03/31/09

Yeah, its a day late. We took our P-day (Tuesday) so that we could go to the temple this morning! It was a wonderful experience there, and it was beautiful as well. The temple is in Kona, which is on the other side of the island. So, we got up at about 3:30 this morning, and then drove between all the volcanoes (not active, but that is all this island is is volcanoes) over to Kona side. Then we drove back (after a quick stop at Costco) and were afraid our weight was destroying the car.

Well, we're all alive, the car is still running, and the recent RM is happy he got to go to the temple again.Work continues here as well. We have had a couple really cool people we have taught, but one couple decided they weren't interested, and another is out of town for about 3 weeks, so we get to postpone some of that. We do have a lesson tonight with a lady that has some potential though.Ikaika (one of our progressing) is still having great spiritual experiences, but had a family emergency this last week, so he was unable to make it to church. He knows he needs to, and hopefully he will soon.We weren't able to meet with Cathy and Pearlina this last week, but they came to church, and are still loving things.

It sounds like Jeremy and Heather had fun in Seattle, except for the Ticket to Ride game. Heather, you have the new record now! I loved Pikes market when I got to go my senior year, and the space needle was fun as well.

Right now we are starting to work with two 9 year-old girls who haven't been baptized. They both want to be, so hopefully we can set dates for them this week, and their families will bring them to church. That seems to be my best success recently.

We are really looking forward to general conference as well. I'm really excited to see who is going to be the next apostle. Everyone in Utah can think of us poor Hawaiians who will be getting up early so that we can see the session start at 6 am (yeah, I know we have no sympathy, but I can try, right?).

Our biggest problem we have right now in one of our wards is that the members do not seem to want to get involved. Any suggestions from those at home? also, may I take this opportunity to encourage all of you to make a little more effort in your own missionary efforts. I don't know the statistics for other places, but about 80% of baptisms in Hawaii are from member referrals... So, figure over 300,000 baptisms last year, cut by 80% is only 60,000. Well, enough preaching from me.

I love you all so much. Continue to put your trust in the Lord. As the rain falls, we see that all things are for our good. The rain here makes it so beautiful, and quite cool actually, so we prefer it. Can we change our lives to enjoy our trials a little? I love you all.

Elder Kidd

03/23/09

Aloha!
Well, it is interesting that Dad said that me mentioning that I was about 30 miles from a volcanoe made him nervous... since this morning we were only about 1-2 miles from it. We went and saw Kilauea, the active volcanoe in Hawaii. Unfortunately we couldn't see any lava (the only lava is running into the ocean right now, but you can only see it after 5 P.M.) but there is a big ol' hole in the ground.
Things in Hilo are continueing to go well. Elder Aldridge and I are really working hard and are starting to see some of the fruits of our labors. We were able to find some new people to teach this last week. We have a couple progressing investigators that are just struggling to make it over one or two troubles, which mostly includes making it to church. As soon as they can do that, then I believe they will both get baptized.
We had a missionary from one of the wards I am serving in return home last Saturday, and he has become one of our best friends. He wants to go with us whenever he can, and is still super excited about missionary work.
Yesterday I was able to speak in one of our wards along with afore mentioned missionary. I spoke a lot on how members can help in the work by telling others of the joys the gospel brings. At the end, our investigator that is the friend of the less active lady we ran into (The LA lady's name is Pearline, and her friend is Cathy) came up to us and told us that what we had said had moved something inside of her. Well, my companion told me the day before she had said to him and the Elder he was with (exchanges!) that she never thought she would be baptized. Hopefully after yesterday something has changed.
It was good to get pictures of all of my nieces and nephews, but I'll admit it took me a bit to figure out who the kid with all the brown hair was (in the picture with the four strollers at the zoo). I kept wondering if he was another family's kid, until I realized he is Briton. He has changed a lot since I left 8 months ago, but who's counting? : )
I hope you all enjoy the pictures I took, and I once again say thank you to everyone for your support, and I love you all!
Elder Kidd

03/16/09

Aloha from Hilo
Yep, I've managed to avoid O'ahu for the time being. I am now on Big Island, otherwise known as Hawai'i. So, I've finally gotten to the true Hawaii. I actually live about 30 miles or so from a volcanoe as well. Sweet, huh? I think we are going to go by Big Island Candies today, so we'll see how good they are. Maybe everyone can send me money and I can get presents for everyone!
My area is in Hilo town. Half of the island is called Kona, and the other is Hilo, so I am in Hilo and in Hilo. It has been great so far. The area is a bit bigger than Kapa'a was, and more city like, but I still love it. It is a little more chill here, and the people are wonderful. We actually cover two wards. One is in an area that is a little less fortunate (meaning poorer). There are a lot of apartment buildings, which actually translates to a lot of opportunities to invite people to learn, which has turned into a lot of potential recently. The other area is a bit up the hill, and is a little wealthier. We have some good plans to get the members involved up there.
So, Tuesday was a sad day in Kapa'a. Elder Bagley and I spent the day running around and saying goodbye to all of the people we could. We went to Jack's that evening for a final farewell. It was an emotional parting. Jack, Tylor, Micah (the JW friend), and Dillon (one of Tylor's friends that we actually reactivated) were there. We had a good dinner, and then talked for a few minutes, and sang a song. Then, we had a final prayer which Jack asked me to offer. At the end, Jack, Tylor, Dillon, and myself were all in tears.
Before we left, Jack handed me a small glass ball, which is a buyoue(sp?) for a fish hook and bait that fisherman will leave out in the ocean, anchored to the floor. The ball floats, holding the bait up until something bites the hook. Well, Jack gave me a really small one, smaller than any I had ever seen. He told me that when I met him, that was the size of his spirituality, that it was now like the ones upstairs on the shelf (which are 2-3 times bigger),and that it will be like the ones he has hanging from his back porch (which are 3-4 times bigger than the middle ones). He thanked me, and told me to keep in touch. We said goodbye, and then drove down to Lihue to spend the night at the ZL's pad, sleeping on the floor. Or atleast trying.
I got about 3 hours of sleep, and then we got ready and went to the airport. Three elders flew out early, and I waited by myself for my flight to O'ahu for about 2 hours. I landed in O'ahu, and managed to find the two elders headed out for Kaua'i. So, I filled my replacement in on some current standings, and got on my plane (alone again) to head for Hilo, and that is where I am now.
My new companion's name is Elder Aldridge (he is my sixth companion in six transfers), who lives just east of Hunter. He graduated in 08, and is actually cousins to the Smiths in our ward. He has been out the same amount of time as Elder Bagley and Elder Higley. He was actually Elder Higley's MTC companion. So, things have been a lot of fun out here. We are working hard, being effective, and having fun. We also are remembering times from back in West Valley. We live with two other elders: Elder Aranda (who has been out for almost 18 months, and is really awesome), and Elder Burner (who is a greenie). We live behind the Stake Center out here, in a nice, but old pad. It works great for missionaries though.
We had a really cool experience this last week. One of our wards (Kaumana) hasn't seen a baptisms in over a year. So, we decided we were going to spend time every day trying to find people in that ward. Well, Fridy, we tracted into a lady who used to be active, and was actually sealed to her parents in the Salt Lake temple. Her dad was a bishop at one time, but she went another way, and felt that nature was her new religion. We talked to her for a few minutes, gave her our number, and then continued on our way. Well, we were headed back to our car, slightly downhearted after running into a mean 7th day adventist, when we ran into a cool guy walking up the road. He lives in Seattle, so we gave him a pamphlet and got his information to send to missionaries in Seattle. Well, while we were talking to him, we got a call. When we listened to the message, it was from the lady we ran into. She was thinking, and realized that maybe we were sent from her dad (who has passed). She needed some help with the house, and decided it was time to look at the church again. We helped her on Saturday and talked to her friend (who is a non-member) and they both came to church yesterday. We are going to go see them later this week as well.
So, that is what has been going on in Hilo. It is very rainy out here most of the time. Hilo is actually the wettest city in the US (more than Seattle apparently), so it's going to be fun. Elder Aldridge and I are looking forward to a great transfer. I hope everyone is doing well, and that you are finally getting over your illness dad. Tell Savannah to get better. I love you all!
Elder Kidd

03/09/09

Aloha, and aloha
As you may have guessed from the subject line (or maybe not) I am being transfered off of Kaua'i. I'll let you know next week where I land. I hope that dad's idea is right, and that I will end up out here in this ward again. I would really enjoy that. I love this ward out here, the people, and the area. I'm starting to feel like dad too, that I go to a ward, get things really moving, and then get transfered. But, whatever help I was able to offer, I am glad I was able to offer that.
Also, I will be getting a new companion. Yep, 6 for 6. I'm batting a perfect 1.000. I'm going to ask the mission president at my next interview if my companions are saying something to him. Do you think I am that hard on them?
This last week has been interesting though. First of all, Sandy got baptized yesterday. Yep, Tuesday night she met with our bishop and decided to get baptized into our ward... the following Sunday... which was yesterday. So, that was a wonderful experience (and I'm really being truthful). It was a bit stressful, and it took a little bit to get her happy with my companion and I so we could go, but it was a wonderful baptism, and I think she is making the right choices.
The thing that really made the baptism interesting happened last Wednesday while I was on exchanges in the other ward. My companion and our district leader went to Jack's house. While they were there, Sandy came, and there ended up being a huge fight. Elder Bagley wrote 8 pages in his journal about it. Crazy, eh? But, Sandy decided to keep on with her baptism, and I think that fight might have been the wake-up call she needed to really get things moving in the right direction.
Jack continues to progress, if a little slower than would be optimal. Hopefully whoever replaces me can really help him. I don't care when it happens, I just hope that Jack sees the need for baptism and can start his life in the right direction. We'll see tonight how he reacts to me being transfered.
Tylor is having a hard time right now. He knows the gospel is true, but is going through that wonderful teenage years of hormones and uncertainty, and all those other wonderful emotional things of the teenage years. I think he will pull through, and hopefully he can help his dad as well.
One other funny story that hopefully will have a happy ending, but I probably will never know... On my exchange with Elder Ioelu, (who happens to live about 3 miles from home in West Valley, and graduated with me from Hunter, but he was a jock so I never knew him...) who is a greenie, we knocked on one door, and the guy that answered seemed really nice. He said he was Christian and the like. We could hear kids in the background, so we introduced eternal families. He kept saying he was Christian, so in attempts to get him thinking, and to see if anyone else around would listen to us, I said "Well, if you don't want to be with your family forever, do you think anyone around here does?" Well, he didn't even register that I had said that, but he pointed out a couple of houses (no one was interested). I just hope he heard what I said and thinks about it and will learn one day. It sounded so harsh as I said it, but it felt right. I want to see this guy in heaven and see what he says.
I hope all is going well with everyone. I'm going to have to find a dentist and immunization place wherever I land. I love you all so much, and avoid crisco ; ) .
Elder Kidd

02/23/09

Aloha
It sounds like it has been an interesting week for everyone that I have received emails from (meaning mom, dad, and heather). I hope everyone else is doing ok. Sure would be nice to know... ; )
So, the work on Kauai continues with some very interesting turns. Tylor had a baptism date, but with sickness and his mom flying to Colombia for a month, he was unable to make it to all the sacrament meetings he needed to. We are waiting to reset his date now until we know when his mom is going to be home because he wants her to be there. Since it was a family matter, and the church seems to be so big into families (I still don't understand why ;-) ) we figured that would be alright.
Jack continues to change his life a lot, and seems much more calm and focused things he needs to do in this life. He was unable to make it to church yesterday because once again he was working with Koa wood (for those that don't know, and just incase I didn't mention it last week, Koa wood is the most expensive wood in the world. His small little trailer load he estimated at about $10-15K) He did convince two of Tylor's friends to go to church with Tylor though. I think more and more he is starting to realize the church is true. He made the comment a couple nights ago about becoming a missionary himself around here.
Our biggest issue right now continues to be Sandy. We had a lesson this last week, and she snapped at us. Apparently she won't come to our ward if Jack is going to be there, and doesn't want us (meaning my comp and I) to teach her since we have spent so much time with Jack. So, she didn't come to church on Sunday, she still appears to be living in Jack's house (some nights, not all), and she is rude to everyone there (including us). So, we have given her to the other elders from the other ward that meets in our building, and wished them good luck. All this thrown in with the fact that she had been telling us that she was living the law of chastity, but we found out she hadn't, and we are not too terribly disappointed to see her being helped by other elders. It probably shouldn't be like this, but my companion and I are at our wits end, and are tired of trying to deal with her drama. Hopefully a clean slate with new elders will help her.
Brenda we are working delacatlely with right now. She doesn't seem too interested in having the lessons right now, but she continues to come to FHE and church (occasionally), so we are just going to give her scriptures to read in FHE. Hopefully she will come to the knowledge the church is true on her own since she doesn't seem to want us to help her. But we have high hopes!
As for the grandchildren we are teaching, we weren't able to teach them last week because two switch off weeks with their parents (parents are divorced), so we are going to meet with them this Tuesday and Thursday, and set a date that they can be baptized. I actually came up with an interesting way to teach the Plan of Salvation to them. I bought a Candyland game, and am changing the names of the characters to events in the Plan of Salvation. Lord Licorice has is Satan, and his licorice sticks are sin. I thought it was clever.
My companion and I continue to get along, but I am learning a little bit of patience. He is a wonderful son of God, but has some really interesting quirks about him. It is also really interesting to have to explain different things to him. He lived a very sheltered life at home, and it has kept him a little immature, but he is a wonderful elder all the same, and I love him. We are able to do good work, and I hope I am teaching him well. He does seem to be improving, so I will take that as a good sign.
One last cool thing that happened this week. We were over at Jack's house. He and I were sitting next to each other on the love seat. He told me, "You know, bra, if I don't make it to your ultimate goal of being baptized before you leave, don't feel bad. You have changed me so much, and I thank you for that." I think he is moving towards baptism though, and I really hope that i will be staying here for a while longer.
The last two sacrament meetings have had talks about strengthening marriages. Though I am not to that point yet, it was nice to learn things about love, and especially God's love. When we truely understand His love for us, it doesn't matter what happens to us in this life. We learn the true purpose, and we take everything in stride, trusting in Him. When we trust in Him, He will never let us fail. I love you all, thank you for your support, and remember that your Lord loves you.
Elder Kidd

02/17/09

Aloha a day late
Yeah, sorry. It's a day late. Since yesterday was President's day, all the libraries were closed, and we weren't able to do our email. So, you get a wonderful Tuesday night (or Wednesday morning) surprise.
I'm afraid I have a bit of a headache at the current moment, so hopefully that won't come across as me being down in this email.
The last week has been an interesting one to say the very least. Lots of events happening, and not all completely good... or maybe will turn out to be good, we will have to see.
To start with our favorite three, Jack, Sandy, and Tylor. It seems that things finally boiled over in the house, and as far as we know, Sandy has moved out, or is in the process. Jack is tired of the drama, and is looking forward to who she can become becoming a member, and knows she needs to move out for that to happen. Sandy, on the other hand, seems to have been lying to us for a few weeks, so apparently we still have quite a bit of work. Tylor stays fantastic and strong. He is a great kid, but a little difficult to get him to focus at times. Were going to try to get him to play basketball with us tonight.
The interesting thing that happened occured on Friday night. We were at a valentines party at the church (guess we are a couple?) and we called to invite Jack. He came, but didn't want to come in. He said he was just going to stop by quickly, and asked me to make him a plate. Well, an hour and a half later, we had taught a little, learned a lot about Sandy, and laughed at some stories he has. He also made me promise him this last week that if he gets baptized after I go home, that I will fly back out to Hawaii to baptize him. That was a really special moment for me, to have him ask me that. He and I have also decided that we are going to write a book about his life. So, when he gets baptized, we can turn it into a religious book. "Jack Caneda, The Fisherman's Greatest Catch". He has some amazing stories, and through conversion on the end and it will be motivational as well.
The most exciting thing this last week was something completely different though. An older couple in our ward have two daughters who are starting to get active in the church again. And those two daughters have three daughters between them who are not baptised. So, we started teaching them this last week. They are really excited, and the moms want them to be baptized. In fact, I don't think there is a question in anyone's head if they will or not. They really liked the lesson, and they are looking forward to more lessons. We are teaching them twice every other week (two live with their dad every other week... bad divorce from the sounds of it), so we won't see them this week, but next week should go really well.
Like dad says, missionary work and teaching school are a lot alike. We see so often how people can reject something that will only help them in their lives, and we can't force it on them. We simply love them and try to do all we can for them. Then, when they do what they need to, it is all the more sweet for you.
Other than that, we continue being missionaries. We have our zone conference tomorrow, so that will be a lot of fun. Plus I am excited to see the new assistant to the president, since he was one of the zone leaders when I got to Kauai. Hehe, I'm going to have way too much fun with him tomorrow. As always, I hope everyone is doing well, I love you all, and thank you for the continued support!
Aloha
Elder Kidd

02/09/09

Aloha and Happy Valentines
Yes, what a wonderful week to think about those we love. I got an early dose on Saturday when a package arrived for me (thank you Aubree!). I have cookies now, so I guess I will continue working on getting fat out here... Actually, I have been pretty happy that I have been able to maintain my weight pretty well the last few weeks since I got to Kauai.
Anyways, life continues in Kapaa with some interesting experiences. I decided this last week that if Adrian Monk and Jar Jar Binks were to have a child, and that child loved to do yoga, it would be my companion, Elder Bagley. We are getting along well, but we are an interesting pair to say the least. He is from Centerville and doesn't think that he has any family from Koosherum (I've never been able to spell that right), so I doubt he is part of that clan.
Things continue to go with Jack, Sandy, and Tylor. Tylor was sick yesterday and wasn't able to come to church. Unfortunatley Jack took that excuse and went fishing all day. Like it has been said many times before, we can't force him (but how I wish we could). I just wish I could make him see the importance, and how what he is doing is going to do nothing but harm. Guess that is the joy of missionary work.
Sandy seems to progress, but I still get the feeling that she doesn't quite understand some of the teachings of the church. We continue to work with her, and hopefully she will be moving out of the house soon. I think her getting out will be the best for her, for Jack, and for Tylor. There is so much drama in that house so often that you can feel it push the spirit away.
As for Brenda, we actually hadn't seen much of her recently, and found out from her fellowshipper that she was kinda avoiding us. She loves family home evening, but felt church was too.... churchy (umm.... yeah). She did come yesterday, and seemed to enjoy it. It looks like it is going to take some time and work with her. But, thats what we do!
We were actually able to find quite a few people this last week. We ran into a part member/less active family that we started teaching the sons this last week, but the mom (non-member) is actually interested and starting to read the Book of Mormon. We are also starting to work with a couple people from a Thai family. There is a bit of a language barrier, but they seem to accept what we say.
We ran into an interesting lady this last week. I think she is either a less-active member, or excommunicated. She seems like she likes the church, but considers herself an escapee... oh well. She cut open a coconut and let us drink the coconut water inside, which is pretty good. By the end of our conversation with her, we concluded she was a hippy and really strange. We'll see what we can do to help her and maybe bring her back.
So, our big event for the week was a musical fireside we held last night. We had five different musical numbers, and four speakers. It was a really good evening, and we pushed hard for members to come and bring their non-member friends... Lets just say that we need to get our ward used to missionary firesides. We didn't have the greatest turn out, but it went well and those who were there liked it!
I hope you are all doing well and staying warm! I love you all and am so thankful for all your support and love! Stay strong, and remember that the Lord has put us where we need to be and when. We may not know why, but He does. Love you!
Elder Kidd
Mom, could you possibly find me the name of a dentist out here that is covered by the insurance so I can go get my 6 month cleaning? Thank you!