04/27/09

Aloha Actually

Thought I would try something a little bit different.

So, it has been an interesting week here in Hilo. I have a new companion, my old companion is up the road about an hour and a half in Waimea, and my new district leader is.... interesting. I'll let you know how that one turns out.

My new companion is Elder Thomson, from Twin Falls. He has been out the same amount of time as Elder Aldridge has (and Elder Bagley and Elder Higley). I'm wondering if I am going to be companions with everyone in their generation (or group from the MTC) through the rest of my mission. I know everyone's name at this point. I hope not though. Elder Thomson and I are getting along and I am looking forward to this transfer.

We had some struggles this week getting in contact with our investigators, so not a whole lot new has happened. We were able to teach the gentleman who wants to be baptized, and he is progressing. He wants his son to baptise him, but knows that he needs to do some things prior. Apparently he has been investigating the church for the last 20 years.... So yeah, we've got to figure out how to help him get a secure testimony and quit smoking first, all small kine.

We are starting to meet with choke people from our wards though. I realized that I didn't know the members out here very well, so I am going to fall back on what I did over on Kaua'i a little bit: visit the members, get to know them, let them know you, show them you care, and then remind them about missionary work. Seemed to work out there, and I think we need a bit of that here. The members seem to have forgotten who the missionaries are. But, our slow ward (one with not a lot going on) is starting to see a little bit of movement.

One interesting note: the bishop of the slower ward (Kaumana) has a son that is serving in the Tempe Arizona mission, where Felipe is.

So, I just realized that mother's day is coming up rapidly. Weird, I'm gonig to be able to call home again. It seems like just yesterday that I was calling on Christmas. I don't remember when church is, so we may have to work around that. I am thinking I can call early (about 8:30 there) or maybe later in the evening (around 6:30-7:30). Just let me know what would work best so we can coordinate our calling. We have cell phones, so we will just be calling from those since it has free minutes on weekends.

So, to clarify, S-lyn is really the girls name. It is pronounced 'S' (as in the letter S) and then lynn (as in uncle lynn). They are chuukese, so it was interesting. I was so scared I was going to mess up the name. One other bit of good news, the three girls that I helped teach in Kaua'i got baptized the Saturday after S-Lyn. Hopefully Elder Bagley will send me pictures like he said he would.

Weather here has been fun. It actually rained almost non-stop all of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We got a bit of a break on Saturday, and a little today. Hopefully it will stay because we are going to play ultimate frisbee this afternoon.

I hope everyone is doing well. Keep up the faith, remember to smile, and remember that Christ was completely alone so that we never have to be if we will do what is right (I think Elder Holland has become my new favorite Apostle. He's awesome).
As we say in Hawaii: We are grateful to be in the Hawaii, Honolulu mission, the Aloha mission.
The (A)tonement of Jesus Christ is our message
(L)ove of God and others is our motivation, and
(O)bedience to the commandments and mission rules is our strength. By sharing the gospel with others, we can give them the
(HA), the breath of life, even eternal life. ALOHA!

I love you all!

Elder Kidd