Well This Week We Had Exchanges For A Day!

Elder Perez & Elder Pukahi by a lake.  

(From this picture it looks clean but in reality it is very dirty.)

July 25, 2016

WEEK 38

Dear Mi Familia & Friends,

It’s always so great to hear from you guys!! I get so happy every time! It sounds like you had a whole bunch of fun at the family reunion over the weekend. Hey, did you guys play SPUD?! I was just thinking of this game and how we seem to play it at every reunion. I’m tempted to play it with everyone in the house. I’ll send you pics if it happens

Elder Eskeran & Elder Pukahi enjoying spam and eggs.

Well, this week we had exchanges for a day and I went with.... drumroll.... ELDER ESKERAN! The other Hawaiian in the mission, so you guys already know what that means! SPAM, EGGS, AND RICE! What what! That’s right! I’ll attach a photo—pure Hawaiians here. Haha! And we then started talking about the weird things that our fathers do and he told me his father puts mayonnaise on everything... Dad, you have a twin! Haha! We just were laughing about all the crazy things our fathers do. Oh, father… I’m glad that you’re my daddy! Oh, the memories you give me!

This week we also had the Mission President come visit our ward! That was a little stressful because we had three confirmations and everything but it was really nice that he came. Our ward struggles to be honest. They don’t really like to work, so we’re working on trying to get them activated. So wish me luck!

A beautiful sunset at the end of a day.

We had a lot of success this week. We’ve been teaching a lot of lessons. The ukulele is working, as well as the fact that my companion is charmingly handsome. The people are letting us in… lol. We had some people come to church and so I’ll let you know if they will continue to progress.

I’m literally just so happy! I am learning so much and have much to learn. I am so grateful that I have my companion, my ward, my family and my life. I lack so much but I know that God is giving me what I need!

I love you all so much. Just remember this week about who you guys could serve during this week!

LOVE LOVE AND MORE LOVE!

Elder Pukahi

This Week Was Crazy, We Had Three Baptisms

Three baptisms, Maria, Nina and Leonardo

July 18, 2016

WEEK 37

Dear Family & Friends,

Thank you for the pictures. I am so happy to see all your smiling faces!!

EVERYONE IS GETTING MARRIED! Now it’s Aji… stop getting married. I want to be there! It is crazy. I feel like I left and then BAM! Everybody grew up so much.

And JAMISON AND CAVIN! What happened? I’ve only been gone almost 9 months and your guys decided to grow up!!! But I still love you guys. Time just seems like it’s gone so fast!!

Elder Pukahi & Elder Perez

Well, more about my companion, Elder Perez. He’s a cutie. And he’s a convert. All of his family are converts. He had a hard life. I’m very humbled to have him as my companion. I’ve realized how blessed I have been in my life. Why God has been so merciful to me?  I don’t know why, BUT on the opposite side, my companion is crazy. We are almost the same person. I mean, you guys already know how crazy I am, so… just double that and you got our companionship!!  It’s so fun. I’ve learned so much from my companions. We learn more from our companions than anything else. IT’S CRAZY!!!! I’ve said crazy a lot in this paragraph but I am forgetting English and so… forgive me!

But this week WAS crazy! We did so many things I can’t even explain it. WE HAD THREE BAPTISMS! I will attach the pictures. The woman is named Maria Esmeralda and the two children are named Nina and Leonardo. THEY ARE ALL SO COOL! Nina and Leonardo are from the Fernandez family, the family who was inactive but we reactivated them and baptized the children. They are amazing!

My crazy Zone

We actually found Maria during the food before the baptism. We were eating with everyone and everything. We didn’t know that she wasn’t a member, but Bishop, Hermano Rincon and the others were having another conversation, and so I started to talk with her because well, I was bored.....lol. I had saw her before at church and started off just asking what she did for a job and what she wanted to become. She works as a nurse and told me that she likes helping people. I forget exactly what she said but it made me think of the Plan of Salvation. So I started telling her the reason I had come on the mission, what the purpose we do as missionaries and everything. And I realized halfway through the conversation that she wasn’t a member. So then I started thinking of her and what she needed. I shared my testimony and everything and when she had tears in her eyes, I then taught her baptism. I asked her if she wanted to be clean from her sins, and she said YES. I then asked her if she felt that our church is true, and she said YES. Then I asked, “WILL YOU GET BAPTIZED?” and she said YES... LOL!!! BLESSINGS FROM HEAVEN!

Maria’s mom was a convert about 4 years ago and she’s always wanted her children to be in the church since then. I then turned to Maria’s mom and told her "Hermana, your daughter wants to get baptized!” The mom started crying and everything and the Bishop and everyone that was there got happy and everything. So I then suggested that she could get baptized that same day because she had assisted the church for years. She started crying. And well, acting in her faith, she got baptized. I literally did nothing. But I can see that God is always in everyone’s life!

On the border of Brownsville, Texas to the US.

Also, we went this morning to the bridge to Brownsville, Texas. We took pictures outside the bridge, thinking that this was the closest we could get to the US, but we just found out that we can walk to the border line that says you are crossing into US. So… we are going to go take a picture of that next Monday. SO MOM, WE COULD BE SO CLOSE NEXT WEEK!! LOL.

Well, what more can I say---- I LOVE THE MISSION!!!!  Keep being happy, family. I love you guys with all my heart! I wish and pray for the best for you guys.

- Elder Pukahi, the favorite son

Hanging out on some cool stairs.

By the border.

I Have A New Companion!

With new companion, Elder Perez

July 11, 2016

WEEK 36

MY FAMILY & FRIENDS!!

It looks like you guys have been really busy!!! I love hearing all the great adventures you guys are having. I’m so happy for Danielle and James! Everyone is growing up—it’s so weird. I remember when we had no responsibilities!  Wasn’t that the life? lol!!

I am doing really good. So about my companion… My companion IS Elder Perez, but he’s from El Salvador—not Peru. That’s actually another Elder. They told me I was receiving a different Perez! This one just got to the mission. He has only been out like 2 and half months. HE’S CHILL!! I love this kid. It’s so nice to have a change. I love getting new companions but man, did we work hard this week. We found a whole bunch of people. It was crazy. We are going to have baptisms this week or the next. It will just depend on the people so I will let you guys know what happens.

But this week we found the Fernandez family. They were inactive, but we found them and now they are active. We are going to be baptizing some of the members of their family.

The Crew, Elder Perez, Elder Hernandez y, Elder Cruz
and me Elder Pukahi

My companion can SING!!!! He can really SING! He’s so good, and now we are taking the ukulele everywhere and singing to people. I guess we are using our talents correctly because we are finding success. When we had our first lesson with the Fernandez family, we started off with a hymn and WOW....the Spirit was so strong. The family started to cry. They told us, "We haven’t felt this Spirit for a long time. Thank you guys for coming.” And it is crazy!  WE literally did NOTHING. Even though we may walk a lot, talk A LOT, and do a lot of things. As missionaries, we really do nothing. God is the one that is doing the work. We just get to be a part of it. We get to love his sons and daughters as he does. How cool!  I am learning so much here in the mission! I love it. I really couldn’t explain how much I love the mission. It’s so weird.

But the new mission president is going to be coming this Wednesday, so I will tell you guys how that goes.

I bring the ukulele everywhere now and we sing to everyone!

Well, I hope you continue to have fun. I love you guys so much. Keep sending me pictures. It’s what I need.

The one and only,

ELDER PUKAHI

Happy Independence Day Everyone! We Have Freedom!

Elder Segundo last night modeling his clothes

July 4, 2016

WEEK 35

Dear Mi Familia & Mi Amigos,

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! I cannot even declare that enough times. My words literally can’t describe how much. Seeing your emails makes me so happy, Mom. And seeing you smile is all I need! So KEEP SMILING and having fun.

TODAY’S INDEPENDENCE DAY! I had no idea! I totally forgot. I wasn’t even thinking about that. WELL.... HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EVERYONE! WE HAVE FREEDOM!

Jamison is growing up so fast.... Every time I receive an email from you guys, he is more different!!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! Time is going by so fast. Today I have just completed 8 months... I still feel like I just arrived!!!! It’s so crazy how fast the time has gone by. When people told me before the mission that I needed to enjoy the mission because time will go by so fast, THEY WEREN’T KIDDING!  It’s so crazy!

But guess what!!! I HAVE CHANGES! ELDER SEGUNDO, my companion, will be leaving!!!!!! 😭

God always has a greater plan, but it just stinks because we are having success!!!!! The life of the mission, what it does to you! But I’m going to be getting another companion, Elder Perez. He’s about to die (which means he’s about to finish his mission). He’s from Peru....that’s about all I know about him, so I will let you guys know more later.

This week was literally so cool. We have seen many of the blessings that Heavenly Father has given us. As I work more and more in the mission, I realize as missionaries, we do so much but actually we really do nothing. God literally has his hand in every moment. For example, this week we found a woman we started talking to after I spotted a cool tie. We started talking to her about the church and everything and well, we found out that she was going to baptized in the ocean Saturday with another church. We talked with her like Tuesday... Well, we bore our testimonies and everything and we taught her what is the truth. And well, she came to church yesterday.... She did get baptized on Saturday but she came to our church to find out what did we mean when we told her that she needed to be baptized by someone who has authority. Well... I’ll keep you guys informed of what happens. But she’s just one of many people and we literally did nothing. Oh, how merciful God is!

Well, a lot of things happened this week but I can’t really remember because my brain hurts speaking in English!

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

- Elder Pukahi

P.S.  Okay, one last story.... Last night we started packing my companion’s clothes and everything. My companion has a little addiction, too, and that is clothing! He loves to buy clothes. So we found out that he has a TON of clothes that he NEVER even uses, so.... you guys already know that I had to try on every piece of clothing he had, and of course, I was modeling. It’s who I am! ENJOY!

Party Time With Mission President and Wife

Elder Pukahi with Mission President Morales and Sister Morales

June 27, 2016

WEEK 34

Dear Mi Familia & Friends,

MOMMY, I love your emails!

YOU GUYS ARE DOING A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS without me but I’m so happy for you!!!! KEEP IT UP! Keep doing stuff because that means you are having fun and enjoying life—which you need to do after everything we’ve been through. And I know when I get back, we’ll do a lot of things together. But you guys already know that I’m going to go and have some fun for myself and I will be making you jealous so don’t worry! LOL.

But this last week we were able to do a huge amount of things. We found a great number of people that seem to want to progress, and we are seeing the blessings that God has given us.

Lunch in Reynosa with
CCM companion Elder McGary

Also, on Friday we had A PARTY! It was for our Mission President because him and his wife are leaving this week and because we achieved our goal for baptisms this last month. So we went to REYNOSA and I SAW EVERYONE! That was the best! Seeing every missionary is the best. I didn’t realize how much I missed everyone. I got a great amount of pictures.

Elder Mullins and Elder Pukahi

It’s been weird. God has just suddenly PUT people in our way. This week we found a woman who works in the Cyber where we write. She’s actually here right now, but after writing this last week, we started a conversation with her like it was nothing. We weren’t even trying to teach her the Gospel. We just wanted to get to know her and well, she’s now reading the Book of Mormon. She’s half way through 1st Nephi. She has some challenges, for instance, her husband… We don’t know if he’s going to cause trouble and even allow her to be baptized but we’ll find out soon enough. And she’s not the only one. This week was amazing. Even when I feel inadequate to do this work, somehow God trusts me to do it, and he puts people in our path.

My companion and I are now really tight. Elder Segundo is chill. At first it was hard but as we’ve grown together, we now have this special bond. I cannot even describe it. When we are teaching, it’s like I know what he’s going to say and I am just waiting for him to say it, so I can then testify of his words. I’ve learned a lot with Him and I’m learning a lot more. I mean we haven’t had the success we wanted but maybe it wasn’t the things that we needed...

Well....you guys already know! I LOVE THE MISSION! I know with all my heart this church is the only true church upon the Earth. And the Gospel is the only way we can truly receive the pure happiness of life.

I love you with ALL my heart. I cannot even describe how much I love you guys.  STAY SAFE!

- Elder Pukahi

p.s. There’s a missionary here with me that knows Griffon Bodine, because Griffon is serving in his home…SMALL WORLD!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!!!

June 20, 2016

WEEK 33

HI, FAMILY & FRIENDS!

Elder Pukahi & Elder Sigundo

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, DADDY!!

I’M GOING TO WRITE IN CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE TENGO FLOJERA. I DON’T REMEMBER WHAT THAT MEANS IN ENGLISH BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER.

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!!! I GOT THE PACKAGE AND I LOVED IT!! I LOVED IT WITH ALL MY HEART! MY COMPANIONS ALREADY ATE THE PEACH RINGS AND THEY KEEP TRYING TO BEG FOR MY FRUITY PEBBLES BUT PLEASE… THEY AREN’T GOING TO TOUCH MY FRUITY PEBBLES! DO THEY EVEN KNOW ME?!?!! WELL, THEY DONT KNOW ME LIKE YOU GUYS DO!

Okay, I’ll write regularly now. It’s because everyone who speaks Spanish speaks with caps. No se porque… I don’t know why but yeah.... Sorry, it’s really hard to write right now. I’m having a hard time switching from Spanish to English.

This week the president came again. We found a great load of people so that was really good because we’ve been praying and fasting for these people but how we found them was so funny! So I have an addiction… BOLIS which is the Spanish word for popsicles, but here in Mexico, they make BOMB popsicles! It’s not even funny. But I have an addiction and I got my companion addicted as well…lol!  That’s what happens when we are together for 24 hours each and every day. It happens!

So how we found these people was on the hottest day this week. We bought a huge amount of popsicles throughout the day, and so every time we found a popsicle place, we would start talking to the person. Then suddenly we would start teaching them and they accepted everything. It was such a weird and funny day/week but it was a good one!

Thank you guys so much for the books! I’ve been reading a lot lately. It’s one of my favorite things in the world. It’s weird how much the mission changes a lot of things. Knowledge literally is power.

But what I had the funnest time doing this week was testifying. This week like every week, we ran into a lot of people that are just chays. They don’t want anything to do with the Gospel but think they know everything, and so they tell us that we are wrong. And when we ask them a simple question like what is faith, they can’t even reply. I feel so sad for these people because they are literally lost and they have too much pride to even listen. It’s hard to watch that…

(Chay is a word that’s only used in my mission. We use it to describe a lot of things like when people are not going to progress and just make up a whole bunch of excuses and stuff like that. We use it in many different other cases.)

This one lady was telling us that we are false and everything because we believe in the Book of Mormon. I had a Book of Mormon in my hand and she told me if I had a Bible in my hand instead of the Book of Mormon she would listen to us. So we took out our Bibles and started talking to her. She had a very hard heart but as I put away my Bible in my bag, she said, “Don’t put it away. It’s the word of God.” And that’s when we just started testifying.

THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE WORD OF GOD!! I know it to be true. No other church compares to how true our church is. We have a witness that our church is true and that the Book of Mormon is true, and the saddest thing in the whole entire world is that the people could receive a whole bunch of blessings if only they would READ THE BOOK! I know the church is true with all my heart.

I love you guys!!!  Thanks for being my family.

- Elder Pukahi

I'm So Happy...

Here’s me and Elder Lovera.  He’s pretty sweet.  He was one of the 

missionaries that came out with me into the field from the Mexico MTC.

June 13, 2016

WEEK 32

Dear mi familia y amigos,

I love you guys SO MUCH!!!

I’m so happy to hear all this great news of the Fam! Glad to see all these great blessings that have been stowed upon us! I’m speaking OLD ENGLISH! What is wrong with me? The truth...it’s so hard to speak English now – 1. Because it is pure Spanish in my house, and 2. I like speaking Spanish more than English. It’s so weird. I feel like I’m two different persons but the same. It’s weird.

Well, this week we grew as a companionship. Sometimes you just need to have patience and let God work in our lives. Sometimes you need to be humble enough to let God work in our lives. It’s surprising how much we can learn in one week. Always we are learning! It’s kind of exhausting.

We made Spam Musubi again.

But what I want to share is that we always need the Spirit. Because when we don’t, it’s when we fall. This week we had an awesome lesson. It was with one of our investigators. SHE HAD A LOT OF DOUBTS and well, through the Spirit, we realized what her doubts were without even asking her. IT WAS SO COOL! Her son is a member and she’s always listened to the missionaries. ALWAYS. And well, we tried our best. But as we were asking her questions, we felt very prompted to talk about a certain theme — THE RESTORATION OF THE GOSPEL and specifically just about Joseph Smith. And after we gave our lesson, she told us that she’s had this question FOR YEARS but was always afraid to ask. So she might be getting baptized this weekend. Depends if God has been preparing her enough!

I LOVE THE MISSION!! And I love you all so much!

- Elder Pukahi

P.S.  But tell Jess I am so jealous of all her traveling and fun times! It seems like you guys are playing hard without me which I love!!!!

So happy for Danielle. James is a blessing for our family. He’s going to make my dear old cute cousin so happy!! That’s so weird but I get so happy thinking about it!