This Week Awesome, A Little Sad, But Still Great!

Our investigator drives this car

August 22, 2016

WEEK 42

Dear mi familia y amigos,

I miss you guys! BUT the mission is better! This week was awesome, a little sad but still great! Let me explain everything that happened.

We had 8 people in the house this past week up until Thursday. The reason is because we just had changes because a WHOLE bunch of missionaries went home on Friday. In these next two months, we are going to be down so many missionaries. There will only be about 100 missionaries in the mission. That is crazy. But this week was a little different since three missionaries arrived on Thursday and stayed in the house until two missionaries went home. The Mission President in just this last week alone has come to our house three times. He is little obsessed with our area and my companion, Elder Cox, because well... HE’S HUGE… so he’s always stopping by which is cool and he knows our converts.

But because all of these things were happening, we couldn’t work the way we wanted to but we still had some success. In the zone, we had three baptisms. We have a lot more planned for the next week, so I will let you know how that goes.

Guinea Pig

But what was sad this week is that two of our baptisms fell through this week. We’ve been teaching a lady whose name is Lorena and her son. SHE IS SO COOL!  She contacted us in the park, and we talked with her, shared a little message, and set up an appointment to meet with her. AND IN EVERY LESSON, WE FELT THE SPIRIT SO STRONG. She was a nun many years ago, and so every lesson she asked us sooooo many questions. But the last time that we taught her officially, she ended the lesson with the prayer and asked God if all of this was true. After the prayer, she looked at us in the eyes and told us it is true. That she KNOWS it is true.

Well, her baptism was supposed to have been yesterday but what happened is that her husband doesn’t want them to change AT ALL. So when we went in the morning to go talk with her and her husband about everything, he told us that the son would not be baptized but that Lorena has the choice. BUT she doesn’t want to. So then we came back later to talk with them some more so that we could really understand their reasons why. They gave us reasons, a little bit of excuses and everything. We answered all of their doubts with just using the Bible and Lorena was crying. I looked her in the eyes and asked her again, “Do you believe these things to be true”, and she told us “Yes”. Then we invited her to be baptized again, and then she told us that how could she leave all that she has learned and believed her whole life to be true.... She started crying, and she didn’t even have to speak. I knew. She wasn’t going to change even though she’s had a clear sign and a clear answer.

Some good old service and climbing roofs

After this, I’m not going to lie, my heart broke because I KNOW how many blessings she could receive and she denied them. But I know she will have the courage one day to change… Now, it’s time to go find the people who are ACTUALLY ready.

I’m learning a lot. I can tell you that!!  I LOVE YOU GUYS!!

- Elder Pukahi

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

June 6, 2016

WEEK 31

HI, FAMILY & FRIENDS!  

How are you guys?  I am doing awesome! This week was crazy—it rained A TON!! Sorry, I didn’t take any pictures when it flooded. I just have videos and I can’t really send them…

Moving Day

Well, this week was a little crazy because WE MOVED and we will have a baptism next Saturday so that’s nice! Our house was pretty disgusting and none of the things worked. We didn’t have any hot water or air conditioning, and washing our clothes by hand. (Yes, I know...I’m washing my clothes...you guys are proud...don’t worry I know...because I’m your favorite! I know I haven’t said that for a while but it’s nice to say it. Haha!)  Well, back to the real stuff… The changing of houses included in the morning that it rained a lot and flooded the streets, which caused us to find a huge amount of cockroaches, as well as us riding at 8.30 pm on the back of a truck while it started to rain again. The truth is:  I NEVER WANT TO MOVE AGAIN! But it’s so nice to have our new house because it is cooolllll!

Exchanges with my district leader, Elder Lundell.

But on a spiritual note, we worked really hard this week, considering we lost a day and a half when we were moving houses. We also had exchanges with one of my district leaders, Elder Lundell. We actually found a family that could be “chosen” but we don’t know right now because they didn’t come to church. Waah! But we’ll see. I’ve learned a lot this week about what kind of person I am and what God has planned for me. I mean I still don’t have a lot of answers but I’m searching. I’ve read a lot from my patriarchal blessing as well as the Book of Mormon. I know without a doubt from my heart that this Church is the true church and that in these days, we can receive personal revelation! Dad...Mom...Jess...family... are you guys reading your patriarchal blessings??? and JAMISON... PREPARE TO GET YOURS!

At times we think that we are doing good and get comfortable and think we don’t need to strengthen ourselves in the Gospel and that’s something from Satan. Because as Children of God, we have the ability to be like him and if we aren’t working, reading, trying everyday to be like him, WE WON’T! This week we’ve met a lot of inactives, just by knocking on doors, and the reason they are inactive is because they forgot their view, their end goal. So yeah.

Well, I love you guys so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Elder Pukahi

P.S. Cuidense mucho! y Jessica escribame!!!!! Cómo te vas?!?!!?