We Are Meshing More Every Day!

May 30, 2016

WEEK 30

Dear Family & Friends,

I’m glad to hear that you guys are having more fun without me! lol. jk jk. But I am really happy you guys are getting out and having some fun together!

Me and my companion are meshing more and more every day. Sometimes it is hard but that’s a relationship! jaja lol! It’s true. A companionship is definitely like a relationship—we eat together, live together, go everywhere together!! I am just getting ready for the future..... And I’m NOT ready!

So my week—The truth is that it was a little crappy but also really good! So Tuesday we went to send the offices the baptismal forms and I found out that I have a virus on my SD card... and well…I LOST ALL MY PICTURES! So that stinks—ALL 631 pictures....WAAAHH! But at least I have the pictures that I sent you guys and I can get some other pictures from my other companions. AND I learned a valuable lesson. SAVE EVERYTHING ON MULTIPLE MEMORY DEVICES! lol. So there’s nothing I can do...so why worry.

This week we had A LOT of people yelling at us and A LOT of people telling us that we are from the DEVIL. We also found a woman that is a pastor here from Illinois. That was fun. I’ve been learning a lot about finding the people that God has ready because there is a huge amount of people who just want to fight with us. I mean we can talk with them, fight with them, beat them to a pulp with just using scriptures from the Bible, but their hearts aren’t going to change. I learned this at the very beginning of my mission but God wanted to remind me this week. It is crazy. These people want to fight with us and call us names but I still find a way to love them. It kills me a little bit that I think this way but I guess it’s good.

But the brighter news is that I confirmed Angelica yesterday! SHE’S AWESOME! I wish I could share with you the many miracles that have happened this week, but I don’t have enough time. I will just like to share this little story about our convert, ANGELICA! I mean this week was crazy but we went and visited her. And when we did, we had a pretty spiritual lesson. Our lesson was about the Holy Ghost. When we started to talk about the attributes of the Holy Ghost and what the Spirit does, we could just feel the Spirit start to fill our hearts. She was really nervous about getting baptized, and she still is. But as we started to speak more and more, she ended up telling us everything about her fears. She knows that this GOSPEL IS TRUE. And she has been WAITING FOR US FOR YEARS. She’s scared about the future because her husband is in jail and when he gets out, she doesn’t know what’s going to happen. BUT she told us, with a firmness in her eyes, that she knows this is the true church and nobody is going to take that away from her. I have more stories but you guys are going to have to wait a little longer to hear them—LOL.

l love you guys!!! The gospel is true!

- Elder Pukahi

Three Baptisms This Past Week!

My Zone

May 23, 2016

WEEK 29

Dear Family & Friends,

I can’t believe how fast the time is going...it’s crazy!!! I swear the days are going by faster and faster every day, but I love it!

TELL JESSICA SHE NEEDS TO WRITE ME!!!  How’s Jamison doing?

So the big news about the mission is that in the mission we’ve never broken the record of two hundred baptisms in one month but THIS month, we are going to break it! It is awesome how much Heavenly Father is preparing the people.

Right now I am learning a lot about myself and of our Heavenly Father. I am learning and starting to find the people that God has already prepared because HE HAS PEOPLE READY AND WE CAN’T WASTE OUR TIME WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT READY. Sometimes the people don’t even realize that they are ready to accept the Gospel but through the Holy Spirit, we can know if they are these people. I love the mission!

But I have some good news—We baptized three people this week!! And we have planned more but I will keep you updated on that. And I will attach some photos.

The young woman who got baptized is AWESOME!! She actually has a phobia of water, but she knows with all her heart that the Gospel is true! It is actually pretty cool AND she is courageous. Her whole family is pure Catholics, and they hated that she was taking lessons from us. She actually lied to them about her not getting baptized. She told us, “I KNOW THIS GOSPEL IS TRUE. This little lie won’t matter after my baptism. I want to follow Christ and that’s what I am going to do.”  I am a sucker because I started to cry! I LOVE THIS GOSPEL!!!!

[ So, I asked Jeremy (Elder Pukahi) the following… “Hey, I have a question... rewind back to when you were at the other area... so it sounded like when we were talking to you... when you lived close to the mission home in both of your areas, did you say you would go to the mission home pretty much every P-day?  I thought you said you would gather there with the other missionaries for sports and stuff...

Have you heard anything yet about who the Apostle will be that will come?  I was looking at the Mexico map and it looks like you are actually closer to the temple now where you are. You are closer to the Monterrey Temple.”   And this was his response… ]

       

So when I was in the other areas close to Reynosa, I went to the Mission office every P-day in the morning for a training and in the afternoon to play soccer and stuff. But now I am very far away! And I know it looks like on the map that we are close to Monterrey and everything but it’s actually like four hours from us. So, yea, we are farther from Monterrey AND we haven’t heard anything about the temple. I think they are waiting until our president leaves because he leaves next month!

I love you guys so much! I am doing awesome! Have a great week!

- Elder Pukahi

This Week We Worked Hard

Elder Sigundo and Elder Pukahi painting a house with two other American Elders.

They are in another area close by and we just helped them paint.

May 16, 2016

Week 28

Dear Mi Familia and Friends,

So first I just want to say that one of my investigators from my past area got baptized—Yeah! I’m so happy! But our baptisms here that were planned for this last week fell through....Wahhhh... BUT we are planning to baptize them this week, and some others the week after. AND we are going to have a baptism tomorrow of a nine-year-old boy so next week I will have a lot of news for you. Wooaah!

My companion is from Mitchuacan, Mexico. I think that’s right. He’s very interesting. In some ways we are similar and in other ways, we are completely different. HE’S A DANCER! So this past week after working all day, he’s been teaching me how to dance. I’m learning how to move my hips. LOL! We’re also living with another set of missionaries—one is also from Mexico and the other is from Honduras, so it’s pure Spanish in the house. But yeah!

This week we worked hard. It’s crazy how things went this week and how very interesting it is to work in this area. People told me that each area has its own unique way to work and it’s true. Right now I’m trying to figure all that out! lol. But as well I’m learning so much with my companion. It’s crazy. I’ve learned more in just this week with my companion than all of my other companions combined. One of the things is patience. It’s funny. I think one of the biggest attributes that I’ve learned from the mission is patience—from the investigators, the members, my companions, as well as myself.

Sorry.... I don’t have any pictures of the baptisms because my old companion hasn’t sent them yet.

Oh...and books... Please send me books like Jesus the Christ, The Day of Defense, and other missionary books. I’ve already read most of them but I want to reread them and mark them up. I’m a nerd now! lol. I LOVE KNOWLEDGE!

Les quiero!  Talk to you next week…

- Elder Pukahi

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY - Skype Call

Skype calling with my family on Mother's Day

May 9, 2016

WEEK 27

Dear Mi Familia & Friends,

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!  I love you, Mom, and I love you, my family!!! We just Skyped and it was the BEST seeing all of your faces!

So this week, it was awesome to meet my new companion and talk and work with him. He’s from a good old small town in Mexico, knows very little English, and seems pretty cool. We are getting to know each other.

This week we found some really awesome people. AND they are going to get baptized soon. AND I heard from my old companion that our investigators did get baptized so when I get their photos, I will send them to you. We have some baptisms set up for this weekend so I will tell you how that goes.

I really don’t have much to write you this week since we just talked yesterday. It was so good to actually see and talk with you guys but I will just mention for the sake of my blog, a couple of things. I’ve been in my new area for a week in Matamoros. It is really humid. It is close to the Gulf of Mexico but I’m still like about an hour away. It seems like it will be a good area and I’m looking forward to getting to know the people and my way around.

My mission president is really cool and is not strict with us. Of course, he expects us to be missionaries and follow the rules but he’s not that strict with some stuff like he gives us some freedom or leeway. As long as we are having success and doing well, we can basically do what we need to do each day. Like on P-days if we need to spend 2 hours answering emails, we can. It’s not restricted to just one hour. Stuff like that. I think one of the reasons why we are the most successful mission in Mexico is because of our President. He helps us to feel confident in what we are doing.

IT’S BEEN AWESOME HERE and I am so happy to be serving my mission. I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!  Sorry that I don’t have a lot of pictures to send this time.

- Elder Pukahi

Elder Jeremy Pukahi happy to see his family

I HAVE CAMBIOS! I'm Transferring To Matamoros!

Picture of Josh at his baptism with his brother and grandparents.

May 2, 2016

WEEK 26

Dear Family & Friends,

Well, my investigators are awesome! And I can tell you guys stories of them when I get back BUT I have some news. I HAVE CAMBIOS! Transfers!!!! I’m getting transferred tomorrow to Matamoros! It’s another city really, really close to the border of Texas but by the Gulf of Mexico. I’m going to be there with Elder Sigundo, who is from Mexico. I’m now going to be senior companion but I’ve felt like senior companion the whole entire time I’ve been here in Cumbres, so it’s not that big of a difference…lol. But I can tell you guys more about Elder Sigundo WHEN WE SKYPE! So YES, we get to Skype, but I have no idea how that’s going to go down now. I’ll be in a whole new area. We’ll still Skype. I just don’t know at what time.

But about this last week!!! WE HAD A BAPTISM! WOOAAHH! And we are going to have 6 or 7 more this upcoming two weeks, but sadly, I’m not going to be HERE! Everyone tells me once you’re right about to have success, they change you! lol. That would happen to me. But I’m excited to get working in Matamoros and to start building up the area! Wooahh.

We have been blessed these last three weeks and found people who have been prepared from the Lord. I wish I could tell you all everything about these investigators but I just don’t have time but I’ll send photos of the baptism! The kid who we baptized is named JOSHUA! He’s 9 and his grandparents are members of the church, so they were really happy to see him get baptized!

This week I learned that God works in a special way... He sent me in this area and I grew to love EVERYONE. It’s a love I cannot really describe. It was hard saying goodbye to everyone.... but I’m excited to see what God has planned for me! I know that this work is from God and that our church is true!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I’m glad you guys got to go for a night up in Salt Lake. And I’m so happy for Paul. That’s awesome that he’s getting married. Give him my wishes!!! and love!

- Elder Pukahi

Here is a picture of the chalkboard we wrote for Josh #ironman!

(Chalkboard drawings are something that is done out in the mission field in most missions today. Because missionaries do not have money, it is their way to decorate or add something personal for their investigator.)