Hello

They built a fort for planning time.

So interesting story, A few weeks before Sister Clayson (her first companion) left, she asked me if she thought that I could take over the area. She had no idea that she was leaving, but she felt like she needed to ask me that. So I thought about it and prepared myself. This week, my companion paused and said, "Do you think that you will be ready to train?" I don't know if it is the same thing, but it was a little bit of Deja Vu.  She also said that she would request for me to train. So, I might be training next transfer. I kind of want to, and kind of don't at the same time. It is a lot of pressure, but it also forces you to learn and grow because you have to be the example and the strong one. Being on a mission is definitely fun, and an amazing experience, but it is also very draining and hard.

 Investigators are really hard to work. We have one investigator who loves us coming over and likes to be taught by us, but he won't keep any of his commitments. We are starting to think that he just likes our company more than anything else. T has not been coming to church, but other than that she is ready to be baptized. M is the one with the baptism date, and he is ready and really excited. I am excited too. It is interesting with him because he is pretty much a member, so I have to remind myself that he has not been baptized yet. He is great, and he will be a great member of the ward.

A pig bone from the Luau.

 We still have a little interaction with Elders.  We can be inside church buildings with them on p-day and for meetings, but that is about it. It kinda stinks because we don't get to create as many friendships, but it does help with obedience and making sure everyone is working hard. 

We have been working really hard, we get at least 20 lessons a week, even though we walk. We had a dinner a couple days ago where the member invited his friends. We got one new investigator from that. She is really nice and very prepared to receive the gospel. She said we could come back and talk to her, so that is awesome. We have also been teaching MA and she is moving forward really well. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and she loved it! I didn't know how interested she was, all her family members have a different religion, but she thinks everything is true! She told us that we are the best things that have happened to her in a long time and that she really likes what we teach. When she prayed, she said that no other religion has interested her more. One thing I love about being on a mission is when the investigators pray and they pray about how thankful they are for us. Almost all of our investigators have thanked God for sending us. I love that.

 

A family at the Luau

So there is a member of the bishopric Bro. Rovner, and he is in charge of assigning talks, and they call it being Rovnered when he approaches you to talk. I didn't understand that until I got Rovnered. It is crazy.  He makes eye contact with you from across the hall, and then he just moves in like a shark and you can not help it. Everyone even moves and makes a path for him. So yeah, I am speaking on Sunday. I think I am going to talk about loyalty. I have been reading all of the past conference talks and I have noticed a theme of how we need to be loyal to God and his church. It is not the time to be worrying about little things like being offended in church because there is a bigger war going on. Satan is trying to get all of us, and if we are not loyal to God, we are not going to be strong enough. We need Gods power to survive right now and to stay strong. We need God's help especially now. Anyway, I guess what I have learned this week is that we need the gospel more than we know and that nothing is worth more in the whole world. So please don't forget to do all the things you need to to stay strong.

Ok and here is the Climax of this Email...for me anyway...Drum roll...ELDER HOLLAND IS COMING TO TALK TO OUR MISSION!!!!!!!!! I am so excited I am going to die. I am like Justin Bieber excited! Everyone on Oahu gets to go and listen to him speak at the Tabernacle! I might even get to shake his hand! He is coming September 21st! So yeah, I am beyond excited for that and I will tell you all about it. And Mom, I will try to tell him that you are his biggest fan. I am just super curious about what he is going to say, because he is only talking to the missionaries. Plus the senior missionaries are giving us a ride and they are always early to things so we will probably get really good seats. 

So yeah that is my life: I go get brown and try to teach people about Jesus.

Love, Me

 P.S I love the church! And Jesus! SOOO MUCH!!! 

Ward Members at the Luau