New Record of 57 Lessons Taught!

Aloooohaaaaa!!!!How are you wonderful people!!


We had such a marvelous week, I honestly do not know where to start, so I'll attempt to try!!

Last week, a friend of the Keeler's, Michelle, came to church and we set up an appointment with her. We had our first lesson with her on Monday night. She is so prepared to accept the gospel!! She is excited to be baptized and she is embracing everything the gospel has to offer. We set a baptism date for her for September 10. Next week!! We are super stoked for her and so excited to see what can happen with her!!!

We also had 57 lessons this week. We put Elder Tiakia to work. We took Kekoa, who received his mission call to New Zealand, and went out on splits every hour of every day almost. Thank you Koa for your sacrifice and helping us achieve this amazing goal!!!!!

We also happened to have an amazing miracle. I mean...AMAZING. Melissa came to church on Sunday with her family. We helped Melissa pick up a piano from the west side of the island, and move it to her house. She was very appreciative of it, and so her, her husband, and daughter came to church on Sunday. This was Melissa's second time coming. She had a huge migraine and almost didn't come, but she felt she needed to. She stayed all three hours, and after Relief Society she told me she had an amazing story to tell me, and her daughter, Coral wanted to tell me too!! We had a meeting that we had to go to, but I sent Elder Coffin and Tiakia to it so I could talk to her. She told me that everything has been falling into place for her the past few weeks since she's been meeting with us. She just got a dog and cat that are perfect for her, as she says. She lost the dog however a few days ago. As expected, she was devastated, and so was Coral. They looked everywhere for it. After hours of looking, Melissa prayed and begged Heavenly Father to help her find him. She said, "I'll believe and get rid of my doubts." After her prayer, shortly afterwards, she found the dog. She knew that it wasn't just a convenience, but that God was blessing her. She told me she only sees good in this church and wasn't expecting everyone to be so kind. She began to cry and said, "I know the church is true, and I want to be baptized. When can I get baptized?" I'll admit, I began to cry and testified of how God is blessing her because she is allowing the gospel into her life. We set a baptism date for the 17, and Coral was very VERY excited to do it as well. This is a TRUE miracle, since day 1 to today, she has changed so much and she seems happier. She is amazing, and I'm so so excited for the 17. This will be the first baptism from me knocking on a door, and teaching them from front to back. Who would have thought that a daughter of Heavenly Father was behind that door searching for three years, and her daughter would follow? I have faith eventually the husband as well. He's accepting and isn't against it, so we should be ok.On that note, we also had someone come to church Sunday asking for a "Mormon Bible" (The Book of Mormon) and wants to be baptized too. We'll see how that goes :)
So yes, Lihue ward continues to move forward. This was the best week of my life. We saw so many miracles, and we continue to see more!! If all goes well, we'll have 4-5 baptisms in September!! I'm excited!!


We are also getting an AC for our pad!! I'm excited cuz it's been toasty lately!! Good week in Lihue!!!

I love you all, let me know if I can help you in any way :)

"Better and Better and Better!!!"

Edit By Elder Travis' Mom: I just got his memory card and it was filled with so many gorgeous pictures of Kauai that I decided to post some of them today instead of pictures of people.


Aloha!!!

My goodness, these weeks just get better, and better and better!!!
Yesterday was the wedding of one of my favorite families, the Keelers!! (Yes, and the Renaud!). They are a wonderful, wonderful family and so full of the spirit and they were radiating yesterday!! It was an exciting day for me!! Especially since August 21 was President Monson's birthday, and the year mark to the Jay's baptism in Kahala.Sister Keeler also brought her friend to church! Her name is Michelle, and she called her up telling her she was ready to go to church with her!! She's a nice lady, and we'll be meeting with her tonight. We're going to invite her to be baptized, so we are very excited to see what can happen!!!
Melissa came to church!!! She brought her daughter as well, and we are so excited for them. We had such an awesome lesson with Melissa on Saturday. She struggles with her belief in Christ as our Savior, but the lesson we had on Saturday, was very powerful!! I think that helped!! Before we left, she asked for a blessing before we left, so we did. Church was very good for her as well :) I am so excited. We're excited to see what can happen this week.

We also found a lot of solid potential!! Two unbaptized keiki's who their parents want them baptized so that will help us!! We are going to start teaching them. September is going to be a very very big month for us. It's going to be awesome!!!
We also had a meeting with Elder Whiting again over the phone, the Area Authority! He is a very inspiring man. He put it pretty bluntly that, "Jesus is coming again, we have to prepare the world for that big event!" It gave me a bigger sense of urgency for the work to work harder!!!

But we are having an awesome week and time in Lihue.


I wrote the mission president, President Dalton, and told him that I really really want to stay in Lihue and finish my mission here. I hope I do, pray for me!! haha.Well, I love you guys and hope all is well!! We're going to have a huge week to set up for September!! I'm really excited to see what can happen!!

Love you guys, and let me know if I can help you!!!!!

"I'm Happy With How Things Are Going"

Aloooooha!!

How are you all doing!! I'm doing pretty good!!


Well, let me start off with a cool story. We were sitting in sacrament meeting, in the very back, when about 5 minutes into it, I see someone walk in the back. I realized he was a freaking tall man. I was like, "fetch...he's tall!" Than he sat by us and I thought, "He looks like Shawn Bradley!"..so I take a closer look, and yup...Shawn Bradley, who is 7'6", who played for the Dallas Mavericks, BYU and is VERY tall, was sitting right next to me and Elder Coffin with his wife. We talked to him for a bit after sacrament, got his picture and his autograph, than he ran off. He is a very very tall man. Taller than Yao Ming. It was wild haha. (Edit by Elder Travis' mom: Travis is 6 foot tall, maybe 6'1", so you can see how much taller Shawn is. Oh, and thanks Chrissy for emailing me these pictures).But anyways, back to the mission stuff!! We had a good week. We saw a few things happen. We have a lot of potential we're finding, just need to get it moving. We found a few unbaptized children who we are trying to work with, a few former investigators who almost got baptized!!!
One of our members are working with the K*** Ohana. They're a family of 6 and we're close to being baptized a few years ago. We're going to meet with them this Thursday, and hopefully that'll be the lesson they need. We'll find out on Thursday if that's what they need.


We taught Melissa G***t again!! That was awesome. She had a complete change since we last met with her, and instead of just reading 3 Nephi 11, she read all of 3 Nephi. She said she just kept reading and didn't realize how far she got into! She's awesome. We will meet with her this week!!! I'm excited to see what can happen!!


Everyone is doing well!! Recent converts are doing well. I'm happy at how things are going!! The Luder's are awesome. One of my favorite families in the ward as well. They are very open about the gospel and willing to share it.


Anyways, good week, we should have a better one this week. We taught 30 lessons, and this week we're trying for our 50. We'll see how it goes!!!


I love you all and hope to hear from you soon!!!

The Refiner's Fire

Aloha!!!

Well it's been a very interesting week!! We didn't teach 45 lessons, only 28, but we'll shoot for higher this next week :).The baptism of Hilton was supposed to take place on Saturday. Friday his wife stepped in and said, "If you get baptized, we'll get divorced." She feels it's breaking their Catholic vows of marriage and a violation of them, which obviously, it would do nothing to the vows. It's sad because he really wants to be baptized, but it's hard to go against his wife, and since the church is all about families...it was a difficult situation. He postponed his baptism and we'll try another week and pray for her heart to be softened...until than, he'll keep coming to church and so on.


I mentioned that Chelsea postponed her baptism last week, and now she doesn't want to meet with missionaries anymore. She's really fallen apart and lost site of the greatness of this gospel. We'll have to pray hardcore for her now as well.

The adversary tried awfully hard to get things broken down on us, but with disappointments gives time for revelation and stronger conviction. The shadow proves the sunshine, or it's darkest before the dawn-type of phrase. We know great things are in store for Kaua'i, and Lihu'e. We have a wonderful member in our ward who set up a Family Home Evening with a family of 6 who used to be taught and almost got baptized a few years ago. They are interested in coming back and learning, so we could see a major miracle happen there by the end of tonight. We're excited for that!!

Yesterday was fast Sunday. I took the opportunity to bear my testimony and share the wonderful experience we recently had with Kari!! It was such a wonderful experience to teach her and help her come into the gospel. She's a strong convert and will do much good!!


We have a wonderful family in our ward that Elder Coffin and I have drawn really close to. The Pedro's!! They are just wonderful people and so strong in the gospel. They have become like my family here in Lihu'e ward and it's just been so wonderful to get closer to them. Their son is about ready to get his mission call and will be such a wonderful missionary!! We are very excited for them!! They were less active for a few years, but are now stronger than ever and we love them very much!!


Speaking of companions, transfers came up!! Elder Coffin and I will be staying in Lihu'e ward on Kaua'i for the next six weeks together!! Which I'm very happy about!! We are getting an addition though, we'll be in a tripanionship with Elder Tiakia (See uh Key uh). He's 9 months out and is from New Zealand. We'll have an interesting time together!! I'm just happy to stay on Kaua'i and in Lihu'e. I love this ward too much to leave!

Anyway, I love you all and thanks for your support and love!! Today marks my 20 months when I was set apart. It's been fast, and continues to be faster. Before I know it, December will be here, and it will be a new stage in life. Until than, I'll work my hardest!!

Another New Record

ALOOOHA!

Well, now we had just an amazing week!!! Let me tell you all about it!! Ok, so first, last week we taught 41 lessons...this week we taught 45. We really wanted 50 but it just didn't happen. We were busy from Monday night to Sunday night with very little time to breathe, but it was nice. We were definitely busy!! That's how it should be!!
Our baptisms went excellent!! Natalia's baptism was really really strong and powerful. It's been a year in the making and she just needed the right time! This was it, and she was baptized with her daughter on Sunday!!


Nolan's baptism was excellent as well!!! He was really really nervous before, but it went smoothly. He's a really tall fella and so he had to be bending when he got baptized or he would've hit his head. He's hilarious though, and I'm glad I was a part of his baptism!!!


Kari was baptized on Sunday after Natalia!! This was another powerful baptism. I'm so amazed that Kari met with us for about 18 days, and she just embraced the gospel. She amazes me, and will make an excellent impact on many of the members of the church and outside of it.

We were supposed to have a baptism for Chelsea as well. However she was really tried by the adversary and she felt like she wasn't ready. So she backed out a few hours before the service. It was sad, but you can't force or rush anybody. I know she'll be baptized soon anyways!!
So with all that, Kaua'i had 9 baptisms this month, and we were 1 shy of a free dinner from President. But he said he'll buy us ice cream which will work! haha.

We had ZLC yesterday on O'ahu!! That was a crazy time. Elder Coffin left his wallet at the Luder's home, and so he had to be interrogated by the security before he could get on the plane. Than we BARELY made our stand by flight. We thought we would have to fly separately (We missed our original flight) but Elder Coffin got the LAST seat on the plane, so we barely made it!! Than we missed our second flight cuz the meeting went late, so we didn't get home till about 6:30 at night. It was a fun day! I said goodbye to a lot of my friends in the mission. Some are going home next week with the transfer, some in September. It was sad, but I'll see them again. I'll see Elder Jaramillo again with him going to USU.


But regardless, it was a big fruitful weekend, and now we have time to find some more and see what we can do in August. I'm really excited, I love being a missionary and love serving. I'm treasuring all the time I have to serve.

Love ya'll and hope to hear from ya soon!!