, and when I walk off to that airplane in the Honolulu Hawaii airport, I want to know within my heart that I did ALL I could to bring souls to Christ. I want that sense of accomplishment and peace, instead of doubt and guilty thoughts. I love this gospel, more than I can say. I love my Savior who I know will one day stand before my face, and plead my cause before the Father. I hope and pray I may stand worthy in front of Him and say, "I did ALL I could do". I encourage everyone to look to Jesus, and let Him heal you.
Love you all and hope to hear from you soon!!

***Elder Travis pointing to the red dirt of Kauai but......this picture shows the color better, end of edit.