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.)

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Elder Mullins, Elder Pukahi and Elder Phelps
My new companions

December 21, 2015

Hola, mi familia y amigos!

HOW’S LIFE?!?!  So many things have happened since my last email, and I have no idea what to say. But I love my companions and I love Reynosa!

We golfed today!

Okay, time to let you know what’s been going on… So I have the best companions. COMPANIONS! YES, that is correct—I said companions. I AM IN A TRIO AGAIN! Lol… but that’s okay because I love them a lot. Their names are Elder Mullins and Elder Phelps. THEY ARE BOTH FROM UTAH. I think Elder Mullins is from West Valley and Elder Phelps is from South Jordan. They are pretty cool and both have tons and tons of experience. They are both District Leaders. Elder Phelps is actually going to be killed off soon [an Elder’s term for going home soon] and Elder Mullins has been in more than a year. They are AWESOME. I can’t even express how cool they are.

Dad, are you proud!!!

Okay, so now where we are staying. I’m in the city, so I can receive packages easily. It just depends on how fast is gets to the P.O. Box in Texas and then to the mission home. So send packages whenever. I’m in no hurry!! We are like 10 minutes away by bus from the mission home. It’s pretty nice. The city is called San Jose, Reynosa.

Man, we got a lot of work to do. I could keep listing and listing what needs to improve, but it doesn't matter because that’s going to change now. We just talked with our mission ward leader about getting the ward more involved, so hopefully more people will be wanting to go to church and become baptized. I feel like every single missionary is only thinking about baptisms, which we need very badly, but it’s not just about getting baptized. It’s about Enduring to the End -- to keep going to church every day and trying to become better every day. Hopefully I can get the members to understand that and the new upcoming investigators. We’ll see. Wish me luck. I am trying my best!

Elder Pukahi Skyping for a very long time
with his family on Christmas day.

SKYPE! Okay, so we are going over to a member’s house at 5:00 pm our time (4:00 pm your time). I am so excited to talk and see you guys.

How’s Yoanna?!! How’s that good old stomach of hers?! Hope the baby is doing good.

Okay, so are you ready for me to tell you about my week? MAN, BECAUSE IT WAS A GOOD WEEK!

My first week I got doors slammed in my face, met probably the best members in the world, on my first day got a cake in my face to welcome me into the mission field by members, got yelled at by a loca abuelita [crazy grandma] to come inside and watch the news, had the mission Christmas party, and taught some great lessons. It was lot of things!

My first day with the best members ever.
About four minutes after this picture, my
face was in this cake.

Okay -- first about the loca abuelita… so we went over to this home because we had a cita [appointment] with the daughter to teach her. So we went there and was let in by the brother (not sure because my Spanish isn’t that good yet) but the daughter wasn’t there yet. So we just chilled inside the house, watching the family walk in and out of the door and I had no idea what was going on. But ten minutes later, she walked in. She’s very kind and started talking with us, but before we could even start the lesson or anything, the abuelita came in and both of them literally were forcing us to eat with them. We rejected and rejected and actually tried to leave but they literally wouldn’t let us leave unless we ate their food. lol. But we had to wait for the food to even be cooked. (Side note: people here do not know time, when the say right now it means like 30 minutes later, so when they say to have food and it’s only going to take two seconds, it means an hour). 

Walmart got burnt down...who would do that!
I've never been so sad that
I don't have a Walmart.

The funny thing is while the daughter was cooking, the abuelita told us straight up that she didn’t want nothing to do with our church, she didn’t want us to talk to her daughter, didn’t want anything to do with us really, and there she was cooking us food, making us EAT!  And even funnier was when the abuelita was in the other room, she then bursts in the room and starts screaming and screaming at her daughter. I am just fresh off the boat. I didn’t understand a single word that came out of their mouths when this was happening, so I just leaned over to my companion. He’s over there laughing so hard and what he translates for me is "don’t you dare talk to them like that! I like them! They are nice! They actually talk to me unlike you! They are nice to me unlike you!" and a lot more other words, but here I am, having no idea what is going on, peeing my pants. After that, I was utterly scared of that abuelita. I still am, but SHE LOVES US. And she’s scary lol. Oh, I love Reynosa!

Well, now for something spiritual… This week I invited people to baptism and tried talking to people as best as I could. My companions wanted me to start contacting and told me to pick a house. So I looked around, prayed in my heart, and saw this house next to us. With the little Spanish I know, I knocked on the gate. A guy came out and I talked with him, telling him who we are and stuff, but I couldn’t say much. All I did was smile because I didn’t know how to respond. But he told us we could come in and not knowing what to expect, we walked in and found a whole family of six. And the best part was that it wasn’t the complete family. When we went inside to visit, I tried my best talking with them.  We started with the lesson, talking to them about the restoration and how there was an apostasy where Christ’s church was no longer on the earth. And we explained how there was no light, no light of Christ at that time. And I don’t remember what we asked, but I remember the mom. The mom at first looked very, very hesitant about us when her son invited us in. But her answer was "we are all trying to find the light" and she said this with tears in her eyes. When I looked into her eyes, I could feel the SPIRIT so strongly. I taught and bore testimony and went by the Spirit but I know this is what she needs. And I think SHE knows that this gospel is what her family needs. We have a cita with her tomorrow, so I hope that they will progress.

I KNOW this church is true and I know this work is what I need to be doing. I love this so much and I thank you for allowing me to do this. I hope I can become like my companions and like my Savior. I try every day to be better and do more. So thank you for everything!

I love you guys with all my heart! I know this Gospel is true and brings Light into people's lives. I love everyone so much. Thank you for everything I have!

- Elder Pukahi