Another Transfer, Tree Tunnels and Giant Pancakes

4/6/15

My dear family!!

This last week has been pretty crazy out here! Minus the obvious excitements of Easter and General Conference it has been a rather eventful week in Pahoa! First and foremost with the awesome experiences we got to have with the O. family! The one who I told you about last week with the baptism I stole from Elder Reinhold, haha! Anyway, so following the baptism the day after my emergency transfer we talked with and set an appointment to keep meeting with the family and now the girl's mother, is taking the lessons and wants to get baptized! And aside from just her they just had a TON of other family members move in to their little house (or at least in the near vicinity of it) from Guam and they are almost all members although most are only semi-active so we're gonna keep going over and teaching the kids and teaching the mom and teaching the family and if things keep going as great as they have been over there then really soon they will all be baptized and active and we will have a new GIANT and active Chuukese family in our ward! :D

This is what happens to shoes that haven't been polished in months! 

 Anyway, whatever happens though unfortunately I won't be here to see it. It truly is part of God's eternal plan that there is opposition in all things and so, just as all the excitement of the O. family as well as many other families and people I have already come to know and love in a matter of two weeks here in Pahoa sets in, I found out for sure that I will be getting uprooted yet again and transferred back to Oahu to be in the Mililani stake in the Mililani 1st ward with Elder Griffen (I actually came out with him so that will be cool!) Anyway, It's really not that bad, I mean I am very excited to go to Mililani and know many missionaries who have served there and heard a lot of great things about it so I am happy for that reason! I am just saddened that I will have to leave what has already come to feel like home here in Pahoa and all the amazing people that inhabit it! If any of them happen to be reading this, I love you and really do appreciate the time I got to spend with you even if it was short.

Anyway, it will also be quite the culture shock going from areas like Pahoa and even more so Ka'u to Mililani. After a month or so in quite literally the most spread out, country places in all of Hawaii with many of the people living in some of the most impoverished circumstances imaginable, I will be heading over to one of the busiest, crowded and wealthy communities in the entire mission!! Mililani is supposed to be filled with mainland military families and long time snowbirds or vacationers who almost all have more money than they know what to do with and who almost all will come and go and come and go, which again will be a stark contrast to the many long time locals here in Big island some of them being literal keiki o ka aina (children of the land). So I am sure come next Monday after spending half the week in Hilo and half on Oahu I will have many more exciting stories to tell!

But anyway, one thing is for sure, I have learned from these last three months with their four different areas and companions that no matter where I go or what is happening around me that the Lord is still there! I am so grateful for the knowledge that he lives and that he loves each and every one of his children! It has been a major challenge these last few months but definitely looking back I can see the Lord's hand in all of it and if nothing else was accomplished from it at least he has taught me a major lesson on patience and endurance and faith. Also over these last few weeks especially I have come to appreciate even more the words of the Prophets found both in the Scriptures and through Latter-day Prophets!

I loved all the sessions of conference and have already downloaded many to my flash drive to listen and review in the coming months until we hear from them again! I hope you all had spiritual experiences listening to the inspired messages this conference weekend! I know I am eternally grateful for it!! Just as I am eternally grateful for all of you!! I love you all so much and thank you again for everything you do and everything you are! I am praying for you always and wish you the best in the coming week!! Stay strong and don't forget to be awesome!!! :D

Aloha nui loa!!

-Elder Powell

p.s. CONGRATS ABBI!!!!! And also congrats to Regan!! that is so awesome to hear about both of them and about all the exciting news with all the family!! Be sure to send my love and Aloha to all! :)

p.p.s. I'm not sure if you noticed but I just remembered hearing that Kim B. Clark got called as a 70?! That's so awesome!! I knew the second they released him from BYU-I that he was going to be a GA! He pretty much already was there! haha!

p.p.p.s. Sorry if this weeks is a little all over the place or incoherent. As you might imagine it's been rather tolling on my mind especially to have to keep bouncing around and try and learn new areas and people and companions and so forth. 

p.p.p.p.s. I love how much joy there is here in Hawaii in all the little things, like cool tree tunnel roads and gigantic pancakes!! :) hahaha!