Elder Travis' Mom's Inbox

Elder Travis' mom here: I found this email in my inbox an hour or so ago. It's from Elder Hatch's mom.

"I saw Elder Smith Today. He looks great. I gave him a hug for you. He is really in the mission spirit. He is doing well and loves the mission. It was a treat to see him since we have shared online."

I knew her son was being released soon after serving an honorable mission. I never expected to see this though, or that she'd actually meet my son out there! I guess if I can't give him a hug this is the next best thing!

Oh, and aren't these trees the craziest thing ever?!

Because Kindness Matters

Note: This post is being done by Elder Travis' mother.

While out tracting Elder Travis and Elder Garritson knocked on the door of this gentleman above. He thought they were crazy palangi (white people) when they asked if he had any service they could do after he told them he wasn't interested in hearing about our church. After he felt comfortable that they were just nice young men he allowed them to come back and cut bamboo for a couple of hours.
Today we received these pictures in an email (I noticed copies were sent to Elder Garritson too). This just goes to prove that there are kind people in the world of many different faiths. These pictures mean so much to us bz we can see Elder Travis through someone else's eyes. It's reassuring to know how much kindness really does matter.

Tsunami - In His Own Words

Ok so here is my tsunami experience!!!

So I was on exchanges with an Elder from Kekaha. I was still in Hanapepe (where I live, and which is a flood zone). 4:30 I heard the phone go off and I'm like what the heck?? So I see the caller ID and it's Kekaha, I decide to ignore it because I was tired and wanted to sleep. It goes off with a voicemail, so I figure..ehhh I'll check it. So I listen to it and Elder Major says, "Hey Elders..umm, get up, pack your things, and get outta there, there's a tsunami warning!" I was like ohh snapple!! So I wake up Elder Winterton and we start packing. From the sounds of it, and the zone leader, I thought it was going to hit within an hour. So I threw a bunch of clothes in my suitcase, any valuables and toiletries to let me do service, and hold out the few days I'd need to. (I remembered my Ward Mission Leader saying Kauai is due for a huge tsunami sometime this year. At the time, I didn't know an earthquake hit Chile and Japan.) So we pack up.

We had to pick up Kekaha because they are biking elders, and Kekaha is right next to the beach. So we start driving and I'm trying to call everyone who would know if the church is a safe zone from the tsunami. Eventually, we're directed to go there because it's high enough up and Kalaheo is the safest place in our area. So we go there, and some people from Poi Pu come in. At 6 am some alarms sound off, and they start goin about every hour.

The Zone leaders called us and said President Peterson was really concerned for this tsunami as well, so we were a little scared of what was going to happen. And you know in those movies when something bad is coming their way, and some smart intelligent person starts going scientifically about it and talks about how it's going to get so much worse and this is only the beginning so it makes it more intense?? Well, that happened!!! A lady told us about how this is only a scratch of things to come. So we get a little freaked out like man whats going to happen?? They said Big Island was going to get the worst casualties from it (Cuz it was coming from the Chile earthquake) and Kauai wouldn't be TOO bad but this was a significant event, and something that could take the lives of many people.

We are than instructed to call home for 2 minutes and tell them whats going on and that we're safe, just to save many phone calls to the office. So I did that, called home, talked to Ma for 2 minutes and that was it.

Anyways, 11 a.m. comes and some members tell us that it hit big island, but the initial wave was a few cm high. But the beach was draining about 6 feet which would set it up to be a lot worse!! So we wait...and wait....and wait....and wait...apparently I guess the biggest wave was 3 feet high and barely went into Big Island. Oahu eventually got hit in small portions but nothing huge. And Kauai? Well...nothing. They kept us closed in for safety and at 3 p.m. we were cleared to go and try to work again.

So the Lord really answered many prayers and this "Devastating Tsunami" that was supposed to be as big as the one in 05, was just a small flood on big island. Needless to say, it was a gentle push from the Lord making sure we were all prepared to meet our maker, and if we were prepared to do what was right. So fast and testimony meeting was interesting (stake conf. is next week) and full of testimonies like that. But it was good for me as well, seeing as the only "huge" thing to happen in Logan is a severe thunderstorm warning..which is never that bad. So, my first tsunami, and I guess Kauai is still in line to get a big one sometime this year. Scientists are saying August is when it should come, which I should be off island for that. Anyways, always be prepared to meet your maker!! (I was thinking, at least I'd be on my mission if anything happened!!) haha.

***This is part of an email to his mom.....it was good to talk to you. Surprised me you knew it was me!! haha but yes it was good, I hope you can get to MDay now. What did the news say about it?? Any newspapers things at all?? .....No extra work came from this, in fact a lack of work. We had 7 appts. set up which is a big day for us, and none were taught because of this haha. That's ok, the Lord had in mind something else.