Final Transfer

Aloha!!!!

Well....A big big BIG weight is off my shoulders. I now know where and who I will finish my mission with. I no longer have to worry about walking areas, new areas, or crazy people!! We had transfer news come in last night, and I'm the happiest cat around. I will be finishing my mission in the Lihue, Kaua'i area. I was born in Kalaheo Kaua'i, and will finish in Lihue Kaua'i!!! I'm so excited to die where I was born! (Mission lingo). I've spent a wonderful 9 months on this island, and will spend 6 more weeks here!!!!

Unfortunately, I wont' finish with Elder Coffin. It will be with an Elder named Elder Entz (spelling?). He is about 9 months out, and I will train him as a Zone Leader. He will be my 3rd zone leader I've trained. So, I'm excited for a new transfer!! I am sad Elder Coffin is going. I spent 18 weeks with him. He's a funny kid and cracks me up. I've enjoyed being with him a lot, ad we've really learned how to get along!! It will be sad leaving him. He's taking off to Waipahu O'ahu, which is west side.

As far as our week. I have never ever had a week as a missionary that was so stressful, so crazy, so wild, but so rewarding, and so blessed. We had the last week of October and the transfers, and 4 baptisms scheduled. To start the week off, we were scared that Sheri was going to drop! We went through A LOT to finally feel comfortable that she would actually get baptized. It's hard to explain, but we had a lot of opposition that we had no control over. But we overcame it, and Sheri and Elijah were baptized on Saturday!! Their son, Brayden, dropped out last minute because he is very shy and very quiet. He was nervous to come. So we talked to him yesterday and we're going to try to do a service for him today at 4. We'll pray that it will happen!!!

Here is the awesome miracle of the week however. I mentioned last week, Tim ***. We had a lesson with him Monday night, and it was such an awesome lesson. The spirit was so strong and we could feel it, he could too!!! We told him about how we prayed for him to get baptized that weekend, and Natalia called us 30 seconds later telling us he wanted to get baptized. We told him that we took that as a sign and Heavenly Father would like to see him get baptized on Saturday. He looked kind of puzzled and said, "I was thinking of next week Saturday, but this week will be ok too!" Tears filled his new wife's eyes as he said these words, and we testified to the importance of him taking this step, and the blessings that will be coming into his life because of it. So we had his baptism on Saturday, and it was awesome!!!! I'm so, so, SO blessed and humbled to have been a part of this, because now he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, along with his wife Natalia and their daughter Jaeisha. Elder Coffin and I were able to play a part in their conversion, and saw this wonderful family baptized.

Aside from that, that's really all that happened!! We are finding great potential for November baptisms to finish my mission off!! I'm excited for these last 6 weeks, and will work harder than ever to see great things happen!! I want my last transfer to be like Elder Barraza's, baptism after baptism!! If it's the Lord's will and I am obedient and diligent, it'll happen!! I love this work and am so grateful to be a part of it!!!

Love you all, and hope to hear from you soon!!!

"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!!

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!!!!