Transfer Week

Alooooooooha!!

How are you all doing?!! I'm fine and dandy in this beautiful Kaua'i island!!! We just had transfers pop up on us. I was very very surprised to hear the news. I wasn't expecting to have this happen!! All week, I've been trying to figure out if I'd go or stay, I've prayed to try to accept Father's will if it's something different than mine. Well, luckily this time, it was the same as mine. I will be staying in Lihue Kaua'i for another 6 weeks, serving with Elder Coffin. It's a strange feeling because I've never served with a companion for three transfers, and never been in an area for four transfers. So it will be different than usual, but that's ok :) We're seeing success!!!As far as our week goes!! We are seeing some amazing things happen. Chris, who we've been working with for a while, walked up to us in church and asked if he could be baptized this next Sunday!! We of course said yes, and so we should have a baptism this Sunday if all goes well :). Hilton's wife was also able to go to church in Kalaheo and seemed to have liked it. So it's a possibility that he could be baptized sometime soon!!! It's awesome! There is also another lady I worked with in Kalaheo, Lana, that is getting baptized soon!! I'm excited, I'll make sure to be there for that one :)
On our end in Lihue, Michelle is doing good. She had to work all week, so we were unable to meet with her, but we should meet with her this week. I'm excited to teach her again and she's a wonderful daughter of God.

Melissa is in a tough situation. She's in a not so good situation at home, so we are working with her to help her and hopefully see her baptized. She wants to go to California in a few weeks, and I'm determined to, with her choice, to see her be baptized before she leaves. She's been a big miracle of my mission, and that would be so amazing. If she doesn't than that's ok too, the missionaries in California can harvest that part of the vineyard. We'll see how it turns out!!
Elder Tiakia is leaving to go back to O'ahu!! He did very well this transfer and I'm proud of him. I've grown to love him and love his culture. I hope the best for him and I know he will be a great missionary if he stays on track!!


Elder Coffin is a goofball, but I sure love the kid. We've had fun together, we've seen hard times but also miracles, and we will continue to!!!

Elder Parker is leaving Kaneohe zone, and he's always been a close friend of mine. So Grandma Martinson, if you can shout out to him that I love him and he's the best Elder!!!

Other than that, I'm so glad to stay in Kaua'i. When I first left Kaneohe, I simply did NOT want to go. I loved that ward, so many wonderful families, and it was difficult to separate myself from them. When I first came to Lihue, I was a little turned off cuz I didn't want to get close to anyone and be separated again, but that was bound to happen. I love this ward just like Kaneohe, and it's full of wonderful people!! We'll see what can happen over the next 6 weeks, and ya never know...maybe I'll finish my mission in Kaua'i where I began it :)


Love ya'll!!! Write me sometime soon!!!

The Best Week Of His Mission

Aloooha!!

We had a good P-Day!! We went up Koke'e and played Ultimate Frisbee with Bishop Herr of Kalaheo ward and our zone. It was fun!!! Waimea canyon is like the grand canyon of Kaua'i!! It's amazing, google it if you can!!

Well, let me say this: we had the best week of my MISSION. We taught a whopping 41 LESSONS. The ward noticed that we were BUSY!! We were running everywhere, teaching teaching teaching....and teaching. I have NEVER expected myself to see 40 lessons in one week. But it happened. WOW, and to add to that is 5 baptisms this weekend!!!!!


Let me start with Kari: She's doing amazing. She keeps telling us that the night we met her was very special! I keep telling her, "there's a reason we were there, and I'm glad you see it!" She has exclaimed, "Why didn't I do this before? My whole life would be different!!" She is amazing. She will be baptized on Sunday!! I'm excited!!!

Next: Nolan!!! He's doing swell!! He's still set for Saturday and is excited as well. He seems prepared and ready to go. He's awesome!!!


Chelsea will be baptized on Saturday as well!! Lisa, her mother, was baptized last month, and her daughter wanted to follow!! She's doing awesome and is bringing friends into the gospel as well!!!


Now we'll move to Natalia!!! She has been taught for a year and called us up on Tuesday and wanted to meet!! So we went to meet with her and she said, "I want to be baptized in September instead of August!" That made my heart drop and I thought there was no way she'd get baptized if that happened. We had an amazingly powerful lesson and somehow...somehow...we were able to touch her and help her feel the need to get baptized soon!! She's ready, she just needs to do it. I don't know what we taught her honestly, it was completely by the spirit. My companion and I kept being pulled in the same direction, and kept opening to same scriptures (We had NO lesson plan) and she told us she wants to get baptized on July 31. We were excited!!! So we have 5 baptisms this weekend in Lihue ward!!!

On top of that, President Dalton told us if we can hit a new record for baptisms in our zone, (Which is 8) than he'll take us out to dinner and an activity of our choosing!! So we are set to hit 10 this month of July. He should be out here next week or the following :).

So yes, everyday was FILLED with miracles. I've never quite had a week like this one. Miracles after miracles after miracles!!!


On top of that, we had Elder Rasband come meet with us!!! It was awesome. I got to shake his hand. He spoke and we had a couple of the people we are teaching there. Elder Rasband is in the presidency of the Seventy. The senior president. So he holds a very high sacred calling in the church. He opened and said, "I want to talk about the thing that is discussed the most at the feet of the apostles and prophets...families!" He gave us four quotes from modern prophets about the importance of families and having the gospel in our life. It was a very powerful fireside, and I'm glad to have met him and shake his hand!!!


Also, when I was in Kalaheo last year, I met a family named Cathy and Charles A***!! They were baptized in November of 2010, and I saw them last night at the fireside. Charles looked at me and said, "Do you remember me?" He looked so different, and I had to think about it, then I realized it was the man I started teaching in February of 2010!!! We talked for a long time, and caught up!! He told me, "You were a stepping stone to our conversion." And now he's very active in the church. It really touched me to think that I was a tool in the Lord's hands to plant a seed and nourish it, and later on they were baptized. They plan on going through the temple sometime soon!!! On that note, I also met a girl named Kapua K*** that I bumped into in Kalaheo that was baptized in November and I had no idea either!!!


The last thing to mention: Hilton came to church!!! They moved his baptism to August 6 though, just so they can make sure I can make it there since we're going to have two baptism services in Lihue on Sunday. So he's pretty set in stone now!! I'm excited to see it happen!!


Well, I love you all!!! It was a blessed week, we'll see what can happen this week!!!
Love ya!